By: Sam Holmes, University of Vermont
At the beginning of October, we had the opportunity to participate in a planting activity with a group called Escualos. They are a youth-led group out of Cochrane, working to protect the Cochrane River. They pair environmental education with water sports, helping foster and build connections with the river. Living along the shore of the Cochrane River the past couple of weeks, we’ve noticed that while the water is clean and clear, the banks of the river often are composed of degraded habitat. Some of the banks are heavily grazed by livestock which has coincided with the introduction of invasive species such as rosehip and lodgepole pine. This replanting project that Escualo undertook shows that to be responsible stewards of the river, we must also be responsible stewards of the land around it.
This planting project aimed to transform the area around the water sports center into habitat that would have short and long-term impacts. It would soon provide habitat for pollinators and eventually be one of the few areas with a native patch of forest close to Cochrane. We used a planting method called the Miyawaki method, where native species are planted in dense pockets to promote quick growth. In each square meter, we planted three or four plants of different species in hopes that the close competition between them would promote rapid growth. Hopefully, in a short time, the dense pocket of forest would be self-sustaining and not need intermittent weeding or watering.
When we first arrived, we helped prepare the area for planting. Fresh soil had been laid down, and we helped remove grass and stones. A grid was created with string, marking out each square meter.
We helped put plants in each one, making sure that different species were next to each other. Once everything was all laid out, we planted the plants where we had placed them and then removed the string grid. The next step was placing down cardboard for weed suppression everywhere there was bare soil. We followed this up with a layer of mulch over the cardboard. As Cochrane is in a relatively arid region, water evaporates very quickly, so the cardboard and mulch are also important to trap moisture in the soil.
During the planting and as we stepped back and admired our work, I asked some fellow students and some community partners what word they would use to summarize how they felt. Common themes included feeling motivated and rewarded after seeing so much work completed in just a day. People felt happy to be part of a project that was the start of something that would last a lifetime, and that would continue to impact this area for generations. We felt inspired to do something like this in our communities, and to become responsible stewards of the environments that we live in.