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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2022)
10 Summer 2022 Applegater Volunteers slay Dragonfly Place ivy BY JANIS MOHR-TIPTON Over the last few months this special site has been buzzing with dedicated community volunteers of all ages. Four different work parties have been removing vinca, Himalayan blackberries, and invasive English ivy both on the ground and in the trees, picking up woody debris strewn about by storms, and removing overhanging branches and ladder fuels from trees and shrubs along the road. A tremendous effort has also been made to remove the English ivy surrounding the multi-level platform and covering the paths, so that the public can more easily visit the site. Signage in the coming months can then be installed to recognize Takelma Elder Agnes Baker Pilgrim and to give some history about the local tribes who lived in southern Oregon and northern California or who traveled here for hunting and gathering. Lately, bees have been buzzing around the bright yellow blossoms of the native Oregon grape, now released from the English ivy that was smothering it and hiding the blossoms. A very grateful thank-you goes to all of the volunteers who have helped on this project. The park and community are benefiting from all your efforts. There will be continuing work, so contact me if you would like to help. Trail maintenance in the park Ruch Community Outdoor School (ROCS) students are doing stewardship and service projects through the Jackson County Parks “Adopt-a-Park” program in coordination with Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council (APWC) restoration work. As park volunteer coordinator, I helped organize the trail-maintenance program with Duane Mallams, a retiree from the US Forest Service who has been doing trails work and training throughout our watershed for many years. The eighth-grade students in the Grow Youth stewardship program had the opportunity to train under his expert guidance and are now doing basic trail maintenance at the park as part of their scheduled work. They learned brushing techniques on a trail in the campground, the proper use of hand tools, and how to do tread work, first learning the importance of team safety on the trail and then practicing the techniques on a trail in the main day-use area. Trail users have already remarked on a job well done. The next step is to train and develop an adult and youth volunteer group in the community to continue the work on weekends that these students have inspired. Our youth are a great value to our community, and this is a very positive way to have them become leaders for other youth their age and create a continuing commitment in the community to working together for our park. Earth Day success on April 22 A total of 78 students from second, third, and fourth grades arrived at the lower park area with parent chaperones and staff and teachers from ROCS, all very excited to be able to do service work in the park. Each grade was given an area where they would pick up trash and woody debris, then do a project that would benefit the park in smaller groups within each grade. The second-graders’ small-group service was to clean the weeds from around the base of many of the interpretive signs in the lower park. Then these students helped scoop pea gravel to create a base that looked nice and helps the park workers doing lawn maintenance. The coordinator for this project was Hannah Borgerson, who is on the staff at ROCS through AmeriCorps. Special Offer! Buy One Get One half off of equal or lesser value ($15 minimum) 211 NE A Street Grants Pass, OR 97526 Giannellisatasteofitaly.net Get an additional 10% off when you mention this ad in the Applegater! Students working on the trail after learning how to use the proper tools to angle the backslope, find the hinge point, and do the tread with a 3-5 percent outslope. The instructor, Duane Mallams (red hard hat), observes their progress. This student is determining the horizontal clearing line and removing limbs and small new growth that is in the tread zone. They also learned the vertical clearing limit for this trail in the campground. The third-graders’ small groups set to work weeding three landscaped beds that were overgrown in English ivy, Himalayan blackberries, vinca, and grass. They were all industrious workers and completely filled 17 large recycled feed sacks. They begged their teacher to be able to come back again. As a member of A Greater Applegate’s Park Committee and an APWC board member, I coordinated this project. The fourth-graders hiked up to the Dragonfly Place and repeated the Ruch Community Outdoor School students have finished their work on this section of trail at Cantrall Buckley Park. The eighth-grade Applegate Stewards are learning to use the hand tools for clearing and brushing a trail under the guidance of their instructor Duane Mallams. same great enthusiasm in small groups, filling 14 bags with English ivy. Other students worked on two landscaped beds full of weeds. Janelle Dunlevy, APWC executive director, coordinated this project. Janis Mohr-Tipton 541-846-7501 janis.agapark@gmail.com Photos by Janis Mohr-Tipton