Alternative Break: Coe College Day 6

"We're leavin' on a jet plane! Don't know when we'll be back again!"

We headed back home today. Early this morning we left the Lazy Lizard for Grand Junction, CO to catch a plane to Dever, CO and then home. Everyone agreed that this was an amazing experience. One that we'll never forget. Thank you for an awesome adventure!

Signing Out...

Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer, Minnesota State University Mankato

Alternative Break: Coe College Day 5

WOW! If I could describe this day in one word it would be WOW! I have been to Arches National Park a few times before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Today was the PERFECT day to go hiking. The sky was bright blue with a few clouds and made an excellent backdrop for the red rock.

Our first stop in Arches National Park was Fiery Furnace. This is a unique experience because there are no marked trails. Throughout our hike we had to use our bodies to get up a crack in the rock, between two large rock faces, and jump across small openings. Nothing was too difficult for anyone to handle, but it did challenge us. Some of the obstacles looked a little scary at first and they may have been hard at the time, but once we were done we were very proud of what we had accomplished individually and as a group. Everyone in the group showed a lot of courage and that they were team players. I remember hearing "you can do it" and "good job" or "well done" quite a bit. It was an excellent experience!

Our second stop in Arches National Park was at The Windows. On this trail we were able to see large areas of the park and three different arches. We were even able to get to a place where we could take a picture of an arch inside an arch! It was a lot of fun climbing up inside the huge arch and sitting down to take in everything around us. It's an experience that those postcards just can't convey.

Our third (and final stop) was Double Arch. This arch was unique because it formed something similar to a V with two arches joining each other. Many of us ended up hiking and climbing all the way up to sit under the arch. Sitting under that arch and taking in the scenery was a great way to end the day!

After we got back into town the Coe College students were dropped off in one of the main shopping areas so that they could get some things to bring back home as presents or for themselves. I even got help by picking everyone up from the grocery store. With a lot of sun and a full day of hiking everyone seemed quite tired. Even our two guys who had boundless energy the entire trip were ready for some rest and relaxation.

Signing Off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato

Alternative Break: Coe College Day 3 & 4

We just completed day 4! In all the excitement of working on projects, making meals, and getting to know everyone I ended up missing a day of posting. Over the last couple days we have spent a lot of time seeding large areas of that tamerisk area I talked about in a previous post and planting trees.

Let's start with the seeding project since that was what we did on Day 3. One of the questions people have asked about the seeding project is why we are using human-power rather than a seed spreader. Well, the best answer for that came from Tamsin and Michael....

When an area is seeded by a seed spreader the seeds are distributed evenly over the entire area. When you take a look at this area you see a lot of areas covered with a thick layer of duff (leaves and such) and wood. Most likely plants will be unable to grow in those thick layers. What a person seeding can do is only seed areas where it is likely for plants to grow and thus avoid using excess seed.

Make sense? If not, feel free to leave a comment on the bottom part of this blog with your question. The bonus to our day was the rain at the end of the day. This may sound like a mood dampener, but it was fun to see the clouds rolling in and know that the rain would drive the seeds deeper into the ground giving them a better opportunity to grow.

The tree planting project was a lot of fun! We actually woke up in the morning to a thin layer of snow! Who would have figured we would have brought the snow with us from the Midwest out to Utah. We actually ended up driving through some snow on our trip out to the tree planting site.

The trees we were planting were in a campground area. The holes were already dug by a machine. So, all we had to do was move the trees to the holes and plant them. It sounds easy, but it was a lot of work! I think the hardest part of the process was filling in the hole. Most of the holes were too deep and we had to fill them in a bit before we planted the tree. Then once we got the tree in we had to fill in the hole. Filling everything in wasn't easy because the dirt we had to fill it in with had rocks and sticks in it which made it more difficult to get into with the shovel. When we weren't planting trees we were making sure the areas that the water pipes needed to go in were clear. It was fun planting trees and looking at all of them at the end of the day. On our way back everyone was asleep.

At the end of both days we were pretty tired out. It was time for dinner and then back to the Lazy Lizard for some hangout time and sleep.

We can't wait until tomorrow when we get to go to Arches National Park for our day trip!

Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato

Alternative Break: Coe College Day 2

What a day! It started out a little cold this morning, but the bright sun kept us warm as we ate breakfast. Once breakfast was done we got everything packed up for the day and headed out to Jackson Bottom.

