Volunteer Highlight: Bob Watroba
Bob Watroba joined BNRC’s volunteer team about a year ago after being a long-time supporter. His first day in the field was helping to install bog bridging at Bob’s Way and we couldn’t have done it without him; both his work ethic and personality are superb.
When we asked about his favorite trail, Bob responded that his “…first choice would have to be the Basin Pond Trail with Bob’s Way as a close second. One of the main reasons is the close proximity to where I live in Becket, and the fact that the trail is a loop making it an easy roughly three mile hike. I was one of the trail stewards in 2018, getting to know it quite well and seeing it in all of the four seasons. It has numerous creeks and streams running throughout the property making it a picturesque place to explore, especially in the spring months with the snow melting, turning the small creeks and streams into raging brooks. The trail also has some great vistas of Basin Pond in the late fall and winter months. If you’re lucky, you can hear the call of hawks in the distance pursuing their prey along the shoreline. The short walk down on the Dam Spur trail brings you up close to the beaver dam and pond, that is always changing with the seasons.”
BNRC trail stewards are truly the backbone of keeping the 55+ miles of trails open to the public. They are the eyes and ears on the ground and as read in Bob's in-depth description of Basin Pond, become connected to their trail.
“Being a long-time supporter of BNRC, one of the main reasons I volunteer is that it allows me to give back to the community of people who love and enjoy the natural beauty of the Berkshires. We sometimes have a tendency to take our natural environment for granted. The natural beauty that surrounds us here in the Berkshires needs to be protected and cared for. I’ve been an outdoors person and hiker for many years and have lived my entire life in the Berkshires. Being a nature photographer certainly gives me great pleasure exploring the numerous trails throughout western Massachusetts. Below are a few of my images of creatures that you may encounter along one of your hikes. I can’t think of a better way to give back than by volunteering and giving financial support to an organization that I believe in that does so much to protect our lands and forests.”
"This Edwin Way Teale quote comes to mind “Our minds, as well as our bodies, have need of the out-of-doors. Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the wind and the rain, moonlight and starlight, sunrise and mist and mossy forest trails, the perfumes of dawn and the smell of fresh -turned earth and the ancient music of wind among the trees.”"
Bob, BNRC is so thankful to have you as both a supporter and volunteer. Cheers to you for keeping trails clear in 2019!
