On the morning of Saturday, Jan. 26, the Woodchucks were the beneficiaries of yet another example of the amazing generosity of the people and organizations in our community.

This time it was the members of the Boothbay Fish and Game Association (BFGA) who decided to support our mission of providing free fire wood to low income and vulnerable neighbors during the cold months of winter. When the BFGA decided to enlarge the parking area of their property off of the Dover Road in Boothbay, they knew that several large oak trees had to be taken down. They decided to donate these trees to the Woodchucks.

This is why, shortly after daybreak on that cold Saturday morning, instead of catching a bit more sleep or another slice of toast or another cup of coffee, some 15 members of the BFGA, many equipped with their own chain saws, arrived on the scene ready for a day of hard cutting and heavy lifting. They were joined by several of the Woodchucks and together they began the process of felling 10 immense oak trees. This was followed by limbing the trees and cutting the trunks into manageable lengths. Using the new log loader, which was acquired by generous donations from the Rotary Club, the Boothbay Civic Association, and others, all of these heavy logs were loaded into Woodchucks’ trailer and the wood was then taken to the processing and storage location at the Boothbay Public Works area.

It is estimated that this effort will yield in excess of 10 cords of seasoned hard wood, enough to keep several families warm in the winter next year. The Woodchucks are once again immensely grateful for all the help and support they have received. We could not do this work without the support of good friends and neighbors like the BFGA and many others.

The Woodchucks is a program of the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council, a local nonprofit serving people on the Boothbay peninsula as they move from being in need to being independent.

For more information about the Woodchucks or any of our other programs, visit the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council at www.boothbayresources.org. If you or someone you know would like to apply for fuel assistance, including wood, or if you would like to donate wood, please call the BRCRC office at 633-6272.