Riparian Restoration - Tree Planting
A partnership with North Olympic Salmon Coalition

Every Autumn, vegetation needs to be planted and maintained to ensure good salmon returns continue.  This vegetation provides much needed shade to the stream, and keeps the water cool.  Volunteers assist with landscaping the riparian zone by planting red alder, douglas fir, grand fir, pacific ninebark and other shrubs. 

Some areas can get overrun with reed canary grass, which can impede the growth of vegetation planted in previous years.  Although, reed canary grass is a excellent bank stablizer, it can overrun young vegetation and shunt its growth. Volunteers can assist workers remove this threat to the newly planted vegetation.

In addition, volunteers can help by protecting the base of the young trees with blue, platic tubes.  These blue platic tubes are placed around the base of the young trees to prevent predation by the rodent  population.

No matter what the task, Water/Beach Watchers will be creating a more hospitable habitat for returning salmon populations.