FRIENDS Tree & Shrub Planting
Posted November 5, 2015 at 5:58 am by Tim Dustrude
Lush full crew – Contributed photo
Students, local and regional volunteers support local restoration efforts
Orcas Middle School kids plant trees – Contributed photo
A cadre of enthusiastic and energetic volunteers helped FRIENDS of the San Juans plant over 500 native trees and shrubs along the banks of the recently restored West Beach Creek on Orcas Island. Participants included 19 students from the middle and high school marine biology classes on Orcas Island, community and Marine Resources Committee volunteers as well as 15 employees of Lush cosmetics from Seattle-Tacoma area stores who volunteered their time to spend a day with FRIENDS restoring habitat for people and nature.
The streamside replanting effort follows last year’s removal of an outdated dam and small, perched culverts that blocked fish passage and created a pond in place of the natural stream habitat preferred by salmon and trout.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 in 2014. West Beach Creek is one of a small number of streams with year round flow in the San Juans and its lower reaches, including the restoration site, provide important habitat for coastal cutthroat trout as well as outmigrating juvenile salmon.
Stephanie Prima – Contributed photo
“It never occurred to me that small salmon need a place to rest and hide out from predators on their long run from the Frazier River to points south. With this restoration project, I feel like I’m contributing to the health of not only the salmon population but also our beloved Southern Resident Killer Whales. I’m grateful to Friends of the San Juans for helping me understand how modifications we make on land affect the sea and those who dwell in it” noted San Juan Island resident and project volunteer Stephanie Prima.
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