I have been a Volunteer with the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust (The Trust or LPCT) for at least 10 years. Their mission to protect green spaces in an urban environment has opened my eyes to all that Lowell has to offer. Lowell isn’t just a city. It is a city that has many small parks and open spaces which the Trust helps maintain with Land Stewards. There are also two rivers that flow through Lowell, the Merrimack and the Concord, which provide habitats for many species of fish, birds, and other wildlife. The Concord River is especially important to the Trust in that the Concord River Greenway is the major project being worked on right now. A multi-use trail along the Concord River will be used by many people within the city. And to help promote and support the Greenway, LPCT, along with Zoar Outdoor, run Whitewater Rafting trips down the Concord River. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the country where you can raft Class III and Class IV rapids through city limits then be lifted up in a lock system built in the 1850 into one of the many canals that run through Lowell. Come try it some time. Running the locks is one of the many volunteer jobs I have participated in with The Trust. Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust has a very dedicated and loyal volunteer group. Like a bag of potato chips where you just can’t eat one, once you volunteer for the LPCT you keep coming back for more.