Green Team Week April 7th to April 11th
Written by Jesuit Volunteers Dane Breslin and Rebecca Strohm
West Linn High School @ Clackamas-Willamette Confluence April 8, 9 & 10th
West Linn High School students visited the Clackamas-Willamette Confluence this week to do a few different restoration activites. First students planted did a little native planting to provide food and habitat for native animals and help prevent erosion Having planted before, students were experts and planted 140 trees and shrubs. Also on the agenda was bioengineering. Students installed live dogwood stakes into the wetter areas of the Confluence site. Dogwoods having a specific hormone that allows them to take root and grow into a new tree after being staked into the ground. Students installed 150 dogwood stakes that will grow into beautiful dogwood trees. Students also spread 14 bales of straw around the exposed bare ground. Removing invasive blackberry and ivy in the beginning of the year left the ground exposed except for the native plants. The straw will help the soil retain moisture during the hot summer months and help in preventing the soil from eroding. Students also found a few long-toed salamander and a variety of birds on site including an osprey and red-tailed hawk. Thanks for the hard-work and dedication West Linn! See you next time!
Gladstone High School @ Clackamas-Willamette Confluence April 10th
Gladstone High School made a trip out to the Clackamas-Willamette Confluence this week. It was invasive removal day and first up was a little round of riparian metaphors. Students related regular household items to ways in which riparian areas benefit the environment. For instance an ice cube tray could represent cold water. Large trees along a stream bank provide shad over the creek which can assist in cooling the water, allowing more dissolved oxygen for aquatic organisms. A coffee filter could represent native plants which assist in filtering run-off that is flowing into streams. After riparian metaphors students got to work removing invasive species. This particular site is home to many invasives including Armenian blackberry, English Ivy, holly, clematis and morning glory. Students dug and pulled these invasive species, removing about 50 sq feet. Thanks for bringing the sunshine and enthusiasm Gladstone students!
WEST SIDE
Wednesday, April 9th
Rachel Carson Environmental Middle School at Willow Creek
This Wednesday was particularly sunny down at Willow Creek and Rachel Carson Middle School visited the old site for macro invertebrate surveys, coffee bagging and site tours. We also had some special guests with us from SOLVE, and the Rachel Carson students did a phenomenal job of explaining what we were doing and made everyone feel welcomed.
Here is a run-down of the day:
First, we did macro invertebrate surveys, which were especially exciting as we found huge predaceous diving beetles, a plethora of damsel fly larvae, and four large dragonfly larvae. As always, a few students “accidentally” fell into the creek while collecting macros with long nets. Overall, the surveys were a success and Willow Creek is teeming with life! Students then coffee bagged native plants to give them a better chance of survival midst the sea of invasive, fast growing, Reed Canary Grass. The coffee bags are placed on both sides of the native plant and held firmly into the ground with biodegradable stakes. The bags themselves are generously donated by Boyd’s coffee and naturally break down over time, while also preventing Reed Canary Grass from growing too close to the native plant. To wrap up the day, each Rachel Carson group went on a site tour and got to look at pictures of the site from nine years ago! The change has been amazing!
Thank you Rachel Carson, it has been so awesome working with you this year!
Dane Breslin
SOLVE Green Team 