By SARAH EMERY-HALL
Caro Exchange Club
On Saturday, September 20th, the Caro Exchange Club will host their eighth-annual Trail Walk from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The forest is located at the corner of M-24 and Gun Club Road in Caro (across from Chippewa Landing Park), and the trail entrance is off of the main drive entering the Caro Gun Club. The 35-acre space is beautifully wooded, and a collection of trails totaling approximately one-mile in length wind through stands of over 23 species of trees. The forest is also prime habitat for many animal and wildflower species, and home to Eagle Scout and community projects such as an 80-foot “Tiger Paw Bridge” built by Westin Thayer, tree interpretation signposts provided by Chris Timmins, and a bench built by Bill
See WALK A8
Smith honoring 49-year Exchange Club member Floyd Echols.
Many local businesses have sponsored the event over the years, helping to raise funds for Caro Exchange Club youth projects such as the: Youth of the Month Awards, Operation Graduation, Child Abuse Prevention Program, Boy’s and Girl’s State Programs, Cub Scout Pack 3562, Give-A-Kid-A-Flag-To-Wave Program, and the Emergency Care Bear Program, among others. This year there will be local V.I.P. “celebrity” walkers on hand participating in the event, scavenger hunt and fun forest finds activities for children, as well as music by Eclectic Junction. Hot dogs, chips, and drinks will be available after the walk, with Dairy Queen ice cream certificates for children and youth walkers. Free T-shirts commemorating the event will also be available for walkers on a first-come, first-served basis. All walkers are welcome to attend the event on the 20th, which will be held rain or shine. Please, no pets.
In 1933, the Caro Exchange Club started the forest when 35,000 pine seedlings were planted, and a long-term lease was obtained to maintain the property. Over time, trails were created as part of a collaborative project by the Environmental Research Committee, ecology students from Cass City and Mayville high schools, and the club itself. Multiple times each year, Caro Exchange Club members combine their efforts and volunteer their time to perform routine maintenance of the property? trimming trees, mowing grass, as well as preserving foot bridges, tree identification signs, and birdhouses that adorn the forest. As a result of these decades of collective efforts, conservation methods, and determination to give back to the community, the forest provides wonderful opportunities for nature viewing and forest study. It truly is a gem within our community. Come visit, take a walk in the woods, and enjoy the Exchange Club Forest!