Description
Start Date-End Date: 05/11/2018-05/11/2018
Land Manager Office:
Land Manager Contact: Michael Clausen
Funding Partner: Schneider Electric (formerly Renewable Choice Energy)
Programmatic Partner: AloTerra Restoration Services
Summary: Help VOC perform critical riparian restoration along the St. Vrain Creek in Lyons.
Description: In 2013, the St. Vrain Creek watershed was the site of devastating flooding. Stream flows within the town of Lyons exceeded 19,500 cubic feet per second (cfs), surpassing the average 67 cfs by almost 30 times. The cumulative damages to Lyons will take years to repair, and ecological restoration efforts along the St. Vrain Creek Watershed are ongoing.
Volunteers are needed to help restore a portion of North St. Vrain Creek along Apple Valley Road just outside the town of Lyons. Tasks will include harvesting and planting willows, a critical species for the stabilization of stream banks, and planting an mulching container plants. Tasks will be easy to moderate in physical difficulty. Volunteers will spend the project working along side the stream bank and in the adjoining riparian areas.
Latitude/Longitude:
Additional Information: Tee SHIRT SIZES
Camping Available: No
Physical Difficulty: Easy
High Altitude Project: No
Desired Number of Volunteers: 15
Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 11
Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 0
Total Volunteer Days: 11
Total Unique Volunteers: 11
Total Volunteer Hours: 104
Staff Hours: 14
Stipend Hours: 0
Project Summary: At the end of this project we planted 350 plants! Of those 350, 25 were Ponderosa Pine, 25 were common Juniper trees, 25 Choke Cherry bushes, 25 wax currant bushes, and 250 Coyote Willow. The set project goals were met. The work completed aligned with the original scope of work.
Successes and Challenges: Successes: All work was completed on this project. Volunteers enjoyed their experience; they had great attitudes and morale during the entire project. It was just enough work to make for a easy-paced work day.
Challenges: It was a bit of a challenge to schedule a site visit with AloTerra initially, there had been a number of rescheduled visits. Was not able to see the site until several days before the project.
Lessons Learned: If it is possible for the project partner to bring in anyone from their crews, have them there for project day. Micheal's crew was extremely knowledgeable and worked so well with the volunteers. They were divided amongst the three work groups, which helped Micheal and I float around and be of assistance wherever it was needed.
Regarding Starbucks donations: When receiving an in-kind donation from a Starbucks located inside a Safeway, it is a good idea to clarify what type of gift card you'll be receiving. When I spoke with a manger over the phone, she mentioned that I would be receiving a Starbucks gift card, but what you will actually receive is a Safeway Gift card. This caused a lot of confusion when picking up the coffee the morning of the project.
Special Notes: The Apple Valley area had been impacted by the 2013 floods that ran through Lyons. Two of the residences had seen the damage of the floods first hand, and were lucky enough to not experience immense damage from the floods. After the floods, teams had gone through the banks of the creek and had used machines to compact the earth further away from the homes, in hopes that the water would not reach the houses as easily if another event like that were to happen. Transplanting the willows for this project was special because these are some of the continuous efforts to restore the damage of those devastating floods.
Stewardship Education:
Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: There are no immediate concerns that arose from this project.
Description of Accidents/Incidents: No accidents or incidents occurred at the this project.
Description of Work Completed:
