Thanks to 20 volunteers who came with handsaws, loppers, chainsaws and more on Saturday, Dec. 1, the Millstone Preserve trails, the Millstone West trails and the last of the Rogers Preserve trails are now cleared of fallen trees and other Sandy damage. Our group ranged from a kindergartener armed with small loppers who attacked those invasive thorny green vines to a longtime resident in his 80s who helped cut branches with his handsaw. The group also included two other elementary school students and two high schoolers. Three volunteers with chainsaws allowed us to clear the biggest trees, and our own ?lumberjack? even got Santa to deliver his Christmas chainsaw early.
It is amazing what such a group can do in less than two hours!
We also are thankful for some neighborhood ?trail elves? who cleared some trees in Millstone Preserve before we arrived and the five volunteers who stayed for an extra two hours to remove more downed trees.
We left most of the leaves on the ground to fight against mud and soil erosion, so please let us know if you find some trails difficult.
Trails in the Rogers Arboretum and Zaitz Preserve still need to be cleared. We plan to tackle Rogers Arboretum at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, weather permitting. Join us in the arboretum parking lot on Clarksville Road. Once again, we will aim to finish by 12:30 p.m.
As West Windsor’s public works department concentrates on clearing our roads of Sandy’s debris, members of the all-volunteer West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance are tackling the many trails in town, which also suffered heavy damage. Volunteers have already cleared the popular dog-run trail at Community Park and much of the Rogers Preserve trails, where countless large trees were toppled by the winds.
This Saturday, Dec. 1, we will be at Millstone Preserve. Join us at the Millstone Preserve parking lot on Millstone Road at 10:30 a.m. with loppers, chain saws, hand saws, gloves and whatever other equipment you think might help. Children are welcome with an adult and can help pick up smaller branches.
We will finish by 12:30 p.m. If we have enough people and time permits, we may also start on the Millstone West trail off Joanne Street.
We’re making progress in clearing our trails of fallen trees after Sandy.
Three WWBPA volunteers cleared the fallen trees off the dog run trail in Community Park. There were several trees blocking the popular blacktop trail and a great deal of debris and leaves on the pathway. It is now clear for all to use.
One day later, a large crew of volunteers tackled the down trees in the Rogers Preserve trails. One section was so bad that we had to re-route the trail around a large fallen tree. Even so, most of the Preserve is now cleared, with only a couple of very large trees yet to be cut. These will be tackled soon, but they are passable with a little effort. Many thanks to all who helped, particularly to Phil, the “Minnesota lumberjack” who impressed us with his chainsaw skills. Some of us had never seen a giant rootball and stump settle back into place oh-so-slowly when cut right.
We will keep you updated as we clear more of the open space trails in West Windsor. If anyone wishes to join us on our next “work day”, please send an email to wwbikeped@gmail.com. We’ll also send out an email to our members. Feel free to bring a friend. The more people who help, the faster we can get our trails back to normal.
Sandy’s damage in West Windsor extended to our trails. Take a look:
Help make it possible for friends, family and neighbors to enjoy an after-Thanksgiving walk through the woods by joining us this Saturday to help clear part of Rogers Preserve. We will meet at the Clarksville Road entrance at 10:30 a.m. Please bring gloves and tools: rake, loppers, hand saw, gas-powered chain saw — whatever you have.
On a beautiful sunny (once the fog burned off) Saturday, 13 volunteers organized by the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA) met to re-route an eroded section of the Red Trail near the tennis courts in Mercer County Park. These? dedicated off-road bicyclists know that conservation and maintenance are part of responsible mountain biking. Thanks to Mick Tormey of West Windsor for organizing the work, and to all the volunteers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania who showed that they care about our trails!
Mountain bikers, check out the JORBA web site to find opportunities to maintain trails all over New Jersey. Public – private partnerships, like JORBA working with Mercer County Park officials, allow everyone to enjoy our public assets, and save our taxpayers a few dollars along the way.
Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month via Zoom due to Covid. We will eventually resume meeting in the West Windsor Municipal Building. Email us at wwbikeped@gmail.com if you would like the Zoom code.
Find us at the West Windsor Farmers Market (Vaughn Drive parking lot) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Saturday from May through Halloween.
