Teen camp conservation project is held during the month of July. This project is on a remote property in the Eddy mountains of northern California. Each summer our young campers discover the importance of restoration and the techniques used. We developed this program over the years to repair the damage done by illegal off-road drivers.
Teen Camp Conservation Project
With hands-on involvement, teens are empowered to learn that they can make a difference through positive action.
~Mark Wienert
Off-road vehicles damage wetlands
When vehicles travel over and through these water-soaked wetlands tires create deep and rutted trenches. The surface water then drains into these trenches. This lowers the water table from the surrounding area and causes the wetland to dry out. The difference in elevation from the wetland surface to the bottom of the trench also leads to heavy soil erosion and gully formation.
Teens learn importance of Bogs, Fens, and Wetlands to the Environment
Teen camp conservation project
For millenniums, wetlands have been an integral part of a healthy and robust ecosystem. These ecosystem's supports thousands of diverse animal and plant species.
Bogs and fens are formed by the up welling of underground springs forming thick carpets of roots with peat type soils. This structure acts as natural filtering systems slowing flow from snow runoff each spring.
Then holding and distributing moisture and sediment through a network of plant and roots helpful to overall water quality.
Benefits of conservation
Wet meadows also help to maintain water temperature. Cool temperatures are important to fish and other aquatic animals. These area's provide healthy habitat for a diverse variety of plant and animal species. These species depend on these systems for their survival.
A few of these species are the California Black Bear, Pacific Fisher, and the carnivores Darlingtonia californicum. Also known as cobra plant, Darlintonia grow in boggy serpentine soils.
Wetland Restoration Tools
We use a passive restorative technique to mimic nature’s healing processes.
An example of this technique is applied in restoring a rutted track made by an off-road vehicle. First, we partially fill a rut with living blocks of wetland plants. These blocks are made up of native forbs, grasses, soil, sediment, and roots.
Staggering the blocks along the rutted track and maintaining a low profile of vegetation in the trench. Allows the flow of water to gently spill over the top of the soil blocks and through the leaves and forbs, which catch the fine, suspended sediment, and other particulates.
Over time new roots develop
Over time, plant roots make their way into the newly deposited sediment and support the wetland by slowing the flow of water run-off in the ruts.
As these roots multiply, grass density and height increase creating more roughness that can trap more fines, leaves, and particulates.
As organic and inorganic matter accumulates, the grasses grow up through this layer, eventually raising the level of the rut thus restoring the wet meadow and protecting the wetland from premature drying.
Teen camp conservation project
Our camp offers teens an opportunity to experience, first-hand, applied skills that can reverse the loss of a wetland habitat while earning community service credits. The best education comes through doing. We are proud of our teens and the clever work they do at camp.
Register your son or daughter in one of Lifesong Wilderness Adventures Teen Adventure courses this summer to continue the work. Education means making a difference, and making a difference is fun and worthwhile!
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