Our Garlic Mustard super-heroes deserve honorable mention for their work in priority areas of the Forest this year. Huge, huge appreciation from all of the Copeland Forest Friends to all those who pulled garlic mustard.
The Pine Ridge Trail Group
Nancy Chong organized early pulls when the GM first appeared and weekly pulling forays were offered to those who could make it as work and life permitted. Sonya and Nancy were persistent in the weekly pulls despite the heat and insects. While maintaining social distancing amongst themselves, but not the GM, they shared and enjoyed many stories, laughs and discoveries. In total this year they hauled out 17 bags of GM in this heavily infested area and look forward to continuing to control the GM. They welcome others to join next season. The site is very accessible and the company very friendly.
Western Trails: Posts 17 to 38, 18 to 39, 18 to 19 to 13
*From the Oro-Medonte Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association, Christine Cornu and Sue Benjafield, also a CFFA board member, and other members pulled like hurricanes. Finished their section and whacked back other spots.
*From the Orillia GHTA, Carol Strickland rallied keeners who continuously swept their area clean, then pitched in elsewhere.
*The Henkenhofs and the Sutherlands, residents of Horseshoe Valley, are inspirations to those who want to preserve the natural beauty of our local treasure.
*HVPOA were fantastic partners in sending out notices of our pulls to their members.
*Jenn Copeland is always there to help in any way she and friends can.
*Ingrid VanderMarel, eight plus years and taming the trail from 17 to 18.
*Jarka and Bernd Widenhorn environmentalists par excellence also cleaned up ‘The Purple Star’ and ‘Michelle Special’
Very Western Trails: Posts 31 to 23 and 32
Susan and Bill Scott are stalwarts and meticulous as ever.
Northern Trails, Zone 2
Bill Wells and family covered the whole area. They reported record hauls each time and discovered new wildflowers along the way.
Northern Trails, Zone Three
*Paul Hamblin, a mountain biker willing to trek in four times, dismount to search, pull 15 feet into the woods then cycle-pack the haul out. Not without its challenges.
*Post 14 to 13. Dense jungle of GM tackled by Pat Simons and Mark Zielinski, Shannon Stephenson, Orillia GHC and Kelly Dory. Kelly and her sister Leah Burgan and husbands then went on to decimate the single-track trail, Midland Climb, along with Ron Loibl and Deb.
Northern Trail, Zone Three Entire valley slope off the trail know as: ‘Michelle Special, Five B’s, Maui Wowie’ As described in the other article.
Has garlic mustard been established on this slope over ten years? Does the moisture seeping from the slope help create garlic mustard with roots as wide as a Trillium and leaves as big as a hand?
50 hours to pull and pack garbage bags up to the log compost bin in unexpected heat waves, time and time again. Who helped? Tony Peckham, Jarka and Bernd Widenhorn, Margaret Kennedy, Virginia and sons on rescue #1.
We need your consistent help here. This area is not for the faint of heart. You must enjoy being a mountain goat. Ideal to do it with someone for moral support and enjoy good company while pulling. One of our seasoned volunteers are happy to mentor you and make sure you feel comfortable in the area.
For more information on Garlic Mustard click on ‘Protect the Copeland’ at the Friends website, copelandfriends.ca.
Email us at garlicmustard@copelandfriends.ca
