workday

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Trail Work Day: Saturday May 28

Image courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation

We will be removing invasive species from The Riverstone Preserve on the last Saturday morning of every month throughout the summer and fall. Please join us to learn about invasive species and help preserve a shared natural resource. All volunteers are welcome! We’ll announce upcoming trail work days here. Stay tuned!

This coming Saturday May 28, we are seeking volunteers for a special work day.

Dan Healey, a forester from Long View Forest, Inc. will be with us, to help us identify the seedlings of Oriental Bittersweet and some of the other invasive species that grow on the Riverstone Preserve (21 acres of land adjacent to the West River Trail).

You can walk or bike in from the Marina Trailhead to the northern boundary of the Riverstone Preserve (about 1 3/4-2 miles from the trailhead) or park at the Fox Farm Rd trailhead and walk or bike in from there (shorter walk). We’ll gather where the Fox Farm access road meets the West River Trail at 10 am, to start working, so give yourself time to get to the meeting place (about 1/2 hour).  

Bring work/gardening gloves, water, a snack, insect repellant. We’ll be mostly pulling seedlings that are easy to remove. It’s satisfying work to learn to identify and keep the invasive species under control on this special piece of property. We’ll be doing this on the last Saturday morning of every month throughout the summer and fall.  

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

Work Day Details:
West River Trail Work Day, Riverstone Preserve
Saturday May 28 10 am – 12 pm (allow about 1/2 hour walk to get to meeting place)
Bring work/gardening gloves, water, a snack, insect repellant
Gather where the Fox Farm access road meets the West River Trail

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West River Trail Volunteer Work Day

West River Trail Boulder Work - 3Save the Date! West River Trail Volunteer Work Day.
Saturday, October 20 (with rain date Sunday, Oct 21).
Time: probably 9 AM to 1 PM.
We will put in a post, put trail markers along the trail, clear ditches, do some mowing. Stay tuned for more info as the date gets closer. Hope you can join us!

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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

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West River Trail Work Day Saturday, November 18, 10 AM-2 PM (weather permitting)

West River Trail, VermontWe will meet at the Marina trail head on Saturday Nov 18 at 9:45 and begin our walk in at 10 AM.  We will be working on clearing leaves from drainage ditches and culverts, clearing a few trees off the trail, putting up caution signs on the Fox Farm Road trail access road and whatever else we see that needs doing.

Wear your boots, work gloves and warm clothes; bring water and a snack, rakes and shovels.  We will have tools as well.  Stay for as long as you can.  Contact lowersection@gmail.com with questions or to RSVP.  We look forward to working with you on this beautiful trail!  Thank you in advance!  (Our 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!)

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Sunday June 25 Trail Work Day 1-5 PM

WRT trail wildflowerIf you like and use the trail, we need your help!

Please come help repair the damage from last Monday’s storm.  If you have a shovel or iron rake, please bring it along.  Meet at the Fox Farm Rd Trail Access and stay as long as you like.  Hope to see you there!

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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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Successful Trail Workday + New Picnic Table

New Picnic Table on the Riverstone Preserve

Thanks to Jim Webster’s carpentry talents, there is now a picnic table on the Riverstone Preserve for all to use.  It’s made of white oak and very pretty! Thank you Jim!

When heading north on the WRT, once you are on the preserve take the 1st trail. It leads to the water’s edge.  As you get close to the shore, you will find the picnic table on a little rise to the right of the trail.  Bring a picnic or just sit a spell.  Let us know if you used it and how you like it!

Drainage Work Accomplished

Eight enthusiastic souls showed up for trail work at the Fox Farm Road Trail Access at 9 am Saturday July 23.  John, a new volunteer who lives right in the neighborhood showed up with his Kubuto excavator, which was invaluable.  Jenny, a hard worker from West Brattleboro, was also a new volunteer.  Thanks to both of them!  Paul, Lester, Jeff, Kathleen and Jim, veteran volunteers, also showed up, led by our intrepid trail work leader, Jason.  The excavator helped us dig better drainage ditches in several areas that tend to overflow.  A new 6″ plastic culvert was placed where an old rusty one was removed, and one culvert was extended with new pipe.  We trust that when we finally get rain, trail users will see these sections of the trail stay dry or drier.  Unfortunately, none of us remembered to take photos of the excavator and it’s driver, or the rest of the work crew and the work that was done.  Sorry about that!!!

Thank you to everyone who worked that day to improve the trail for all users!

West River Trail Workday Report
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West River Trail Workday Report

Posted on behalf of Jason Cooper, Workday Coordinator.
A big thanks to workday volunteers Elijah Cooper, Jennifer and Jahvon Parker, Dave Cohen and Rachel Zamore and their son, Eli and a friend. We got lots done! Volunteers moved rocks, cleared drainage, cut trees and branches, removed trash and pulled knotweed from a several-hundred square-foot patch of knotweed along the river bank, that had re-sprouted from where the VYCC had cleared last fall. Thanks to all for a very productive day!

Hope you’ll join us next time…stay tuned for info about the next workday.

Photos by Rachel Zamore and Jason Cooper

West River Trail Work Day Report
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West River Trail Work Day Report

A note from Jason Cooper on the West River Trail workday:
“It was a beautiful fall day. Cool with just a hint of rain at one point. We repaired some erosion on the hills of the I-91 bridge construction bypass trail. Beyond that we cleared drainage culverts and ditches, drying out some wet spots and cleared several branches that had come down along the trail. We even had one volunteer who replaced the gate post that someone had pulled out of the ground at the Rice Farm trailhead.
We got a lot done! As we were wrapping up for the day people began pulling out cheese, chocolate, hot cider and goodies to share, tasty rewards for a job well done, a few hours well spent, in the good company of others. Many thanks to Michael Esposito, Lester Humphreys, Malcolm Moore, Scott Hurley, Kathleen White, Jim Webster, Hank Lange and Marcia Steckler for coming out to help improve the trail. And to Elin Waagen for taking photos.
The trail is now clear and in good shape for the winter. As I rode the trail this past Sunday I was pleased to see how many people of all ages were out enjoying it”.