volunteer trail workday

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Trail Maintenance Work Day Saturday Sept 17

West River Trail

Volunteers needed and welcomed to join the Friends of the West River Trail Lower Section for a workday from 10 AM to 2 PM (you’re welcome even if you can’t stay that long).

We will meet at the Marina trailhead at 10 AM and walk in to the work site. The focus will be on clearing ditches and culverts before the leaves come down.
Wear boots, and bring water, work gloves and a rake or hoe if you have one.
Drinks and snacks will be provided. 

Please email lowersection@westrivertrail.org with questions or to let us know you’re coming. Thank you!

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Reminder: Volunteer Work Day this Sunday

Join us on Sunday, September 26, 9:30-noon to learn how to identify rare plants and invasives with Mike Duffy, local botanist, and help clear the Riverstone Preserve of invasive plants, too! Bring work gloves, water, insect repellant, and snack. We’ll meet at the intersection of the Fox Farm Access road and the West River Trail. Email us at lowersection@westrivertrail.org to let us know you’re coming. Thank you!

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Trail Work Day August 1st

Come learn to identify plants (especially invasive plants) and help remove them from the Riverstone Preserve at the same time! 

The Friends of the West River Trail are hosting a volunteer work day on Sunday, August 1 from 9:30 am to 1 pm.  

Dan Healey of LongView Forest (whose crew has been working on invasive mitigation on the RP for the last 3 summers) will be there to help us with identification and pulling methods. Mike Duffy, who is a botanist and has been creating an inventory of all the plants on the WRT will also be there.

Bring work gloves, water to drink, a snack, and a plastic trash bag. We will meet where the Fox Farm Rd access road meets the West River Trail, near the northern border of the Riverstone Preserve. For questions and to let us know you are coming, email lowersection@westrivertrail.org. 

Thanks and we hope to see you there!

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WRT Volunteer Trail Work Day

cropped-milton-avery-in-vermontWe are having a Trail Work Day on Saturday, October 20 from 10 AM to 2 PM. We will meet at the Rice Farm Road Trail head. We’ll be doing some trimming along the trail, weed whacking under the power lines, clearing drainage ditches of leaves and debris, planting a post, putting up some new signs, etc. Wear boots, bring water, snack, work gloves. We will have tools, but you are welcome to bring your own, such as a shovel, clippers, pruner, rake. Lunch will be provided. It will be fun! We look forward to seeing you and are so grateful for your help. For more information or to let us know you’re coming, contact us at: lowersection@westrivertrail.org. Thank you!

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Productive Trail Work Day November 18!

Pat LaBelle, a happy brush trimmer, photo by Kathleen White
A post was set at the Rice Farm Rd Trailhead, photo by Kathleen White

Thank you to our work day volunteers! We so appreciate the work of Pat LaBelle, Risha Gordon, Bill Dixon and Orlando who joined members of the lower section steering committee–Jason Cooper, Malcolm Moore, Matt Mann, Wendy Harrison and Kathleen White. Thank you all!

Tasks accomplished: A post was set at the Rice Farm Rd trail head, grass and brush was trimmed along the overgrown section of trail under the power lines, drainage ditches were cleared of leaves and debris, a few fallen trees were sawed and removed from trail, and caution signs were placed at washout areas on the Fox Farm Road access trail.

After all the tasks were completed, our work day organizer, Jason Cooper found time for some fun and created this stump jump!

Photo by Kathleen White
Photo by Kathleen White

Jason Cooper also discovered evidence of beavers hard at work and Wendy Harrison found an “ice leaf” while working on the trail.

Ice leaf found by Wendy Harrison.
Now that the I-91 heavy equipment is all gone, the next phase of construction work moves in along the West River Trail. Photo by Jason Cooper

Trail Work Day

wrt work day nov 2014 3Our sincere apologies to anyone who showed up on October 29.  We forgot to announce that we needed to cancel.  We’ll not let that happen again!

The new date is (weather permitting) Saturday Nov 18. We’ll meet at the Marina Trailhead at 9:45 and begin our walk in at 10 AM.  Contact lowersection@gmail.com with questions or to RSVP. More info on this post.

 

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West River Trail Damaged in Storm

West River Trail, rainstorm damage to culvertHeavy rains last Monday exposed a culvert, and caused other damage to the lower section of the West River Trail. Please come to our trail work day this Sunday, June 25, from 1-5 PM to help maintain our community trail. Meet up at the Fox Farm Rd trail access. Wear your boots and work gloves, bring bug spray and water. We’ll have tools! The trail really needs your help! Thank you! Email us at lowersection@gmail.com for info or questions.

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West River Trail Work Day

West River Trail mountain-laurel June 2016Save the date!
Do you love the West River Trail?
Please come help out at our Volunteer Trail Work Day scheduled for Sunday, June 25, from 1-5 PM. Meet us at 1 at the Fox Farm Rd Trail Head and stay as long as you like.
Bring work gloves, water, insect repellent, loppers. We’ll have shovels and other tools. We’ll be working on improving drainage in some wet areas and trail clearing where needed. Email lowersection@gmail.com for more information and to let us know you’re coming. Thank you!

West River Trail Workday Sat July 23

wrt bridge july 2013Please join us this Saturday, July 23, 9 AM for a trail workday!

 We will be installing 2 culverts and cleaning some drainage ditches to improve drainage in heavy rains and do more work on removal and control of invasive plants.

The trail is in very good condition this year.  Our work will help keep the trail dry and easy to use.  Come help out for a couple of hours this Saturday morning! We will have fun and hope to have some refreshments.

Important:  This trip will be meeting at 9:00am. We will be  meeting at the Fox Farm Rd access.

Directions:  Fox Farm Rd is near the intersection of Black Mountain Rd and Rice Farm Rd. Fox Farm Rd is a right off of Black Mtn Rd from the Rice Farm Rd direction.  It is a left turn off Black Mtn Rd from the World Learning direction. Once on Fox Farm Rd, the trail head is a short distance down the road on the right.  Look for a group of volunteers congregating.

Bring: footwear for working in wet ground, gloves, a water bottle & bug spray. We have plenty of tools.  If you prefer to bring your own, we suggest: iron rake, hoe, or shovel.  Please label your tools clearly.

We look forward to working with you to improve the trail!  Thanks!

For more information, contact: Jason Cooper at jason.cooper10@gmail.com

 

West River Trail Work Day on 21st May 10am-2pm

West River TrailPlease come help improve the Lower Section of the West River Trail on Saturday, May 21st, 10 am – 2 pm. Lunch will be provided.

Meet up at the Marina Trail Head in Brattleboro, VT at 9:45 am. We’ll be doing some drainage and culvert clearing, removal of fallen trees, removal of invasive black swallow wort on the Riverstone Preserve and having fun!

Please bring work boots and gloves, bug spray and water. We’ll provide shovels, rakes and hoes, but feel free to bring your own tools.

For more info, contact Jason Cooper at jason.cooper10@gmail.com.

Many hands make light work. Hope you can join us!