Open Space Commission - Regular Meeting

is semi-retired. Uh does a post office route religiously Saturday um and that's really his own commitment. He's um likes to hike um has a couple of dog and um he's local so there's an advantage right there whereas everyone else had to um come in from other places. Um and uh he's available starting the 15th of April. Um yeah.

So so he uh he's had a work history but what was interested as a fireman in town and I talked to Rob McCarthy in Rock thumbs up. Uh he has experience in working for the car exhaust. He's he's cut holes and roofs and and none other work like that. So, I'm glad to have him on board and as as Andrea said, he's in town. So, I hope that we'll avoid, you know, the travel difficulties that Isaac faced you trying to get to town on weekends and so forth on 95 New Haven.

The other thing that I think is interesting is that um we had an applicant who was a professor at Mitchell College and she we were really impressed with her but she was primarily looking for something to do during the summer when she's not in school and she was also very gracious and said you know this is I don't want to take the job away from someone that made it more me it's something that I would kind of be doing for a fun thing to be outside and so forth and she has a background in wetlands and uh titled marshes and title title marshes and in natural history. So I thought that that should the project arise like we want to do some research for that creek or whatever that she would be want to work with and I think she'd be very something with us. So what was her name? It was called Maline Cole.

Was she with a chainsaw? Well, yeah. She said that that she has used them. Does she do you recall? She olds and she said she grew up, you know, family heard. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's old, I would imagine. But maybe I guess. Yeah. I don't know.

I wanted to talk a little bit too about equipment. So, we talked about having two people with a chainsaw. Uh, and and in the past, Peter had also been using his own chainsaw. Peter had been uh painting for sharpening chains and new chains beh. So, what do we think about getting a second chainsaw for Jason and let Peter use IO or should we just use the one and have two people cutting whatever they have to cut because that is not something Peter's doing now the he was cutting down a number of trees but mostly trees that are on the ground but still he's he gives me a saw by his own

well he's not a a saw on his own. It's the open space saw, but he's still sawing on his own. Yes, we briefly about that this morning because I I given him a brush cutter looks like a lawnmower and he's trying to figure out to get it out of his I wanted to get out of my garage and I think it must be out of his. He was thinking putting it downstairs here to drain the gas, but I know like the CFPA over the years they've started with a small shed and you know if you volunteer there you get the combination if you want to borrow equipment bring it sight it out bring it back but I'm wondering if that's ever possible. How well does the brush cutter operate? What

how well what condition is the brush cutter? It's running well. It's it's a different kind of brush cutter. It it it'll take a big swath out um versus the hand one. Okay. But um like a brush mark. No, not quite that big. Is it one of those DR? No, the Troy. Uh it looks like a lawn actually. Yeah. Swinging thing, right? But it'll take brush up to half an inch or something. B probably is that a chain or what? A blade or what? What's that? Put a It has a You put a heavy whacker line in it or or you know if you wanted to.

Okay. A blade. But it was more of the question of, you know, whether maybe down the road if we could buy a little shed like a carefree shed, have it on one of the properties and lot stuff there. But what one one I don't know, Andrew, if that makes

what possibility is I talked to Edante in the past about storing lumber public works gated yard. Ed wasn't keen on that, but maybe he can give us a place behind the garage or something for this. And you know, they would be accessible during the times that public works is is using the facility and might work out well because it's off of four mile river roads. You know, we just have to figure out how we're going to transport that to the properties. Oh, easy. I can put it in the back of my Yeah, Peter did the same. I think he actually is in his Prius. Um, but you know, as I said, just maybe a thought of I don't know, you know, they're 2 3,000 as sheds, but if we put it on one of our properties, you'd always have access to it.

The only thing I worry about is theft and vandalism. I would be Yeah, it wouldn't be at risk just out in the property by itself. But getting back to the chainsawing, I have two um comments. I think the one chainsaw and having them both saw together is

is ideal. And then the question is, well, if Peter and he doesn't travel with the chainsaw, he may have it in his car and then go back to get it on certain property. Um, but I guess if it's a upright tree, there's a little more danger to it. Um, and would it be more of a nuisance to just say, "Okay, I could do it here. It's boom boom on either side of the trail." Um, no big deal. Um, I don't know. Maybe it's a judgment call by Peter. Um, but I would say anything that's upright, um, definitely just tag it and just make a date for to be accompanied so that there's no a second person there.

Absolutely.

I would make I think she had voted on that like Peter and I'm not faulting him, you know, he can make a judgment and say this is a down tree. it's across the trail and then he'll cut it in half and roll it or something. So that's you mean by way I would make a distinction. You know, Peter's pretty pretty good between not only a standing tree, but a tree that might be linear or has some pressure for it on the ground that's flat, the only risk there is hit a rock or something underneath the tree. a leaner. Well, I mean, but Peter's

he's taken a blogging course, hasn't he? Yes. Yes. Yeah. So, he's trained and that would be saying he's safe now. Yes, he is. All right. I know like I had emailed him that I'd be back when he had that tree at Bartholomew and I think he said he had his wife go so he'sn't going by himself. So is the question we get another chainsaw or should we get I'm thinking no because Peter I think will largely do the chainsawing

and Jason will or there is a chainsaw training program coming up that we could uh send uh Jason to. I believe it's a weekend and he works a Saturday. I was going to say it. I would love to sign up with that, but it is going to be a scheduling little bit of scheduling issue that needs to work Saturdays for the postal service, right? Well, maybe with advanced notice and it costs about $200 if I remember.

I mean, I my my question is if Peter's happy not using his own if something happens to his chainsaw. Um, we do have another one. That's the question. I I agree. If Peter is fine using his and he may be more comfortable with the saw he uses all right more. That's terrific. I don't want to feel that he's got one taken care of. Yeah. Peter's been using the town chainsaw. He has. Yes. Oh, okay. Using the town chainsaw, which is I think there. Yes, absolutely.

You want to talk about this report? So he was not here for most of March, but when he came back, he hit the trails hard and took down uh 18 14 um two. So another two, so two for 22 26 trees um that were downed um and he cut them back. Um, and then he got the equipment for the duckous which he and Bill put up today, right? And I have pictures. I sent them. I don't know if people got a chance to see. I think they everyone.

Okay, good. Um, and uh you apparently put both houses on this property, right? Yes. Um, which is fine. The other one could have been that for Ames, but that's perfectly fine. When the water level goes down, I'm going to go clean the one out at it. It might be a little late in the city, but it didn't have a guard on it. And that's not We didn't put that up. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah.

