Work Parties

Sawyers Tackle Trees in September 2011 Submitted by: Joan Richard
On another clear and lovely day in late September, Toronto Region Conservation Authority was directing the volunteer sawyers in cutting over 30 trees that TRCA had deemed hazardous.  Many of the trees were thin pines, while others were monster hardwoods.  A team of 6 volunteers showed up, four of them qualified sawyers.  They spent over 6 hours working on the Trail.

The Badlands:  An October 2011 re-route in 3 Acts

Submitted By: Joan Richard

Act 1 – On an overcast day that turned to rain, Ross McLean and Dave Moule scoured the multiple informal trails of the badlands property to find a viable route for a trail to get more of the early spring re-route onto the road off the road.  After a good bit of trying various informal but well-trodden trails, the route was flagged.

Act 1(b) – Dave had to return to re-flag much of the route as someone had worked very hard to take off most of the flagging tape, perhaps the same person who was using the property for some illegal plants which we had found and flagged. 

Act 2 – On a sunny Tuesday, over 30 people, many of them Tuesday hikers, showed up with work gloves and loppers to attack the buckthorn and little apple trees that were closing in on the trail.  Most of the new trail is actually former side trail, and according to some veterans was once main trail.  So the treadway was established, and with the badlands soil, once worn bare, it does not easily recover. Following the loppers crew there came a team of weed-whackers who did a good job on the golden rod.  There were two teams working in from both ends, who met somewhere in the middle, and it was done.  

Act 3 – The following Thursday, 12 Trailblazers, a team of skilled and experienced carpenters, showed up and built 4 boardwalks of varying lengths along the re-route.  While the work was done in 4 hours (x12), and blazing and signage completed shortly after, it required a lot of effort and physical strength. 

Finale – The Fall Colours End to End was the first large group to use the new route just days later.  A lovely new re-route, safely off a very busy, dangerous road, fully appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who came out on the Tuesday work party at the Badlands.  I apologize if I missed anyone.

Many hands make light work.

The Thursday crew:

Work on the Peter Beecham Side Trail September 20, 2011

Submitted By: Joan Richard

A group of club volunteers was busy repairing trail and re-building stairs on the Peter Beecham Side Trail.  Seven people put in a very full day with the goal of making the Trail safer and conserving it from erosion.  Under the guidance of Laurence Christie, six diligent trail workers spent six hours installing a total of 26 steps and stabilizing a boardwalk.

Crowsnest Side Trail gets a new boardwalk. Fall 2011

Submitted By: Joan Richard

After years of concern about the slippery slope, Crowsnest Side Trail’s trail captain now has a grand cedar boardwalk to help overcome the problem.  The project was coordinated, designed and directed by Credit Valley Conservation which is the landowner of the property.  Bruce Trail volunteers supplemented CVC staff and those volunteers found by CVC’s community outreach program.  Over two clear and cool days in mid-September, twenty to thirty people of all ages and skills worked on the build, ranging from teens getting their hours to our octogenarian who never slowed down.  Lunch was never called, so after 4 steady hours, some of the guys sat down for a brief sandwich, some did not.  There was a generator and power tools onsite, something quite unfamiliar in a BT build, but extremely efficient.  A lot of technical skill was required to build up the hill safely, but this was managed very well under the direction of Dave of the CVC, with the skilled assistance of several Daves and non-Daves from the Caledon Club who have built many boardwalks together.  The less skilled, but fatiguing job of nailing the planks was accomplished by the steady work of Barbara and her crew.  Two crews were working out from the centre, and it was a marvel to see the boardwalk grow as it curved and mounted the slope. 
Our thanks goes out to CVC and their enthusiastic staff, particularly, Tamara for coordinating all parties, Dave and Victoria for organizing everyone onsite, and Dave and his building crew for their skill and patience.  The Bruce Trail volunteers also deserve a lot of credit for coming out during a busy time of year to contribute their skill and energy to this large project.  We look forward to working together on further projects in this area.  

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT TO PRUNE OUR CHRISTMAS TREES
ON JUNE 21, 2011

Thanks go to all the volunteers who came out today to Hockleycrest Farm to help prune the club's Christmas Tree Plantation.  Selling Christmas Trees every December is our biggest fundraiser, and a day spent pruning in June guarantees that the trees will have that "perfect" shape for someone's home in December.  A special thanks go to the Tuesday Hiking Group who turned out in great numbers to assist with the pruning this year.  A hike was promised after the pruning, but everyone agreed to call it a day at about 1:30 p.m.  In no particular order, the volunteers (according to Jean Kerins) were:

And of course, many thanks to Dave Moule and Sally Cohen who generously donate their land for our tree plantation.   We couldn't do it without all of you!