Orcas Students, Volunteers Support Local Restoration

— from Tina Whitman —

[metaslider id=39948]

Last month 19 Orcas middle and high school students in Laura Tidwell’s marine biology classes and community volunteers joined Friends of the San Juans to replant over 500 native trees and shrubs along the banks of the recently restored West Beach Creek. “Restoration plantings take a huge amount of labor- so we are really appreciative of our local students and community members for the energy and enthusiasm they provided to the project” stated Tina Whitman, FRIENDS Science Director.

The replanting project follows last year’s removal of a dam and small, perched culverts that blocked fish passage and created a pond in place of the natural stream habitat preferred by salmon and trout. Restoration of fish passage with a large culvert was completed by the Northwest Straits Foundation in partnership with the family of the privately owned property (the late Trudy Erwin and her daughters Dianna Down and Sidney Exton) in 2014. West Beach Creek is one of a few streams with year round flow on Orcas Island and its lower reaches, including the restoration site, provide important habitat for coastal cutthroat trout and outmigrating juvenile salmon.

Words from participating students:

• I absolutely loved planting all of the willow trees! I found it really fascinating how the trees could grow from just a branch! –Skylar
• It was very fun to plant trees because we were working and talking to our friends at the same time, but it was also cool because we were helping nature take it’s course in life. –Destiny
• I enjoyed that so many trees could be planted by a normal school class, and that they helped the environment. –Ewan
• It was really fun. I felt I was mother earth making new life. I felt really good afterwards. –Ayjah
• I thought that planting the trees was successful and afterwards it felt good to plant 150 trees!
  –Camryn
• Was really fun. Gad to help out in the community. –Thian
• It was fun to know that I helped restore a habitat. I really like getting a little down in the dirt. –Kataya
• I personally thought it was very engaging and enjoyable. It was nice to do this project and know we were helping fish. It was also really fun to do something new. –Mia
• I enjoyed helping create a habitat for fish. I enjoyed helping in our community and exploring the restoration project. –Ian