Trout Unlimited member Gary Gidley, U.S.F.S., Brance Morefield (orange vest), U.S.F.S. Rachel Peterson, and Kristen Ringer, Wishram REACH teacher help students with planting along the Klickitat River.
Trout Unlimited member Gary Gidley, U.S.F.S., Brance Morefield (orange vest), U.S.F.S. Rachel Peterson, and Kristen Ringer, Wishram REACH teacher help students with planting along the Klickitat River.
Trout Unlimited member Gary Gidley, U.S.F.S., Brance Morefield (orange vest), U.S.F.S. Rachel Peterson, and Kristen Ringer, Wishram REACH teacher help students with planting along the Klickitat River.
KLICKITAT CO. — As native plants were placed in the ground at the Klickitat Mile One (KMO) site, students from Lyle and Wishram chant, “Grow! Grow! Grow!”
These plantings are part of the KMO restoration and conservation partnership created to improve recreation opportunities. The United States Forest Service owns 17 acres at this day-use park under renovation along the Wild and Scenic Klickitat River. The park is called Klickitat Mile One because of its location just one mile upriver from the mouth of the Klickitat.
Everett Fletcher, Mykia Tahekeal-Whitford and Karina Alpiak with plantings at Klickitat Mile One.
Laurie Wilhite photo
The Washington State Council of Trout Unlimited (WCTU) — Klickitat Alternate Engagement Group (KAEG) is one of many partners in this Forest Service project led by Brance Morefield, U.S.F.S. botanist. The park site is part of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area, and the restoration of this site to a more user-friendly day use recreation area has been going on for over a year. It is scheduled to be completed next autumn.
Lyle students from the REACH afterschool program came to plant Nov. 8 with their mentors Kenji Stasiewicz and Megan Winn. The 17 students were provided a trowel and work gloves as they headed out to insert plants at a flagged location. They worked with a student partner and an adult volunteer through the Trout Unlimited STREAM Explorer program. The acronym STREAM represents the conservation educational components of science, technology, recreation, engineering, art and math. More than 200 native plants including milkweed, mock orange, bitter brush, desert parsley, and yarrow were planted by the eager crew on a beautiful fall day.
Trout Unlimited member Gary Gidley, U.S.F.S., Brance Morefield (orange vest), U.S.F.S. Rachel Peterson, and Kristen Ringer, Wishram REACH teacher help students with planting along the Klickitat River.
Laurie Wilhite photo
Lyle REACH student Benjamin Bratton said, “I wish we could do this more often! I planted 12 plants, and I like planting because it helps the environment.”
On Nov. 9, Wishram students from the REACH afterschool program came to the Klickitat Mile One site to continue the planting efforts. After an orientation about the history of the KMO site and a planting demonstration by Brance, the 11 students were supplied with gloves and a trowel. They each planted multiple plants at prepped areas on the bank above the Klickitat River. Kristen Ringer and Brent Cameron, REACH coordinators, also got involved with the plantings.
Benjamin Bratton from Lyle showed his enthusiasm throughout the plantings at Klickitat Mile One.
Laurie Wilhite photo
Many of the native plants were purchased with a Trout Unlimited National Embrace a Stream (EAS) Grant. One of the main goals of Trout Unlimited is to protect and enhance habitat for cold water fisheries including salmon, steelhead, and trout. The EAS grant funded approximately $2,000 to purchase the plants, and the TU Klickitat Alternate Engagement Group’s cochairs Laurie Wilhite and Tony Paolino helped by inviting the schools and planting volunteers each day.
These partnership planting days wouldn’t have been a success without the adult volunteers who came to work with the students. Many of the volunteers are members of the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited— Klickitat Alternate Engagement Group including Dan Enz, Nathan Goodman, Gary Gidley, Sharon Trout, Don Wilhite, Paolino and Laurie Wilhite.
Volunteer Patti Elliott, Klickitat Trail Conservancy, helps with the plantings.
Laurie Wilhite photo
Other volunteers included Margaret Newman, Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group; Sarah Skelly, Friends of the Columbia River Gorge; Bill Spalding and Tom Fritsch, local fishermen/project supporters; Sara Wu and Lorraine Fritsch, Native Plant Society; Patti Elliott, Klickitat Trail Conservancy; Trout’s sister, Marg Pearce; and Bill Weiler, Lyle City Council and longtime supporter of environmental education in the Columbia River Gorge.
A Trout Unlimited member and longtime Lyle resident, Enz said, “I had such a wonderful time helping young students from Lyle and Wishram schools plant native shrubs and trees at Mile One Park alongside the Klickitat River. The children were well behaved and eager to go to work and get their hands dirty. We had a diverse group of volunteers helping the students in this very important effort. The children that participated will see the fruits of their efforts materialize over time. They will have pride in the fact they contributed directly to the beautification of this park. Also, I’m proud of the fact that I contributed to the success of this new park and just maybe helped motivate a child to see the beauty in volunteering.”
Volunteer Sara Wu helps a student with planting along the Klickitat River.
Laurie Wilhite photo
When the Klickitat Mile One project is completed in 2024, the site will have better erosion control from the plantings, improved trails, safe river access, non-motorized boat launch, restroom, garbage service, picnic tables, and interpretive signage. The KMO site along the Klickitat River provides an excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing and family recreation.
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