L.A.S.T. Youth Group | SOLVE Green Team

Written by DukeEngage volunteers, Julie Rohde and Mathias Skadow

Our past 8 weeks volunteering at SOLVE have left us with many memories. The students and volunteers we worked with were passionate about the environment and eager to help out. Thanks to Rachel Carson Environmental Middle School, Clackamas High School Key Club, Parrott Creek Ranch, and L.A.S.T. Youth Group for always putting smiles on our faces. Without their dedication and hard work, many of our riparian sites would not survive. We appreciate the efforts each of the students put into weeding, mulching, watering, and caging.

Also thank you to Meghan Ballard, Steve Kennett and the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. members, Nicole and Lauren. They taught us all we needed to know about the native plant species in Oregon and why stream restoration is a vital part of keeping our environment healthy. Although our work with SOLVE is done, we will share what we have learned with members of our hometown communities and the Duke student body. Hopefully we can spread more awareness about watershed health so that we can make the world a better place.

Nicole Poletto, Mathias Skadow, Julie Rohde, and Lauren McKenna

written by DukeEngage volunteer, Julie Rohde

L.A.S.T. Youth Group @ Beaver Creek on 7.23.2013

Each week a new set of L.A.S.T. students joins SOLVE to engage in site maintenance as part of a week-long mission trip to Portland. Driving all the way from Washington and San Diego, the students and their leaders were eager to get started with invasive removal. Originally, the Beaver Creek site was covered in reed canary grass but after a few hours of work our native plants were uncovered. Then the group made about a dozen beaver cages to protect some of our willow stakes. Often the term “beaver caging” can confuse people into thinking that we are trying to cage beavers. Instead we are placing a metal cage around young plants to prevent the beavers from destroying them. We ultimately want most of our plantings to mature in order to shade out the reed canary grass but the beavers can disrupt that process. The SOLVE team has really enjoyed working with each of the different mission trip groups from the past three weeks.