Curtis Island Clean-up
Early Friday morning, September 6, the sea was flat; fog had lifted as 9 volunteers made their way by Whaler, paddle boards, and kayak to Curtis Island for a day of “clean-up”.
This would be the first of many opportunities for small groups of volunteers to begin addressing issues identified in the recently released Curtis Island Light Station Preservation Plan, 2024. The report and plan identified “Plant Growth Adjacent to Building” as a major problem for both the island barn and the oil shed. It stated: Plants adjacent to buildings trap moisture, either directly or indirectly. They can create protected areas that, once wet, cannot dry out. Root systems of larger plants disrupt and shift foundations.”
The focus for the day was to remove damaging plant growth from around the barn and shed, to remove years of debris from both buildings, and to transport debris and trash to the mainland for disposal.
Thanks to the nine sturdy and tireless volunteers, the day was a huge success. Thanks to: Rick Seibel for his chainsaw and forestry skills; Pablo Galarza, Tim Guiton, and Mike Perlis for hauling branches and logs deep into the woods, and removing unwanted new brush growth from the lighthouse view corridor; John and Jennifer Healy and Pat Skaling for clearing brush and small trees from around the barn, cleaning in the barn, and removing unsightly debris piles which had been the yard since spring; and Kate and Skip Bates for hauling debris to water’s edge for pickup by Steve Pixley’s crew of Cedar Conover and Assistant Harbor Master John Allan. An amazing crew accomplished an amazing transformation.
The power of volunteers is not to be underestimated. The cost estimate for this work as identified in the Preservation Plan if done by contract work was $1500 just for the tree removal, which did not including cost of transportation of workers, equipment, and debris removal. Thanks, everyone, for all the efforts!
- Michael