Photo by Kathy Jacobson - Mack Walh, and Bobby Perrigo, Sanint Mary's, Aberdeen and Paul Beck, from East Grays Harbor High School at Vance CreekBack to top or back to home page or back to Whats New
By Kathy Jacobson, Chehalis Basin Education Consortium Coordinator
On February 23rd and March 2nd, more than 140 students, parents and teachers from Elma and Simpson Elementary Schools, St. Mary's School in Aberdeen, Elma Middle School and East Grays Harbor High Schools teamed up with the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force and the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium to help to restore Vance Creek.
| Photo by Kathy Jacobson - Mack Walh, and Bobby Perrigo, Sanint Mary's, Aberdeen and Paul Beck, from East Grays Harbor High School at Vance Creek |
On the farm owned by Sherman and Alice Potts, high school and middle school students mentored elementary students and braved the wind, rain, sleet and cold to plant over 600 Red-Osier Dogwood, Cascara, Oregon Ash and Sitka Spruce trees. "It's partnerships like these that teach stewardship in the basin," said Chanele Holbrook-Shaw, with the Fisheries Task Force. Elma Middle School student Christina Evans agreed. "Kids need to start learning about nature early, and learn ways to protect Mother Nature." Christina added, "I'm also just a sucker for nature."
The project is part of the Task Force's on-going efforts to restore up to three miles of Vance Creek, and shade the creek for salmon, stabilize banks, provide habitat for native animals, and to provide a barrier to keep farm animals away from the creek.
After spending the day providing tree planting guidance to younger students, Shane Jhanse, from East Grays Harbor High School said, "I liked the idea of making a difference for future generations, and helping to restore the creek and the local salmon population. I enjoyed myself, and felt good about doing what I could. The kids we were working with were good kids."
Landowner Sherman Potts noted, "Last year, the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force replaced a poorly functioning culvert on our property with a bridge which has allowed for better flow in Vance Creek. With the new trees planted, now we'll be able to improve water quality for salmon." Another East Grays Harbor High School student, Jesse Cobb agreed, "...I knew that what I was doing was making a difference in the watershed to bring salmon back."
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By Birdie Davenport, Department of Natural Resources
Two spring workdays, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, are scheduled at the beautiful and mysterious Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve. We will plant Roemer's fescue bunchgrass and clear the prairie of scotch broom using weed wrenches.
Please bring grippy work gloves, boots and clothes or rain gear appropriate for the weather.
Noon refreshments, and natural history interpretation will be provided.
Directions: From South bound I-5, take exit 95, go west on Hwy 121 toward Littlerock. In Littlerock, continue west on 128th to "T", turn right on Waddell Creek Rd, Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve entrance is about one mile on left.
For more information, please contact Natural Area site manager Birdie Davenport at 360-596-5144 (Olympia) or email roberta.davenport@dnr.wa.gov.
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By David Heimer. Noxious Weed Coordinator, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
An Integrated Aquatic Plant Management Plan for the Chehalis River Basin (IAVMP) was completed in December by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife through Ecology's Freshwater Aquatic Weed Grant Program.
Alien species, such as weeds, have been identified as the second biggest threat to biodiversity behind habitat loss (Wilcove et al., 1998). Agencies, tribes and non-profits conducting natural resource management in the Chehalis Basin soon realized that aquatic weeds were especially problematic in that they were not easily accessed, crossed jurisdiction boundaries, and were difficult and expensive to control. Therefore a plan was developed by a group of fifteen partners to address four aquatic weed species: Brazilian elodea, the knotweeds, parrotfeather, and purple loosestrife.
The purpose of plan is to develop a coordinated control effort for invasive aquatic weed species in the Chehalis River Watershed. The plan will coordinate the control activities for invasive species undertaken by landowners and land managers, including private, federal, tribal, state and county. This plan will also act as a working guide for future control activities. Coordinating aquatic weed management in the Chehalis River Watershed will allow a sharing of expertise and resources across management jurisdictions, resulting in more thorough control of invasive, aquatic weeds. Through these efforts we hope to minimize the spread of the target weeds, to identify high priority areas for control, and act to prevent economic and ecological impacts from these invasive species.
Profiles of the weeds included in the plan will be published in future editions of Drops of Water. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the IAVMP plan you may contact your local county weed board or David Heimer at 253-732-3869 or heimedmh@dfw.wa.gov.
