LITTLETON, Maine — The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District recently held an introductory “Women’s Chainsaw Safety” workshop at the Meduxnekeag Ramblers Club in Littleton.
Presenters Tish Carr, consulting forester, and Karin Bothwell, forester for Prentiss and Carlisle, started the day-long event by allowing each woman to explain why they had signed up for the class.
A common theme among the group of eight women was wanting to be independent and able to do related jobs such as tree limbing or cutting up firewood on their own. The discussion of the morning focused on proper personal protective equipment such as helmets and safety glasses, chaps, and boots. Participants also had an opportunity to open up their chainsaws and learn how to remove the chain and bar.
During the afternoon, the women geared up to learn how to start their chainsaws safely and operate their saw’s brake smoothly. The women were also able to practice cutting “cookies” from a hardwood log, practicing up and down cuts.
Suzanne Hiltz (right) follows presenter Tish Carr in learning how to start her chainsaw safely. (Courtesy of Angie Wotton)
For many women, this was their first time operating a chainsaw and this class, for women and taught by women, provided a safe and open space for them to learn. Before the day ended, the group gathered together to talk about how they felt about the workshop and all that they had learned.
Just as with the beginning of the class and the theme of independence, the theme at the end of the day was one of confidence gained from learning the different safety practices and now knowing how it felt to use their saw. The women felt empowered and agreed that they would like a second session so they could expand their knowledge by learning how to fell a tree safely.
The class was sponsored in part by LP Corp. For information about future SASWCD events, please go to www.saswcd.org or like SASWCD on Facebook.
