Green Team Week November 4th-9th
Written by SOLVE Jesuit Volunteers Dane Breslin and Becca Strohm
East Side Sites
Sabin Schellenberg Forestry School @ Rock Creek Troge 2- Nov. 4th
Forestry students broke ground on a new site next to Rock Creek removing invasive blackberry. With the blackberry above their heads and seen far into the distance it is a good thing students brought chain saws and weed-wackers. Blackberry was chopped down fast, students cleared over 2000 sq feet of blackberry! Great Job Sabin students!
Sam Barlow High School @ Beaver Creek Headwaters Nov 4th and 5th
Sam Barlow students came out for the first time to begin work at Beaver Creek Headwaters. Before going out each class had surveyed a specific area for plant populations and will continue to survey as our restoration efforts begin. Since it was the first day ever at the site there was a lot of work to do! Students came out for three days to remove blackberry and despite the rain students worked hard and removed a ton of canes and blackberry roots! Great job Sam Barlow!
West Linn High School @ Clackamas Confluence Nov. 5th, 6th and 7th
West Linn students came out for the second time to do some invasive removal beside the Clackamas Confluence. Having already removed a ton of blackberry, students began working up a slope and with the rain got VERY MUDDY! While digging up roots, students uncovered a lot of litter- over 200 lbs! With majority of the blackberry removed students will be able to plant native plants on site on their next outing! Excellent work West Linn- we’ll see you next time on the Clackamas!
Clackamas High School @ Rock Creek Troge 2- November 7th
One of Mr. Gwin’s classes made their first trip to Rock Creek to break ground on the brand new site Rock Creek Troge 2. The site is full of invasive blackberry bushes and the banks of the stream are so eroded it almost looks like a canal! Students began work removing the blackberry clearing about 250 sq feet of blackberry. Next month students will be able to plant native species in the area once all the blackberry is removed. Great Job Clackamas students!
Clackamas High School @ Clear Creek in Estacada- November 8th
Students in AP Biology made a trek to Clear Creek in Estacada to participate in a salmon toss. Students suited up by putting on plastic trash bags and gloves and got to work. Students threw about 300 Coho salmon into Clear Creek in order to restore the nutrients lost because salmon are not making it as far upstream as they traditionally have. Students also performed a salmon dissection to learn the parts of a fish, They removed internal organs to make Mr. Fish E. Guts and learn what all the organs look like and their function. With the bitter cold and rain students got to enjoy a nice fire which also served to bake and smoke salmon that everyone got to try. Great job Clackamas students!
Salmon Toss @ Clackamas River in Estacada- Sat. November 9th
A few West Linn and Rex Putnam students participated in a salmon toss along the Clackamas River early Saturday morning. They were joined by a few Jesuit Volunteer Corp members who came out to join in on the fun. Despite the early departure time, students enthusiastically threw about 200 Coho salmon into the river to restore nutrients to river and provide food for the 137 species who feed on salmon. Thanks for all you work West Linn and Putnam students! I hope you can get the smell of salmon off!
WEST SIDE SITES
Glencoe High School
Monday & Tuesday~11/4-11/5
This week Glencoe High School students planted 150 native plants with Green Team! These native plants include Nine Bark, Red Flowering Currant, Red Elderberry, Sword Fern, Red Osier Dogwood and the Cascara tree. Each class started the event by practicing their plant identification skills.
1) Is the plant alternate or opposite?
2) Are the leaves palmate or pinnate?
3) Are the leaves simple or compound?
4) What else do we see? (berries, color of bark, flowers, lenticels, lobed leaves, etc.)
We also experimented with a native grass called Scirpus Microcarpus or ‘pinnacled bulrush’. First, an adventurous group of students removed a large patch of invasive Reed Canary Grass. Then, the native rushes were planted densely into the open area in hopes of gaining a foothold and competing with the Reed Canary. Lastly, the students had to clean up after becoming extraordinarily muddy!
Glencoe 9th grade students planted native plants in several locations and did an amazing job!
Thank you Glencoe High School!
Rachel Carson Middle School at Willow Creek
Wednesday 10/6
This week, Rachel Carson Environmental Middle School 7th and 8th grade students visited Willow Creek with Green Team. The classes started by breaking into three different groups; invasive blackberry removal, plant identification and plant density estimation. Thus far, the group has hacked away a huge amount of blackberry and the fence is even more visible than before. Additionally, we started planting in a new area that used to be completely covered with blackberry. This proved challenging as before native plants could be put into the soil blackberry roots had to be removed! However, Rachel Carson students were up to the challenge and worked hard the whole day.
Thank you Rachel Carson Middle School!
City View Charter at Council Creek
Thursday 11/7
This week City View Charter visited Council Creek. The class split into two groups. One group learned plant identification with Nicole, while the other group planted native plants. Overall, we planted over 60 native plants! These plants include Pacific and Sitka Willows, Douglas Spirea, native grasses, Nine Bark and Oregon Ash. As a group we experimented with different ways to open the soil and make space for the native plants to grow. Initially, the day was quite bleak and rainy, but by the end the beautiful Sun had come out and everyone was in the mood for more restoration!
Thank you City View Charter!
The Madeleine School at Baltimore woods
Friday 11/9
This Friday, the Madeleine School planted about 40 native plants! Before they could plant they removed invasive blackberry, Morning Glory, Deadly Purple Night Shade and Teasel. Before we began planting, they learned plant I.D. and went on a nature walk through a previous parking lot that is being converted to Oak Savannah Habitat. Overall, it was quite an exciting day and I am appreciative of all of the Madeleine Schools energy!
Thank you Madeleine School!
Thus ends a great week for Green Team. Thanks for all who participated!
SOLVE Green Team 