We talked we were starting to talk about the houses. The one question I had in looking at that particularly in the back and forth conversation about who had gear that could get us into get themselves into the water is that how do we are and everyone kind of alluded to it. Is there any risk is there increased risk from predators to have the the boxes actually on dry land? Do we have do we have any sense of that? It's the baffles designed to raccoons, snakes, and

my question my question to Peter email earlier this afternoon was where's where's the bottom of the where and could a raccoon or a fisher or weasels or jump from either another a tree? We we looked at that oven and there's no there I'm going to go back with one and maybe nip a branch but there's no branches in the area because snakes could they they climb and move pretty fast there's one that might be close but yeah I don't much snakes I don't think anything jumping from the ground

now the way the baffles were they were um you there's no way yeah I have a baffactly say the same thing on my heater and I watch the squirrels get every Yeah, I had a ble too and as Bill was saying I had a branch that was not that far away and a squirrel actually chewed the top of it and made a little runway and ran right across it. You're smart. I have a cat a very athletic cat and she could easily jump five feet high. that. Yes. But now we're

a little but I I waited at the I went on the B trail to see if that bridge didn't move. It's not interesting the difference. But uh walked out on to the bridge and it's still in place under water. There's four feet of water on that trail. Four feet. Yeah. I was amazed. Four feet high of water. There's a lot of water there. And I saw Luna Russ's wife yesterday there. We walked and looked I told her she had never seen the receiver talked about, you know. Oh, this is on as Yeah.

Yeah. I invited her to come to next. I think she's gonna let me know with her and Russ and look at the beaver deceiver and see that it's the solution to Iana yesterday at walked up looked at the culvert and talked a little bit about trying to find the balance of protecting the beavers but making it so there's not another a lake foot over there um And uh so she I invited her to come look at the beaver to see her and so she's going to let me know and just

although have constructed they were going to be the same. Exactly. But still the same purpose. Yeah. And she had seen one in Finland. So she was I don't think that you know trying to since I saw her she saw her there cal her down a little bit. I think they wiped the water and they that led into our next topic on the agenda that um so mustard bag is coming Friday morning. First thing in the morning try to open that up again. Yeah. And first thing in the morning.

Yeah. They even though they're coming from to mass, they tend to get here early. I would say they'll be here by I believe it's 8 o'clock.

Um I hope that they'll have success with that. And I also exchanged number carry and she's concerned that she's she lives on river too and she kind of a bus part of BS and she walks seems a lot very familiar with the property. She's concerned that when the water is lowered it might put nests and animals at risk. And I I tried to tell you that we're going to if there's egrets or somebody nesting along or any beamers or whatever when the water level lowers, it's unclear to me how how much that water's going to drop, but it is certainly going to drop when that covers open. I mean, we just have to let the design best possible deceiver. I you know I I am a

where yes trees. Yes is I told Suzanne you know I I and as for protecting animals than you are but we can't have that whole stream blocked it. We got to get the water because much more she's going to have it in her house. It's well it's going to back up onto people's lawns and stuff.

Yeah. So, they're coming Friday. I also got a email about a week ago from Mike Fel asking if he's the former owner still involved with Beaver Solutions uh if we wanted to renew our maintenance contract with Bar. I mentioned to him that I had talked to John Deon about um putting a device up on ripple well and then doing at least one more year of bar and another year of this other one to see how it goes because according to John it's going to need to be serviced at least two or three times during the year to keep it free of debris floating down the stream. You'll see how that goes. I also uh heard kind of from Fred that um and then Martha about the town property at 102.1 Mile Creek Road. That's the property that can block the town has a right way over a gentleman that's building a new house on Wild Creek Road. Jim Lampos in particular uh has taken the the town is able to clean up their own properties, the town should take care of it own house as well. And they have somehow got in touch with a company that is willing to do kind of a phase one assessment of the property just to see what's in there. I I don't know that anybody knows, but Jim was worried that you know vehicles whatever would there be gas or oil or something of the nature of an economy.

So this company would do it for $4,500. uh and if it it's determined that additional remediation has to be done, they would work with the town to seek grants for doing that. That's the status of that property. Now, when the property is mediated to the extent that it's needed, it was once offered to both open space and affordable housing. I read that went and looked at it. He he was not impressed with the shaker was maybe the commissioner would be interested you know if it's a cleaner lot if not I I think open space I might be interested in just having it as a kind of a unvisited refuge kind of like and perhaps be kind of a foot in the door so to speak if the two famil family's future relatives want to conserve that would kind of

add nicely to have properties. Well, it could be an open space museum of old cars. So, who knows what did finance ever talk about that? Well, they have testimony to approval.

Yeah, I I last I heard from Mark was that she and Anita were able to see where they could find that one. Yes, they're going to do it. I I think that they're they're definitely committed to taking a look at that one way or another. And the other thing I wanted to bring up was I think I sent it to you that in couple news ago, um Harbor Management sent out a press release. They noticed that they they uh announced that they received $61,300 to support improvement to the Horseneck Creek public access do who enjoy boating, fishing, and underwater activities.

Have they done for the design? They have not. You see, they got a grant for a dock that hasn't been approved. How do you How do you want that? to do that again the exact same question. I it's interesting to me how they did that. I don't know. Maybe the maybe the grant is contingent on future approval. I I don't I am not familiar with the ship grants. I don't know who they come from. I would hope it's not deep that one arm is giving them a arm is considering the application. I I don't I actually don't even know if the application is

if it has we have for the for for the dock. Yes. And it's also very vague what a the activities are and b the or just this maintenance.

Yeah. I I I would expect I would expect that 61,000 will go for construction of the dock itself because I I you know I'd seen estimates of even a higher amount than that. In addition to that, I would think that there would have to be some type of engineered prior to to develop some some type of roadway blueprint to have vehicular access to docket. That's something that's for that's something Harper Man is really still keen on doing.

I personally think the portage of for that distance is sufficient. It's not a That's what canoe canoist and kayakers do. So, um it would be nice to to to have It would be nice to avoid cutting through a roadway with a turn around. Yes. In that property because most people with a kayaker can have it on their roof. There's no trailers involved.

Yes. I have seen something involved that distance. Well, it's not just for kayak, but it's also just for people going out going, you know, be viewing the uh the area. So, I'm just wondering if there going to be disability requirements that come with that. which will dictate access to the dock in I think we talked about that is right

actually they were turned down with our original design because they said we want it to be wider now to allow for

and it seems from from the the hall of bridge discussions and from my discussions with Michael Bar was really keen on having some type of water access for fisher deep fish that's fine and good but I I hope that whatever whoever goes down there to fish uses that dock and it doesn't walk all over the so many so many things you can hope But they are we going to put a trash can down there? Yeah. That's a major issue. That's like

So just in a little bit of hardware management notes, Mike Py is the soldier chair stepped down as a co-chair. I I like Mike. I think he'll be good to work with. I asked Brett if he would be interested in possibly being a leazison to harbor management because he was head of the but committee. I

I really expect that things will be much more cordial and cooperative now. I think we're past the shooting at each other stage and if you want I can maybe we press in and barns and just kind of talk about what they have to paint so we know what's up.

Yeah. science. Uh I am happy to say that that board selectman discussed our indigenous people's acknowledgement sign. There was no problems with it. We're set to go. I talked to Martha about that today. Hey, I also got an email from Elizabeth Ree. She wants to do a story in that. I tried calling her. I didn't connect with her. I'll try to connect with her tomorrow.

Um, so they the signs are made. They just need to have a little more mounting as of today. So early next week, not at the end of this week, we could have them. And um with just call Matt and Chris and have them um uh find that up and fire it up. And I have in case people didn't see it um it doesn't matter. Um uh pass around the what look like? Yes.

