Volunteers sought to clean up trails, root out invasives

Volunteers are invited to get outside and enjoy some fall foliage with Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) while also preserving the native ecosystems of a state natural area Saturday, Oct. 3.

From 10 a.m. to noon, interested people can come to the Holmboe Conifer Forest State Natural Area in Rhinelander to help hand-pull invasive plants and clean up trash along the trails.

“In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the State Natural Area Program, volunteers will be helping to preserve the unique native ecosystems in this hemlock-hardwood old-growth forest,” said Frank Schroyer, land conservation associate with NWLT.

Holmboe was designated as a state natural area in 1969. NWLT owns and manages the property located along the Pelican River in the heart of the city of Rhinelander.

Participants should register in advance by Thursday, Oct. 1, at northwoodslandtrust.org.

They should bring along work gloves, waterproof boots, water, and a snack. The event will be held rain or shine unless severe weather strikes, so volunteers should check the weather and dress appropriately.

The parking area is located in the City of Rhinelander behind the Riverview Hall facility at 903 Boyce Dr. Directions can be found by typing Holmboe Conifer Forest Trailhead into Google Maps. Coordinates for the parking lot are 45.627285, -89.426279.

NWLT permanently conserves natural shorelands, woodlands and other natural resources to benefit present and future generations in Vilas, Oneida, Forest, Florence, Iron, Price and Langlade counties. Visit northwoodslandtrust.org to learn more about NWLT’s conservation services, protected lands and future events.