TRUE
FRIENDS
by
Karen McBride (as printed in the Green Valley News and Sun)
In
the Spring of 1987, the Forest Service appealed for volunteer
help, and a small group of caring individuals responded. They
formed a non-profit organization called the Friends of Madera
Canyon and pledged to “
assist
in advancing historical, scientific, educational and interpretive
programs in Madera Canyon. ”They
proclaimed that their “goals
and objectives are to: heighten public interest in conservation;
assist the Forest Service and operations; assist in data gathering
and public feedback; and generally assist the Forest Service
in its effort to provide rewarding recreational opportunities
for all visitors.”
Since
that time, the Friends have certainly been fulfilling their
mission. Groups of dedicated volunteers, quietly and without
fanfare, clean up the Canyon picnic areas every Monday morning
after the weekend picnickers and visitors have left. They also
comb the parking and roadside areas, check the trailhead card
boxes, clean out the barbecue grills, and generally spiffy up
the place. They are probably up there this morning in the snow.
As you can see, I wimped out, but I'd
be willing to bet they didn't.
Another crew mans the
Proctor entrance station from 12:00 - 4:00 on Saturdays and
Sundays. They hand out brochures, give trail advice, answer
questions, and even give directions to rare birds.
Others
give up their Thursday mornings in the spring to lead local
fourth-grade students along the trails, helping them to learn
more about the flora and fauna and to appreciate the Canyon's
fragile eco-systems. They provide teaching materials to classroom
teachers and will even travel to schools to make presentations
to those students unable to schedule a walk in the canyon.
Then there is a committee
that coordinates outings with local nursing homes, helps with
their cook-outs and picnics, guides their residents along the
Accessible Trails, and gets a lot of people into the out-of-doors
who might not otherwise have the opportunity.
And
I mustn't
forget the Friends'
members who are building houses for bats and keeping bat records,
studying trogons and hummingbirds for future generations (of
both birds and people), designing and purchasing trail and interpretive
signs, making videos and writing books about the Canyon, designing
and printing Canyon brochures, writing and mailing out the Canyon
Chatter newsletter, developing and updating the Friends'
website, and working with the Forest Service to repair trails
and oversee Madera's
general health and welfare. The group's
funds, more than $7,000, have recently re-paved the Accessible
Trails- a project that was completed on November 11 and 12.
If
you want to get involved in a truly worthy cause, contact President
Bud Gode at 625-7031 or send an e-mail to info@friendsofmaderacanyon.org
Even if you are not the outdoor type or don't wish
to physically participate, remember that all of these projects
cost money. Your membership dues would certainly help. You and
your family can join the Friends of Madera Canyon for as little
as $15 per year, or if you are a business, for $25 per year.
Individual or family lifetime memberships are $250. Send an
e-mail to the above e-mail address or contact Phil Gantt at
648-0015.
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