Freemasons Restore East Path on June 28th

Rich McElhinney (above) rallied a group of 18 volunteers (below) from the Freemasons lodge in Melrose to help clean up the Fells on Saturday June 28th.  This large and hardy group was pointed at one of the more onerous projects on the Fells cleanup to-do list … the removal of a truckload of asphalt shingles and glass illegally dumped by the side of East Path several years ago.  While the shingles were easy enough to scoop and bag, it was at times discouraging that each layer of shingles removed would only reveal another layer beneath.  The group stayed focused on the task, carting one bag after another of material down to the road for DCR to pick up and eventually, the shingles yielded to dirt!  Natural debris around the site was redistributed to blend this area with surrounding areas, and by next season we can expect new plant growth to finally return.  Thank you, Freemasons of Melrose, for an excellent morning of hard work!

Volunteers from the local Freemasons lodge

Volunteers from the local Freemasons lodge