On one of my favorite work days, we took part in a Fish Fling at the Skokomish River where we threw salmon carcasses from a hatchery into a mountain river in order to provide the river system with nutrients. When the dead salmon are thrown into the river they provide food for larger animals and are spread around the river and forest, positively effecting the riparian zone: where the river interacts with the land. Not only was this helpful to the river, but it turns out flinging salmon off of a bridge as hard as you can is a lot of fun. Who would have guessed?While out on one of the work days we learned how river health could be determined by doing a pebble count. We also saw log jams, learned how they provided habitat for animals in the river, and heard about how and why they were constructed. I found it amazing that each log jam cost millions of dollars to construct, but the money was worth it because that log jam will have a great effect on the river.
By cleaning up our water shed we helped prevent pollution in the water that we drink every day.
Maintenance
On one of the days we removed trash from a mountain road. There were hundreds of shot gun shells and smashed bottles that we had to collect, so many that the ground sparkled everywhere you looked. We also found and removed things like a muffler, an old mattress, and skeet. When we left the trail it looked a hundred times better than it had when we arrived. Our trash bags were so heavy that they almost broke with the weight of all the bullets, glass, and pieces of plastic.
Another day we took part in a noxious weed removal. We pulled invasive species like Herb Robert, thistle, and Scotch Broom from a camp site. Herb Robert is recognizable by its stench which made it very unpleasant to pull, in fact Herb Robert smells so bad it is sometimes known as "Stinky Bob". The Scotch Broom was definitely one of the hardest weeds to get out of the ground, it grows up to 4 meter tall and has long, thick roots. By pulling these weeds we helped control the spread of non-native species which often get out of control. We also did campground maintenance. This included picking up litter and clearing fire pits of melted aluminum cans, wrappers, and broken bottles using tongs and trash bags. By cleaning up these campsites we ensure that the experience campers have will be much better. It amazes me what people leave behind at campsites, the weirdest thing I found that day was a rusty old deer trap on the beach.
We helped water proof wooden planks for the Ranger station. The wood that we painted will be made into new picnic tables for hikers and campers that won't rot and will look much better than the slimy, moss covered tables that they will be replacing.
While at the Ranger station we cleaned up their parking lot which was over grown with trees and moss. We used McClouds and shovels to scrape off all the moss and pruning shears and hand saws to cut back the trees. When we were finished there were an extra two or three parking spaces that they didn't even know were there.
On our last day we did trail maintenance on a mountain trail that hadn't been worked on for years. We dug trenches for water drainage, trimmed back plants, raked, sloped the trail for run off, used McClouds to hack away at overgrowth, and all in all worked very hard to repair a trail that really needed it.
Planting
On the Elk Habitat Restoration day we planted forage, elderberries, alder and other trees in order to create an elk habitat using tree planting tools like the Montana Sharpshooter. We planted in an area that had been burnt and cleared out to provide a place to keep elk away from the highway as well as provide them with some of their favorite foods.
That same day we planted a decommissioned road in order to restore it to its original state and to encourage animals to use it. The ground was packed down and almost solid rocks from being driven on, and even though it took us forever we finally succeeded in planting most of the trees.
We also potted plants that would be used the next year for elk habitat and restoration. We planted willow cuttings, which can be cut from a full grown tree and take root, and wild rose as well as other shrubs and trees. We unloaded topsoil from a truck, planted, tagged, then finished up by sticking them in a greenhouse and saying "Bye 'til next year!"
Leave No Trace
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors