WATERBORO — As the highest point in town, Ossipee Hill has served for 224 years as an environment for locals to get outdoors, stretch their legs and take in the wonders of nature.

Starting last Thursday, conservation workers set out to clear off the top of the hill, also known to residents as “Ossipee Mountain,” and clear a trail to make an easier climb for hikers.

“When you reach the summit, you get a truly amazing view,” said TammyJo Girard, while standing on the hill’s 1,022-foot peak of elevation earlier this week. Girard, who is project manager of the Waterboro Land Trust and serves as a Waterboro selectwoman, brought Maine Conservation Corps members to Ossipee Hill to complete the improvements.

The eight-person MCC team, mostly college graduates in their 20s from various states, spent the last week using chainsaws and shears to cut away the excess trees and branches that were blocking the new .6-mile trail ”“ all the while, trying to maintain the path’s natural state as much as possible.

To some, the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule may have seemed like back-breaking work, but to the MCC volunteers, the results were well worth their labor.

“It’s great seeing the outcome of my work after I’m done,” said Jason Ozoma, a University of Tennessee graduate expecting to join the Peace Corps, who volunteers for conservation groups purely to be outside.

Ozoma and teammate Doug Dolan of Hollis spent some of Tuesday crushing and moving rocks into a small trench to construct a water bar on the side of the trail. The water bar will slow down erosion when water flows down the hill during periods of hard rain.

Joining the Peace Corps and MCC is seen by Ozoma, he said, as his last chance to adventure across the country before he cracks the books in law school.

“It keeps you outdoors and in shape,” said Dolan, who has completed nearly 80 hours of volunteering in his 15th year of conservation work, trying to make one MCC trip per year.

According to Girard, the improvements made to Ossipee Hill would have taken a few years to finish if volunteers only worked a few hours each weekend, but the MCC team’s persistence made the trail possible within a couple weeks.

Team Leader Lindsey May said the group sometimes works through an entire day of rain unless it gets really difficult. The unattractive weather conditions can be ignored though, she said, knowing she’s exploring Maine and standing alongside friends.

“This can be really strenuous, but I enjoy it,” said Andrew Cooper, the team’s assistant leader, whose group spent the previous weeks restoring trails in Baxter State Park in Millinocket.

Besides providing a way for people to seek out the pleasures of wildlife, conservation work can come as a source of opportunity.

A Falmouth, Mass. native, Cooper said his volunteering will build his resume, possibly leading to his dream job of working in the field of parks and recreation. Although he’s not sure what position he would like, he expects his participation in the MCC program will give him contacts leading to a full-time career.

The $5,000 trail was paid for by the land trust ”“ which owns 70 acres on the hill ”“ through income from a cell phone tower on Ossipee Hill that the land trust and Waterboro own together. The land trust receives 80 percent of the money from the tower, while the town receives 20 percent.

After installing handcrafted wooden benches on Ossipee’s summit, Girard said she hopes to place a horizon board detailing what can be viewed from the hilltop. Eventually, she said she would like to see fireplaces built and a park grill to make the area an ideal spot for recreational activities.

“We want this to be a place where people can come up and relax and enjoy themselves,” said Girard.

Girard said the land trust is in the beginning stages of a plan to build a downhill slope for skiing and tubing on Ossipee, but it will take at least three years to be constructed.

Heading off to their next destination, Kingsley Pines summer camp in Raymond, Girard said the team will take away an important life skill from their travels.

“They’re all gaining leadership experience,” she said. “You can learn from a book, but it’s better to go out and learn from real life.”

— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326, or at mkiernan@journaltribune.com