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Tree Planting - A Time For Reflection
By Harry Vaugn
While sitting on the bank of Little Sprowel Creek, an empty tree bag sits next to my idle hoedad. 1000 redwood and 500 Douglas fir seedlings are now planted on the bank of this creek, which we have been working on for well over ten years. It has provided us an ongoing lesson in restoration. A cold breeze blows through the canyons. As I look downstream, I examine fir trees that have recently fallen into the creek. Just upstream of these trees are clean gravels, which now provide habitat for new steelhead redd (nest) that has recently been constructed. Abundant lamprey redds are also evident this year. I can sense that springtime is just around the corner. Chinook salmon and Coho salmon fry have just started leaving the security of their nests to begin life by feasting on aquatic insects. Steelhead fry will follow their lead soon. The trees we planted at an earlier date are now well over my head and reach towards the sky. The roots of alder, also planted earlier, are holding stream banks securely. The dark recesses of undercut banks offer fishy condominiums in this watery world. Soon they will leaf into shading greenery, cooling the water of Little Sprowel Creek from the summer sun's heat. "Yes", I think, "restoration works!" Nature as always puts on the finishing touches with scouring flows and by providing returning salmon and steelhead. Salmon die after spawning, their bodies providing nutrients from the ocean that they attained while gorging on fish and shrimp. Although I know that there is much more work to be done in other places - I sit and rest and take this time to reflect on our successes.