Environment 101
Being the not-so-proud owner custodian of a small section of degraded, salty creek, I attended a workshop on "Creekline Restoration" on the weekend.
In my ignorance, I thought that the first thing I'd need to do in my rehabilitation project would be to collect and burn all the fallen trees and dead wood. It turns out that correctly positioned Large Woody Debris is key to the health of most waterways. It can direct the flow of the stream to the middle of the channel, protect the banks and provide a habitat for fish and animals.
Did you know that every bend in a creek is a site for erosion, because the water continually wears away the bank? That's quite obvious once it's been pointed out, but hadn't occurred to me.
I hadn't realised just how bad things were until I got home. Trees in poor health, no shrubs, no sedges or rushes, plenty of non-native grasses and weeds, eroded banks, exposed tree roots, no frogs, hardly any birds. Sigh. I guess the first step in fixing any problem is recognising how bad things are to begin with. I have at least done the very most important thing you're supposed to do, which is to fence off your creek so your stock can't damage the banks further.
So: for now, I rearrange my Large Woody Debris. Before Christmas: I place an order for next year's planting. Next winter: I try to replace the weeds and grasses with native seedlings of rushes, shrubs and trees. Then: I hope it doesn't flood and wash all my seedlings away, and I keep weeding and weeding and weeding.
Anyone remotely interested in this project is welcome to show up at any time to help! I can offer heavy lifting, dirt, mosquitoes and the possibility of snakebite. And chocolate chip cookies.
In my ignorance, I thought that the first thing I'd need to do in my rehabilitation project would be to collect and burn all the fallen trees and dead wood. It turns out that correctly positioned Large Woody Debris is key to the health of most waterways. It can direct the flow of the stream to the middle of the channel, protect the banks and provide a habitat for fish and animals.
Did you know that every bend in a creek is a site for erosion, because the water continually wears away the bank? That's quite obvious once it's been pointed out, but hadn't occurred to me.
I hadn't realised just how bad things were until I got home. Trees in poor health, no shrubs, no sedges or rushes, plenty of non-native grasses and weeds, eroded banks, exposed tree roots, no frogs, hardly any birds. Sigh. I guess the first step in fixing any problem is recognising how bad things are to begin with. I have at least done the very most important thing you're supposed to do, which is to fence off your creek so your stock can't damage the banks further.
So: for now, I rearrange my Large Woody Debris. Before Christmas: I place an order for next year's planting. Next winter: I try to replace the weeds and grasses with native seedlings of rushes, shrubs and trees. Then: I hope it doesn't flood and wash all my seedlings away, and I keep weeding and weeding and weeding.
Anyone remotely interested in this project is welcome to show up at any time to help! I can offer heavy lifting, dirt, mosquitoes and the possibility of snakebite. And chocolate chip cookies.