(A copy of this plan is also available at the Chehalis River Council office in Centralia in hard copy or c.d. format.)
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Friday, March 30 -- Annual Meeting at Swede Hall, Rochester -- 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
The public is invited to join us at a potluck supper. Bring a side dish or dessert
Meet the new Officers and Board Members
Featured Speaker: Randy Lehr of Grays Harbor College, discussing the Alder Creek Model Watershed Program.
Door Prizes
Saturday, April 7 -- Centralia's Discovery Trail will be the site of a Black Hills Audubon birding field trip.
Meet at the parking area at the end of Goodrich Road at 8:30 a.m.
Easy Walking. Bring binoculars if you have them.
May 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23 --
Chehalis Basin Educational Consortium and CRBLT will host students from Rochester Middle School and Washington Elementary (Centralia) at the Discovery Trail, where they will "discover" the natural treasures there. Students will also get to tour the new Centralia Wastewater Treatment Plant. If you would like to help with these activities, please contact the land trust at (360) 807-0764 or chehalislandtrust@yahoo.com.
Monthly board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at the CRBLT office at 417 Pearl Street, Centralia. The next ones are April 18 and May 16. Guests are welcome.
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By Nancy Ness, Grays Harbor County Noxious Weed Control Board
The following weed descriptions are based on the Aquatic Weed Plan described on page one of this issue.
Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) is a submersed, rooted aquatic plant and is now a $100,000+ problem, probably stemming from somebody's fishbowl.. Brazilian elodea is an attractive, robust plant well-suited to aquarium life. Up until 1996 it was commonly sold in Washington pet stores under the name "anacharis." It was also sold in plant nurseries as an "oxygen" plant. Because of its invasive properties that allow it take over in water bodies where it is introduced, it is no longer being sold in Washington. This species is on the quarantine list and regulated by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), and it is illegal to buy, sell or offer this plant for sale in the state of Washington.
Brazilian elodea looks very much like a larger, more robust version of its commonly-found native relative, Elodea canadensis (waterweed). The photograph above compares two strands of Elodea canadensis (upper left) to Egeria densa (the large robust plant to the right).
This Class B noxious weed was first discovered in the Chehalis River in July of 1997, near Centralia, Washington with the infestation size estimated to have been less than one acre. The total acreage as measured by a 2005 survey project is 25 acres. The total river miles where elodea infestations are found today is approximately fifteen miles. Outside of the Columbia River, this is the first known infestation of Brazilian elodea in a river in Washington State.
The slow moving waters of the middle section of the Chehalis River, as well as the Black River, are especially susceptible to colonization by this species. Brazilian elodea grows into dense monocultures that restrict water movement, trap sediments, and deplete dissolved oxygen and effect pH. These dense stands of Brazilian elodea displace salmonids and other fish species from critical rearing habitat. Recreational opportunities are also lost as boating, fishing and swimming activities are restricted by weed-choked waterways.
Knowing how and where this aquatic weed is spread is critical in preventing the expansion into new territories. Recognizing that plant fragments can be spread on boats, trailers, gear and even by flooding and by some species of wildlife is essential to prevent it from spreading any further.
Progress is being made on this species through projects led by Washington Department of Ecology, Chehalis Tribe, Thurston County Weed Control, Lewis County Weed Control, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Nearly 25 acres of infestations have been identified, and over 116,000 lbs of elodea removed through projects the past three years.
Eradication of Brazilian elodea from all areas of the Chehalis River is probably not practical; however, expertise over the past several years has provided significant progress in the most heavily infested areas in Lewis and Thurston Counties. Working towards a goal of control/containment near the sources of the infestation and early detection/control in the non-infested areas, are goals for future projects on the Chehalis River.
If you have questions or would like to report a sighting, call your local weed board:
Lewis County: (360) 740-1215, Thurston County: (360) 786-5576, Grays Harbor County: (360) 482-2265.
Parrotfeather gets it name from its featherlike leaves, which are arranged around the stem in whorls of four to six. Parrotfeather has both submersed and emergent leaves, with the submersed form being easily mistaken for Eurasian water milfoil (M. spicatum), a close relative.
Parrotfeather was discovered growing in the Chehalis River in 1994, although there are herbarium records of parrotfeather in Grays Harbor from the 1940's.
