Our organization is built on volunteer work, and every year we spend a night recognizing all who make our work in advocacy and maintenance of BWCA’s wilderness trails possible. We had a great turnout for our Annual Meeting/Volunteer Recognition Dinner last Thursday evening! Our 2022 numbers were impressive: 18 clearing trips, 118 volunteers, and 9,475 service hours!
As we near the end of trail maintenance season for 2022, we want to thank all of our member volunteers who stepped up and made a noticeable difference in the hiking condition of the Powwow Trail. Though we started off slow, due to lasting snow and high-water levels in the spring, when October is done, we will have had 20 trail trips this year, comprised of almost 130 volunteers.
September is around the corner. BWAC is looking forward to returning to hiking and trail clearing as soon as we can. Here’s what’s happening with the Boundary Waters wilderness, and with our nonprofit.
As we near the end of trail maintenance season for 2022, we want to thank all of our member volunteers who stepped up and made a noticeable difference in the hiking condition of the Powwow Trail. Though we started off slow, due to lasting snow and high-water levels in the spring, when October is done, we will have had 20 trail trips this year, comprised of almost 130 volunteers.
As 2020 comes to a close, I want to thank each of you for supporting BWAC’s mission of advocating for and preserving BWCAW trails in the Superior National Forest. The dedication and warmth of our members was more apparent than ever during the unpredictable months of 2020. Whether you were able to join one of our work crews, were an administrative helper, walked a Boundary Waters trail in 2020, or spread the word about our nonprofit, thank you for paying forward to Boundary Waters trails.
“We were pleasantly surprised after tallying tree falls along the 30 miles long wilderness trail,” said Susan Pollock, BWAC’s new president. “We counted only 1,300 tree falls across the trail, and even more rewarding for our volunteers, we met three groups of backpackers along the way. We expected to find double that number of tree falls. Meeting backpackers on the trail interior--unheard of in the past five years--is a testimonial to BWAC work crews finding and clearing the impassable path over many seasons.”
Many of you are probably awaiting news about what will happen with BWAC May trips. As the COVID-19 situation is evolving from day to day, it has not been easy to forecast the future. The BWAC Board of Directors met on April 7 with May trail clearing trips at the top of the agenda. The board heard the advice of our volunteer attorney, suggestions on mitigating risks from a BWAC member who is also a physician, and decided that even if the MN Stay Home order was lifted, to cancel the trips in order to protect the volunteers and potentially, the communities we visit. Trip participants will be able to get a complete refund, or credit the registration toward future trips or make a tax-exempt donation to BWAC by contacting their crew leaders.
