Many of you have been keen to volunteer with the Biodiversity Team this spring. Great news – the schedule is now available and these activities can count toward your official Biodiversity Stewardship Badge!
Please contact us at tbtcbiodiversity@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us for any of the work parties.
Work parties meet at 9:30 AM and finish by 2 PM.
We will provide equipment and gloves but you may wish to bring heavy duty work gloves if you have them.
Schedule
Sat May 2 – Springle Lily-of-the-Valley (Need 10 Volunteers)
We will be digging up lily of the valley in an area along the Main Trail. Because it is growing among other native plants and through rocks it cannot be sprayed or tarped. We will be using shovels where possible but also garden trowels/tools where it needs to be dug up by hand.
You may wish to bring your own gardening gloves and hand tools if you have them.
Tues May 5 – Scotsdale & Maple Ridge – Boot Brush Stations (Need 5-10 Volunteers)
2 Boot Brush Stations will be installed, one at Scotsdale Farm at a central location near the parking lot and one at 5th Line on the Ancient Maple ST. We will be putting the framework pieces together, securing the frames to the ground and filling the frames in with stones.
Mon May 11 – Buckthorn Blitz – All volunteers are welcome!
We will be spending the day cutting and pulling Buckthorn. Several work crews with a sawyer, BTC staff or Trail Ambassador, and 2-3 other volunteers will cut larger trees, clear the brush, and paint the stumps with herbicide. We will work our way along the Main Trail from the Springle property in Limehouse north through Maple Ridge, the new Limestone Roost property, Hammer and up to the Sinclair property between 5th and 6th Lines.
Depending on how many volunteers there are, we will also use weed wrenches (Extractigators) and loppers to pull and cut smaller trees.
Thurs May 14 – Buckthorn Blitz continues – All volunteers are welcome!
We will continue the buckthorn removal along the Main Trail north from Limehouse. We’ll be using the extractigators to take out smaller buckthorn.
Wed May 20 – BDT Wildflower Hike
Register for this spring wildflower identification hike on the BTC website hiking schedule.
Sat May 23 – Springle – Lily-of-the-Valley (10 Volunteers)
We will continue with the removal of lily of the valley along the Main Trail. Because it is growing among other native plants and through rocks it cannot be sprayed or tarped. We will be using shovels where possible but also garden trowels/tools where it needs to be dug up by hand.
You may wish to bring your own gardening gloves and hand tools if you have them.
Sat May 30 – BDT Bus Hike & Garlic Mustard Pull – All volunteers are welcome!
A hike in the Silver Creek area and an opportunity to work towards your Stewardship badge by pulling garlic mustard. The GM is pulled and bagged and left on site to solarize for several weeks to kill the seeds. Register for this Bus Hike on the BTC website hike schedule.
Remember to bring some work or gardening gloves.
Tues Jun 9 – Robertson T-posts & BTC ID tags (5-10 Volunteers)
We will be adding posts with BT Conservancy ID tags at the property corners to be better able to locate and identify the property boundaries. We will be carrying in t-posts and a post pounder and walking the property boundaries to install the posts.
Rain Days – Tues May 26 and Thurs Jun 4
If a work party is cancelled due to heavy rain or other circumstance, we will try to reschedule work to be done on these dates.
Please Note:
No experience is necessary and we welcome you to come on any of the work days. Students looking for community service hours are welcome to join us.
Please let us know on which day or days you are interested in volunteering. More information regarding each work party will be sent closer to the actual date, with directions and any other relevant information, to all who have signed up for that day.
Time: Work parties will usually meet at 9:30 am and are finished by 2:00 pm
What to Bring:
- Water and lunch or a snack
- Insect repellent
- Work or gardening gloves
- A hat
- Sunblock or rain gear depending on the forecast
Please wear working clothes and a sturdy pair of boots or shoes, (no light running shoes or sandals please) or rubber or waterproof boots if required
You may want to bring a change of clothes or footwear if conditions are wet or muddy.
Please contact us at tbtcbiodiversity@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us for any of the work parties.