“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
— Anne Frank
Darren Tichenoff
Darren has been a volunteer with our Operations Crew since 2016. He is a regular trail user and a neighbour of our Operations Chair who encouraged him to join our efforts to preserve our ‘Gems of Nature’.
As a high school geography teacher, Darren acknowledges the importance of being a role model for his students, and sharing his travelling experiences and love for the outdoors with them. Prior to becoming a ‘helping hand’, Darren contributed his free time as a volunteer with Lambton Shores Minor Hockey.
As a member of our Operations Crew, he finds the effort to improve trail access for hikers and make trail conditions user-friendly for everyone to be very rewarding.
Darren says that his “keen interest lies in the heavy labour projects." He sees the benefit for trail users when bridges, walkways, stairways and ground conditions are in good order. Darren fondly remembers answering the call for assistance with the construction of the stairway at the Ausable River Cut Conservation Area. Not only did he enjoy the camaraderie of the Operations Crew, he says that the expression "many hands make light work" was particularly fitting for this project.
Darren notes that he benefits from the opportunities to work with friends and leaders to accomplish a goal. According to him, “Each LSNT project is carefully designed, implemented with thoughtful detail and organization, [and carried out] with great people whose company I enjoy." His family is supportive of his volunteering efforts and “know its importance to the community fabric."
Darren offers his philosophy of volunteerism: “I think we need to switch the term ‘volunteering’ to community building. Maybe we call it 'commuteering'. To many, volunteering means little more than giving time away. The work itself tends to be meaningless. Sports organizations require it from parents. Schools require it to graduate. Neither fosters an organic growth and appreciation of volunteering. At LSNT all the volunteers believe in what they are doing. It’s purposeful, they love the outdoors, and share that with the community. They believe they are builders. They believe they are stewards. They believe in legacy. So the volunteering work isn’t a giveaway to frivolous tasks. Our leadership has grown and enhanced the variety and demographics of our volunteer base to reflect different types. Members are building an experience for locals and visitors to the area. So ‘commuteering’ is community building with passionate people who believe that the cause is priceless."
Thank you, Darren, for all that you do for LSNT and for making your community better.
Strength of Steel
Strength of Steel
Strength of Steel
A hardy group of volunteers cleaned up Hickory Creek under the train bridge along the Grand Trunk Trail in Forest. An amazing 126 pieces of heavy gauge steel train track parts were hauled out of the creek and lifted to the surface above. Thank you to Lee M, Lee T, Jen, Fran, Bryan and Ross for making our community a better place!
Strength of Steel
Strength of Steel
Strength of Steel
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
A group of enthusiastic volunteers (Ed, Tony, Emmie, Mary Lou, Jen, Claire, Darren and Ross) came out to trim the sides of the Grand Trunk Trail in Forest. Mother Nature gave us a beautiful morning as we got most of the work done and will finish up one day this fall. Thank you to the community members who walked by and thanked our volunteers for giving back to the community…it was our pleasure!
Top Up
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
Thanks to Mike, Christine, Ed, Lee T and Ross for laying down a fresh coat of chip & dust at the Port Franks trailhead and Circle of Life! Special thanks to Jen for weeding the path in advance!!
Tree Planting
Grand Trunk Trail Trimmimg
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
Thank you to Karen, Bryon, Cathy, William, Ed and Ross for coming out on short notice to plant 20 trees around the “green tunnel” behind the Port Franks Community Centre. Your dedication and volunteerism is truly appreciated by the community!
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
LSNT was fortunate to host four engaging speakers at our recent Environmental Symposium, “Bee Aware – Plant With Care”: Nathan Schoelier of ABCA, Mike Smalls, Nancy Vidler of LSPCG and Jamie Corcoran of Lakeshore Eco-Network. Each speaker addressed a distinct topic, but all emphasized the importance of supporting the natural environment, whether it’s by planting native species or eradicating invasive ones! Our guests demonstrate a true passion for their roles as advocates and action-takers for our precious ‘Gems of Nature’. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and encouraging us to do our part!
Helping Hands
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
Love Lock Stand
Helping Hands, created by local Indigenous wood carver Garrett Nahdee, depicts the strength that volunteers bring to a community when they work together for the common good. Lambton Shores Nature Trails, a not for profit volunteer organization established in 2011 by naturalists Klaus Keunecke and Marilyn Keunecke-Smith, offers this sculpture in recognition of its volunteers and their tireless efforts to promote, develop, and maintain public nature trails through partnerships in Lambton Shores and vicinity. Thanks to Lee M, Lee T, Mike, Christine, Ed and Ross for the installation and especially Garrett for his craftmanship and artistic vision! The sculpture can be seen at the front of the Port Franks Community Centre.
Love Lock Stand
Bee Aware – Plant With Care
Love Lock Stand
A Love Lock Stand has been installed along the Grand Trunk Trail behind the trailhead in Forest. Thanks to Mike, Christine, Lee M, William, Ed and Ross for their efforts getting this installed.
Love locks are a romantic tradition where couples affix a padlock to a public structure and throw away the key as a symbol of their everlasting love and commitment to each other. Typically, couples will write their names, initials, or personal messages on the padlock before attaching it.
Create a special memory with your love at the Grand Trunk Love Lock Stand by attaching your padlock and depositing the key in the attached box.
Special thanks to Lee Main for his craftsmanship and welding skills.
Health & Wellness Bazaar
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Health & Wellness Bazaar
We hosted our annual health and wellness bazaar at the Port Franks Community Centre. Despite the damp weather, over 150 people dropped by. Khaos Artisan Kitchen served a delicious assortment of sweet and savoury treats, breads, soups, sandwiches and gluten free lunch boxes.
Our 26 vendors offered something for everyone including household items, jewelry, health and wellness products, mental health coaching, local art, crafts, quilts and much much more. We also had several health and wellness mini sessions which included mudra yoga, emotional freedom tapping technique, mini oracle readings, and reiki. We would like to thank our tireless volunteers for their help in making this such a successful day. We would also like to thank our diverse group of vendors who made the day a success.
what3words Challenge
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Health & Wellness Bazaar
LSNT has blended the formidable-to-tackle Ausable River Valley and Mystery Falls Trails and the easy-to-use what3words app to create a fun way to earn a what3words CHALLENGE patch.
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Volunteers worked to clear, trim and blaze a new loop trail in the Ausable River Valley north of the MacDonald entrance. This adds another ~3km over a similar terrain to the rest of the network.
Accessible Path
Creative Solution
Ausable River Valley Loop Trail
Special thanks to Ed, Lee, Fran and Ross for creating an accessible path at the Ausable River Cut Conservation Area. The picnic table sits on the cement foundation of the former cinder block building that was demolished in 2022 by our volunteers.
Creative Solution
Creative Solution
Creative Solution
The rise in water level on Mud Creek was problematic for LSNT. We used galvanized posts vertically stuck into the creek bed to hold the floating dock in place. This allowed the to dock to rise and fall with the water levels. Unfortunately, the water level got too high and lifted the dock above the posts. A creative solution was fabricated by using two of these galvanized posts attached directly from the deck to the floating dock with a flexible joint on either end. Thanks to Lee Main for his fabrication skills!
Path To The Falls
Creative Solution
Creative Solution
A dedicated group of volunteers came prepared with rubber boots, muscles and enthusiasm to help rebuild the path from the bottom of the stairs to the creek at Mystery Falls. This stabilization effort required them to lift heavy rocks, buckets of gravel and build a retained wall. Thanks to Lee M, Lee T, Mike, Christine, William, Ed, Paul and Ross for getting this project done in under 3 hours!