South Mountain Conservancy (are they still alive?)

RE: http://www.somocon.org/

Maybe we have some of their members on this board?

I'm asking because emails and phone calls regarding how to get involved either go unanswered get bounced back as undeliverable.

In particular, there are some trails/areas along Brookside Drive that I use on a regular basis that could use a trash pickup and/or a tree/brush clearing.

Thanks.

They are very much alive as a volunteer organization with limited volunteers. If you've been on their website you will see that once a month they have a trail clearing event set up to volunteer in. Perhaps you should show up. And if I sound snarky it's because I find how you asked the question pretty obnoxious. They were instrumental in helping to support the needed deer culling, btw and instrumental in stopping the dam which would have destroyed large parts of the Rahway trail. Check out their excellent hikes led by knowledgable volunteers too. Wendy Lauter (not a member but a supporter)

Ouch, Wendy.

I thought the question was reasonable. I also think if you would like to get someone to volunteer for an activity, shaming is not your best tactic. Especially if you yourself are not a volunteer.

I don't find the question obnoxious. Privatecitizen included a link to the website, so he/she had done some homework. Have you ever considered a career in diplomacy, Wendy?

All the info for volunteering is on the website.

We list our coordinated activities here: http://www.meetup.com/somocon/ (which also gets picked up in the Hikes and and Activities part of the somocon.org website). For picking up trash, we don't have public days, but rather organize with various large groups during the year. (Over the year there are 100s of such volunteers.) The clearing of trails and brush is done by our trailkeepers. It is a big job, of course, and there are areas that need attention. There aren't any organized days for trailkeepers, though we do have organized days for maintenance and construction of trails (typically the first Sunday of the month).

Even if there is nothing organized, No one is going to be anything but thankful if you clear brush or pick up trash along your travels on the trails. If you enjoy this kind of work, you could volunteer to be a trailkeeper for a section of the trail system.

I was a little surprised the emails weren't working, as we try to be responsive, but I just tried one of the somocon.org ones and it seems to be down. We'll look into that.

max_weisenfeld said:
Ouch, Wendy.
I thought the question was reasonable. I also think if you would like to get someone to volunteer for an activity, shaming is not your best tactic. Especially if you yourself are not a volunteer.

I found the way the question was asked obnoxious and said as much. I did not attempt to shame. I never said I wasn't a volunteer. I said I wasn't a member. The organization is a great one and I took offense about questioning whether it was still alive. If I came off harsher than some would prefer, so be it.

This is what I dislike about this forum, and why I so rarely post. Someone invariably goes off the deep end, and instead of getting useful info about what I asked about, I instead get a battle between that someone and the rest of the contributors.

I was interested in doing a particular trash pick up and some trail work in those areas I tend to hike in the most (and why shouldn't I ask about improving those areas I care about most?). That was basically my email and phone call to the persons/email addresses listed on the main website.

Boy, you'd think that someone reaching out to volunteer their time would be greeted with cheer, but instead I get called obnoxious.

Lastly, if the conservancy's normal communication channels (again their own email and phone #'s) don't work, or no one cares to respond within a reasonable amount of time, then it's time to move on and not waste any more of my time.

You did the right thing. Actually, by drawing attention to your plight with a thread, someone from the organization will now be fixing the broken email address. When
that happens, you'll be able to connect to volunteer appropriately.
Happiness all around...yes?

I find that using the emoticons go a long way towards avoiding misinterpretation.
And I like to use more than one, since sometimes people don't get the winky face meaning.

I didn't go off the deep end "privatecitizen" but if it makes you feel better to not engage in this wonderful message board, by all means keep at your fantasy. Sheesh.

Wendy Lauter

Real name, real poster and a generally nice person. Sheesh again.

Oh and I'm an alive poster too. Sheesh again.

privatecitizen said:
RE: http://www.somocon.org/
Maybe we have some of their members on this board?

I'm asking because emails and phone calls regarding how to get involved either go unanswered get bounced back as undeliverable.

In particular, there are some trails/areas along Brookside Drive that I use on a regular basis that could use a trash pickup and/or a tree/brush clearing.
Thanks.

This is NOT the post of someone reaching out to do trail work like you said in later post. How unfreakinbelievable:

"I was interested in doing a particular trash pick up and some trail work in those areas I tend to hike in the most (and why shouldn't I ask about improving those areas I care about most?). That was basically my email and phone call to the persons/email addresses listed on the main website."

Did you or did you not put that in the OP. No you didn't. Give me a freakin break. But THANK YOU so much for doing so much or willing to do so much. As opposed to asking if the So Mo. was ALIVE? in your thread title.

Wendy Lauter

ETA to say that I appreciate that you so rarely post if your comments and thread titles are so ambiguous. Perhaps NJ.com is more up your alley.

To the OP...I'm sure no one would mind if you took along a trash bag and gloves next time you hike your favorite trails (as our cub scout troop does any time they hike). You don't need to wait for permission to help keep the Reservation clean.

.