Hansville Greenway Grows
The Hansville Greenway grew this year when the Great Peninsula Conservancy closed on the sale of 100 acres that include land behind Driftwood Key and between The Ridge at Buck Lake and the current Greenway.
The campaign to acquire the land received 277 donations, including a generous bequest, to reach the $2.15 million purchase price.
While a celebration is in order, the work is really just beginning and the Greenway will need plenty of volunteers to get it done. The area was once forest and was logged. It was replanted with Douglas fir, and non-native species, like Scotch broom, moved in.
The Greenway Association will count on volunteers to remove non-native species and plant native trees and wetland vegetation. Volunteers will also help lay out trails, figure out numbering for sign posts, and install the posts. Work has already started on slashing brush for connector routes to established trails.
The new acreage will necessitate new Greenway maps as well as more trail stewards. Trail stewards walk their designated trail regularly and report problems, like fallen trees or flooding.
Volunteers will be needed for trail maintenance projects, like beating back brush, cutting fallen trees, and repairing bridges.
“There will be lots of opportunities to volunteer, get involved,” says Michael Szerlog, president of the Hansville Greenway Association board.
To sign up as a volunteer and receive notifications of work opportunities, visit https://hansvillegreenway.org/volunteering-in-the-greenway/.
Cynthia Taggart