More than 30 people attended the April 11 Avon Trail East End Meet and Greet evening at the Riversong Bakery Café near St. Jacobs.
Avon Trail president Bernard Goward opened the meeting with a short video of hikers on the trail. He admitted the need exists to reach out to hiking enthusiasts living in the Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolrich township areas. “We want to raise awareness of the Avon Trail running through the area and the ways hikers can participate in the club and its activities”, Bernard told the audience in his opening remarks.
“We have been somewhat Stratford centric as a group and want to change that where we can”, he said.
Various club members spoke to the audience about club membership and the volunteer roles open in the east end of the Trail in Waterloo and Woolwich townships.
Bruce Graham explained how volunteer monitors report conditions of trail sections assigned and do light trail grooming including trail section blazing. Ted Derry, representing the volunteer trail maintenance crew, said that trail grass cutting, bridge and stile construction along with boardwalks and their installation is very rewarding work.
A new club tool depot in the east end will soon open in club member Dick Pullin’s garage in Waterloo to assist the club’s east end trail volunteers.
Club member Terry Aiken concluded the presentations by explaining how he maintains relationships with the 90 plus landowners who provide the club with permission to walk along fields and through woodlots on their properties. “All our agreements are based on a hand shake”, said Terry noting that landowners can take away this permission at any time.