Improvements at the Reserve

November has been a busy month at the reserve and many improvements have been made.  Here are some of the new things here at the reserve.

The first improvement you will see will be right as you enter the reserve.  Micah has replaced all of the wood on the suspension bridge and built new stairs and platforms for getting on and off the bridge.  The old bridge was really cool looking with all the moss and epiphytes growing on it but it was a little rickety, slippery and somewhat scary.  When Micah removed the old boards he found many that were rotten through.  It was definitely time to give it a face lift.  The new bridge is a little sturdier although still a little bouncy.  It is a suspension bridge after all.

New Stairs

New Bridge

Old Bridge

Micah also replaced the table at the campsite.  The old one was made out of a recycled aluminum sign.  The new one matches the bench which is made from Chonta, a type of palm.

New table at the campsite made with chonta

Micah also finished the bookshelf inside the cabin so that the shelving goes all the way to the floor.  He also included some doors to create cabinets that can be closed and locked.

There was some wood leftover from the shelves so we used that to create a new sign at the trailhead on the road.  The old sign was painted on an aluminum sheet and was starting to fade a peel a bit.  We thought a wood sign wood reflect the lodge a little better.  Unfortunately neither of us are artists so we could not include any pretty birds.  It was a lot just for Jaime to paint the letters freehand and not look like a child painted it.  Well maybe one of the future managers will be more artistic and can add some artwork to the sign.  But for now we think the sign looks a little better than the old one and definitely fresher.

New Sign

Old aluminum sign

It has been fun giving the reserve a facelift.  Now we are focusing on getting it ready to hand over to the new managers.  We look forward to meeting Kate and Jeff this week.  Adios for now!