Work Parties in Review
Holly and Hauling- December 2011
We kept busy in December with a work party each at Ladies of the Lake, south end of Lake Whatcom, and Maple Creek Reach, just east of Maple Falls. It was a beautiful day at Ladies of the Lake, and there was a bounty of wildlife- lots of eagles in the trees, and kokanee salmon running in Fir Creek. We set to work taking down holly, and removed several large trees and lots of small ones. Volunteers kept some to take home and make wreaths as well. Two weeks later we went out to Maple Creek Reach, where we worked on removing a large and elaborate camp. Our restoration partners on this site, NSEA, brought in a small trailer for us to pile debris in, and we filled it up and then some with all kinds of debris- lumber, doors, buckets, and tubing. Though it was drizzling and shlepping debris isn’t every volunteers dream, we got a lot done due to their effort.
Working Away at White Deer- November 2011
Though documentation of these work parties are lacking due to some camera snafus, rest assured that they were very successful and we accomplished a lot. Our first small work party was focused on removing old fencing that was on the property. Tangled with weeds and intersected by trees, finding the fence was not always easy, but with the help of some wire cutters we got most of it out of there!
For the second work party we welcomed students from WWU’s L.E.A.D program, who helped us out with some sheet mulching. There has been sheet mulching done here for several years to remove yellow archangel; However, this time creeping buttercup was the invasive species at hand. With several large piles of cardboard and mulch, we got all the creeping buttercup covered up remarkably quickly- its amazing what you can do with just a few more people.
Sprucing up Kelsey Preserve- October 2011
We had our first two work parties of the fall at Ruth Kelsey Nature Preserve! Our first project was starting the demolition of an old house that stands on the property. With the help of some crowbars and sledgehammers, and the muscle of our volunteers, we quickly filled a dumpster with the debris. We also enjoyed looking at newspaper remnants from the house- all dating back to the 1930′s! Though there is still debris yet to be removed, we definitely made some good progress on restoring this site back to its natural state.
Our second project at Kelsey was a Make A Difference Day project, a national day of volunteer service that was wonderfully organized by the Whatcom Volunteer center. We enjoyed meeting a lot of new faces, and set to work clearing the trail that leads back to the property. Formerly overgrown, and requiring a bit of bushwacking to get through, the trail is now wide and clear, thanks to the effort of our volunteers.
Goats and Blackberries–August 2009
Out at the Ruth Kelsey Nature Sanctuary, the goats from Healing Hooves lent their considerable skills in vegetation management to the Whatcom Land Trust. Over the course of five days, open space was returned to the meadow that was once filled with Himalayan blackberry brambles. As it turns out, goats and sheep are a wonderful, natural tool for controlling unruly plant life. Thanks to their efforts, volunteers were then able to go in and dig up much of the remaining blackberry brambles with ease. If you’d like more information about the folks and goats at Healing Hooves, go to www.healinghooves.com.
Lily Point Marine Reserve–September 2009
Mulka Barn Removal and Clean-up–Winter 2009-2010
Located on the banks of the Samish River, the forested and open marsh wetlands of the Mulka preserve are home to a variety of species. Resident and migratory birds and waterfowl as well as fish, like rearing Coho salmon, call this place home. Our goal for this project was to restore open space by deconstructing the barn on the property. Over a period of several Saturday mornings throughout the winter, volunteers bent to the task of stacking lumber and pulling nails. What’s going to happen to the leftovers? Wood that is still in good shape will be reused. Scrap metal, like nails, will be recycled. WLT’s long-term goal is to restore and protect the preserve’s functioning habitat. Thanks to all you volunteers, we’re that much closer to our goal.
Holly Hunting at Jensen Family Forest Park–January 2010
Families from Whatcom County and the surrounding counties (even a few from British Columbia), hunted holly with the Whatcom Land Trust at the Jensen Family Forest Park. This picturesque little woodland area in northwest Whatcom County was having a bit of trouble from invasive holly, which we happily took care of. Parents and children alike worked hard, and by the end we had an impressive pile of holly. Thank you Whatcom County Parks and Recreation for coming out and taking care of the leftover debris! We appreciate your support.
Bat Houses at Ruth Kelsey Nature Sanctuary–February 2010
photos by: Genevieve Schmidt
On a cloudy morning in February, volunteers drilled posts, dug holes, and cranked socket wrenches in order to create habitat for native bats in Whatcom county. We had a lot of fun at this one. A total of five bat houses were set in place at Kelsey, each around three feet tall and two feet wide, with only 3/4 of an inch of space in between, for warmth.
When installing bat houses, they need to be placed at least 12 feet high above the ground, though 15-20 feet is ideal, with a 20-25 feet radius of space free of perches for potential predators. Place them on posts or on the side of a building, not it trees. In Washington, because of our latitude, bat houses should be painted black and facing south/southeast to soak up enough heat. For more information, Bat Conservation International’s website is extremely helpful. Find it at www.batcon.org.