Do you think some need to be I think the only difference is shorter design. I don't think I don't think it's really necessary. Yeah, I think we we can certainly maneuver a way to to mount the um the layout. We decided on indigenous acknowledgement at the bottom with

Champagne South two. Um, but if so if the other kiosks are in reasonably good shape, I don't think there's any construction needed. I can't verify every single one of those other kucks. And pictures, they're all looking good enough shape to be able screws. There wasn't obvious.

Yeah. and Chris Deorgard had ideas as to how to reinforce those signs because the indigenous signs would be hanging below the kiosk. And um will they be hanging or or spanning the the posts hanging because the posts are like this and the sign is like this. There's just not enough verbage to it would all be like one. It won't be like this. No bolted in. It would be He suggested that we could have a um from the bank from the back of the sign piece of wood that comes down.

Yeah. Whatever. Or something that it could be nailed to. Um so this is the post and it would be come here. Yeah. You have some wood or metal hanging here to attach it to. Screen the back. Say that again. You're going to use the back of the Yeah. And there by books and things that they wouldn't swing. They wouldn't be swinging. Right.

So, is that a job that we can have Peter and Jason do to take down all the old stuff? And maybe I don't put a white paint over it.

There's blue and green in case you didn't see that color. three others I think where there's the intersections they move the extra doesn't need just on a tree or to assess if there's a tree that's viable two trees every we may need to see it's just the map that's it's just a Yeah,

I would I would vote for you. We were hiking woman about twining couple days ago, wouldn't you call me? And I really I I hate that that that you know blazes get nailed into trees and then the tree just engulfs them and it's not good for the tree and it's not you know sustainable really so for for the mass for sure I think

so that's it determin 8 a 4x4 post that cut in half. How high that would

is that like a a 2 by 2 by 4x4. Yeah, that's going to be hard to sink. Don't you think? Yeah. I mean, I I feel like one of those snow fence the metal snow fence posts. I think I think the land trust uses something very similar to that. Your mouths are a little bit smaller than this, but I have the right

16 high and you're talking about a metal fence on with them. Yeah. probably not going six feet. That's generally they they come six feet. Yeah. And you put them in two feet. You drive them in. They're four feet high. That's okay. And that's that would be easiest I can achieve, too. Yeah. I mean, I brought a seed post in the past. That's more work. It's a lot more.

I'd be happy to supply one, too. just reply and that's we have right um and is this something that you guys think would be um steward's responsibility or do we need to any other might be a good job for Jason and jump right and get active

that you communicate I saw you wrote to Chris that what was his response? He was just doing the backing. I wanted to stop them. So where are they at in terms of they I think need to be mounted on a board or something and he said the end of beginning of next week and especially now with the approval of Christine sign today's Wednesday so I'll call him tomorrow and so by Monday or so I could pick up the signs. the bad days. What is he putting them on? Aluminum or some type of metal? It's a metal. Okay.

Yeah. And I had samples of our signs and he could match the color and the thickness and um No, we have polls open. I think so. I think the map of I think we talked about that and whether we looking at it whether they're two screws or four on the corner. Do you said the maps do or don't have in general?

Do I I'm trying to recall look like they have enough of a border that we can push through and we can just do something where we kind of overlap the edge of it or something. have to have to see because they're not all identical. Yeah. And I guess some paint. Well, when you start taking stuff off and different color

I just got a flyer in the mail today from Blazeville hardware hardware talking about more sale. Talking about what? Measure more paint sale. Oh. They sell a lot of ink in that store.

Yeah. Um, so kind of apropo to sign to Peter and Jason. Jason uh is back on the 14th of April. So I left a message with Jamie and spoke with Jason about doing the onboarding on the 15th, not the 14th. And um I'm on break that day. So um I can meet at any time. So, I'm going to coordinate with Peter. I gave him the heads up already. So, um I'm going to meet with Peter and Jason on the 15th to talk about um expectations and reports and sharing responsibilities and uh trails and um creating a schedule where they both walk the trails together and putting these signs up I think would be valuable for both of them to take them down to paint the boards and at least give Jason the orientation. as to where all these trails are.

I also know where every property was. Yeah. Um but I could take those signs any time next week and it's like here have at it. Oh, sorry. Do you want to talk about something? We'll get into talking about a little ste.

Yeah. So at fair landing we discussed initially minimum getting a nicer map done for the website only um because it's not a property where someone's going to show up and map anyway. Um, but if Steve is going to be doing that, uh, could he also assist us with a project, um, that we tried to undertake earlier this year? Um, Russ and I went out with the Avenza and tried to map where the plants are that we have planted and, um,

it was Yeah, it was kind of like I thought um I think I suggested that maybe Steve could sort of come up with a solution to that. He seems to think that he can and so he's putting together a a work proposal that he he gave us an estimate so to to do his whatever he has to do on all the data that goes into completing the map doing the PDF on the map but

which is likely that all the other maps uh and it was a separate step to have them put on the model that he'll give us an equip map to the others and then he's going to do another nonpublic map for all your marks for $550 which is reasonable.

Yeah, that's not reasonable. I I think it'll be super helpful going forward um you know just to keep track of them and um you know be good for us to be able to document um you know as new as new plantings may added going forward but um so I think that that that's going to give me the peace of mind of these things they can get engulfed and if especially if the stewards are going to be helping us out or even volunteers um on occasion, but if the stewards are helping us out and I can show them a map, they can have and take with them and if we have landmarks reference, oh okay, so you know to the left about 10 feet from this, you know, whatever is should three red maple

been a long time since I just can you when you're walking with that app can you pinpoint how how accurate can you pinpoint a location on the ground you're I didn't have a reference material my inability to use that level. So that's that's the issue we're going to test,

right? And I think Steve, you know, I think the way we left it is that I don't know if he's may come out to the site, help us with that or um, you know, propose some other type of, you know, demarcation like a law for smaller ground cover type things. Absolutely. itemize every single little burn necessarily. That would be but um but I think it'll be a really good step in the right direction and all of the recommendations best practices for um introducing natives and and you know conducting a responsible habitat restoration. Talk about documenting in that area. You know, I I would I would maybe be a little hesitant to have somebody come on site because I recall he gave us a serious initial course. He actually does

field trip that the cost substantially. Well, maybe just off the top of my head when we're talking about that might be nice. We have Emily or one of the people from Yukon that teaches events that have come down. Okay. They might go for that for that perfect creates a map when we were doing it right boundaries, right? At least you got the boundaries.

We may be able to figure out the map of landing stuff, right? We'll see. We'll see. to talk a little bit more about I wanted another topic. So cutting and stuff like that at one point um and was going to have the Boy Scouts come and do a little hand work on the property and she noticed there was a trade that was perhaps a danger to Do you want to talk about what come? Sure. Yeah. So,

and then I'll let I'll let you in go into what's going to be done instead.

