Work Day with Bishop Ireton Students

Bishop Ireton High School is planning their inaugural “Bishop Ireton Service Day” event for Friday 19 April. On this day BI students, faculty and staff will fan out to predesignated places to perform a day of service. Gil McCutcheon Park has been selected as one of those locations and we will be “hosting” 50 students and 5 teachers from 10am to 2pm in the park. Focus of projects will be repair/improvement of two short bridges, stone dust spreading on the trails, invasive plant removal in several locations, spreading of mulch in the Bamboo Removal area, and planting of over 100 native ferns and other plants in areas where the english ivy has been removed.

To make this a meaningful event for the students, I will need some help. I am looking for a few volunteers to work with the students and guide them on their assigned tasks. If you are able to join us, I need a “foreman” to honcho the bridge repair area, and 1 to manage the spread of mulch in the bamboo removal area and 3 to help guide invasive plant removal and plantings of ferns and other native plants. I will be holding a brief orientation for these volunteer leaders the weekend before (13 April at 0800 in the park). Please give this some thought, it is a great opportunity to give back to the community and engage with some really inspiring students as they perform their "Day of Service.”

I will also need tools and equipment to help make the 19th a success. I am looking for garden rakes, wheel barrows and shovels. Even if you are not able to attend, if you would loan us your equipment for the day that would be greatly appreciated. If able to do so, please mark it with your name and let me know so I can sort out the logistics of getting it to the park. I will keep a list of borrowed equipment and be responsible for its return.

Thank you!

Steve Markle

spmarkle@mac.com