Fallen tree? Let the Chainsaw Brigade clear the way

Conservation administrator Jordan McCarron slices into a tree on the Sears Land during a training of the Weston Forest and Trails Association’s Chainsaw Brigade March 20, 2026. (Addison Antonoff/Weston Observer)

The trails in Weston opened up a bit on March 20 thanks to the Chainsaw Brigade, the team from the Weston Forest and Trails Association (WFTA) that clears fallen trees off the town’s trails.

The full brigade is made up of about 20 volunteers, many of them dirt bikers and Weston residents. John Connolly, a member of WFTA, began the chainsaw brigade about two years ago. When a tree goes down, an alert goes out and somebody responds and clears the trail.

Craig Tanny, the current head of the brigade, said being a part of the group has given more meaning to his rides around town.

“What I do, I consider very self-serving,” he said. “I like to ride on these trails and you can’t ride on them if there’s something obstructing them.”

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Last week, 10 members of the group took a chainsaw safety course on the Sears Land. Bill Girard instructed the volunteers on what safety equipment to wear, how to take care of a chainsaw and the best way to approach different types of fallen trees.

Girard cautioned the men against any macho behavior that could put their lives at risk. While this work can be done safely, he stressed how dangerous it could be.

“[A chainsaw injury is] like ground hamburger,” he said.

Girard told the group that the most important thing was to get home in the same state as when they went into the woods.

“It’s a great thing what you’re doing, volunteering,” Girard said. “We want to make sure you’re doing it safe.”

Until 2023, a steward took care of trail work. After that, the town hired a part-time crew in the summer, according to Conservation Administrator Jordan McCarron. The Chainsaw Brigade began around the same time and has become the way Weston trails get cleared. He said it was important to ensure volunteers were equipped with proper safety knowledge.

*Scott Nolfi cuts into a tree blocking part of a trail during a Chainsaw Brigade training on the Sears Land on March 20, 2026. (Addison Antonoff/Weston Observer)*

“There is an inherent danger in this type of trail work and I think it’s the responsibility of the town to provide that training,” McCarron said. “They put in their time and effort, we should provide the framework so that they can do it safely.”

Craig Tanny at work cutting into a fallen tree on the Sears Land during a training of the Weston Forest and Trails Association’s Chainsaw Brigade on March 20, 2026. (Addison Antonoff/Weston Observer)

Rick Waechter helped clear a tree that had fallen over a trail. He has been a part of the brigade for a year now as a way to help out on the trails he, his wife and their dogs frequent. He said the training has made him reconsider his approach to the work.

“I think I’m pretty safe, but I’m rethinking some things. I don’t have a first aid kit, which is stupid,” Waechter said. “The safety thing is so important.”