At Jackson some large machines had gone through to tear out and cut up all of the Tamarisk (also known as Salt Cedar), an invasive species, to stop it from growing and spreading. Unfortunately these machines leave a lot of sticks, logs, and leaves on the ground that make it very difficult for native plants to get established. So, our job was to help clear out an "island" of open space to place seed and plants in. By using an island technique Plateau Restoration can create well established areas of native plants which can then spread throughout the entire Tamarisk site. We completely cleared a large low lying area so that the native plants would be more likely to get water. Several people also cleared out areas around some of the Willows that were saved from the machines so that plants that don't like a lot of direct sun could be planted close to them. We worked about an hour after lunch and then noticed that the weather was starting to come in. So, we headed back and looked at some rock art on the way.

After getting back and putting our cooler weather gear back on we headed out on a hike up to Hidden Valley. Once we returned it was time to dinner and then some great sleep back at the Lazy Lizard Hostel.

Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer, Minnesota State University Mankato

Alternative Break: Coe College Day 1

Well, this is our first full day with Coe College. There are nine students and one AmeriCorps*VISTA leader. This morning it was a little cold and rainy, but everyone was in good spirits and excited to get going.

Tamsin led a morning lecture on local geology, land issues, history, and current project sites. Students were able to connect what they would be doing in the field to what is happening both locally and state-wide.

After packing some lunches we headed out into the field. Our first stop was near Lone Mesa. We dug up rice grass along the side of the road to plant in re-vegetation sites. Then we headed to Wolfe Ranch in Arches National Park to plant some of our rice grass as well as a few other plants Plateau Restoration already had growing. While we were there the weather cleared up nicely and we were able to shed our outer layers. Once we finished planting the students took a short trip down the Delicate Arch trail to see John Wesley Wolfe's cabin, rock art, and unexpectedly spotted a muskrat at Salt Valley Wash.

Once we got all of our gear packed up we headed to Park Avenue Trail for a short mile long hike down the canyon. It was quite spectacular to see all of the water flowing from the recent rain. Small pools of water were scattered throughout the sandstone and tiny streams flowed through the ground in grooves. The trail also offered a wonderful view of Courthouse Towers. At the end of the hike everyone climbed on top of a large boulder for a group photo.

On the way back out of Arches National Park we were able to learn about and take pictures of Bloody Mary Waterfall (which rarely flows) and the fault across from the visitor center.

It was an exciting first day full of adventures and turned out to be very nice weather despite the rain in the morning. Keep reading the next four days of posts to find out what other adventures Coe College went on during their alternative spring break trip with Plateau Restoration.

Signing off...
Alisa Dean
Plateau Restoration Volunteer - Minnesota State University Mankato

Alternative Break Season 2009

We have a few quotes for you from our 2009 Alternative Break participants:

"Alternative Breaks University of Colorado Boulder would like to extend our deep gratitude to you for hosting a 2009 Alternative Break group in Moab. Of any of the groups this one came back with a cohesion not like the others. I was told it was the cold weather they "weathered" together! I hope to keep sending students to you in the future years." -Jen Ross, VRC Director

"I had such a great time and learned so much while I was in Moab that I changed my career goals. Rather than spending my life in the city as a dorctor I've decided to be a field biologist and spend my days outside, which is the way I've always prefered it, but Moab helped me to really realize how much I love nature and how much I would like to spend my life studying and protecting it." -Liberty, AB Participant from Central College

"Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I learned so much on the trip and hope to return to Moab soon. I really appreciate all the hard work you've done for the environment. PS- And the cooking was excellent!" - Erika, AB Participant from University of Montana

The Beat Goes On With Alternative Spring Break

For the 14th straight year, Plateau Restoration has been a host site for alternative spring break in cooperation with the Breakaway organization on the campus of Florida State University. Participants in these service-learning programs, who came from the College of Charelston, S.C., and the Universities of Wyoming, Montana, and Northern Colorado, contributed to a number of valuable projects which included revegitation, native garden construction, seed collection and non-native species removal.
Students gathered damaged plants along the four wheel drive roadways at Arches National Park for replanting into the Delicate Arch trail head revegitation site.
These plants, collected under a NPS permit, were give a good temporary home in the native garden at the PRI home office and grounds, lagely built by students. The garden has a drip irrigation system and is on a timer. Students mixed potting soild and planted seed in dozens of pots for germination.
Students were also involved ina roadside reseeding project along Castle Valley Drive that was recently bladed. Projects also included our continuation fo knapweed removeal in the Castle Valley water shed which contains private, State, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.
Our service-learning programs continued in April, with the 7th-grade class from West Sound Academy, WI and Eastern Kentucky University. Blocking of non-legal routes in the La Sals was a high priority as this project required many hands to complete. Student shelped roll boulders, hauling logs, rocks and stumps to block user-created roads with natural features.
Eleven students took advantage of Utah State University credit we offer for the service-learning program. Over thirty spring breakers and almost thirty other student including college and 7th graders, contributed nearly 1600 hours to these projects worth an estimated value of $25,000!

