Heart and a Chainsaw
Ryan Watson’s Commitment to the B&O Trail
Some volunteer stories begin with a meeting. Ryan Watson’s began with a chainsaw, a YouTube education, and a deep belief that abandoned railroad corridors should not be forgotten.
For Ryan, the work was never just about clearing trees or cutting brush. He cared about preserving railroad corridors and the history they carry. The rails-to-trails movement gave that belief a practical purpose: protect the corridor, honor its past, and help turn it into something useful for the future.
His commitment to safe connectivity is also personal. In August 2002, Ryan lost a middle school friend, Hector Huerta Jr., who died in ninth grade while skateboarding on Bridgeport Road. That loss shaped Ryan’s belief that people need safe ways to move through their communities when they are not driving. Trails matter, but so do the connections beyond the trail: the roads, crossings, neighborhoods, and routes people rely on every day.
In early 2015, Ryan bought his first chainsaw and set out to learn how to use it safely and well. Around the same time, he noticed that the B&O Trail Association had a volunteer crew working along the corridor. That was the connection point.
Ryan reached out to the B&O Trail Association and got to work. He studied chainsaw techniques from professional loggers on YouTube, then began applying what he learned alongside experienced volunteers. His first major clearing effort supported a donated Hendricks County Parks crew along the B&O corridor, beginning near 500 East in Tilden and working west. Later that fall, he also got involved with Speedway Trails and helped with work on the P&E Trail.
Over the next several years, Ryan kept learning. He practiced different techniques, helped with difficult trees, and became part of a volunteer culture built on practical skills, caution, and a willingness to show up when the corridor needed attention.
In February 2018, Ryan was invited to serve on the B&O Trail Association Board of Directors. With a background in mass earth construction and heavy equipment operations, he brought field experience to conversations about trail development and construction. His perspective helped connect the big-picture vision of a trail network with the real-world work required to build and maintain one.
Beginning in 2020, Ryan joined clearing crews with Speedway Trails to support B&O Trail construction in Marion County. His work helped open sections for surveying crews, including the North Concord Street area heading west and the Farley section beginning near Girls School Road and heading east.
In April 2024, Ryan was offered a seat on the Speedway Trails Board of Directors. Today, he volunteers with both the B&O Trail Association and Speedway Trails.
Then, in October 2025, during the ribbon cutting for the opening of the B&O Trail in western Marion County, Ryan met Jennifer Whitt. They both saw the same need: as more of the trail opened in Marion County, it would need a local friends group focused on stewardship, communication, and care. Together, they founded Friends of the B&O.
Ryan’s story is not flashy. That is part of what makes it powerful. It is the story of steady service, learned skill, careful work, and a belief that public spaces are worth protecting.
The B&O Trail did not become what it is because of one ribbon cutting or one construction project. It has taken years of planning, advocacy, clearing, coordination, and volunteer commitment. As the trail continues to grow, it will take people who understand the corridor, respect the work, and are willing to care for it responsibly.
Ryan represents that spirit well.
He is a reminder that trails are not only built by plans and pavement. They are also built by the people who show up, clear the way, answer the call after storms, and keep believing in a safer, more connected community.
Join the Maintenance Committee
Friends of the B&O is building a maintenance committee to help support the long-term care of the trail in Marion County.
We are looking for volunteers who can help with trail walks, cleanup days, light maintenance coordination, vegetation concerns, and reporting issues that need attention.
You do not need to own a chainsaw or have heavy equipment experience to help. We need walkers, organizers, communicators, neighbors, note-takers, photographers, and people who simply care about keeping the trail safe, clean, and welcoming.
The goal is simple: support the trail responsibly, communicate well, and build a strong volunteer network around one of our community’s most important public spaces.
