The local "Battling Bittersweet" effort employs three basic strategies for work days:
1. Public "Battling Bittersweet" Work Days:
Highly publicized events that reach out to the general public. These events include first-time volunteers as well as experienced participants and are structured to make sure inexperienced volunteers have appropriate instruction and support. Work sites are selected based on ease of access for workers and special steps are taken by the Town to prepare the site for the work day. Because of the extensive work and publicity required for a public work day it's usually not feasible to have more than one a year.
2. Gold Level "Save A Tree" (SAT) Work Days:
Smaller, less structured, unpublicized group work days for experienced, vetted and approved bittersweet battlers. Site conditions are more challenging and little to no site prep is done before the work session. Gold Level work days are usually held after leaves are down (late fall, winter and early spring) and are communicated via e-mail to the Gold Level team list.
The Gold Level requires working independently in a more challenging work area with heavier equipment (loppers, bow saws), as well as the ability to identify bittersweet and poison ivy vines, avoid cutting non-invasives, and to work safely.
It is recommended but not required that you participate in a public "Battling Bittersweet" work day (see #1 above) before joining the Gold Level team. All qualified bittersweet battlers are invited and welcome.
3. "Hybrid" Work Days:
These are events where more than one local organization sponsors the event, and where there may be a public volunteer component as well as Gold Level and other groups working at a single location. Hybrid work days are typically tailored for the specific event and location, and based on the group(s) that are working together.