Quotes From Our 2008 Alternative Break Season

Here are a few quotes from our 2008 Alternative Break Season:

What was your most enjoyable aspect of this volunteer work experience?

"Michael and Tam telling us so much about this place and their personal experiences because without that background, the restoration is not as meaningful. Even on the river trip, it wasn't just a river trip but a learning experience, gaining more background on the area." - Alaina, AB Participant from Montana

"The leaders, Tam and Michael, really made the experience great. They were enthusiastic, energetic and very knowledgeable about the work they (and we) were doing." - Nicholas, AB Participant from Charleston

"Working with Tam was by far, my favorite because throughout each project, she kept on teaching about the various formations, plants and history of the area. I also enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment while I gazed over the river bank that we restored." - Aspen, AB Participant from University of North Carolina

PRI Partners With CFI and Others to Bring Service-Learning to Youth

Recognizing the incredible value of service-learning activities in environmental education, this year PRI has been actively expanding its audience to include high school, middle school and even elementary school children. Since 2005, we've been working on a project to integrate a service component into the curriculum of Canyonlands Field Institute, an educational onon-profit organization in Moab and long-time partner of PRI. Through this project, which has been supported by a grant tawarded to PRI from the EPA, we have engaged over 130 students and teachers enrolled in CFI programs. Participants have cut back tamarisk, removed cheat grass and other annual weeds, seeded treatment areas with native grasses and planted willows along Mary Jane Creek in Professor Valley. And the best part was that students said they had fun, even pulling cheat grass!
We also had eigth-graders from California Waldorf School, a class of fifth through seventh grade students associated with a program at University of Denver, and a group of Girl Scouts from Salt Lake City participating in projects. Students enthusiastically dug out tamarisk stumps in Arches National Park, removed diffuse knapweed in Castle Valley, cut out russian olive along the Colorado River and weeded at Ken's Lake BLM Recreation Area near Moab.

Quotes From Our 2007 Alternative Break Season

Here are some quotes from our 2007 Alternative Break season:

Do you believe that the work you have provided has made a difference on the public and private conservation lands of the Canyonlands region?

"I believe that the work I did with the Tamerisk was very impactive for the future of that river and the wildlife around it. What REALLY helped me believe in my impact was the hike to the finished site where Tamerisk had been removed and Willow was growing. It gave me hope that the river I worked on would look as beautiful." - Amber, AB Participant from Sonoma State University

"Yes! Through just a few days of work, I feel like the results are apparent and important. Seeing recreationists on a stump-free beach after we cleared it gave me the feeling our work will be enjoyed" -Alida, AB Participant from Colorado State University

What was your most enjoyable aspect of this volunteer work experience?

"I loved planting native plants and removing invasives. This whole trip was amazing. I have always felt a responsibility to the earth and natural areas, but so often I don't know how to help and now not to harm. Having someone instruct and teach was amazing and I felt good about my contribution." -Rachel, AB Participant from Northwestern University

