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