Gateway Open Space Park and Wells Street Trail Environmental Work Day!

Colonial Canopy Trees invites AXA Global Day of Giving participants to join us for a day of planting native trees and helping to restore a local woodland area. Trees in our neighborhoods, parks, and woodlands increase shade, capture carbon dioxide, remove particulates from the air, reduce flooding, offer food and habitats for local wildlife, and beautify. In the morning, when it should be a bit cooler, we will plant trees at Gateway Open Space Park. In the afternoon, as the late spring heat intensifies, we will continue an ongoing effort in a shadier spot. The forest restoration effort along the Wells Street Trail  involves removal of invasive vines and plants, planting small, native trees, and protecting native volunteer saplings. We will discuss various plants, trees, and wildlife that are native to our area, and the roles that they play in our ecosystems.

Please dress for the weather, and prepare to get dirty. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and water to drink! If you have  garden gloves, shovels, clippers, loppers, saws, feel free to bring them along, but we will have some to share! We hope you can join us! Feel free to contact us at colonialcanopy@gmail.com with questions. Thank you.

Here is some more info:

1. Restrooms: Unfortunately, neither sites have any restrooms. 
   1. The closest public restroom in the morning (at Gateway park) would be at the CVS across the street. In the afternoon at Wells street, it would probably be at the Giant up the street about 3 minutes away by car. There may a bathroom across the street from Wells Street Trail at Cedar Grove Park, but I'm not 100% sure.
2. Volunteers should:
    - wear long pants with work shoes that they don't mind getting dirty. If possible, pants should be light-colored (easier to spot any ticks).
    - bring sunscreen and a hat. Bug spray is good to have just in case.
    - bring plenty of drinking water and some snacks.
    - bring a change of clothes, socks and shoes, just in case. We don't plan on getting wet, but just in case!
    - bring gloves and a shovel, if you have them! We have some tools, but depending on the total volunteer count, we may not have enough shovels.
3. Safety: We will be working around some stinging nettles (Urtica dioica), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and multiflora roses (Rosa multiflora). Nettles will sting if firmly touched, and the roses have small thorns that can cut clothing or skin. We will be sure to point out these plants and teach how to identify them and how to avoid them. We'll go over additional safety tips regarding tools before we start.

There are some benches at Gateway park, but I don't think there are any tables for lunch. Folks can bring a picnic blanket, beach chairs, etc., if they would like!