Volunteers will meet at their individual group work sites at 9 am and work until 3 pm, with a lunch break at around noon.
Volunteers should record their time as follows:
Volunteer category: Natural Area Maintenance
Sponsor: ANHC - Slippery Hollow Natural Area
Ridge walkers/ cave searchers
Tasks: Ridge walking with Cave Research Foundation members.
Volunteers: Unlimited number of volunteers, very strenuous.
This is the most strenuous activity. Volunteers will be ridge walking with the Cave Research members, looking for caves and other features. Volunteers will learn to read the LiDAR maps and read bluff lines to recognize possible sites. They will likely hike to Marble Falls and learn about caves and the endangered bats that inhabit the caves at Slippery Hollow.
Volunteers will need to pack in their lunches and carry water. There is not a suggested number of volunteers. The Cave Foundation members can work independently, but this is an excellent opportunity for learning—if members are physically able.
Site #1. Hwy. 14 parking area
Tasks: sign painting, sign posting, trash pick-up
Volunteers: Minimum five-six volunteers at site. Moderate to least strenuous (see notes below).
What to bring:
For painting: we will have brushes, but if you have a favorite brush for the letters, bring it.
For sign hanging: hammer.
For trash pick up: enthusiasm!
1. Sign painting: The entrance sign to the Hwy. 14 parking area desperately needs repainting. (Two-person job, moderately strenuous—it’s a big sign.)
2. Sign posting: The ANHC signs along both sides of Hwy 14 need to be replaced. (Two-person job: one to carry and assist the person hanging the signs, moderately strenuous.)
3. Trash pick up: Litter along both sides of the highway and at the parking lot. It is not extensive. (Two-person job, least strenuous.)
Site #2. Acorn Road site
Tasks: Small cedar and trash removal
Volunteers: four to five volunteers, moderate to least strenuous (see notes below)
This is all flat, easy walk to site—actually very nice stroll through high canopy forest. There is an old falling down house at the site which will be removed by ANHC using large equipment. NCAMN volunteers will not deal with this.
What to bring:
For cedar removal, good loopers or, if you have been trained, small chainsaw and safety gear.
For trash pick up: More enthusiasm and a good eye for finding stuff! There may be treasures!
1. Small Cedar removal: Lop small cedars along the road and at the site. If we have a chainsaw-trained volunteer, he or she could cut the “larger than lopper”-size cedar. The cedars are not thick here. One or two volunteers. (moderately strenuous)
2. Trash removal: There is a small area of scattered trash at the site and other scattered in the near by areas. This needs to be picked up into containers provided by ANHC and will be loaded onto a trailer and UTVed out by ANHC employee Two to three volunteers (least stenuous).
Site #3. Welcome Ridge Road site
Tasks: Trash removal
Volunteers: Six to ten volunteers, moderately strenuous
We have done extensive clean up here in the past. We will continue to clean up the site that is about ¼ mile inside the boundary. Volunteers will be UTVed to the site, where they will pick up trash and put in containers provided by ANHC. The trash would be UTVed out by on site ANHC employee to a larger container near Welcome Ridge Road. Moderately strenuous because the ground at the site is not flat.
What to bring: Enthusiasm and a keen eye! Dress appropriately. Wear gloves and good sturdy footwear. If you have long-handled “grabbers," bring them!