Stuart Smith never set out to lead a heritage movement. But a camping trip changed everything.

While on Ports Island with a group of friends, he paid a visit to nearby Paget Island and was shocked by the condition of its keep, Fort Cunningham.

“Casuarinas were everywhere – coming out of the moat walls, out of the actual fort. Nobody was maintaining anything,” he said.

He rallied friends and family around an ambitious goal of restoring the coastal defence from its “neglect”. Three-and-a-half years later, the work continues.

“I started a little group called Save Our Forts. I got my sister [Claire], and a bunch of retired women and a bunch of guys, and we went out. We were going out every week and tackling the fort, trying to clear it out.”

Word soon spread.

“The St George’s Foundation called and said, ‘We hear you’re restoring forts – well, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. Will you become a member?,” he recalled.

Four months later, he was on the foundation’s board. By that time he had established a steady routine, heading out every Tuesday with Michael Anfossi, Bryan and Cheech Astwood, Terry Pimental, Nigel Godfrey, Roger Blee, Philippe Bacon, Lawrence Trimingham, Chris Jones, Rory Gorman, David Andrade, Richard Brewer, John Newton and others. The group had also adopted a new name, the Weekday Warriors.

“We kind of stole the name,” he said. “There’s the Weekend Warriors, [who volunteer at] Trunk Island. So we became the Weekday Warriors because we work on a Tuesday generally and we're all retired.”

When Peter Barrett stepped down as chairman of The St George’s Foundation, Mr Smith was unexpectedly asked to take his place.

“I was never expecting to become chairman. That was not my intention at all in any of this. But to fix the forts I needed funding and you can only get funding if you have a charitable status. The St George's Foundation has provided that charitable status,” he said.

The Weekday Warriors have a memorandum of understanding with the Government that gives them responsibility for all forts, even those under private leases.

Their restoration efforts have been no small feat. After Fort Cunningham, they moved to Fort Victoria, then to Fort Albert and Gunpowder Cavern at Fort William. Each had its own challenges – neglect, overgrowth, and structural concerns – but one of the worst offenders was always the invasive casuarina tree.

“I hate them but I respect them. They find a little crack and then the seed gets in and it produces a casuarina right out of the concrete of the fort; there's very little soil,” Mr Smith said, noting their ability to grow anywhere, even in cement.

“And then it proceeds to grow and grow and all its needles fall and they go in all the other cracks and create compost, mostly for more casuarinas because they’re very acidic. It's amazing how the needles all bind together. Even 50-knot winds won’t blow them away.”

The restoration work is driven by his love of Bermuda – but it has also created opportunities to help others. Seven inmates from the Prison Farm have contributed to the project, joining in at various times and receiving a wage for their effort.

“I thought it would be better to pay them so when they come out of jail, they have some money,” said Mr Smith.

The Weekday Warriors work for free. Because of the heat they take a break during the summer months, from June through August. They also relax their schedule over the Christmas holidays.

“But otherwise we’re there every Tuesday, me and my warriors,” Mr Smith said. “My boys, they've been fantastic. It's a lot of work.”

At the end of each day the chainsaws must be cleaned, the blades have to be sharpened.

“I have to make sure all the tools are there, make sure all the chemicals are there, organise everybody – it's not just show up, do four hours and go home,” he added.

At Fort Victoria, the team cut down so many trees they had to hire a chipper crew.

“They took three weeks chipping what we’d cut down – and they didn’t even get through three-quarters of it.”

They had to hire another crew to cut down the bigger trees at Albert, which Mr Smith describes as the team’s “trophy fort” because it’s easier to maintain than the rest. However, getting it to that point took a lot of work.

“There were casuarinas everywhere. The whole inside of the fort was full of trees. The front side of the fort had a beautiful view but there was a casuarina forest. You can see this beautiful view of that lovely turquoise water,” he said.

Gunpowder Cavern, a converted fort with a water catchment roof, was another colossal task.

“When we got there, you could see about ten square feet of white roof and it measures 140 by 140. There were 35 to 50 casuarinas up there, 10 to 30 feet high.”

Not only did they clear it, they then had to haul the 460 trash bags of needles and soil to a truck so they could be taken away.

“It was a slog,” he said, recalling how a longtime Harbour Radio staffer told him he had never seen the roof before.

In the short term it’s satisfying but the Indian laurel, asparagus fern and other invasives keep coming back.

“It’s endless,” said Mr Smith, who tackled the forts at Ferry Reach before the Weekday Warriors’ summer break. “We’d clear it and go back later, and it’s all Mexican pepper again.”

Future plans include King’s Castle, the fort at Castle Island and Fort Popple in St David’s and Alexander Battery.

“I do it because I love Bermuda,” Mr Smith said.

• For more information on The St George’s Foundation, visitsgf.bm