Our fall field work in the preserve is about to start. We have two orientation field trips for the starting students on schedule for Sept. 22 and 29. There are three trip leaders (Paula Lazrus, Frank Cantelmo and myself) and there will be a large number of first year students. The results should be outstanding.
Before the APEC board meeting last night, I went out into the park and walked some of the most challenging sections of the trail. I just had to ease my mind that we could make our way without too much trouble. What a great night! All the trails were dry, firm and very passable. They certainly need all the TLC we can give them but they are in great starting shape.
Reflecting back to our starting position last year I can now see exactly how far we have come; last year at this time we were only beginning to plan for this trail project; we had installed none of the marker blocks and trail distances and the last third of the trail was all but impassable. We could get to the hidden spring and parts of trails were soft, wet and blocked by trees pulled down by choking vines; We freed the trees, drained the worst trail spots and put the marking blocks in on almost two thirds of the trail. We finished cutting the trails by the end of this summer and so it is READY… SET… and…GO for this next generation of stewards.
I'm really looking forward to their reaction next week when they visit the preserve for the first time; I can only imagine all of the progress they will make this season.
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