Service
Blog #10
Monday.
Service
Today we went out to do two service projects: restoration project at the wetland and ponderosa pine restoration. Our first project was supported by three individuals. Tom a biologist for the forest service at Deschutes National Forest, Trent, a national resources intern, and Peter a projects manager for the restoration projects. The river we worked on is the Deschutes River, and from it, we focused on the wetland with standing water where there are some invasive species, reed canary grass, that we pulled out to allow the Native wetland vegetation to grow and increase its density. While being in the water we stacked the reed canary grass on the kayaks, got it to shore, and put it on the pickup truck to dispose of it. The wetland is about 65 acres in size. It was interesting to learn that for the last 90 years the river couldn’t get through there because of a burn constructed along the river's edge. The history of this place goes way back, there are many Native sites all around the area, with fish in the river. Geologically that burn prevented it from being new for years and so they breached that burn and let the river water in. The response has been both vegetatively and wildlife wise has been amazing. The elk herd that uses this area now can stay farther away from the river and use the river trail. Our second project was supported by a forester, and his restoration project focuses on getting the ponderosa pine restoration going on. The planning area is called the West Ben Planning Area project vegetation management. On this restoration area, there are about 20,000 acres. The focus is to reintroduce the aspen in this area by taking off the small trees that are left that if let to grow would compete with the aspen and cause it to decline. So they release the conifers that are competing it.
Monday.
Service
Today we went out to do two service projects: restoration project at the wetland and ponderosa pine restoration. Our first project was supported by three individuals. Tom a biologist for the forest service at Deschutes National Forest, Trent, a national resources intern, and Peter a projects manager for the restoration projects. The river we worked on is the Deschutes River, and from it, we focused on the wetland with standing water where there are some invasive species, reed canary grass, that we pulled out to allow the Native wetland vegetation to grow and increase its density. While being in the water we stacked the reed canary grass on the kayaks, got it to shore, and put it on the pickup truck to dispose of it. The wetland is about 65 acres in size. It was interesting to learn that for the last 90 years the river couldn’t get through there because of a burn constructed along the river's edge. The history of this place goes way back, there are many Native sites all around the area, with fish in the river. Geologically that burn prevented it from being new for years and so they breached that burn and let the river water in. The response has been both vegetatively and wildlife wise has been amazing. The elk herd that uses this area now can stay farther away from the river and use the river trail. Our second project was supported by a forester, and his restoration project focuses on getting the ponderosa pine restoration going on. The planning area is called the West Ben Planning Area project vegetation management. On this restoration area, there are about 20,000 acres. The focus is to reintroduce the aspen in this area by taking off the small trees that are left that if let to grow would compete with the aspen and cause it to decline. So they release the conifers that are competing it.
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