 Photo: Nancy Ness - Parrotfeather |
All parrotfeather plants outside of their native range are female and infertile. No seed is produced from parrotfeather plants. Parrotfeather propagates through fragmentation, with the ability to establish in new locations from small floating pieces. The stems of parrotfeather are brittle and fragment easily. These fragments settle in sediments and produce new plants. Fragments can be spread by boats, trailers, and by dumping aquarium plants in waterways. Fragments can also be spread by waterfowl and other wildlife. Adventitious roots form at the nodes. When attached to a bank, parrotfeather stems can extend out several yards over the water surface. Although periodic flooding does scour it and prevent it from being as big a problem as initially feared, parrotfeather removal should be as high a priority for removal as Brazilian elodea.
Early detection and prevention is the preferred method for treatment when very small infestations are found. The bright green emergent tips (they look like miniature pine trees) of parrotfeather are a good way to identify suspicious plants for further identification. Hand pulling or raking out water-suspended plants is manageable and effective on small patches. Take great care to avoid creating new fragments and try and remove the rhizomes. Diver dredging, bottom barriers, drag lines are all control methods that work in certain situations. Herbicide application is also employed for parrotfeather control.
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By Sara Carter, Natural Resources Youth Camp
Natural Resources Youth Camp (NRYC) will be here soon, offering yet another year of future-focused, fun-filled forest adventures. This annual non-profit outdoor camp provides youth ages 12 - 16 with exploratory learning and leadership-enhancing activities.
 NRYC campers investigate the water quality and biological diversity of Yellowjacket Creek by observing stream bugs. Photo: NRYC |
Camp activities include hands-on field sessions taught by resource professionals, hikes, exploration and adventure sessions, ropes/challenge course, recreation, games, campfires, skits and other exciting opportunities. Various activity alternatives are presented during the week to allow campers the flexibility to personalize their experience by choosing to study in areas specific to their interests.
Field classes focused on Water, Forests, Wildlife and Soils offer campers a balanced, baseline understanding of natural systems and regional resource issues. Working alongside professional resource managers, campers will explore potential options and tools for managing an ecologically sustainable and economically viable future. In addition, much of the curriculum has been aligned with Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), providing campers with skills and opportunities to improve test scores in science and other content areas.
NRYC's dedicated and trained staff work diligently to support campers in all aspects necessary for a safe, educational and enjoyable week of discovery. Heated, dormitory style cabins provide campers with secure and comfortable accommodations during their week in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Older students and returning campers may want to consider attending the Advanced Camp, which includes a multi-day backpacking adventure lead by a male/female team of skilled outdoor guides.
A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available for motivated youth in financial need.
A $25 discount will be applied if a camper has a friend register.
We will assist with car pool arrangements, where available, for drop-off or pick-up.
If you have an appropriate outdoor skill or activity you would like to share with NRYC campers, please feel free to contact us.
Make it official and reserve your camper's space today! Please see www.nryc.org or contact NRYC staff at 360.754.3588 to register or receive more information.
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Who: All youth ages 12 - 16
What: Outdoor / Experiential Education Camp
Why: Campers will explore current natural resource challenges and potential solutions, learn about natural systems, enhance teamwork, investigate various outdoor environments and skills, develop leadership techniques, improve problem solving skills, have fun and make new friends!
When: Sunday June 24 - Saturday June 30. Registration required by June 18th
Where: Cispus Learning Center, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Randle, WA.
How (much): Regular camp $300. Advanced camp $325. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available.
www.nryc.org - 360.754.3588 - PO Box 5343 Lacey WA 98506
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By Grace Diehl, Volunteer Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy
The 12th Annual Prairie Appreciation Day is Saturday May 5, 2007, 10 am - 4 pm, Littlerock, Washington.
 A field of cama flowers |
Celebrate the wonder of spring outside on the South Sound prairies during our 12th Annual Prairie Appreciation Day at the Glacial Heritage Preserve. This all day event includes exciting workshops on birds, wild flowers and animals, butterflies, gardening with native plants, and ethnobotany. Explore the prairies at your own pace and bring the kids for a hayride and a chance to meet a Big Blue Gopher!
Wheelchair accessible activities for individuals and groups will be available at the Washington Department of Natural Resources Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve.
Directions: Take I-5 to Exit 95 (the Littlerock exit). Go west through Littlerock (past the gas station and tavern) to the T-intersection at the Mima/Waddell Creek road. Go south (left) on Mima Road 2.7 miles. You will pass an obscure green and white sign on the right that says "Weyerhaeuser Mima nursery" at the beginning of fields of tiny evergreen trees. Take the next left onto an unmarked gravel road, where there is tree farm on the near side of the intersection and a few houses on the far left side of the intersection. Please be sure to adhere to the 10 mph speed limit as there are often dogs and small children nearby. Follow the road to its end and park near the gate.
