Daredevils Club, Storm Wolves, and Barred Owls Help Clean Up Connelly Creek

Meeting at our new park and ride drop-off location the Daredevil’s Club were finally all present for their last service outing as a group. With plenty of sunshine to accompany us, we walked over to the service site to take inventory of what had been done by previous groups, what was left to do today, and how we would make the most of our time. We also talked about the importance of setting a good precedent for the younger groups, and leading by example and emphasizing safe tool usage, proper technique, and strong work ethic. At first it took the group a little while to get going, but after taking a quick snack break and drinking down some water the Daredevil’s kicked it into gear and got down to business.

As the Daredevil’s Club finished constructing a make-shift fence around a recently discovered bees nest the next group, the Storm Wolves, arrived. After taking some time to walk through the service site with the Daredevil’s Club the Storm Wolves had no hesitation and jumped right into cutting back the blackberries and digging up root balls. It was great to see these two groups get together after both groups found plenty of enjoyment discovering one another’s shelters during previous explorations this season. Each group continued developing the other’s shelter, one at Galbraith and the other at Clayton Beach, and created some pretty impressive structures despite having never met the other group (until now!). As the outing progressed the groups intermingled and found that they actually had quite a bit in common. Watching the Daredevil’s Club working alongside the Storm Wolves, the mentors took note of their maturity and impressive role modeling. Coming from a group that can sometimes get side-tracked with goofiness, these older Explorer’s really stepped up today and were very impressive.

While the Daredevil’s Club and Storm Wolves were making solid progress, everything was kicked up a notch when the Barred Owls showed up. After getting a demonstration on proper tool usage from the Storm Wolves they get right to work. Talk about a bunch of motivated Explorers! Half of the group took on the extensive bramble of Himalayan Blackberry that has been choking out a willow grove for years while the other half grabbed shovels, began digging up blackberry root balls, and clearing out an old drainage ditch. This by no means is easy work and the whole day the mentors never heard a peep of complaining out of any of the Explorers.

With lots of solid work getting done the service site began to transform. The once tall Reed Canary Grass lay flat, stomped down by Explorer’s feet. The ground churned from shovels digging up massive clumps of blackberry root. The willow grove once choked out by blackberry finally stretching out to absorb the sunshine that was previously getting all sucked up by the broad leaves on the climbing vines of blackberry. Despite not having any mulch today, the site has been prepped for the next group to get a thick layer of mulch down. Vast tunnels have been slashed through the massive blackberry bramble allowing the Explorers to divide and conquer the remaining patches the formidable thorny plant. Not only did these boys fill numerous garbage bags full of Himalayan Blackberry, but they did a great job of taking the next step towards really establishing the natural stability of the Connelly Creek service site.

With the Padden Creek Daylighting Project well underway downstream all of our hard work is suddenly taking on a new perspective. Not only are we working towards eradicating invasive species alongside Connelly Creek, creating natural habitat with native species,  and developing a self-sustaining native habitat, but we are creating a piece to the proverbial puzzle. With salmon able to swim up Padden Creek for the first time in in over a century the Explorers are creating an optimum habitat for them to return to Connelly Creek to spawn and continue their prolific and dynamic influence on our region. For now it may seem like hacking at blackberry and shoveling mulch, but the impact these boys are having on their community is one that will last for years to come. One of the Explorers on this outing actually mentioned this and said he dreams of one day being able to pull a salmon out of Connelly Creek with his hands. Now that is a vision we can all appreciate and thanks to all the hard work from the Daredevil’s Club, Storm Wolves, and Barred Owls that dream may one day become a reality. 

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Service at Connelly Creek with the Daredevil’s Club

  It was a pleasure to serve Connelly Creek with the Daredevil’s Club on Sunday. As the group arrived the sun was shining and our spirits were high. The Connelly Creek restoration project at Happy Valley Park has been developing slowly but surely. The Mentors were delighted to share with the Explorers that just a little ways down Connelly Creek, at its confluence with Padden Creek, restoration under the City of Bellingham has been moving faster than we can keep up with.