College Service-Learning Programs Take on International Flair

Alternative Spring Break programs were once again filled this past March. Thes programs provide students, who are interested in a week with volunteer service, outstanding educational opportunities, a chance to explore meet new friends and contribute to the health of our public lands near Moab. Groups this year included Northern State University of South Dakota who were with us in 2005, University of Texas at Austin joining us for the fifth time and Brookhaven College of Dallas, Texas making their first visit to Canyon Country.
This spring a number of international students participated via exchange programs, adding a one-world flair to the programs. Student sfrom Korea, Tiwan and China shared in the service learninge experiences alongside students from throughout the country. Lin Lin, recently let us know she returns to China at the end of the year. She wrote "I often think of you and the lovely time in Utah with you and our team. It is one of my sweetest memories in my life. I had many trips during the year, to the East Coast, to the large cities, to Disney, but the volunteer trip is the most meaningful one. I will never forget you and that trip. I will also tell people in China how important it is to protect our environment."
Our service projects include knapweed monitoring and removal in Castle Valley and a major fence construction and revegetation project at Ken's Lake BLM (Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management) Recreation Area just Sout of Moab.
Student sprovided nearly 1200 hours of service to our land management projects and shared their thoughts on regional, national and global environmental concerns. Board members Pam Hackley and Herm Hoops participated this year. Pam was a field leader and instructor on the Castle Valley project and Herm was a guest speaker and evening entertainment at Ken's Lake.
Snow was the theme of project weeks this spring. The UT, Austin students, who camped at Ken's Lake, arrived to find four inches of fresh snow where they planned to pitch their tents. The snow was promptly gathered to form snowballs and snowmen, before it melted the next day, allowing for a productive fencing, trail-building and restoration project.
During a mid-week break, the students took time to explore Arches National Park in a series of interpretive hikes with Plateau Restoration field leaders and instructors. Topics included history of Arches and the Moab area, geology, natural history and resource management issues of public lands.
Northern State junior Erin Dreis summed up her week this way: "I gained more knowledge in the past 5 days than I could have ever imagined. I thought the time I was able to spend talking with your leaders while working on the land and environmental issues were very important. It made everything real for me because I could see things happening before me, not just from a textbook".
thanks to Erin and all the students for another great spring break! And many thanks to Marilyn Peterson and Ed Stone of the BLM, Pam Hackley, Herm Hoops, Castle Valley Mayor Damian Bollermann, Jack Campbell and the Castle Valley Home Owners Association and Tim Higgs of the Grand County Weed Department for help with funding and facilitating this project!

Nature Trail Invites Discovery and Learning

The Sand Island Recreation Area has long been a destination for rafters and kayakers. It's one of two major launch points for float trips down the San Juan River. It also has one of the most accessible and spectacular rock art panels in the Four Corners. Eight years ago, the BLM upgraded the campground. Now it is also a camping and picnicking destination for many people traveling throughout SE Utah.
Right after campground construction, Plateau Restoration, in partnership witht he BLM established this area as a reclamation project site to restore a healthy bench and riparian habitat along the San Juan River. Now that this major reclamation area hast been completed, the second phase of work has begun. PRI created a self-guided nature education trail for the enjoyment and education fo the tens of thousands of people who visit Sand Island annually. We are spreading the word about the trail to commercial outfitters and the numberous college groupds that use Sand Island as a launch for river trips, so hopefully lots of folk will learn about native habitats and invasive weeds.

Colorado and Northwestern Team Up for Sand Island Success

A wonderful week of service was completed in Bluff, Utah in late March 2005. Students representing The University of Colorado and Northwestern University camped at the Sand Island Recreation Area for a week to help continue our work on the restoration site that was established 7 years ago. Students cut and removed Tamarisk, Russian Olive and Cheat crass, built a fence around a new native plant growing area, transplanted and reclaimed an illegal roadway. Wonderful conversation, great campfire gatherings and a job well done were the highlights of the week.

thanks to Linda Richmond, Summer Schultz, Brad Colin and Mark Meloy of the BLM for their assistance with this project.

New Internship Program Begins

In June our first internship program began. We had a number of outstanding applicants and our final selections were Heather Hosterman, BA U.C. Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies and Politics, Jim Buthman MA N.A.U. Political Science and Wyley Hodgson, BA U.C. Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies and Philosophy. They have been a real help with river programs, grant research, writing articles, fencing projects and recreation impact monitoring. The interns will be shared with Red Rock Forests a local non-profit advocacy group working on Forest Service issues. The internship was designed to expose the students to two different non-profit experiences.

Making Room for the Cottonwoods

Students from the University of Texas at Austin came out to Moab in March to volunteer for the third straight year. In fact, two members of the group were here with us last year. As student, Jessica Medlyn put it, "This experience was unforgettable. It was the perfect combination of fun, hard work, great food, and wonderful people". That must be why they keep returning. Their favorite project was removing Tamarisk from a spring site near the Slickrock Bike Trail (we got it all, without chemicals).
Recently, Plateau Restoration has been putting effort into weed control around critical upland water resources without the use of chemicals. For Tamarisk, this means digging down and cutting the tree below the root crown. An unexpected spin-off is that this activity is really popular. Shelly Tran, a UT student from last year said "we showed team work and enthusiasm and enjoyed the task completely". There's plenty more Shelly.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! This will be the place where you will see stories from other clients, updates on what we're doing in the field, and updates on any new opportunities that will be coming up. Please let us know if there is anything else you would like to see here by commenting on this post.