Committee Reports

See what our committees have been up to over the last month.

A.T. Management

Most recent A.T. Committee meeting: 2023-Aug-28 ✧ Next A.T. Committee meeting: 2023-11-06 ✧ Wildlife transects scheduled - 28-Oct-2023 ✧ Corridor monitoring - ongoing ✧ Dead tree removal at Upper Goose Pond Cabin - completed ✧ Bridging project on A.T. just south of Old Adams Rd: 20 new/replaced bridges installed ✧ Recent accomplishments and management issues: seven members certified in Wilderness and Remote First Aid and three new B-level sawyers ✧ Volunteer recruitment needs: natural heritage monitors, corridor monitors, shelter coordinator, secretary, committee member/under-studies

Bicycling

There are no more bicycling activities scheduled for 2023. By early March 2024, we'll have new activities posted for next year's season on the Western MA bicycling webpage

Communications

Facebook: 26 posts (top post - Hunting Season is Here) ✧ Instagram: 20 posts (top post: Come Join Our Team!) ✧ Newsletters: 1433 messages sent ✧ Website: new online newsletter posted

Family Programs

A new StoryWalk^® – The Apple Pie Tree – was added September 15th. It is a self-guided walk in collaboration with the Hilltown Family Center ✧ AMC Noble View FallFest was the venue for 4 family-friendly activities: guided StoryWalk^® & scavenger Hunt, slackline, apple picking, and pumpkin craft ✧ Also at FallFest: youths participated in a waterfall hike and D. Piers-Gamble co-led the morning paddle on Russell Pond

Hiking

Trips: Sept. 5th Greylock A.T. with Josh; Sept. 12th Pisgah State Forest with Margot; Sept. 19th N & S Sugarloaf with Debi; Sept. 26 Little Known Trails in Leeds with Jan; Sept. 30 Goose Pond with Josh; Sept. 30 TrailFest hikes with Laura (families), Dave (adults, moderate) Alex and Zenya (20 & 30's) and Kathy (adults, easy) ✧ Recent activity and plans: TrailFest activities - thanks to all the hike leaders who attended and lead hikes, with special thanks to Alice for tabling. We continue to work on Women's Weekend and sending new materials to the webmaster on leaders.

NET Management

Last NET Committee meeting was 18-Sep-2023 ✧ Next NET Committee meeting is 16-Oct-2023 ✧ New NET Coordinator M. Maistelman has begun her new position. She brings lots of enthusiasm and energy as well as extensive trail maintenance knowledge (grip hoist/bridge building/turnpike construction etc.) ✧ L. Graham attended Axe Training at AMC Camp Dodge. He reported it was a great training opportunity to learn new skills ✧ There is an adopter vacancy on Section 10 – possible replacements are being assessed ✧ J. Sambrook – Adopter & Shelter Coordinator has resigned from the Committee, but will continue as adopter on Section 3. The committee is currently recruiting to backfill this important role ✧ The Committee Chair staffed the NET table at AMC FallFest

Paddling

Previous meeting: 2023-09-26; next meeting: 2024-Feb-06 ✧ D. Piers-Gamble completed her second co-lead and is now a qualified paddling leader ✧ Our moonlight paddle on Russell Pond the evening of FallFest was a success! Lead by D. Weisenstein, B. Wieler, and D. Piers-Gamble, we had glowsticks on both ends of each boat. No visible moon but cloudy moonlight did reflect off the water. ✧ Our morning paddle on Russell Pond for FallFest, September 30, was lead by B. Wieler and D. Weisenstein. Frogs and turtles made appearances. Many thanks to Moses Scout Reservation at Russell Pond for use of their facilities, rental kayaks, and canoes. ✧ D. Piers-Gamble and D. Weisenstein paddled in the All Out Adventures Kayak-a-thon on Sept 10 to support this local non-profit with whom we partner for disability access to outdoor programming ✧ B. Wieler and D. Weisenstein staffed a Paddling table at FallFest ✧ Volunteers are needed for paddle leaders and committee members! ✧ Scheduled flatwater paddling events: Noble View Women's Weekend paddle on Russell Pond, Oct 8. View all upcoming activities here.

Training and Education

Ongoing planning continues for new training classes