About Us

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who started FOGCAP and when was conceived?
   Little Canada residents Steve Bachman and Joann Pfeiffer (husband and wife), with encouragement from Louise Watson of the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, decided in the fall of 2007 to create this group. 

   We (Steve and Joann) are taking a Minnesota Master Naturalist class through the DNR and the University of Minnesota Extension.*  Two requirements of the class are participation in natural resources-related volunteer activities, and the completion of a "capstone project." This group is one that we will enjoy, is important to us, and it will help fulfill these requirements.  Our classmate, Sue Martinez, has joined us in our effort to create a "Guide to the Trees" of the park.  (By the way, we recommend this program highly to anyone who is interested in learning more about our natural environment. See the Feedback & Contact Info page for a link to their website.)

   * Update 4/2009: Yes, we graduated!

2. Why a "Friends of Gervais Creek and Pond" organization?
   Many of us who use Gervais Mill Park and its trails like to think of it as a very special extension of our yards.  The City of Little Canada and the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) both do a great job of nuturing this space for our use, but neither entity is able to devote the resources needed to clean up the mess that is created by some of the users of these facilities.

   Litter is an unfortunate fact of life in our society, and litter seems to beget litter.  The "trashier" the park becomes, the less likely it is that users of the facility will treat it with any respect.  So, we think that those of us who use and appreciate the park are in the best position to keep it clean.  And we believe that by making a public effort a couple of times a year to clean in up, we may actually reduce the amount of litter that is dropped in the park in the first place.

   "Organization" is a bit of an overstatement.  We won't need officers, by-laws, oaths, dues, or uniforms.  We hope just to be a loosely-connected group of friends and neighbors who want to do positive things for the park.

3. Why the name FOGCAP?
   
   

   Bridge and Great Blue Heron
   Our first choice was "Friends of Gervais Mill Pond" or FOGMP.  But two factors influenced our decision to go with "Friends of Gervais Creek and Pond" or FOGCAP. One, we found that the Internet address FOGMP.org was already in use by the "Friends of Great Moor Park" in Stockport, U.K. (near Manchester). Two, we were joined during our first cleanup day by Little Canada residents Dan and Karen, who often use the trail along Gervais Creek when they visit the ponds and expressed an interest in keeping this area clean as well.  So, we thought it would be appropriate to include the creek in the name of the organization.
   

   By the way, the name of creek is Gervais Creek, and the RWMWD calls the area that includes the creek, the ponds, Lake Gervais, and Kohlman Lake the "Gervais Creek Subwatershed."  (See the www.RWMWD.org website for more information.)

4. Make up your mind, is it "Ponds" or "Pond"?
   We're used to referring to the site as "the ponds."  Officially, both the DNR and the RWMWD refer to the site as "Gervais Mill Pond," and so that's how we've named our group.  The city of Little Canada calls the area "Gervais Mill Park" and mentions "ponds" on its website.  Technically, there may or may not be more than one pond on the site.  For convenience, we've labelled three ponds—south, northwest, and northeast—on our map of the park.

5. How much money will this cost us to participate in this group?
   None.  It shouldn't cost us anything except our time, and it should demand very little of that.  We hope volunteers will be willing to participate once or twice a year in a cleanup, and we hope they will try to encourage others to keep the park, water, and trails clean and safe.

   Both the RWMWD and the city have offered to provide us with support. For example, for the first cleanup day, the city provided us with trash bags, offered to provide a port-a-potty, and picked up and disposed of the bags that we filled.  The RWMWD was instrumental in connecting us with the city, and has offered to help with publicity, expertise, and more.

6. What about the website?
   Steve Bachman has created the website as a repository of information about this effort, and will maintain it as an unpaid volunteer.  It will not be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever.

   Steve and Joann plan to develop a checklist of the birds of the ponds, and to maintain a list on this site.  They hope that others might enjoy it, and they hope with assistance and support of the RWMWD to create a printed flyer that will be made available at the entrances to the park.

   Others who would like to contribute content to the site, including photographs, lists of wildlife, flowers, plants, writings, etc. are encouraged to do so.  (See the Feedback & Contact Info page on this site.)

7. Other than cleanup days, what can be done?
   A local Boy Scout troop puts up and maintains nest boxes for birds at the ponds.  It's possible that they could use some help with this project (we will try to get their contact information and put it on the site).  The RWMWD has ideas and will welcome inquiries.  They first suggested to Steve and Joann the idea of compiling a list of the birds of the park, and they are interested in information about other wildlife (plant and animal) on the site.

   We don't want to become the "park police," but if we see dangerous or illegal activity in the park (graffiti and vandalism, for example), we should report it to the proper authorities (again, see the Feedback & Contact Info page).