Okay. Okay. Um, yeah. So, the rewind the idea was to have a small project. Um, and my original thinking was that it would be younger students um to do something as manageable as just garlic mustard removal, you know, to just sort of let them bag it up and take care of it. And uh in talking with the scout leader for the for high school, um it sort of evolved that this that particular group was going to be a older like some of them maybe even seniors in high school and I was thinking this might not be very challenging for them. And um B there were a lot more of them than I thought it would be. like he's got like 18 scouts or something. And um the timing of the work for their troop is only a couple weeks from now, August 25th, I believe. And uh the um so I went out to the site to see you know if there were maybe some other invasives that they could also work on or what other you know how to amplify the project a little

and first thing I noticed was that the garlic mustard is not that far along yet which is was surprising to me. It will it will it will definitely uh it grows fast go but it hasn't popped quite yet and and I also noticed that um in this report that apparently Peter went down and rewired the path down there. So where there was some stuff it's already been taken care of. So the project is not move back. It comes back, but it's hard to, you know, in two weeks to get folks to say, "Oh, that used to be a garlic mustard taking a big bullet."

Yeah. Not not not a great um scenario. But while I was down there, um, I walked up a little further in property and there's a locust that was leaning on another locust and it was uh, Sunday, I can't remember with that really windy day. And I'm telling you, we did not feel safe standing near this tree. It was practically at a 45 degree angle, hung up on the And I told Andrea, I remember that I had asked Peter to cut the vines. We left it. We noticed it was leaning not quite that much. And I asked Peter to cut the vines because I was worried they were pulling them down. And now I'm I'm thinking maybe the vines were holding it up. But um in any case, it didn't seem like it was going to be a safe environment for anybody to be out there in the Blue Boy Scouts. And um so Frank very happily found out that the tree the town was having some other tree and Dante was having to do some work around town.

So we called Jason gave us a cold survey to cut that tree down was basically dropped down. Right. Right. Well, and the sad part about Jack is I was talking to Dixon while he was on the site and he's like, "Yeah, I see. I see what you're talking about." Well, he was on Fairy Landing already.

Yeah. He went to go look at it and give us a price and um he uh he said, "So, you know, if possible there there's a bunch of cedar saplings that we just planted there, so it'd be great if fall directly on them, they go, "Oh, it's going to fall right on them. There's just no question." So, you know, some of them may survive and um you know, but when when you know, our stewards go to cut it up because they're just going to drop it and maybe that's going to be hard, right? I don't know how far it is, but

is it would it be less at risk of taking up the cater if you took them bolt down? You got the leaning tree all toward the road or whatever opposite direction. I don't I don't know. He's gonna He says he thinks he can do it without taking the support tree and and the tree that

I mean it's not a bad tree. It's it's a black So not tree, but um anyway, the the I think that the key will be when our stewards go to do the remediation to cut it up and get it sort of so we can move around on the property again. Um to to try and stay home and so um they would look maybe use it.

Well, yeah. I mean, it's I don't if anybody has a familiar with a 4ft board. And what the girth of that tree is to get it out of there, get it up to the road, get it to the sawmill.

Well, when the weight is going to get it fallong along the line, cross the line up the hill. Yeah. He says he thinks it's going to fall and up towards the street like kind of uh northwest. If you're facing the street, If you if we're leading it as a sort of a natural area, which I think we are, right? That if you have the tree fall, if this is the hillside and you have the tree fall that way,

leave it. Just leave it and um let your animals let the animals benefit from it. the broads of the vendor. I mean, we're going to leave it unless it has value to us as lumber that it's not going to cost us more to get it off site and get it mil and what is I don't know what's worth the environment. If it's a locust, it's going to be there forever.

Okay. Well, Um, I don't know really again if we if you just have somebody drop it and leave it. That's that's that was the initial idea and but if if we have a project and we need locust wood we own it. Yeah, that kind of question I had that based on if we have the Boy Scouts build a bridge, we need Blumber. Do we need prep for that?

Well, so yeah. So, we should probably So, I kind of panic and called up Andrea and I was like, I don't think this project for the Boy Scouts is going to happen. We're there's not enough for them to do or too dangerous for them to be on this property. And uh do you have any other ideas? So Andrea, take it away. So, for a couple of years, Peter and I had discussed putting a bridge on Champlne North between the Jim's Bridge, I mean Jim's cedar, beautiful cedar bench and the uh uh Barbazon tree because that early path is very wet and muddy and so people go around it. So, it's a pretty long, I guess, uh, you know, it's the size of this room anyway. Um,

the length of the length of the area that we're talking about, but you're talking about an elevated walkway, not a really bridge, a foot bridge, there elevated. Yes. No.

Right. Yeah. So, the way I envision it is that you'd have a log at that end and then six or eight feet you'd have another log and two maybe three boards depending upon the length. You like 24 in a board uh of a path could be less. Boardwalk. a board elevation.

Yeah. And then have um if it's divided into segments depending upon the length. So just very simply the similar to what we did on excuse me um the yellow trail of um McCullik across from um uh Ames and what we also did on uh Ames with the environmental club and similarly to what you did at um uh behind Russ Bog's house. Yeah. Yeah.

So, they're fast. They're very fast and I think simple enough that the boys but challenging enough that the Boy Scouts could hammer that out pretty quickly. So, do we have to have to buy some lumber and do we have to prep lumber? Yeah. How far? Yes. Is it far into the woods where you're talking? Oh, it's right by the tree there. Right by the marine tree. And um uh have the drop it off.

Yep. And Peter could pre- drill or hole not drill 300, you know, if you got a bunch of Excuse me. Bunch of kids, let them try to drill that themselves. Sure. the whole

So just um I don't know two um 8 in width by planks next to each other um by whatever length they come in maybe six to eight feet they'd have to carry it in size or you talking just like a a plank a plank like um

like 10 18 a couple inches between them and you're 20 21 22 inches wide. You were just saying you have something similar to that. Oh 4x4. We have a state Those could be the cross spikes by far. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You don't have to go that high. And if you go higher, people fall

be like three and a half inches off the ground and then the height of the board won't. Yeah. Yeah.

Do you have any recollection of what you um the materials that you ordered for it's going to be very similar shopping, right? Excuse me. We could do something kind of like what Bill set up. at the bridge built on right follows off. Yeah, they could drop it off, you know, right by the day before the guys are

take your cut down to the distance. Yeah, the 4x4 which you said is 8 ft long. So you get more of them out of there, right? Do you have a a set date to this? There's a um April 25 is that this are available. That gives us enough time to get all the prep.

Yeah, I I'll be speaking to Peter again next week and so it's on my agenda to talk to him about it, but he he and I measured it. I'm sure I have it in my notes, but he might be out there or I'll be out there. we get to measure the length and figure out materials and um you know again and I would suggest that um well I guess open it up to I think we would want to have at least one or two representatives of our

yeah open space commission at the 25th. So that could be Peter and Dixon. It could be one of them. Um, thank you. Um, uh, by the correct confusing two,

you don't want to pull 10 bounce a little. 2 by10 right here. Two 2 by10s and just decking screws. It should take about 15 minutes to finish the whole job. That's all time. Boys won't take figuring out where because the problem solving like as rough knows from being at some of our spots, it's we can bang it out. go up.

It's a different subject, but I know you Jason and I've been doing a little Peter and I used Peter or Jason to like that upper three mile river been in there because there's been so much snow for a while, but I've got it tagged. Fred and I went in and kind of putting that new trail in there and get it over. I would pull off on that because I don't want to bring up this things going on in that area. Um, and plus we need to eventually we need to think about doing a map there because we still have the old map of that property. Are you the contact for what is it the scout leader? Yeah.

Maybe you can ask how much we have to prep or how much they can do that day. Do you want them I mean we going to cut the I mean we're not going to have them cutting the planks. Well, that's what you ask them. Say we could have lumber delivered if you want to cut the size and they bring electric sauce. What can they do? I mean soft or that use the shop feature. Just saying what what Logan did. I mean we can hire Logan as consultant.

I mean, you know, I don't know. I I think that having having you need like a just ask them if they would cut the 4x4s are not that hard. Okay. Just ask me. Great. If they can't I I don't want to presuppose that that we have to do it. Let's let's see. Let's give them as all right. Let's let's make the job as kind of interesting for them. Describe, you know, would your employees be able to cut X number of 4x4 boards? I mean, we don't know.

Liability within handsaws. If they're not handsaws that Well, they can say no. That's Yeah, I said the shop. First of all, they're going to have to have a a battery powered circular saw. It's one of those wood. They have it in the wood shop, right?

Are they camping before or behind after? You're asking things above my pancreas. I believe they are camping Friday and Saturday night. And this is Saturday afternoon. Where are they going to be camping? Not a champagne, are they? No, it's not. You're going to be up at 11 with a hand state card. Well, it could be done. Well, next week, next week is actually So, today is I'm going to say no.

Well, I shouldn't say that. Next week, the 13th through the 17th is school vacation. So, it would only have to it would have to be the week after that when they're in school because they might end up doing it in school. Well, yeah. I don't know how much access he has to the shop for his scouts, you know, after school hours. And I mean, I can I can ask if but then we would have to get the cut it on site when they deliver. So I I'm just going to say I feel very strongly opposed to it being cut on site by a bunch of cats.

That's how I feel. uh is there a world where we use this project as a opportunity for people to come up with a solution not this team. So show them the site, show them some drawings, show show them, you know, what it is that we're expecting. I just said I could have done this in the time we just Yeah, we just talked about it to have a boy scout project. Yeah, I mean I I I agree with Ann. I think it should just be cut and then they can they can use the drills. Right. So that still gives them someone who is a high school teacher. Thank you.

I think that still gives them enough stuff that they have problem solving skills involved with this without giving them salt. Still I it's great that you're prudent. I just don't know why we're judging this. I mean they can they can tell us if they want to do it or not. Circular saws battery powered circular saws do we have access to? Well, we can have One is not enough.

You don't need to have the lumber delivered to shampoo. I think there's still enough stuff for them to do. They can a lot of ownership over the product. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. But uh in any case iteration of the project and you love how much fun that was going to be. While we're still talking about fairy land, maybe a month ago or roughly I got an email from deep uh saying that they are using they're coming up with a new grant program for rural towns.

So for once old line is eligible and we're not being basically excluded because were not in an urban area but once full time was helpful for this grant program was a climate resiliency grant program. So I met with Frank Serbo who is a state forester at the fair site walked the site with him and talked to him about it. So Frank let me let me give you a little bit background of what is supposed to do. The plan is is for communities with that has that have conserved land and a small population. Uh and what they want to do is basically make it property climate resilient doing this as kind of I guess example properties or model properties. So for Indian I wish it was her because I would be interested knowing what her response would be. Basically deep would pay for everything. So you would have forest to come in look at your trees mark your trees any invasive trees diseased trees whatever come down. You have to pay for some service to do that. trees would be chipped and the chips left on sudden. They would you would have somebody come in, not sure how they're going to do that with the training, but that's something to us in the future. They would chop up all the the brush and the briers and multiclow rolls and everything. Treat what's left with the herbicide. uh and then provide the town with native stock to plant and help the town with um having those trees planted on the site.

The only thing the town will be responsible for subsequent to that would be to try to basically maintain that that stand and keep it going to the extent possible. And the the main concern that D has which is basically a concern that we have now is uh they don't want deer to come in there deer had replen maybe put a fencer on the property whatever but we can we could address that afterwards but I like the fact that they're going to basically do it for I just got a question in your followup with Frank did he he said that deep would be organizing this or that we organize it They pay for it. Yes. Okay.

So, so this this is how it's going to work. But um we'll write up a report including the information he got from talking to Ann and I and what his impressions were the property when he visited it. He will send that report into supervisor saying that he said qualifying a good piece of property for this program. U the grant will be announced in June. I don't know when the deadline period will be and what we do is basically come up with come up with exactly the require required in the grant but basically say this is the property this is what we've done uh we would like to do it B and C D as you suggest they're going to pay for it our main responsibility would be to hire a forester

and another I don't know if this is the same gra you're talking about but there's also people at deep that would help make a forestry plant which I think is here's a list with foresters both haven't had. So we got a forester to come in there and do it and we got a tree company that can come in there and and do the three steps. Uh I don't know how deep is going to provide the plants. Maybe they have a nursery but that will give us the things provide the plant. Yes, Gabe will provide all the plants 100% defunded. Wow. No match from the It's a great program.

No, I mean, but they have their own plans that they Yeah. contracted contractor will probably do that. I don't know how the plants are going to get to us, but they will certainly not have their own plants. they'll have they'll contract with with somebody like one of the big wholesale they would do the contracting with them. I mean because I was under the impression that we had to come up with a plan. We had to find a a contractor to do the, you know, tree felling. We had to find a contractor to do the processing, the spraying, the planting, all of that. We have to project manage this. Yes.

And they will write a check. Yes. Okay. I just would assume that for the grant you're you're going to give them I have to take down these five trees for this cost. I would like these plants and then you it's not an open end.

No. Well, what what it would be is is I would presume that's part of the forers product. He was saying when this area is clear, this is what I suggest be put in here for the type of soil that's in there. I'm sure that it that beep is going to pass. I'm not sure, but I would strongly suspect that they're going to have their own criteria for what they like to see planted to be cool climate reserve stock. Um did the water aspect come up? It did that.

That would be something we we so actually hindsight you mentioned it that there is a a well or spigular there. same property. The same property, but if deep is paying for us, maybe we could talk to them about I I I would I don't think the project is doable without the water source. And I I'd be shocked if they didn't take that into consideration and said, "Well, here's here's your money." Well, I mean, how many forests have water sources?

Well, this is true. And but I I was hoping that Frank might have anecdotal information about how they handle this at other sites.

Yeah, we're we're getting into the weeds more than than that we're at a pretty high level now. And I absolutely understand that water is going to be an issue particular when we're getting hotter and drier summers. But, you know, I think that property has somewhat of potential to do something like that. I I don't know if we can tap into that. Well, if we could do some type of pump with irrigation system into the pond, but that would be something that would be something for us to look into. What if you got a large tank where you bring the generator down once and pump it, fill it, and then have a have the tank high obviously and then just put a hose on it.

Some kind of a water plant. Yes. Talk about watering a lot a lot of trees quite a few things. Well, that would be something, you know, consult for somebody to work. That's a do they have a time limit that they want it to because I mean one of the things and I know because I've read a fair number of deep re um rehabilitation plans for forests and and just um habitat restoration. and they they they are very gung-ho about clear cutting and starting all over again. Um, so I gotta think they have some kind of idea about why.

Yeah, but but I don't think but I I feel like there's there's something to be said for you know doing it in installments too. You know I I don't think most um forestry practices um consider water. I mean I mean that the forester or the loggers back in water plants. No, because they just wanted the wood. They weren't trying to restore the forest. They were just harvesting the wood that they are because they're they're

But they're taking out the trees that don't belong, who are they're the wrong species. They're invasive. They um They uh and they leave the trees that you want and those trees will flourish and and provide the seeding for the next generation and that and that's it. You're not planting going except maybe in pine forest in the south

they plant trees but in in New England uh you're not out there planting oak trees. you're you're favoring the the oak tree that's going to provide the acorns that are going to drop on the leaf there and so that's if we had any good trees to to drop acorns or or some

I all your points are really valid yeah you know the devil's going to be in the details exactly what they I just think that this is so unique deep opportunity for us to really kind of jump ahead a couple years which will grant program and that's the point where we decide to get below that. So

the program is going to be announced in June. I don't I I'm not sure that they even know themselves going to be at this point. I'm sure that's what they're working on. And and from my experience with deep programs, there you know there's things that throw them in there that that make it less attractive. I know what we're talking about.

Yeah. So we we'll see. We'll see how it goes. But I just wanted to share that. We have the opportunity to consider talking to some of you were were not available, but and I attended the CLC conference which confound the the uh workshops that's typical of varying utility. Um I went to the gate workshop and I thought that was particularly interesting within talk about the grant programs. Um afterwards with Kim Bradley who does the recreational trails program. This would be of interest for you hearing for for Bill. The deep recreational trails program is meant to basically uh encourage the construction of trails exactly like the cross country trail that that we've talked about and and it allows um monies to be used for equipment to maintain trails. It allows for monies to construct accessible trails, which I've always been interested in, and it allows monies to be used for either limited acquisition of land or conservation easements crossing lands to to allow trail passage. So, have a lot of attributes that would

be of help to us. Now, the problem is there's no one for it now. But uh the legislature is meeting now is the program is generally funded through bonds like many of the programs uh governor came up a while ago in support of open space. Uh a number of of groups whatever are pushing for monies for that including CLCC. So I I would fully expect there'll be money available at some time in the future. The negative to that is that these are really, really competitive grants.

And when I talked to Kim about it, the first thing she said to me was, "Didn't we give you a grant for bridging?" Yeah. And that was for I think $20,000 to help in planning for the Lieutenant Ranch. So,

and that was going to be part of a part of Cross Town Trail. We actually supported that to the with the halls road committee because it a way to support that. But I don't know if you saw a letter that Randy Nixon wrote to the examiner basically saying why did it rich if they have a sidewalk. And for me getting from east to west if you walk a sidewalk to the river is fine for me for a trail with access. I also um I don't want to throw you to this and I attended a workshop on I was not familiar with the service that comes and help and does some consulting for or for town that the last one we went to

it was part of the farmland. It was it was part of the um agricultural you know USDA for initially but now it's become a nonprofit and I'm did not bring my CLCC notes with me and I'm blanking on oh I'm sorry but

I'm going blank I did have a sheet I talk about that they come in and consult horse practice and so forth and it kind of relates to I didn't answer your question before but Now that I talked to Frank Ser and I also talked to Dan Parakio one the deep foresters and they have had programs uh to help towns land trust and forest management. They they're not funded at the moment but they will them again in the future somebody just reach out to and talk to them. I do have contact information before and I'll try to to reach out to them and see what I can

they have an environmental review team. It's the Connecticut RC council and um they do everything from forestry, geology, wildlife, wetlands, agriculture, planning, archaeology, soils, open space, transportation and coal resources. you submit an application through the ERT, the environmental review team website. So that is what that workshop is about. And so and they're great. So they will just come and do an evaluation on a property for you if you're missful as a the acquisition tool or you know for a grant. I think they to get materials to support grant applications for various projects or acquisition initiatives.

Did you did what workshops did you attend? I think yeah I interested in um the preparing buffer folks in there. What's that? I was in there. I didn't see you. Where are you hiding?

Uh just talking about the the importance of of protecting um and which is something I searched for for years. uh when I was on the weapons commission to increase the uh width of of bubbers and um prevent homeowners from clear cutting all the way down to the stream side and that sort of thing. Um, no. They and they pardon me if I misspe, but I think that they were talking about um getting some kind of regulations in place that protect a wider slot of screen site land. Yeah, they have a there's a bill that is under consideration and I actually I think it may have already been voted on um session but um they felt like it was it had a very strong chance of passing. So I I've been kind of following that built for gateway and the two people that well three people I'm working at Mary Mushinsky from Ward who was retiring after the session but she used to be my state representative um sharing up from rivers and from our town Mike Aurelia's wife Connecticut is the only state that doesn't have statute pertaining to breaking buffers and they're going to do this And they there it has faced a certain amount of difficulty over definition of wetlands.

Believe it or not, and how buffers would would I I think relate to wetlands as opposed to actual flowing waters and streams. I talked to Worester quite a bit at the conference and she does she is optimistic this will pass that'll be a big plus you know because I I remember talking to the wetlands commission about I got some information from the state of New Hampshire there they have a very um robust area

of their regulation which surprised me because I think of New Hampshire as the free or die. Regulations be damned.

Yeah, don't tell me about regulations. Anyway, but I thought it was one of the issues that gateway is is is dealing with this not only with setbacks from edges and so forth and Everybody, it seems that everybody that lives along waterway, probably everybody everywhere, but the people that live along waterway who come to Gayway have to have a pool put in and most of them are are looking to put the pools into the setbacks. The other interesting thing about setbacks is is our state senator Martha Marx who's very very strong affordable housing has has proposed a bill which would allow small structures of presumably affordable housing to be built on I don't know exact details but quite small lots maybe as small as 5,000 square ft with very small set taxes was little was 5T on either side and maybe 10 or 12 feet from back

so I attend the first one I read the wildlife action plan update wildlife action plan and um it sounds I think that this is something that gets updated every year or something and um the I would I would encourage folks to take a look at it. It's it's they said it would be online soon and DLCC was two weeks ago, three weeks ago. So, you know, I would say certainly by May you should be able to access um it sounds like a lot of really good information um that you can schle in different ways. Um the they very um I had a lot to say about the Connecticut conservation opportunity areas which is a way to you know sort of identify um you know if you're particularly interested in preserving a certain type of environmental resource you can see where that is by the state. So you're looking for for land acquisition purposes instance and you have certain criteria that you want to make sure a parcola is you know going to have you can use it's an online GIS uh platform that you can use to sort of zero in on the ideal properties where they are now they available can you afford them I don't Oh, right. Um, but there's they have the deep GIS open data and the eco information and a lot of uh interesting um layers of data that you can use to value things. The conservation commission

worked up their mission statement which I presume was approved by the board on Monday evening but they are very interested working cooperating with us and one of the things they are doing is having a series of seminars of talks and I believe one of the future talks will be by Brian Hes the deep wildlife division he's one of the authors of that plan I think he was one of the speakers He was he was not the conference. I I think there were a lot of deep people there. Several people I wanted to talk to just five 600 people about five buildings.

