Posts

Making a Difference, One Plant at a Time.

/in /by

Written by WCC crew member Emillie Shistle

 

WCC crew member Mio Mitchell

Seeing the impact six people with brush cutters can have on a piece of land is fantastic. Seeing the impact an enhancement group can have on the ecosystem is even more thrilling. When the Washington Conservation Corps crew showed up at the site in Hamilton, it was somewhat overwhelming. Tall grass was hiding the trees that were planted by an earlier crew, and the rest of the field was a monoculture of grass.  Our crew spent a good amount of time whacking the grass down, being careful to mind the trees and plants doing their best to grow. Once we whacked all the grass down we spent some time staking out where the next set of trees and shrubs will be planted. All the stakes needed to be spaced 8’x8’ in order to give them adequate room to grow into mature plants, as well as giving enough room to mow down the grass that is bound to grow back.

WCC Assistant Supervisor Nathan White

Once the trees get taller they will shade out the grass and it will mature into a beautiful, abundant, and native forest, no longer requiring much maintenance. Skagit Fisheries volunteer planting parties, along with our Washington Conservation Corps crew, are going to get 3,500 plants into the ground at this specific site in Hamilton. Volunteers at this site will also be building a trail, putting in a picnic table, and putting in informational signs. These plants will provide habitat for native animals and insects, as well as providing a buffer for the slough that is connected to the Skagit River. This will naturally filter out things we don’t want in our watershed. The plants will aid in water quality and provide more shade for the slough, lowering its temperature to a happy level for salmon. People, plants, and our overall ecosystem will benefit from the hard work we are putting in at the site in Hamilton.

In the short term, turning a grass field into a field of tiny, baby trees might not seem like it’s going to have much of an impact. However, helping the natural cycles break through the suffocating grass and reform a native forest is going to be an impact felt for many decades into our future. It will be a visible and tangible impact for current and future generations. That is the reason we do what we do.

WCC crew member Natalie Cumiford

 

We The People, Can Make A Difference

/in /by

By Taylor Schmuki & Edited by Lindsay Warne

Volunteers: ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

In 1787, the famous words “We the People…” built the scaffolding for a better future powered by the hearts and minds of everyday people. Today, the challenges of our day loom large. In Washington State alone, salmon populations decreased by forty percent, critical estuarine habitat decreased by seventy percent and human generated pollution threatens people and animals alike. Under these conditions, it seems practically impossible to out-swim the wave of hopelessness.

And yet, people from all walks of life show up—an aspiring ecologist, a woman in her first trimester, a neighbor up the road, an old friend— looking to make a difference. As a non-profit, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) would not exist without our persistent and devoted volunteers.  During the three volunteer work parties this fall, our volunteers removed 15 shade clothes, built 18 capillary beds (which house around 200 nursery plants), potted 120 live stakes, and planted 1,160 plants.  These efforts directly improve salmon habitat and build greater capacity for SFEG to continue restoration work.

Utopia Complex Project: A Success Story

Utopia Complex is an old farm turned restoration site now managed by Skagit Land Trust. This year, in partnership, we planted 12 new acres of conifers and willows. Our new plantings will grow among full-grown conifers and cottonwoods that were planted by SFEG volunteers 15 years ago.  These plantings have reduced invasive species such as blackberry and reed canary grass while providing salmon and wood duck habitat.

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. They help us accomplish ambitious projects, such as Utopia, that we could never complete alone. Every volunteer helps. You have made a difference and we at SFEG are so grateful.

You make a difference!

One tree in a forest may be forgotten. However, it still produces 6,000 pounds of oxygen a year, houses numerous animals, filters water, and provides beauty for thousands of people.  We can take cues from the trees and see that by donating 25 dollars or volunteering a few hours you have helped our community.

Thank you for your commitment to service and we hope to see everyone in many days to come.

Remember: ‘We the People’ can be successful.  ‘We the People’ can make a difference.  And ‘We the people’ make change happen.

Volunteers