Volunteering with Friends of the Gorge offers Land Stewardship, Education; Connection
Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
By Cole Goodwin
The Dalles, Ore., April 3, 2024 – Friends of the Columbia Gorge (Friends) is inviting the community to embrace the spring season with volunteer stewardship projects designed to nurture the land, your mind, and your spirit. From the renewal of habitats at the Sams Walker Day Use Area to the meticulous removal of Scotch Broom at Camas Patch Preserve, there are lots of opportunities for the public to get involved in land stewardship in the Gorge.
I volunteered with Friends of the Gorge and this is what happened:
On March 15, I joined a native grass reseeding effort at the Rick Bob Unit in Washington, a site currently undergoing restorative care by Friends and the U.S. Forest Service. The project promised a day of stewardship and insight and boy did it deliver.
Event Coordinators delivered a volunteer experience that was both educational and immensely satisfying.
Sarah Skelly and Brance Morefield. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
Guided by the seasoned expertise of Sarah Skelly, Stewardship Volunteer Coordinator for Friends and Brance Morefield, a U.S. Forest Service botanist, who has worked for the forest service for over 20 years, our diverse group of USFS staff, curious members of the public, Oregon Master Naturalists, and social and ecological scientists ventured into the woods.
During introductions, Morefield shared that he hoped the event would help to peel back the curtain on restoration efforts and show the community the science, heart, and sweat that local agencies, volunteers, and organizations are putting into nurturing the land.
Taking a look around, it was clear the work party was a melting pot of nature lovers from diverse backgrounds – from Forest Service and scientific professionals passionate about their home terrain, to OSU Master Naturalist students hungry for knowledge, to seasoned volunteers, and curious first timers.
When asked why they had attended the event many volunteers spoke to their desire to deepen their connection to the Gorge and support the land that provides so much to us all.
“I’m here with the Forest Service because I grew up here and I love it here and the Eagle Creek fire made me realize how much I would miss it if it wasn’t here. So, I set out to become a Restoration Ecologist and make sure that this land stays beautiful and resilient forever,” said Rachel Peterson, a Social Scientist.
Our day began with a hike through the restoration area.
As we walked, Morefield illuminated the historical tapestry of the land – from pre-colonization landscapes shaped by Native American burning practices to the current efforts to rebalance its ecology by fostering a landscape that mirrors its history while also standing resilient in the face of future climate challenges.
Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
Morefield spoke to the ecological history of the area.
”We think he Rick-Bob Unit was historically more of a mix of ponderosa and oak woodland,” he said.
That’s a stark contrast to the present reality of the area which is densely packed Doug Firs.
“This used to be a lot more open. There were a lot more oaks pre-colonization. It goes back to when the Native people were removed to their reservations. All these trees started growing because cultural fires weren’t happening, because they were burning relatively often, maybe every five years once enough fuel had built up. So we want to get it back to that pre-colonization condition.”
In recent years the USFS have worked to thin trees and underburn in the area to allow for more oaks trees to flourish and reduce fuels for wildfires.
“As far as burning goes it’s really hard in the gorge to burn because for one thing you’ve got a lot of landowners on neighboring properties and another thing is it creates smoke. And because of the winds in the gorge it has the potential to block I-84 or block highway 14 or create hazards. And they don’t like us to create smoke so it’s kind of constrictive as to when we can burn,” said Morefield.
The other constraint? Turns out restoration work is expensive.
“It probably cost us about $1,000 per acre to treat this area, to cut the trees out, pile them, and then another $1,000 per acre to burn it. It’s pretty expensive is what I’m trying to get at. It’s sad. It should be easier and cheaper,” said Brance.
As we walked, I realized that these events are a great way to get connected to likeminded folk.
I chatted with various volunteers during the hike and I was floored by the amount of historical, ecological, and botanical knowledge that surrounded me. It seemed everyone had some niche piece of ecological knowledge to offer up.
As we walked Morefield (and several other members of the group) pointed out native plants and fungi along the way. Helping the group learn to identify invasive plants such as bull thistle and native plants such as Yerba buena, Dyer’s Polypore, Trailing blackberry, poison oak, tall and low Oregon Grape.
This sharing, connecting and learning also happened in such an organic way it felt easy to retain what I’d learned.
Morefield points out some native plants to the group. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
Dyer’s polypore. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
After the guided walk it was time to get to work.
Volunteers suited up in belly grinder seeders to seed the area with native wildflowers and grassses such as Bicolor Lupine, Blue Bunch Wheat Grass, Blue Wildrye, Idaho Fescue, and Yarrow.
Native grass seed. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
While the belly grinders were heavy with seed, the weather was perfect, and the volunteers were smiling. Everyone in attendance seemed to agree: the Columbia River Gorge, with her rivers, her mountains, her trees, and her endemic species is well worth the work.
As we walked in opposite directions, seeding the land with native plants, the significance of our actions started to settle amidst the quiet of the trees: each seed sown is a step towards a more biodiverse, resilient Gorge.
It just felt really good to put my hands to work and give back to the land and to the community.
And the work certainly underscored the Friends' mission: to protect, preserve, and steward the Columbia Gorge's scenic, natural, cultural, and recreational resources.
Volunteers line up to fill their seeders. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
Volunteers reseeding a recently disturbed area near Courtney Road with native grasses and wildflowers. Photo Credit: Monique Trevett
When at last every inch had been seeded to satisfaction it was time to say our goodbyes.
“Part of Friends of the Columbia Gorge mission is to advocate for responsible stewardship and offer opportunities for the community to connect to the land, the ecology and actively participate in its preservation. We encourage people to join us in our efforts to ensure the Columbia Gorge remains a wonderous, wild, and welcoming place for generations to come,” said Skelly.
For those inspired to contribute to the stewardship of the Columbia River Gorge, visit Friends' Volunteer Stewardship webpage to learn about upcoming projects and find out how your hands can help shape the future of the Gorge.
"We're grateful for every volunteer who takes time out of their day to join us in tending to the Gorge's ecosystems. Your effort is a gift to the land and future generations,“ said Skelly.
Upcoming Friends Stewardship Programs:
Saturday, Apr 13: Volunteer Planting at Sams Walker Day Use Area, WA
Friday, Apr 19: Stewardship Day at Balfour-Klickitat Day Use Area, WA
Friday, Apr 26: Scotch Broom Removal at Camas Patch Preserve, WA
Saturday, Apr 27: Volunteer Planting at Sams Walker Day Use Area, WA
Friday, May 10: Stewardship Day at Balfour-Klickitat Day Use Area, WA
Saturday, May 11: Stewardship Day at St. Cloud Day Use Area, WA
Looking for more?
Oregon Trailkeepers also offers lots of opportunities for volunteers to engage with stewardship, outdoor education, and trail work.
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