COSF News   (March 2010)                                    

Spring Trail Work Day
The 2010 Spring Trail Work Day project, scheduled for March 27, is on Mountain Creek Trail in Newbury Park. Goals include widening the trail in a few places - particularly widening the switchback for equestrian and bike users. There is also a rock wall to be finished, and lopping on the adjoining ridge trail.

To volunteer, or for more information - please contact the leader, Burt Elliott, at 805-338-7150. Bring water, lunch, work gloves, long sleeve shirt and eye protection. Sturdy shoes or boots and long pants are required. Tools will be provided, but you may bring your own.

MEET at 8:30 a.m. Saturday March 27 at the trailhead at the junction of Mountain Creek Drive and Maurice Drive in Newbury Park.

2010 Trails Education Days - volunteers needed!
Volunteers can choose to help with the following activities on any or all of the days during the week of April 26 through April 30.

HIKE LEADERS - Hike leaders take groups of 10 to 14 fifth graders on 1-hour, one-mile hikes from the Wildflower Playing Fields to the Nature Center via the Wildwood Canyon Trail. A teacher or parent volunteer accompanies each group to keep the students focused on their hike leader; the leader talks to the group about indigenous plant and animal life. At intervals along the way, plants are tagged with multiple choice questions. Vast knowledge about local plants and animals is not a requirement. Volunteers range from experienced naturalists, botanists, and wildlife biologists to people who value natural open space and wish to contribute to our program. Volunteers who have not previously participated in this program are asked to attend a training session the week before Trails Education Days. These training sessions are conducted by a professional naturalist and include a rehearsal hike to the Nature Center on Wildwood Canyon Trail. With almost 1,600 students attending over a 5 day period, we need as many as 15 volunteers per day to lead 2 hikes each.

GENERAL COORDINATORS - Several people are needed each day to help keep the program running smoothly and on schedule. These volunteers unload the school groups from their buses, assign the groups to their hike leaders, usher the groups from one workshop to the next, pass out water bottles as the students leave the canyon, lead groups on the 20 minute hike back to their buses, set up the Nature Center for the volunteers' lunches, and do whatever else comes up. Interested people might choose to volunteer for one morning, a day or two, or for the entire week.

TRAIL SAFETY & COURTESY WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS - This workshop involves a hiker, bicyclist, equestrian, and dog walker. These trail users act out a scenario for the students that illustrates right and wrong ways to behave in the open space. Volunteers typically participate in 5 or 6 half-hour workshops each day, over a total of 4 hours, and volunteer for one or more days of the program.

All Trails Education Days volunteers are treated to snacks and lunch. If you would like to help, please fill out a Volunteer Application, or contact one of the Trails Education Days coordinators listed below: