February 25, 2017 URE Work Day (1 Viewer)

[hanniemarie2]

Hi Everyone – This Saturday, February 25th is the next OHV work day and thanks to Kevin Shortt we’ll have equipment (a front bucket load tractor) that we can use to load up the trailers and trucks with the rock to work on some more trail armoring. I really appreciate it. Glenn Fulmer said he’s coming up and will be hauling the FOU trailer and if there are any other folks that can make it and have trail trailers or pickups we can use to finish moving the rock from Dutch John Trailhead that would be great.


We’ll meet at 9 am at the Uwharrie Hunt Camp to get everyone signed up and then we’ll divide the crews. We’re going to try to finish the armoring on the clay sections of Wolf Den Trail, Dutch John Trail and the 90o turn on Dickey Bell Trail. We’ll try to finish using the pile of rock that is at the Dutch John TH and if we run out of that rock and we still have more armoring to do then we’ll move to getting the rip rap from the Cotton Place Trailhead.


We’ll also have some crews go around and pick up trash around the trailheads and the 2 vault toilets and old dispersed campsites. Additionally, if chainsaw certified folks are available and can bring their PPE and saws we’ll have some crews clear any logs and cut back the brush along the trails and around signs more this weekend. Please bring any of our loppers, pole saws and other cutting tools so we can clear back the trails as much as possible while they’re closed.


Thanks a lot everyone. I’ll see you this Saturday. Bye - Terry

 

[lumbee1]

Sarah and I will see you in the morning.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Sorry I couldn't make it, plane landed at ~11am.

How'd it go?

 

[fourtrax]

there was a really good turn out from several other clubs. we drained ditches, pruned/lopped and picked trash from Wolf Den- Art Lilly. and helped unload rock above Wolf Den. it was an absolutely AWESOME day to be in the woods.

 

[hanniemarie2]

@lumbee1 took a bunch of pictures of everything that went down, it was definitely a great day.

 

[lumbee1]

The weather couldn't have been nicer. We just had two Cruisers representing ONSC. We really need to make participation a priority.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

The weather couldn't have been nicer. We just had two Cruisers representing ONSC. We really need to make participation a priority.

Have been pushing it for years my man. Best way we've found to get ONSC involvement in USFS Uwharrie workdays is to have our own workdays aligned with barn parties.

 

[lumbee1]

Have been pushing it for years my man. Best way we've found to get ONSC involvement in USFS Uwharrie workdays is to have our own workdays aligned with barn parties.

It sounds like we need more barn parties! Woot!

 

[jamesurq]

Have been pushing it for years my man. Best way we've found to get ONSC involvement in USFS Uwharrie workdays is to have our own workdays aligned with barn parties.

Maybe there's a "ONSC workday" participation sticker or something? I know folks love stickers - and if the sticker proves they've contributed to the cause, that may be enough?

Maybe even an annual prize at the Xmas party for "most workday participation" or something? We could keep a log of who comes?

 

[uzj100]

Great ideas!

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Maybe there's a "ONSC workday" participation sticker or something? I know folks love stickers - and if the sticker proves they've contributed to the cause, that may be enough?

Maybe even an annual prize at the Xmas party for "most workday participation" or something? We could keep a log of who comes?

Tried that one year with t-shirts, green ones the club bought that people got if they made a certain number of workdays per year. It did not increase overall participation and even though we had around 80 club members at the time, we didn't get to give away even 10 shirts IIRC.

If you have 10 different things you want to do on a weekend day, one of only two you get a week, would a sticker or a t-shirt convince you (specifically you) to come out to volunteer for 6 or 8 hours once a month?

It's just a hard thing to convince people to do when there are a thousand other things going on, especially if they have kids. For those of us more than an hour's drive away from Uwharrie, it's even harder.




What we need people to understand is that these workdays are not just for the good feeling you get by contributing. The workday's purpose is to ensure that the forest is open for generations to come, not just for this year. Until people look at the workdays as an investment for their own and their kid's future, not just a "thing" that takes up time, participation will continue to be low.


@fourtrax and his family really put us all to shame with how much they do. Before him it was Darin. All we can do as a BOD is try to put the message out there as often and loudly as we can, hoping that we get through to one more person each time.


A realistic commitment for each ONSC member is to attend 4 workdays throughout the year, including the two workdays that are club specific (xmas party and m&g). This means that each member only have to sacrifice two weekend days, outside of the barn parties, throughout the year to volunteer. I don't have the attendance sheets in front of me, but I would wager that less than 10% of our club membership attended 4 total workdays last year.

 

[hanniemarie2]

Maybe even an annual prize at the Xmas party for "most workday participation" or something? We could keep a log of who comes?

We did a couple years ago, we got TShirts. Four or five members got them. Garrett, dad and I still have them.
I love the idea, but this may cause discouragement if people are only doing it for that "prize" and the same few people are the only ones getting it.

 

[jamesurq]

Gotcha. Didn't realize you guys tried that already.

 

[krzyabncanuck]

If you all still have any of them to shirts from that year can you set me aside one. Never did get one and went to all of them .


I tried for years folks trying to find a way to motivate folks to want to come out.

I finally gave up. Then gave up completely on Uwharrie after this January happened. Sorry. But it's life. I gave it all I had and then some but.

Now I have hundreds if not thousands of miles of trails. And the number 5 place for wheeling in the States is only a bit from me. Globe AZ. Then I have Moab 5 hours from me.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

If you all still have any of them to shirts from that year can you set me aside one. Never did get one and went to all of them .

You didn't get one because you didn't come to the event we gave them away at

Keep up the good work out there man, the BLM appreciates it

 

[NCFJ]

"A realistic commitment for each ONSC member is to attend 4 workdays throughout the year, including the two workdays that are club specific (xmas party and m&g). This means that each member only have to sacrifice two weekend days, outside of the barn parties, throughout the year to volunteer. I don't have the attendance sheets in front of me, but I would wager that less than 10% of our club membership attended 4 total workdays last year."

It is simply unrealistic for some of us as well. I am about 2.75 hrs away for starters. I also do a lot of dirt work around here on a regular basis, going somewhere else to do it just is not going to happen. People are busy in general these days, just life. Work days at URE are just not as much a priority to some as they are to others. Neither is right or wrong, we all have our causes and they tend to change throughout life. When I lived in the Keys and was an active diver I was involved with several grass roots "clean up the reef" campaigns. I burned a bunch of air on the bottom filling catch bags with trash left by "eco tourism" I've not been under water in 11 years.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Yeah, I know, and some people won't go to a ONSC workday even if they're already at the barn when it's happening *cough*.

"Being busy" is not an excuse to never go to a single workday if you have ever, or plan to ever, use the forest.

 

[NCFJ]

Cough all you want, just because it is your cause in life right now does not mean it is everyone else's as well. It is great that you put the effort into it that you do. That does not make those of us that do not wrong or any less a member. We have countless members that have never been off a gravel road and do not intend to be.

 

[lumbee1]

Driving a truck down the trails while others stuff trash in a bag is still helping the cause.

ONSC Waste Management Crew.

BTW, it would have been helpful if someone drove my truck while I collected trash.

 

[hanniemarie2]

Driving a truck down the trails while others stuff trash in a bag is still helping the cause.

ONSC Waste Management Crew.

BTW, it would have been helpful if someone drove my truck while I collected trash.

Daniel's been looking forward to this picture haha.
and that's why you started to train Sarah, by next work day you'll have another driver (-;