By Patrick Norton, CSCC volunteer
On Friday October 28 students from the PSU fall quarter Neighborhoods and Watersheds capstone class met Janet Johnson of Friends of Crystal Spring Creek to plant native shrubs at Westmoreland's Union Manor retirement home. We planted twenty shrubs along the east bank near the gazebo and also removed about 300 pounds of invasive weeds (mostly reed canary grass) from the cattail patch near the gazebo and a few other spots. As many hands make light work, we also found time to remove about a dozen cattail plants from the lawn at the boundary of the riparian planting zone and replant them along the stream at the north end of the property. We also had doughnuts!
On Friday October 28 students from the PSU fall quarter Neighborhoods and Watersheds capstone class met Janet Johnson of Friends of Crystal Spring Creek to plant native shrubs at Westmoreland's Union Manor retirement home. We planted twenty shrubs along the east bank near the gazebo and also removed about 300 pounds of invasive weeds (mostly reed canary grass) from the cattail patch near the gazebo and a few other spots. As many hands make light work, we also found time to remove about a dozen cattail plants from the lawn at the boundary of the riparian planting zone and replant them along the stream at the north end of the property. We also had doughnuts!
left: A PSU student planting native shrubs along the east bank. We planted snowberry, serviceberry, Oregon grape, and a couple of other species.
right: A PSU student and Janet Johnson pull reed canary grass from a patch of cattails. Reed canary grass is really difficult to eradicate once it gets established, and in this area we want to preserve the cattails. Since any direct method that we might use to destroy or remove the RCG would harm the cattails, so we will continue to weed by hand until the cattails shade out the grass.
left: A PSU student planting native shrubs along the east bank by the garden. The plastic sheet under the layer of dead grass covers the stubble and root mat of a dense patch of reed canary grass. In these areas we cut a hole in the plastic just large enough to accommodate the shrub and planted it there. The plastic must stay in place for more than a year in order to kill the reed canary grass root mat. Eventually the shrubs will tend to shade-out a recurrence of the unwanted grass, though it will probably require occasional maintenance.
right: A PSU student pulling reed canary grass and other weeds from the bank. The shrub surrounded by chicken wire is one that the beaver population finds delectable. On this day we planted only species that Janet Johnson has observed to be undesirable to the beavers.
left: One inch too deep!
In the background a PSU student speaks with a Union Manor resident. Some of the residents have lived near the creek for decades and will be interviewed by fall 2011 capstone students working on the Crystal Springs Creek oral history project.
In the background a PSU student speaks with a Union Manor resident. Some of the residents have lived near the creek for decades and will be interviewed by fall 2011 capstone students working on the Crystal Springs Creek oral history project.
right: Digging out cattails growing too close to the mown strip. These were transplanted along the bank at the north end of the property.
left: We were graced with a flyby of the resident Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias).
right: Rowan Steele walking with a single Himalayan blackberry cane. Done for the day!
Just kidding- this is not all Rowan does. He is also the Bureau of Environmental Services liaison to the PSU capstone (and the Crystal Springs Community collaborative) and the fellow who keeps the balloon in the air between meetings.
Just kidding- this is not all Rowan does. He is also the Bureau of Environmental Services liaison to the PSU capstone (and the Crystal Springs Community collaborative) and the fellow who keeps the balloon in the air between meetings.
left: A PSU student volunteer loads up a 60 gallon yard debris container with reed canary grass. We filled two of these with RCG and other weeds.
In short, we had a great time and as usual accomplished more than we expected.
In short, we had a great time and as usual accomplished more than we expected.
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