Volunteers Seed New Life Into Mt. Ulka After Rowena Fire
Volunteers spread native plant seed in the Mt. Ulka Preserve west of The Dalles. 12 native plant seed varieties were spread in hopes of restoring the ground.
Story & Photos by Nancy Turner
The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 8, 2025 — Recovery in the wake of the Rowena Fire continues to move slowly but steadily, as volunteers returned to the scorched landscape Wednesday, Nov. 5, to restore habitat at the base of Mt. Ulka.
The Mt. Ulka Preserve is a roughly 50-acre property along Sevenmile Hill Road west of The Dalles. The preserve overlooks the Columbia River Gorge and includes a trail network that is part of the larger Gorge Towns to Trails initiative.
Photo of volunteers who worked to restore the vegetation at the Mt. Ulka preserve near Sevenmile Hill Road, west of The Dalles.
Most of the restoration crew consisted of Google employees, joined by two crew leaders from Friends of the Columbia Gorge and five land stewards, including Jill Turner of Portland. A few independent volunteers rounded out the group.
Jill Turner of Portland spreads native plant seed in the Rowena burn area on Wednesday, Nov. 5
Volunteers spread about 300 pounds of native seed across fire-damaged ground, covering most of the targeted area before supplies ran out. Though each seed weighs nearly nothing, the total volume is significant — roughly equivalent to 30 cubic feet, or about the size of a large chest freezer. In weight, it is comparable to a black bear or full-grown deer.
List of native seed that was spread in the burned area. Restoration of native plants and grasses take time as the plants must compete against very aggressive weeds that typically come in after a fire. It can take a few years to see natives begin to take root and begin to displacing other less desirable vegetation.
Organizers expect the seeds to begin germinating with winter moisture, creating a fresh layer of green across acres of charred terrain by spring.
