The ground was no longer bare just outside of Prineville, instead thriving with new plant life. On Saturday, Oct. 19, students from the Bend High Environmental Club and their advisor Lisa Keown met up with Sarah Mowry, the community engagement director from the Deschutes Land Trust for a volunteer planting project at Ochoco Reserve. Ochoco Reserve is a piece of land purchased by the Land Trust in 2017, which is being transformed from topographically complex farmland back into lush wetland to help the wildlife of Central Oregon. Ochoco Reserve is a confluence of three streams: McKay Creek, the Crooked River and Ochoco Creek. This restoration project will include trails for everyone to enjoy.
The students piled into cars and drove out to a designated area off the side of a small road, grabbed shovels and plants and got to digging. They split up into groups and claimed areas of the reserve to bring the habitat back to life.
“I had a wonderful experience seeing all of the Bend High students giving back to the environment and the community,” Keown said. She’s been part of many environmental advocacy efforts in the past, and is delighted to “facilitate the field trip as the leader, and share my joy and excitement around restoring habitats to their natural conditions.” Now, she is happy to involve these students in environmental efforts as well.
Out in the field, students had a great time working together and being part of the community. “It was very educational and hands-on…and very beneficial, not only for me, but for everyone that wants to learn about the environment and how to contribute to it,” said Amelia Helwig, who has been a member of the club for three years. This mindset was the general consensus of all the students that took part. What normally would be considered a tedious activity was brought to life by drive and excitement to be involved in something that truly matters.
They also had the opportunity to see the progress of the plants that were planted two years ago, when the club first volunteered to help on the Ochoco Reserve. The results were very satisfying, as that part of the creek was now so lush with plants that they were unable to walk through it. It’s fulfilling to see that the work they are doing actually has a measurable and important impact.
The Bend High Environmental Club recently became a certified Oregon Green School because of their many efforts to improve sustainability and give back to the community, such as the annual clothing swap, hosting educational speakers, composting school wide, an anti-idle campaign, and many more.
At McKay Creek, Mowry helped everyone understand the purpose of this project. She showed the students the assortment of plants that were laid out, including Showy Milkweed, Jacob’s Ladder, Oregon Checkermallow, Large Leaved Lupine and Rydberg’s Penstemon. The others, such as Narrowleaf Milkweed, Sulfur Buckwheat, Showy/Royal Penstemon, Munro’s Globemallow and Lewis Flax were for drier areas. The wet plants were placed closer to the edge of the creek and more muddy places, and as they grow, they will work towards reducing soil erosion and providing shade and habitat for wildlife. The dry plants were placed in rockier, looser soil, further from the creek to provide more habitat for pollinators like butterflies and bees. Milkweed was planted in both wet and dry areas, because it is the most vital for Western Monarch butterflies. This is due to the fact that Monarch butterflies can only lay their eggs on Milkweed plants, and there has been a decline in these plants as of late, ultimately leading to a decline in the population.
Photo Credit: Lisa Keown
The Deschutes Land Trust is working with many collaborators to restore Monarch habitats all along their path of migration, and this project at McKay Creek is only a small part of this massive restoration. Monarch butterflies are the key to get this area blooming with wildlife again.
Events like this are very important for creating awareness because if everyone knows and understands how to help, they can share their knowledge and be a factor in the bigger picture. The more volunteers that give their helping hands, the more hope and progress towards the final goal of Ochoco Reserve.
The Bend High Environmental Club urges everyone to take part in sustainability, even in the smallest ways, because community is not only the people, but also the natural world all around it. When you gather a group of students passionately dedicated to a cause, vital steps towards making a difference occur, and this is what the Environmental Club accomplished at the Ochoco Reserve.
