Getting instructions – Photo: Andrew Cohen
On April 12th, Friends of Oaks Bottom worked on mulching plants in Oaks Bottom’s South Meadow. These young native plants (Oregon grape, spiraea, serviceberry, etc.) need some protection in order to survive our dry summers. There were 18 volunteers, including a cohort of Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) members, as well as six people from FOOB’s team, all supervised by Christian Orellana of Portland Parks and Recreation.
Bucket brigade – Photo: Andrew Cohen
Crew leader Jenna hard at work – Photo: Wayne Howard
It only took us about an hour and a half to reduce two mulch piles to almost nothing and circle each planting with a thick layer of wood chips. Most volunteers went home after the mulching, but a few stayed to pull ivy along the bluff at the South Meadow. At the end, the YCC crew walked around and counted out 240 plants that we had mulched! With the mulch layer and a little luck, we’re hoping most of these will survive to create a shrubby habitat along the western edge of the meadow.
The maw of a serpent – Photo: Wayne Howard
Juvenile western skink – Photo: Mikky Cecil
