Many of you have expressed an interest in lending a hand with maintaining our beautiful Bruce Trail. Great news, you can do so this fall with the Biodiversity Team! Plus, these activities count toward your official Biodiversity Stewardship Badge!
We’ll be removing invasive plants along the trail throughout the fall. You can find the schedule for work parties below.
If you would like to join any of the work parties, please fill out this form.
No experience is required! We will provide equipment and gloves but you may wish to bring heavy duty work gloves if you have them. Students looking for community service hours are welcome.
Schedule
Wed Sept 9 – Speyside Buckthorn & Dog-Strangling Vine (DSV) Part 1 (All volunteers are welcome!)
We’ll be going along the main trail in Speyside, removing any dog-strangling vine seed pods that might still be closed and documenting those that have opened for next year.
We’ll also be removing small buckthorn along the trail corridor.
Thu Sept 10 – Speyside Buckthorn & DSV Part 2/Rain Day (All volunteers are welcome!)
Same as Part 1 above!
Wed Sept 16 – Limehouse DSV identification and removal (Need 5 volunteers)
We’ve had an increase in reported sightings of dog-strangling vine near Limehouse, so we’ll be doing some detective work. We’ll be going along the trails and into the woodlands near Limehouse to find and document dog-strangling vine. We’ll also remove any seed pods that may be unopened.
Fri Sept 18 – Limehouse Lily-of-the-Valley (Need 5-10 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.
Sat Oct 17 – Double Day Bus Hike & Buckthorn Blitz
We will be removing small buckthorn in the meadow area of the Todd Bardes side trail using hand tools and weed wrenches. Perfect for the whole family! We’ll also be holding educational hikes on the day.
Register for this combination hike and work party on the BTC website hiking schedule.
Mon Oct 19 – Buckthorn Blitz Part 2 (All volunteers welcome!)
After the Saturday Oct 17 Buckthorn Blitz, we’ll return to the north end of the Todd Bardes side trail where there is a large copse of mature buckthorn. Several work crews accompanied by BTC staff or Trail Ambassadors will cut the larger trees, clear the brush, and paint the stumps with herbicide.
Friday Oct 23 – Speyside Wetland Buckthorn Removal (Need 10 volunteers)
Taking advantage of the drier soil in October, we will hike along the Speyside main and side trails, removing buckthorn from the wetland areas using hand tools and weed wrenches.
Saturday Oct 24 – Rain day
Activity to be determined.
Thu Oct 29 – Halloween Hike and Buckthorn Removal (Need 10 Volunteers)
We will hike the Cliff Hatch Side trail and remove buckthorn as we go. We will pull the smaller saplings and have tools to cut down the larger buckthorn.
We’ll start from the parking on 15 Sideroad and work our way up the main trail until we reach the side trail, then loop back around to the parking lot on the main trail.
At the end of the day, we’ll have some halloween treats for everyone!
Please fill out this form if you are interested in joining us for any of the work parties.
Please Note:
No experience is necessary and we welcome you to come on any of the work days.
More information regarding each work party will be sent closer to the actual date, with directions and any other relevant information, only to those who have signed up for that work party.
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 if you have them
- Gardening hand tools if you wish
- 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.