Ten volunteers braved one of the heaviest rainfalls of the year on Saturday, April 21 as they helped the Big River Stewards restore failed water bars on a steep "legacy" logging road at Big River as part of a special Earth Day weekend restoration project.
The project, a joint effort between the Mendocino Land Trust's Big River Stewards program and the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association with funding provided by the California State Parks Foundation, drew volunteers from as far away as Yuba City, Vallejo and Ukiah to help locals with restoration projects on Big River area parklands.
In addition to working to reduce erosion from a mile-and-a-half of eroding roads on Jackson Demonstration State Forest and Big River Park lands, volunteers also cleaned trash and bottles from two sites at Big River and worked to remove a stubborn patch of invasive ammophila, or European Beach Grass, from Big River Beach.
Nearly half of the out-of-the-area volunteers, who had signed up to participate, canceled as the weather forecast called for a heavy downpour on Saturday. Fortunately, those who came anyway were prepared to brave the elements. Their efforts helped to cap the Stewards' efforts to reduce sediment inputs to Big River this season by adding another 1.5 miles to approximately six miles of road already treated.
While most of the erosion control work at Big River has been performed by local volunteers, this year help from "out-of-town" has allowed the Stewards to more than triple from last year the miles of roads treated to reduce erosion. In March, a group of students from Wartburg College in Iowa helped to treat 1.5 miles of roads at Big River. And last weekend volunteers from around northern California helped to treat another 1.5 miles.
Erosion control work at Big River will resume in late summer as the Stewards prepare for winter storms by surveying culverts at risk of failure and working to clear obstructions.
After a wet day in the woods, volunteers dried themselves around the fireplace at the Mendocino Woodlands' historic Camp One dining hall, where they enjoyed a spaghetti dinner with wines donated by Frey Organic Vineyards and Barefoot Wines. After dinner a presentation by renowned photographer and mushroom expert Taylor Lockwood highlighted the amazing diversity and beauty of mushrooms from around the world.
The cooperation of the Mendocino Woodlands in providing cabins for out-of-town volunteers was indispensable.
On Earth Day, Sunday, volunteers, relieved as early rains cleared and the sun burst forth, scoured Big River Beach for litter, another four volunteers removed bottles and trash from around Boyle's swimming hole. In all, 16 large bags of trash were removed from Big River parklands.
The Stewards ended the Earth Day activities by working to clear a patch of Ammophila from Big River Beach. Twelve volunteers labored for three hours in the warm sun, eventually removing nearly half of the invasive plant infestation.
For further information about the Big River Stewards program of the Mendocino Land Trust, please contact Matt Coleman, coordinator, at 962-0470 or mcoleman@mendocinolandtrust.org.Mendocino Beacon
