VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN MARCH
The Friends of Herring River are sponsoring two different volunteer opportunities for those of you who are interested in participating in a tangible way to help restore our estuary. Please see below and contact the appropriate coordinators. Lisbeth Wiley Chapman, editor beth@friendsofherringriver.org |
HERRING RIVER BRUSH BURN,
March 2 and 9, 2009
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You can help make a difference to our Herring Run!
Jeff Hughes, Wellfleet's Herring Warden, is looking for volunteers to help with an essential brush burning project scheduled for March 2nd and 9th, consecutive Mondays. Rain date is Friday, March 20th.
The event is held to clear the way for the herring run migration route and to remove invasive phragmites. The Cape Cod National Seashore and AmeriCorps members living in Wellfleet will be participating. The area to be burned will begin at the Bound Brook Island parking lot at the culvert, working east toward Route 6 on the south side of the river.
The primary task will be hauling brush to the burn area. Heavy and light work is available. Each volunteer must have eye protection and should bring large pruning shears. Bring a lunch or enjoy provided hot dogs and marshmallows. A lunch run to Box Lunch may also be provided.
Our work at the Herring River site in Wellfleet will begin around 9:15 am, and hopefully last until about 3:30pm (based on weather and wind patterns). We will obviously be working outside in areas littered by debris, roots, and other hazards, so sturdy boots are a must. Tennis shoes or other shoes made purely from synthetic materials are a danger both on this terrain and in front of a brush fire. Most hiking boots prove suitable for the task at hand.
Since you will experience temperature changes, either from the changing degrees in the day or the heat from the fire, dressing in layers is always a great idea. Long underwear and wool socks, and about 4-5 layers around your body core are appropriate. Please also wear wool as one of your base layers because (this most likely will not happen) if an ember gets on you, it will burn against the wool instead of spreading through other layers as happens with synthetic or polyester materials. Since there will be lots of brush hauling, please bring leather work gloves you don't mind getting a little dirty. Hearing protection is required if you will be working around the saws. Avoid excessively baggy clothing, or clothing which has lots of hanging pieces attached to it which could get snagged on the brush or other vegetation. It may be cold, so dress accordingly, but tons of fun! We look forward to working with everyone. Jeff will keep you informed on any updates.
Contact Jeff at huckleberryhuze@aol.com and he will send an e-mail reminder to all volunteers.
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Watch the Herring Run and Help Count - Volunteers Needed
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From earliest colonial times, the run of the herring in Wellfleet's Herring River was a marker of Spring's return. Diking of the river in 1909 greatly restricted and diminished the herring run. A major goal of the river restoration is to restore that early herring run, as much as possible.
We need volunteers to help us track the progress of the restoration by joining us in estimating each Spring's run. The Friends of the Herring River are sponsoring a monitoring program, in co-operation with APCC and Jeff Hughes, Wellfleet's Herring Warden. Tracking sites have been identified alongside the river as it runs eastward of Rt 6 up to the Gull Ponds, where the herring are known to spawn.
If you are interested, please reply to info@friendsofherringriver.org with Herring Count in the subject line. An organizational and training meeting will be scheduled in March. Details will follow.
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