Recent Articles from BRMC Newsletters

Trail Talk

As I sat down to write this article, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I've written an article that didn't mention the Halloween Safari?" The answer is yes, my article in the Spring 2005 newsletter did not mention the Halloween Safari. And speaking of Halloween Safari… we had another great event this year. Despite the poor weather conditions, many zealous participants and volunteers came to enjoy this event. We had another fine cast of native creatures this year: a turkey, turkey vulture, box turtle, and a carpenter ant.

I had the privilege to listen to each of the creatures as they gave their presentation. All presentations received two common responses from the participants—laughs and great questions. But in the case of the carpenter ant, there was also an enormous amount of hostility. The children would speak proudly of their adventures in stomping ants, which in my opinion is quite brave, when speaking to a 180-pound ant. Children are fearless, and I can honestly say, the ant was terrified.

As for the trails, the traffic of hikers has diminished a bit since the warm days of fall have past. However, some dedicated people still visit our preserve every day; it does not matter if there is rain, wind, snow, or ice.

The zeal of some of our hikers is matched only by the zeal of our volunteers. This year's Halloween Safari was plagued with massive amounts of rain, yet dedicated volunteers came and braved the rain to serve those who attended. We have many volunteers, and we are grateful for their dedication. There is one volunteer who I would like to mention. His name is John Gouldin.

When I became the facility manager last August, I met John as he was out on his mission. What was his mission? To remove the ancient stockpiles of trash from old home site areas, particularly in the southwest area of Fern Hollow Trail. From the time I met him through this spring, John would remove hundreds of pounds of trash. Car tires, tractors tires, a cast iron tub, scrap iron, and other items. He told me about how he removed a tractor tire, which cannot be lifted by a single person, he propped the tire up and rolled it up and down hills. On the steep downhill sections, he ran along beside the tire to keep it from rolling off the side of the hill. He received cuts, bruises, and poison ivy, but he finished the job. Those who have hiked here for many years know that the difference is evident. On behalf of all of us at Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, I would like to thank John for his selfless dedication. Thank you, John.

Once again, I'd like to thank our new visitors who have made the commitment to support by becoming members. We appreciate your support and enjoy seeing you on the trails. As a caretaker, nothing is more rewarding than to see people hiking the trails and enjoying nature, on this mini-oasis we know as Bull Run Mountains Conservancy.