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Seymour Planting

4/30/2015

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This past March, Echo Ecological has continued with the restoration efforts on Seymour Creek Estuary. After the installation of large woody debris, we moved on to planting the riparian area along the spit of land that stretches out into the mouth of Seymour Creek. As the ground was very compacted and not ideal for planting, several large truck-loads of soil were brought in to supplement our planting efforts. The soil was divided between the three islands that make up the site and along the edges of the trail. The soil was spread out to create a nice layer for all of our baby native plants. Spreading soil is very laborious work, but luckily the fruits of our efforts were well worth it in the end! 
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At low tide, the large log structures are easy to see. When the tide rises, the farther portions of land become completely submerged, separating the islands from each other and allowing for fish passage. The tides played a very large role in this project as we needed to align our work hours with the lowest water levels. It would have been immensely difficult to haul soil and plants to the farther islands if they were entirely separated by water!  

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After carefully spreading out the soil in preparation for planting, we were then able to position the plants. When they were all nicely situated with adequate spacing, our crew began putting them in the ground. Thank goodness we got some beautiful weather, as it made for a very enjoyable experience! 

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Once all the plants were in the ground, work began on the fencing. Beavers are common in the area, so we didn't want to give them the opportunity to munch on our babies before they had a chance to mature!

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Once the riparian area was planted and fenced we set to work planting grasses into the intertidal zone. They look so lovely growing between all of the large woody debris we installed!

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We got so carried away with planting that we didn't realize how close the tide had gotten. At one point we were really working against the clock to try and plant all of our grass plugs before we were totally submerged in the water. Never a dull moment! 
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In order to reduce predation on our grasses (Geese LOVE to eat these tasty plants!), we constructed improvised exclosures with caution tape and rope. We also made use of the installed pieces of large wood. Future testing will be done in order to determine how effective these methods are in increasing plant survival.

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The completed project looks quite aesthetically pleasing compared to how barren the site was prior to restoration. Hopefully the surrounding community and all of the local dog walkers that frequent this site will appreciate all our hard work. 
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    Author

    Tara Matthews

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We are passionate about Wetland Restoration!

 "Wetlands are often referred to as nature's kidneys because of the vital role they play in filtering pollutants and chemicals out of our water bodies. This an important ecosystem service that is freely provided by the natural world. It is our job as stewards of this planet to ensure these crucial resources are retained for future generations."  

Tara Matthews, CEO/Co-Founder - Echo Ecological Enterprises

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