So the other thing the other event that happened since the last portion was not able to make was the land trust had their annual meeting.

You know, it was um they the big announcement of Portland was that we closed on the Edmond property, so we now own it. Congratulations. They've already started coming up with coming up with dates for work parties to to add the trails. Um, you know, Edie kind of gave just some um stats on, you know, we've got 30 stewards. We've got a seven member committee that coordinates them all. And, you know, then we got the new gate installed at Watch Rock. Um, 12 benches were put on 12 benches. Um, doing a new boardwalk by Cole and then we are also building kiosks. So, we have kiosk outreach. Um,

excuse me. Do you have like a a design for kiosks or a what? Design for kiosk. I believe there is a design. There's a lot of discussion about that design, but they think that they can instead building bench is now going to move to kiosks. You know, one thing you might want to do if you don't have a set design, I don't know what your requirements are, but the the kiosk at train the gap parking area on Macau was built by Wayne Abrahamson and Jim Mild. I think it's a nice pretty nice kiosk and Wayne probably would have the plans on how they built that. Okay.

And I was going to ask suggested we have to a new one. I would ask him if he'd be interested in building. Yeah. Outreach. We've got three things going or four things going on. We've got the nature walk with Mag Jones and on the 11th at Hatchers Hill. Um Arbor Day Tree Walk on the 24th on May 11th. On April 11th. Oh, April 11th. April 11th. Maggie Jones, who's we've had her before. She's pretty good.

Um, Arbor Day Tree Walk is at Hoffman Madison Preserve on the 24th. And then May 2nd is the Spring Bird Walk with Joe Atwater and that's Lelay Allen. And then um May 30th, the woman that gave the talk at the annual meeting, Jenny Apple, the talking about coyotes at the meeting. Um, we'll be doing a falcon on beavers and that's at the library. Library. We already had a Yeah, we had Okay. Yeah. And I thought you did, but you know, I I didn't I didn't hear that planning until like just recently. I don't always hear what's

yelled at by conservation because they may have done one, too. Um, you know, that that's about it. Um we gave our landserver award to Thor um Hol who's our our attorney who basically worked so hard on the out of rent grant it it was I think it was two years the time frame from the time when we got the money. So it was brutal. It was brutal. You know they looking at this grant then they looked at a grant we previous had and said oh by the way we forgot to get this. Can you get that for this before we do this? It's like it was just Yeah.

Yeah. It was it was brutal. But again, Jenny Ben Apple did her um talk on the Eastern Coyote and she's a really good speaker. Yes. Really liked her. Was good meeting. I went to it. Yeah. It was pretty well attended too. I think I had 60 60 RSVPs.

Good parent. So I dialis in Europe now, but I exchanged multiple texts with her over the last couple of days. And the one thing that she mentioned to me is is she said the powder after three years going to be named the Woodhead preserve and that will help them because she said that you're going to be talking to Woodhead Evucement for him to have one Woodhead property. Yeah,

the naming was a big discussion because we don't normally name preserves after people that we have to buy the property, you know, it's normally a donation thing that kind of was a too. Yeah. Yeah. And and I I don't know if you know part of the strategy was Yeah. Woodhead and try and suck them in. One would look at it if if you're naming rights, they they would give you a fair price in reflection. Yeah. Well, with the auto grants, it has to be, you know, we can only it's only when it's appraised. We can't do anything over appraisal. Maybe if you did if they did a bargain sale. Pardon?

They did a bargain sale. I know blind reserve. Was it a bargain sale? Less than I don't know. I wasn't around. I mean, that that's Somebody doesn't know a bar and sale. That's you. The owner has the property appraised and then they sell it for let's say 30% less. The 30% that they aren't getting they take as a donation

and then they can cover their capital gains tax. I don't know that that individ I I came in when the contract was already taxed actually to go against income not against cap but whatever

but actually one of the workshops at CLCC didn't talk about was bargain sales and tax advantages for selling property to land trusts and towns for conservation after about 10 minutes. My head was really was a a he got into the tax code to a great degree. It was really more for CPS for land conservation people. But the other thing I wanted to mention here is that Sabine said you're also talking to the Hill House. if I need

and there's one or multiple properties out in that

push on the spot, but is there a hill house that you have an east one across that connects your upper to ours? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of properties, uh Dan and I met with Melinda Ronfeld. Um we had a list of properties that was sent to the town. I think I mentioned this before by River asking which properties were permanent conserved and were now. And I talked to Martha Shoemaker. A lot of those properties were basically tax foreclosures. many of our small properties and I think your town's going to look at those and decide do we really want to pick a property that's onetenth of an acre

in the middle of nowhere and try to sell to sell.

So a lot of the properties were not open space just properties that were soon to whatever was going to try to do a quick survey of some of the other properties. I also wrote to Wendy Hills, the open space coordinator for line, and we exchanged a couple emails and I asked her if she would get together with just our conservation ements. She said that all natural town is currently conserved, but I'm not sure what exactly that means. easements on I found out rather interestingly that who was our land coordinator that property is set aside for open space as part of a subdivision application the 10% property set aside that does not mean it's permanently conserved the town at some point the planning commission could vote to basically open that up and sell it back to developers or do something with that property would be very unlikely to happen but it's theoretically possible. So that those properties are not actually conserv I think the difference too would be if it was an easement um and you wanted to resell it then you have to go through these generals. If it's simply an outright real estate purchase or set aside set aside um if you own if the town owns it pretty clear they they can do as did and they took the the open space in build a high school

the that's us about this is Jim Lamos um um received a grant and he's setting up a whole line resiliency committee through that grant which is administrative administered by United Se tool the strategic resilency action plan and for the town they're setting up the first meeting sometime time between April 22nd and May 1st. I I Russ as chair of the flood and erosion control will also be on that committee and asked Russ if uh if he was coming to the meeting wearing that hat. He would also wear open space hats in but I would be interested in pending the first meeting himself. There were number of dates that were turned out.

There's never been any zero information. Yeah, it's very sketchy. I think the first meeting was just basically to talk about what exactly they're going to do. So, long story short, it could be during the week of April to push the bank. I can tell you with some certainty that wrestling will be during dinner May 1st. So be so May 1st is

I may not be here but they ran a little bit. And I just wanted to mention a couple wrapping up a couple of different uh events and things that are going on. The old line the old line conservation convention in particular Brandy Campbell is interested in coming up with an inventory of map of endangered species and plants in old line working with Hank Bruner who's a conservation biologist and herpatologist science center. I don't really know exactly what that's going to involve or what it's going to do. This if anybody's interested in perhaps working with them to the extent that they walk out of the properties, let me know. If not, we'll just see what they come with. And um Andrew shared um the advertisement from the Lime Land Trust about a walk to talk about not particularly well written rare plants in line

and and they wrote to Wendy Hill part of back and forth but so you're going to show people where the rare plants in your honor that was really poorly ly written. Jim will point out and identify native plants which are rarely seen except in the springtime. Spring ephemerals is how she and she mentioned that uh Jim Matal who was he has a I think a nursery uh is going to do a couple of walks. One's going to do a quote. Saturday, May 12th, a rugged Rambo traversing swamps, wetlands, and rocky terrains. And then later, that's from 7:30 to 5 moderate walk.