For limited mobility/wheelchair accessible tours turn right on Waddell Creek Road at the T intersection and go 0.7 miles north. The Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is on the left.
Information: www.prairieappreciationday.org. Contact: gdiehl@tnc.org.
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The 12th Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival will be held on the weekend of April 27-29, 2007 in Hoquiam, Washington with headquarters at Hoquiam High School.
 Dowitcher - courtesy WDFW image gallery |
Grays Harbor Audubon Society, Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, and the City of Hoquiam work with a host of other local sponsors to bring you the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. This event is timed to match the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they pause at the Grays Harbor estuary to feed and rest before departing for their nesting grounds in the Arctic. Coming from as far south as Argentina, these Arctic-bound shorebirds are among the world's greatest migrants. Some birds travel over 15,000 miles round trip.
This year a new event will be a dessert reception with keynote speaker on Friday, April 27. Keynote speaker, naturalist and photographer Paul Bannick, will share his amazing work during this program, "Intimate Images of Western Birds." A banquet and live auction will be held Saturday, April 28 with special guest Congressman Norm Dicks. Other activities include guided field trips, lectures, a "Birder's Bazaar," nature fun fair, book signing by authors, poster contest, and more.
Most events start or are located at the Festival Headquarters, Hoquiam High School in Hoquiam. Friday Field Trips leave from the Grays Harbor NWR office on Airport Way.
This wildlife spectacle happens every year at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and other parts of Grays Harbor County. People from around the world come to view this event of hemispheric importance.
Pre-registration is recommended for fee events and must be postmarked by April 21. For a schedule and registration information, visit http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/fest_register.html or call 1-800-303-8498.
A portion of revenues in excess of festival expenses helps to fund education programs and scientific research at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and helps pay for continuation of construction of the boardwalk, benches and interpretive signage.
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By Janet Strong, Chehalis River Basin Land Trust
By now, Spring is coming into full flower, so to speak.
In the Spring, most of us enjoy watching the riot of color in the flowers and the new shiny green leaves, as we listen to the endless chorus of frogs and songs of the birds. But we don't generally pay much attention to the sequence and the timing of nature's annual events. We probably don't see how they all relate to each other. Why are the forests a carpet of colorful blooms in spring but much more subdued, flower-wise, later on? How do birds time their nesting activities? Why do all the different plants and animals do what they do when they do it, in the Spring?
With so many good-for-being-outdoors days, this might be a great year for us all to dig deeply into nature's well-orchestrated strategies for survival, whether in Spring or the rest of the year. We could begin by finding an interesting natural area, as diverse as possible, in a convenient location. It could be a forest, a meadow, a wetland, a stream area, a local park -- to have some of each would be ideal. It could be our backyard or the back forty. It should be a place we can and will visit often. Then grab a notebook or an extra calendar and a pencil and start getting to know that special place.
If we sit quietly for awhile, melding into our surroundings, the natural activities will resume and we begin to pick up clues -- What's feeding on what? What are emerging together? How does the light play into things? What's blooming? What's hatching? Did the stream change course this winter? What's going on in the wetland?
The more often we visit our site, the more we will notice the changes through time and the more amazed we will become at what really goes on out there in the natural world. I was amazed and intrigued one Spring as I watched two pileated woodpeckers in Capitol Forest doing the oddest thing. These birds, usually found hammering on trees in search of carpenter ants and other edibles, were dangling upside down from the ends of the branches of an alder tree in bloom. They were feeding on alder blossoms or the insects inside them -- whichever, I couldn't tell. But it sure was humorous -- something I hadn't read about or seen before.
There are many good reasons for us all to get better acquainted with our natural world and how it works, both for each of us and for its benefit. Regular visits to some natural place for observation can allow us to step outside ourselves for awhile and forget our stresses and problems. We can learn so much and deepen our appreciation of the clever tricks different species use to survive. The concepts of partnership, competition, multiple-use, physical fitness and more will have new meanings. We may be able to pass on that appreciation and knowledge to others or even to the body of scientific information. Over time, we may be able to translate our appreciation into action on behalf of these delicate and complex natural systems that we, in fact, depend upon in so many ways.
So, Go, Spring!