Habitat Restoration April 2019

Slowly Settling into Spring

While the Refuge is closed for construction on the River ‘S’ Bridge and the Oak Restoration, we are focusing new recruitment efforts on other Refuges in the complex, such as the 3^rd Saturday Work Parties at Steigerwald Lake NWR. We will have a 4^th Saturday Work Party at Ridgefield on April 27^th, email early to sign up! Wednesday work parties will be limited due to safety concerns and lack of parking, so if you are not a regular Wednesday volunteer, please sign up with the Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards to help out.

This month our Habitat Restoration crew worked at the Port of Ridgefield and planted native plants to landscape the area. Elderberry, Indian Plum, currant, Oregon Grape, and Snowberry have been planted around the entrance and beginning of the trail, which should soon feature panels installed in the existing structure, as well as a fee station, just in time for the Carty Lake Trail to open on May 1^st!

The Washington Fish & Wildlife Regional office sent over 10+ people to join a work party this month at Pierce National Wildlife Refuge, and they helped restore habitat for endangered turtles! When you sign up with the Stewards, you can help with the turtle project too.

Sign up to help out with the Stewards restoration events here: https://www.refugestewards.org/volunteer

Or sign up to help out when Ridgefield is open: Keith_Rutz@fws.gov