Parks, Land & Water Volunteer Portal

Hauler - Women's Tree & Brush Workday at Token Creek

UPDATE BELOW*

Join us for our women's* invasive tree and brush removal workdays! It can often be hard for women, folks who are non-binary/transgender, and other gender minorities* to feel comfortable in the typical environment using chainsaws and brush cutters. These workdays are meant to create space for such folks that would benefit from this environment and to build community in Dane County, and are made possible in part by funding from the Foundation for Dane County Parks and A Fund For Women! We welcome any level sawyer and folks interested in equipment operation. Not interested in operating? Perfect! We also need brush haulers.

During these winter workdays, staff and volunteers work to restore oak savannas, oak woodlands, and other lands by cutting, treating, and removing invasive brush (e.g. honeysuckle, buckthorn) and trees (e.g. black locust, boxelder) that stifle the growth of native vegetation. We start with a group briefing and then break up into a sawyer/hauler pair to work in smaller sections of our restoration sites. We take break as a group around 10:30 to enjoy snacks and each other's company, enjoy the warmth of a brush pile fire (if snow is present) and assess how everyone is doing and if we need to change up tasks. View our Tree & Brush Removal webpage here for more information.

• Haulers assist sawyers by moving cut items away from the sawyer's work location. We will have a skid steer to do the heavy-lifting, but haulers will need to help pile these items in areas where the machine can access them. Haulers will also be responsible for treating cut stumps with herbicides to prevent re-growth. If you'd rather not work with herbicides you can let us know and we will have someone assist on that side of things. 
  
  
• If you are chainsaw certified, sign up under the 'Sawyer - Women's* Tree and Brush Workday' - This will only be visible to you if you are certified. To submit proof of certification: click "Additional Information" under your profile and scroll to "chainsaw". To view current qualifications: click "Qualifications" under your profile. 

Location: 

Token Creek County Park, DeForest, WI

• Meet at the parking lot between Shelter #2 and Shelter #3 - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Npp2ThXAJoFRpSL6 

Arrive by 8:50 AM to get briefed on project as a group, we start promptly at 9. Locations listed are meeting places, those arriving late may not find us. Call Leah or Jo if needed.

How to Prepare: 

What to Know:

• All necessary materials are provided for workdays. 
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as hearing and eye protection is provided for those without their own.
• Training is provided. 
• In case of cancellation due to weather, a notification will be made via email and phone to participants who have signed up.

What to Bring: 

• Bring drinking water and a snack. This work can be difficult if you don't fuel correctly! *Due to budgetary restrictions, The County is no longer able to consistently provide snacks at volunteer workdays. You are always welcome to bring your own snacks. As was the case in years past, we encourage you to bring snacks to share if you would like! Our staff will provide a water cooler for refilling water bottles and a folding table. 

What to Wear: 

• Participants should be ready to work in winter conditions and should dress for the weather (thick socks, layers, etc.), wear non-synthetic clothing (wool, cotton canvas, etc.) that you don't mind dirtying or getting holes in. If there is snow we will likely be burning brush piles and there will be embers that may catch on your clothing. 

Accessibility:

• Volunteers should be comfortable with walking on uneven terrain and lifting/dragging branches and small logs.
• Our department is committed to providing meaningful access to our programs and resources to all individuals, regardless of primary language or ability. If you need language assistance services or an accessibility modification for this program, please email parksvolunteer@danecounty.gov a minimum of 10 business days before the program to make the request. Please note, it is not possible for all programs to be modified.
• Bathroom availability is limited at these workdays. View the Open Restrooms webpage for more information. If there is no bathroom at a workday site, either use one before the workday or search nearby public locations. 

Questions?

• Jo CordonHill, Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
  • (608) 220-9678, parksvolunteer@danecounty.gov
• Leah Kleiman, Land Restoration Specialist
  • (608) 843-1863, kleiman.leah@danecounty.gov