Committee Reports

From trail work and wildlife monitoring to trip leadership and event planning – here's what our committees were up to last month.

A.T. Management

Most recent meeting: 06-May-2024 ✧ Wildlife transects, corridor monitoring, and trail maintenance are ongoing; most blowdowns have been removed ✧ Project schedule is in full gear; Tuesday and Saturdays are available on ActDB ✧ Recent damage to overnight shelters is being repaired ✧ Non hikers are using shelters and exceeding the 2-night limit ✧ Upper Goose Pond Cabin has opened and has hosted dozens of hikers already ✧ Future plans: 3 Greenagers projects ✧ Volunteer recruitment needs: natural heritage monitors, trail maintainers, corridor monitors, shelter coordinator, and 2025 committee vice chair ✧ Next meeting: 15-July-2024

Communications

The Memorial Day post featuring the memorial tower at Mt. Greylock went viral with over 20,000 accounts reached, 654 engagements, 196 reactions and 30 shares ✧ We promoted Laurel Day by sending a press release to the Westfield Evening News ✧ Facebook: 22 posts (top post: Memorial Day) ✧ Instagram: 21 posts (top post: Trailsfest) ✧ Newsletters: 1399 messages sent ✧ Website: 1) upgraded our shared hosting plan to VPS 2) installed custom Perl modules 3) added new member favorite: Bicycling 4) added Training ribbon to activities

DEI

AMC's DEI Road Map was presented by Rachel Hailey (DEI Outdoors) at the DEI Inter-Chapter Committee's monthly reps meeting ✧ Completed work on the first draft of AMC's DEI foundational Identity and Vision Statement ✧ Joined a meeting in support of Educators Outdoors/YOP to discuss AMC's plans for this highly successful foundational program ✧ Collaborated with the paddling committee to purchase a transfer bench (used to assist people with mobility challenges to get in and out of a kayak) ✧ Sign ups for the third annual Western MA AMC Women's Weekend at Noble View Outdoor Center (July 26th-28) will be on ActDB this week ✧ Planning for the opening of the All Persons Trail at Noble View was initiated

Family Programs

May StoryWalk^® was "We Are Water Protectors" ✧ Held Exploring Water Creatures Program in collaboration with the Russell Public Library and the Springfield Naturalist Club at the stream behind the library on 11-May-2024 ✧ Held Sweet Maple Syrup Hike at the Conwell Property in Worthington on 18-May-2024 ✧ Attended the Western MA Annual Meeting & Bash Zoom meeting ✧ Met with Hilltown Family Center re: permanent StoryWalk^® signs on the All Persons Trail at Noble View ✧ Took part in preparations for this year's Laurel Day social and hikes ✧ Hikes With Tykes scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month from spring through summer

Hiking

Led 9 hikes at Mt. Greylock, Mineral Hills, Blandford Chester, Lithia Springs, Chapel Falls, NET, Mary Edwards, and Sanderson Brook Falls ✧ Led 8 walks in Holyoke and Westfield ✧ Currently coordinating hikes for July, August and September; planning ExCom/Leaders Social; actively advertising for a new chair

Paddling

Most recent meeting: 17-April-2024 ✧ Deb took a Paddlesports Safety Facilitator class offered by ACA on 16-May-2024 ✧ Deerfield-Fife Brook Class 2 whitewater trip lead by MT Durr on 19-May-2024 had 13 participants ✧ An adaptive transfer bench to be used on our paddling trips and shared with All Out Adventures was purchased by the JDEI and Paddling Committees ✧ Upcoming trips are posted on ActDB