Clearing Brush and Eating an Elephant

We are enjoying our summer at the cottage. There are always projects to do at a cottage, but we spent all of the last two summers clearing up downed trees and brush. I am glad to say that we are past the worst of that project, and can now relax a little bit more.

When we acquired our cottage, it had been used as a hunting and fishing camp for many years. It was a Man-Camp. The main cottage and dock were in wonderful shape, but the forest around it was in disarray. There were many 100 foot tall pine trees leaning precariously over the cottage, and many that had already fallen. Fallen brush and pine needles were everywhere, decaying. (Imagine ants and spiders on every piece of brush).

Our vision for the island was to enjoy the view of the lake from the cottage, make a sandy beach, clear up the paths and to plant some gardens among the blueberries and pine trees. It seemed to be an easy enough idea!

Over the two winters we had an arborist cut down about ten 100 foot tall trees (that he felt were likely to fall) and chop them up. There were also several already fallen trees. We asked him to remove the wood from the island – but he quoted $16,000-20,000 for this. He explained that he would have to make many trips across the ice on his snowmobile with his trailer (over 4 days) and then have to find a way to dispose of the wood.

We asked all of the vacation resorts around us if they wanted free firewood, but they explained that they had enough fallen trees to deal with themselves.

So eventually we made wood piles around the island. There were massive wood piles in every corner. In the spring our boys visited and we had them pile up the logs.

What to Do With All That Wood?

Then there was the brush. When you think of chopped up trees, you think of the logs – but the brush was overwhelming. We made piles of brush too. There were piles of pine boughs, cedar, twigs, pine needles and more pine needles. Eventually I started moving piles of brush from one place to another – making twenty 8 foot high piles of brush into ten 16 foot high piles. That didn’t look better, but it kept me busy. I felt like I was winning.

What would we do with it? We were overwhelmed. It was just too much. Then my husband said: “How do you eat an elephant?“

I thought – not at all. Who wants to eat an elephant?

But the correct answer is “One bite at a time.”

Use It?

Over the winter – while the tree cutting was being done – I tried to think of ways to use some of the logs. I became lost in Pinterest! In the end I painted some logs, made seats out of them, used some logs to make a retaining wall for our hot tub – but there is only so much that you can do isn’t there?

Burn It?

We thought we could burn some of it, so we got our burning permit from the local fire department. We could only burn small quantities starting from 2 hours before sunset or for 2 hours after sunrise between April and October – which is when we are on the island. We cleared enough space on the front of the island to get started and waited for the wind direction to be just right – and then the forest fire season started – and we had a complete fire ban. No Burning for US!

So we had smoke in the air for days – and no fire for us, so we thought what else should we do?

Bag It?

I bagged 200 or so bags of brush and took them to the local dump (10 boat and car trips or so)- but they didn’t have a composting system – they only burn or bury garbage – so we lost our enthusiasm for that after a bit – and my husband didn’t appreciate his boat being filled with pine needles…..

Shred It?

Then we began shopping for a chipper shredder. My husband eventually found one – he studied all the reviews – and bought a Champion 3″ Chipper/Shredder from Canadian Tire. Every day we shredded twigs and branches for weeks on end. (Not all day, but just for an hour or two). I clipped the branches into 3 inch size pieces – suitable to go through the chipper, and my husband chopped them up. All manners of dangerous tools were involved – clippers, axes, chain saws – and the fancy shredder. No one was injured during this process although our hearing may never be the same. (Perhaps my husband just pretends not to hear me)

Enormous quantities of wood chips were created – and I spread them around the island. When we had finally eliminated all of the initial piles of brush, the fire ban ended. That makes perfect sense, doesn’t it.

Hire a Barge and Helper?

We still had enormous piles of logs. Eventually we rented a barge, hired a young man to load and unload the barge for a day, and convinced a local marina operator to take the wood. He now sells firewood! This got rid of many of the wood piles and we feel a lot better.

Happily Ever After

We still have pine needles everywhere, and that’s fine. I turned a little valley into a flat piece of land by filling it with more pine needles and shredded wood than you could ever imagine. Now that there is less brush and there are fewer wood piles, we are happy to move on with our little projects – like building a skirt for our deck, gardening, picking blueberries and making a beach. (Last summer we also painted the brick fireplace, painted the floor and painted the deck.) There are fewer mosquitoes, ants and spiders too.

We definitely ate our elephant – one bite at a time, and many different ways!

Tips:

If you are undertaking a project like this – take a moment to assess the situation:

1. Safety First: Ensure you have the necessary safety gear, including gloves, safety glasses, and sturdy boots. Hopefully you won’t need bandages!
2. Extent of Damage: Determine how many trees and branches need clearing. This will help you plan the resources and time required.
3. Accessibility: Consider how accessible the island is for transporting equipment and removing debris. Boats and barges may be necessary for larger operations.

Gathering Necessary Tools and Equipment

Depending on the extent of the downed trees and branches, you’ll might need:

1. Chainsaws: Essential for cutting larger trees and branches into manageable pieces. We have two – and my husband was constantly changing the blades as they needed sharpening.
2. Hand Saws and Loppers: Useful for smaller branches and precise cuts. My job was to cut the branches down so that they could be run through the shredder – and sorting them into 3″ or less piles.
3. Axes and Mauls: Ideal for chopping and splitting wood. We have an assortment!
4. Wheelbarrows and Sleds: For transporting wood and debris to a central location. We have two.
5. Boats or Barges
6. Help – We hired an insured professional arborist for the tree cutting, and a local self-employed man to load and unload the boat.

Environmental Considerations

While clearing downed trees and branches, it’s crucial to consider the environmental impact:

1. Minimize Disturbance: Avoid disturbing the natural habitat (and the neighbours) more than necessary. Clear only the downed trees and branches, and leave standing trees intact.
2. Recycle and Reuse: Consider using the wood for firewood or other projects. This not only recycles the material but also reduces waste. Do not lose yourself in Pinterest!
3. Dispose Responsibly: If you need to dispose of the wood, ensure it’s done in an environmentally friendly manner. Consider local disposal rules and fire regulations.

We cleared only trees that were in danger of falling or that had already fallen. Disposing of the brush reduced the insect population on our little piece of heaven.

I hope that you are having a happy summer! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping in at Everyday Lillie. Please have a look around as much as you like. If you enjoyed the visit, please feel free to follow, share, comment or like. Please drop in again soon!

Follow Everyday Lillie on WordPress.com