MUSCATINE, Iowa — It was about a month ago when the Canadian Pacific Railway sent a train through Muscatine with a cutting machine that lopped off trees that were growing close to the track near the bike path along River Road.

The drive-by cutting sent sawdust flying and left an unsightly mess of tangled branches and fallen trees.

On Saturday morning about 10 volunteers joined two city employees and Andy Sherman and Mark Sherman of Minnesota in cutting down the small trees and hauling them to the Muscatine Transfer Station.

“I contacted the city to find out what projects I might be able to help with and Kathy Chalupa of the Parks Department said something needed to be done about this,” said Andy Sherman, a Department of Natural Resources worker who coordinated the project through the AmeriCorps program.

Sherman is staying in Wapello as he serves in AmeriCorps, a volunteer program that coordinates recovery projects for communities in need, and will be in the area until December. His father, Mark Sherman, drove to Muscatine from Minnetonka, Minn., to help with the project.

The Canadian Pacific bought the railroad from Iowa Chicago and Eastern late last year, Andy Sherman said.

“It’s not uncommon for the railroad to come through to cut down trees that are encroaching on the railway. Fortunately most of these trees aren’t very thick,” Sherman said while using a bow saw to cut the smallest of the trees.

Les Dennis, Parks Maintenance Supervisor, used a chain saw to take down larger trees.

Volunteers tugged and cut at the branches.

“I walk this trail every morning with my dog,” said John Sayles, who lives in the area. “We saw signs posted that volunteers were needed so we thought we’d clean it up, make it a little more aesthetically pleasing.”

Sayles was joined by Rich Carroll and his son Collin Carroll, 13. The Carrolls had brought a truck with a small trailer to help load and haul the brush because they enjoy biking the trail from the riverfront.

Those who use the trail said that though railroad companies have cut the trees before, they never left such a mess behind.

“The railroad cuts, but I don’t think the railroad cleans up,” Sayles said jokingly.

Canadian Pacific offices were closed over the weekend and no one from the railroad was able to be reached for comment as of press time today.