The North Olympic Salmon Coalition is seeking more volunteers to plant thousands of trees to enhance habitat for salmon in a series of public Saturday plantings — the first being this Saturday.
The nonprofit, based in Port Hadlock and Port Angeles, provides trees and labor to private landowners on streams where salmon habitat enhancement is needed.
This Saturday, volunteers are invited from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to the Siebert Creek Conservation Area, one of 80 properties protected by the North Olympic Land Trust, to plant more than 400 trees.
The land trust holds 73 conservation easements on private property and owns nine properties outright.
To get to the Siebert Creek Conservation Area, turn onto Wild Current Way from Old Olympic Highway. Volunteers will gather at a tent at the end of the road.
The event will also include a short tour of the conservation area.
Volunteers are asked to bring warm, waterproof clothes and boots; water; warm beverages and a lunch.
Tools and gloves will be provided.
‘Hundreds of hours’
“Land trust volunteers have already logged hundreds of hours on restoration activities on upland portions of this property,” said Lorrie Mittmann, stewardship director of the land trust.
“We are happy that the salmon coalition is able to add to the restoration of the property with this project.”
All of the Saturday tree plantings will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Parking is limited at most sites.
The following Saturday, Feb. 28, more than 1,000 trees are set to go in the ground at Eaglemount Farms along Chimacum Creek.
“Planting native trees and shrubs along these streams will help to create habitat corridors that are essential to the well-being of our native fish and wildlife,” said Sarah Doyle, stewardship coordinator at the North Olympic Salmon Coalition.
Peabody Creek
On Saturday, March 7, the Salmon Coalition will work with the Feiro Marine Life Center and Friends of Peabody Creek to plant cedar trees and remove invasive weeds along Peabody Creek in Port Angeles.
“Peabody Creek is a beautiful natural area right in our backyard,” said Randy Volker, local homeowner and a member of the Friends group.
“Working together, we can take better care of the stretch of creek that flows through our city,” he said.
Other work parties
Tree planting is planned at Meadowbrook Creek and the Dungeness River on March 14, and Maynard Beach on Discovery Bay on March 28.
More work parties are planned in April.
“With these plantings, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition will have planted 45,000 trees over the past five years, many by volunteer hands,” Doyle said.
To attend the tree plantings, RSVP to Kendra Krantz at outreach@nosc.org or 360-379-8051.
For more information, see www.nosc.org.
