TerraCorps Service Day at Carvalho Farm

by Logan Johnson

On April 9, Buzzards Bay Coalition teamed up with TerraCorps to move 5 tons of wood a quarter of a mile across a hay field. As a TerraCorps member serving at Buzzards Bay Coalition, I was tasked with coordinating the project for the Carvalho Farm Trail. I designed a 1.2 mile trail, half of the trail winds through portions of a forested swamp. For every section of trail that meanders into the swamp, bog board must be placed in order to protect the valuable wetland resources. Upon a bog board assessment it was determined that 700 feet of bog boards would be needed to protect this resource area.

In order to construct 700 feet of bog boards, we needed to move 1,400 feet of rough cut white pine and 576 feet of 6 inch x 6 inch pressure treated pine a quarter of a mile to the trail head. The amount of lumber was estimated to be around 10,000 pounds, or 5 tons. The obstacle we were faced  with was how to  move the wood to the trail. We did not dare drive a truck across the field, to limit damage and likelihood of getting stuck, so we called on the help of TerraCorps. In just under 4 hours the group of 37 was able to move all 5 tons to the head of trail! Not only this, they were able to cut and clear several portions of the trail. This event was an inspiration to me as it is the perfect illustration of what team work looks like. I was faced with a challenge and the TerraCorps team I am proud to be a part of came to help me accomplish a successful project!

Logan served as a Land Stewardship Coordinator at Buzzards Bay Coalition for TerraCorps 2017-2018