We keep going and going, carefully, but we keep going!
The Friends of Lapham Peak have continued to support the Park this spring and summer with fundraising, memorials (bricks & benches), with grants for our Habitat work - prairie and woodlands, grants for our Butterfly Garden, for flowers, for new fire pits, and tables, for snowmaking, and more!
Significant work for our upcoming snowmaking season is also underway, see below for some updates-
Snowmaking: a new Snow Cat for spreading and grooming snow has been ordered, and is waiting for us to complete a new Winter Recreation Equipment Building for it. Plans for the new building's site and construction, off the man made snow loop, are waiting on final State approvals. We are still short funds to cover the purchase of the new Pisten Bully 100 snowcat and even though have did get a generous grant for part of the building, we need a bit more to fund it's completion. Designate gifts to the "Snowmaking Committee" and/or for the "Snow Cat" or "Storage Building". Thank you! Donate Now!!
Habitat Restoration: We continue to deal with the healthy crop of Garlic Mustard, and now Canadian Thistle and Crown Vetch, as well as some invasive non-native grasses (ornamentals that the birds bring in). We have also been "mowing" areas of buckthorn and autumn olive invasives near our National Ice Age Trail hike-in camp-site. And, for each area that we cleaned of buckthorn and honey suckle this past fall/winter/spring, we returned after the Park reopened from the COVID-19 closures, and have been treating the regrowth of those sprouts and seedlings with herbicides. We could sure use some financial help so that we can continue to purchase the herbicides and tools needed for this work. Designate gifts to the "Habitat" or "Buckthorn Busters". Thank you! Donate Now!!
Memorial Bricks and Benches: New Memorial Bricks have been laid into our walkways within the Butter Fly Garden, and New Memorial Benches have been donated. Benches are made my our Habitat Restoration Volunteers and then our Rangers install them with their plaques. See our Memorials information if you would like to pursue something like this.
