Two events are being put together by an ordinary citizen of Canoe who is concerned about the amount of fuel on the forest floor in Park Hills trails and forest.
The first one is called “Pick Up Sticks, Kids ‘n the Woods” and will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this coming Saturday, Sept. 16 starting at the trail head located 71st Avenue and 46th Street (top of the new development).
The event is sanctioned by the Shuswap Trail Alliance who will give a short presentation at 9 a.m. before clean-up begins.
The City of Salmon Arm has pledged the use of a chipper truck to remove unusable material. There will not be power tools used. Instead volunteers will be concentrating on removing loose branches, twigs and smaller debris. Anybody who wishes to keep the wood extracted from the forest is welcome to do so, as long as they observe the ongoing open fire ban.
This is a kid-friendly event, and a draw prize has been donated by local business, Rhymes with Purple - Toys &More.
Those who wish to participate should wear closed-toe shoes. Long-sleeved shirts, pants, and garden gloves are recommended. Bring loping shears and pruning shears, however, no power tools will be permitted.
For more information contact Frances Donald at 250-517-0005, e-mail fdonald@shaw.ca or check out the Facebook Page: “Free Wood by reducing Fuel Load near Canoe, BC”
A follow up event is tentatively planned to which will address the many dead-fall and wind-blown trees in the area.
Woodsman Equipment is sponsoring the second event by donating the use of two hydraulic wood splitters.
The target date for this event is Sept. 23, with more information to come. Volunteers will be able to take split wood home for fireplace and wood-stove use this winter. If there is more wood than volunteers, families in need may receive some wood by pre-registering with Donald, the event coordinator at the phone number listed above.