On the morning of Sunday 11th January, the members of Rotary Sunrise and National Trust volunteers pitched in for a productive morning of vegetation clearing and repairs on the Mastic Trail.

The cloud-laden skies and occasional showers of the early morning may have been sufficient to deter most folk from committing to a day in the great outdoors. However, this was not the case for the members of Rotary Sunrise, who, along with volunteers from the National Trust, comprised a 25-strong team to help with improvements along the Trail and trim back the advancing greenery.

The morning commenced at eight o’clock sharp. Members were prepped with a short talk on the dangers of Maiden Plum, before each picked up a plank of wood and headed down the Trail, deep into the forest.

The first job of the day was the repair and replacement of sections of the Mastic Bridge, using timber kindly donated by A. L. Thompson’s. Under the supervision of Rotary’s Des Ebanks, the bridge team quickly set to work, replacing old-sections of planking with new wood.

In the meantime, the rest of the group picked up machetes and swung into action. The team worked their way back down the trail, cutting back the overgrown vines and snags along the way. Machetes and saws were wielded toward the front of the line with more sedate trimming and tidying following up the rear. The Rotary Mowing machine proved very efficient. By midday, the repairs to the bridge were complete and the Trail was cleared all the way back to the southern Trailhead.

“This is a great morning’s work and an amazing turn out” said Dr Mat Cottam, Environmental Programmes Manager with the National Trust. “I cannot thank everyone enough for their help. In a single morning the Trail is looking so much better.”

The south end of the Mastic Trail starts at the end of Mastic Road in Northside and features some of the most biodiverse forest in Cayman. If you are interested in walking the Trail, a leaflet to help guide you along is available from the National Trust house off Eastern Avenue (949 0121 ext 27) or the Botanic Park (947 3558). The trail is about two miles long, one-way, and is a little rocky and uneven in places, so sturdy shoes are recommended. It is also a good idea to carry water and insect repellent.

Read more about the Mastic Trail here in the Information Sheets
(available at the bottom of every page of this website)

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