7 to 3 7 a.m. to That's the ramble. And And he's the family. Yeah. LLC and and said he she really likes it. She says, "You might want to see a walk for you in time." So, that might be something. That's basically kind of all I have at this point. Um, I don't know if this is under new business or continuing, but I'd like to talk about the hiker happy hour.

Thanks. Go for it. So, uh, tomorrow Mary Deans and I are meeting with, um, Chris and Lesie at the O line. This was like a year in the making. um just to kind of go over the past, the present, touch base, remind them of the dates and putting out the notices and um I guess clarifying the um offerings and um because there had been talk about there being of of paying that never came to fruition, I would just rather them pay to pay just to be clear. Um and um the first hike is May 6. So that's the next Wednesday, first Wednesday in May.

The kickoff for that one again. Um and that's going to be we talked about it back uh in January. Champlain South uh Lime Lane perhaps touching on the vernal pools. So I'll reach out to Mikeella passionate about that and he might be able to be ahead. Um yeah,

so if anyone knows that they in advance that they can attend, I think you guys will both be away. Um you know, let me know. Um just as a headcount kind of thing. And um here we are, you know, almost less than a month away and uh I feel like we're a little behind the ball, but um sound like us. We don't have time. Thank you. Well, it was largely um that's Leslie as a matter of fact just um trying to get the old I'm in on board.

So since as I said it's been a long time in the making and it's like I would casually see Chris to her places and it's like can we meet before this day? Can we meet before this day? And oh she's traveling a lot. So anyway, this is our window. So that's all

we had one sort of new I think I might have mentioned this the last meeting but um I'm really very keen on trying to like there's maybe one or two other people that want to work with me on setting up a presentation on a public education presentation of some sort for at this point we're probably talking about summer or fall you you know, miss if you are a speaker, not available to drop a hat, but um I think I mentioned last time one topic near my heart was raptor safety and bird safety in general. Mainly it just re, you know, he kept keep putting it out there in front of people that no, rat po doesn't just end with the rat.

Yeah. and um you know and then just talking a little bit about what you can do to prevent bird strikes and and other kind of safe stuff which might be a really great obvious partnership that um but also I've been noticing driving around town everybody has had their lawns fully pesticide and um you know the idea of maybe finding someone who can speak to responsible sustainable urban landscape techniques that don't involve, you know, spraying chemicals up or just leaving the leaves on the ground. Leaves.

I'm one of the few people on so actually has leaves on my Why would you start at our house? Well, no m is a thing. So, we can find somebody. Is it a thing? Oh, yeah. I've never heard it. Yeah, no more May. We put that children for the month of May. And um so if we can find if anybody knows someone who address sustainable landscaping best practices. Isn't there a pollinator group in town?

Pollinator pollinator. Well, you might know Suzan address that. She does a lot of stuff of this Gale Reynolds that's that's kind of a little bit and conservation daily with but I I have no problem with you. I I tried to

the other thing too was this lighting at night and I I tried to tell conservation Gary when he was first Gregory when he was chair that you know you can't just do a oneoff talk at the library that you've got to keep talking about that all the time. So, you know, and maybe that's something I don't know when the next writing assignment is going to come up for our wonderful writer. Um but you know one or either of those topics with something essentially um I mean one of the things about the fair landing project was the idea that you're going to hopefully be able to point to that property and talk about you know the idea of you know managing invasives planting natives leaving leaving dead trees

to sort back to your rap or other presentations. You think we should try to go conservation of joint effort something? Yeah, probably again. I like co I but um you know but I I think that the raptor situation might really be best partnered with you know we have we don't have an osprey nest on our property we have one quite close it's on the property next

you envision that there's any properties that question you know there's a there's name of the boat. I think it might anyway up in line. I noticed a an off grade platform on a freshwater pond and I was a little surprised, but I guess they they can fish anywhere, right? So you know interior fish are actually uh able to manage with the shallow water there.

Yeah. I don't know that big fish and fairy land but it might be a place for them to go to the river. That's right. If if they can tolerate the Yeah. I don't know. That's all the word. What do you think?

Um I could check with Joe, but this was I think a pretty good time to um get them in the ground. Think we're close. I mean, you probably know better when they nest wood duck. I would think that they right about now they're looking for a nest. So there I be curious in the next couple weeks whether anybody except for maybe swallows go in there. I was just going to ask you would anybody else like that like to use that as a home? That's what happens to me. My bird my bluebird house are filled with tree swallows up here.

Yeah. and and English sparrows. Um they're they're famous for um invading bird nest. We had a blueird nest on our property where the blueird had already nested and had chicks in the nest and English parrot went in and killed the mother, kept her head and left her there on top of her babies and then built his built a nest on top of my camp. Did you have a camera?

No. warning power the extra camera aimed at the

not we How did you catch it?

Recover from that. I'm just bringing up the Midsummer Festival. Um, and I guess we did get approved for our booth, so no word yet as to where it is. They will tell. I I have been told we have been courtesy of that they don't dare put us at all but I had tapped around something about a bingo card I think at the end I think I showed you in particular a bingo card or something um from last last year near the end of last year anyway I'll redirect it and find it but it might be it got some good

responses from here and uh at the thing and um for an activity at the at the booth. Yeah. But it's like a Q&A kind of thing. It doesn't necessarily replace Fred's um question, but um there was something appealing about it. I can't remember what it is now. Um and I don't know, it just popped into my mind maybe of the fair. It's probably goofy, but you know they have the fish bowls. Bowl little bowls with goldfish and ping pong balls. Wait, ping pong balls look the gold?

Yes. They're little bowls. They're about yay big and you see them at fairs and they're all filled with little goldfish and then you you step back and you throw a ping pong ball and if you get it into one of the cups then you you get you get the brain damage. Anyway, it was, you know, a punchy idea. I'm not really good at it, but at one point we had done kind of bingo cards where we had, you know, you know, paper with different shots of the preserves and you were supposed to find, you know, we preserve it with

good idea a while ago. But whatever it is that we do besides the coloring books and uh beads that we still have left um you know it's coming up and then and you guys won't I mean maybe you won't be here in the May meeting. I don't know what that is. What's that? The May meeting. I will not be at the May meeting. Yeah. So and then you know we're here. So, um, it just put on your thinking caps. Some sunset video that you took there. We always talk about that, but I guess part of it is that battery life.

It could work. And then get some more video, maybe bobcats, coyotes. We have a little library of it that um, you know, they actually do their Yeah, the website it's on our YouTube channel.

I got it just about to our yard. Oh, nice. No, that's beautiful. Yeah, that's yard. But thank you.

Second to motion to adjourn. All in favor? He was looking for that subtly.