Enjoy a complimentary biscuit and coffee before a short safety and organizational briefing after which we will disperse to tend to various sections of the trail.

RSVP: to jdbrewer104@gmail.com or 919-900-0483 by Wednesday, October 29 for this volunteer activity.

BAD WEATHER POLICY: If the workday is canceled due to bad weather a mass email will be sent by 11:00 PM the evening before the event to everyone who has RSVP’ed as described above.

If you are new to trail work please let us know and we can pair you with an experienced volunteer.

What you will need to provide:
Work clothes suitable for the weather,
Solid shoes or hiking boots,
Plenty of water,
Bag Lunch,
Work gloves, if you have them (If not, we have some).

We have the tools that will be needed.

WORK SAFELY: This is the most important thing, and our main objective!
In particular:

• Use tools carefully. If you do not know how to use a particular tool, or what to do in a particular situation please ask.
• Do not work too close together and be careful with rakes, shovels, and mattocks to avoid hitting the person next to you. When walking past another volunteer, please say something so they know you are there.
• Know your limits. Do not lift anything heavier than you can comfortably lift and lift with your legs not with your back.
• Pace yourself. This is not a race. We will be working on and maintaining this trail for many years to come.
• Take frequent breaks. Make sure to drink plenty of water. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty.
• Be aware of hazards. There are holes in the ground to step in; branches, rocks and roots to trip over; thorns; wasps; poison ivy (fortunately not too much of that on this segment of trail); ticks; chiggers; and other hazards.
• Remain alert and be cautious.

Have a good time. This is a scenic area. There are box turtles, heron, woodpeckers, hawks, deer, beaver, and other wildlife in this area as well as scenic views of the lake.

TYPICAL WORKDAY TASKS:
TRIMMING: Cutting branches and logs across the trail.
RAKING THE TRAIL: It is necessary to rake the trail tread clear of leaves, branches, other debris so that we know where we need to level the trail, fill holes, etc. Please use caution while raking to avoid poking others with the rake handle.
PULLING OUT SMALL SAPLINGS FROM TRAIL TREAD: There will be some small saplings in the trail tread. If these are cut off they tend to grow back from the roots, so we need to either pull them by hand (if they are very small), dig them out with a mattocks, or if they are up to an inch in diameter, pull them out with the weed wrench.
FILLING HOLES: These need to be filled if they are within the 2′ wide trail tread, or if they are within several feet of the trail on either side. We have shovels and buckets for this purpose.
LEVELING TRAIL TREAD: Walking across the side of a hill is tiring and increases the likelihood of injury. The finished trail tread should be, in cross section, close to level.
TRASH: We have trash bags to pick up trash along the way. We will carry the trash out to one of the ends of the trail section.

Thanks to:

• Great Outdoor Provision Company for sponsoring our breakfast from Chick-fil-A for our Saturday workdays.
• Starbucks off Falls of Neuse Road and Durant Road for the coffee.
• REI Co-op, whose stewardship grants support our volunteer trail crews, add new miles of footpath, and improve signage which helps more people find and follow the MST.