Volunteers lop off bamboo at the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary

On April 29, 2023, Shine City Project volunteered at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary! Founded in 1979 by Bill Gilcrease, Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary is a place dedicated to providing a safe haven for animals in need. More than 150 animals make Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary their home, including parrots, chickens, goats, pigs, turkeys, and tortoises. Some of their more unique residents include a mule deer, an ostrich, emus, peacocks, and llamas! On this Saturday morning, our Shine City Project team was given the mission of clearing bamboo from a section at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary. We were told that the bamboo usually gets cut down once a year for maintenance. Because bamboo is a fast-growing grass, it will continue to steadily grow even when it has been cut down. Today was the day that our group would take on the task. With loppers in hand, our Shine City Project volunteers began cutting away at the base of the bamboo plants and piling them in a nearby area. It was a task requiring some upper body strength as it often took a few tries to bring down a single bamboo shoot. It was especially difficult if the loppers were dull or rusted. Nevertheless, despite the amount of energy and stamina needed for the project, our Shine City Project volunteers did our best to cut away the bamboo little by little. At the end, our eight volunteers were able to clear away bamboo from an area measuring about 6 feet by 30 feet! Even though it was tiring, the task of cutting bamboo was also surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable! Overall, we had a good time, and it was nice to see everyone working together!