Volunteer Spotlight: Chris Nybo

Big Ravine Headwaters Wood Chipping Project

One BAT volunteer who chipped in on our recent wood chip project was Chris Nybo, a second-grade teacher in Ventura, California! Huh? How did Chris get to be a member of the Bayfield Area Trails wheel barrow brigade?

​Originally from Red Wing, Minnesota, and later Duluth and the North Shore, Chris is a kayaker and a skier, and has been familiar with the Bayfield area for a long time. When he bought property here in 2005, he became a regular visitor during summer vacations from school.

“I’m also a hiker,’ Chris said. “And I always ran on the Big Ravine Trail. And I’d see places where I’d think, ‘This would be a good trail. And this would be a good trail, too.’ I saw a huge potential but nothing really happened. And then I started hearing about this Kate Kitchell and it seems like we had all the same ideas. I also noticed that’s when things really started moving.”

​“It was interesting spreading woodchips,” Chris said. “I had a whole pile to myself and it was my training for spreading. It was wonderful to see Kate’s expertise so I could use it on my own property. It was supposed to be a two-day project, and then Rich showed up with his tractor and it was great to see that pile disappear!”

Chris Nybo - I LOVE WOOD CHIPS!

Chris continued, “Being a property owner, you keep on eye on the culture, too. Even when you’re not here. Part of the beauty of Bayfield is this amazing amount of really talented people who are very passionate about doing things for the earth. I’d like to think I fit in that mold.

These people have a mission and a passion. And the mission comes from wanting to make the world a better place. And the leadership! They come with amazing skills and they have a way of working though the bureaucracy and not getting frustrated. And they do all this without any pay. They want to help the world—not in a selfish way but in a community way. Bayfield has the potential to be a pretty amazing hiking destination. You could come and spend a week in Bayfield and never move your car. It has great potential for the Midwest--right from downtown Bayfield.”

Chris Nybo - Wheelbarrow Master!

“Now I’m just a part-timer in Bayfield,” Chris said, “and living and working mostly in California. But I look forward to when I can be much more than a part-time observer, and support the good stuff that’s already been happening.”

Wow! We agree with everything you said, Chris! And we especially look forward to when you’re more than a part-timer in Bayfield—ready to spread chips with another wheelbarrow brigade!!