          Mentors explained to the group that in 1997 the Padden Creek Alliance was formed, which includes the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bellingham Parks Department, and local citizen groups.  These groups work together to restore the creek, provide better flood control, and allow salmon to move more freely through it. In 1997 a tunnel running about 2,300 feet from 17th to 22nd street underneath Old Fairhaven Parkway was identified as a major roadblock for salmon. In the past, fish have been stacked at the end of the narrow tunnel while trying to return to their spawning grounds. Just this summer the city began the Padden Creek Daylight Project, which will take out the tunnel and build a bridge under old Fairhaven Parkway, restoring the natural flow to Padden Creek. For more information on the project please see the link at the bottom of the blog.

          The group was excited salmon were finally running in Connelly Creek again. Connelly Creek is part of the Padden Creek Watershed; which is home to Chinook, Chum, Coho, Steelhead, and resident trout. As we headed out to our service sight we crossed over Connelly Creek using a make shift bridge made of plywood. Just as the last Explorer was crossing a woman name Linda came down to check out the action. She informed us that she had seen salmon in the creek two days ago. This was the call to action that we needed, our creek was living and breathing again! We thanked her for the info and headed to the patch of blackberry that we had worked on the previous year. Before we could get there, we noticed a pile of backpacks lying in the chest high Reed Canary Grass. The Daredevil’s Club instantly knew what was going on, it was an ambush! The Alevin Explorers came out of the woodworks in every direction. We were glad they weren’t a hungry pack of wolves because our owl eyes and deer ears were not working very well. Matt Fogarty was the last to emerge from the brush almost catching an Explorer by the ankles.

 Together the groups walked over to the tools where we snacked and had a multi-group meeting while looking at our work from last year. The Explorers were shocked to find that the large patch of blackberry they had removed in the spring had grown back over the mulch. Mentors encouraged the group that their work was not in vain. It was vey important to recognize in this situation that Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow. Our goal for the day would be to remove the roots of those Himalayan Blackberries; it is the only way to truly get rid of them.  We also discussed our motto Tool vs. a Weapon.  As our skills deepen and we start to work with pitch forks, shears, loppers, machetes, hatchets, and saws we must step up to the challenge and responsibility that these tools come with.

            After our meeting the Daredevil’s Club set out across a large field to play a game called Mouth, Ears, and Body before we started digging blackberries. It is a game where Explorers get together in groups of three and line up single file at the designated starting line. The first team member blindfolds himself and is only allowed to move by listening to directions from the second team member. The second team member turns around and faces the exact opposite way of the starting line and is only allowed to call directions without gesturing or looking. The third member faces the second team member who is only allowed to give hand signals to direct their voice. When everyone was in position Mentors scattered paper cups all over the field so that only the third player knew where they were. The teams all experienced some frustration in the beginning but soon got all three different members working and functioning as a well-oiled team.

            Mentors called the group into a circle and discussed how this game was a great model of our service projects. Within the Connelly Creek restoration project there are many different organizations collaborating and bringing in different skills, resources, and connections. We all work together with a common goal in mind and sometimes it can be a frustrating, slow process but in the end we can accomplish the goal with quality and integrity.

            The group walked back over to where the Alevin were digging out blackberry roots and joined in the fun. It was great to see the two groups meld together so fluidly. Triumphantly the Explorers would pull root balls out of the soil, holding their trophies up high as they worked in groups of three to dig them out. The Explorers set up different stations; one for cutting and pilling the blackberry, one for digging the roots and a third for making a square boarder to keep the blackberry at bay.  After about an hour of focused work we moved down to the creek. Earlier in the day Matt had identified a plug in the creek caused by debris piling against a Willow Tree root that spanned the creek. We all worked together to shovel out the sludge and cut the roots allowing the creek to flow again. Once we were good and covered with mud we said goodbye to the Alevin and headed back to the blackberry bramble. We focused our tools and efforts for another hour and really got some tremendous work done. 

            Our day of service revealed that there are many the powers in coming together as a community and engaging in an active relationship with the land. When we work side by side we are afforded the opportunity to engage in many powerful conversations and experiences with our peers while rejoicing in the act of giving to all members of our community.  As we learn from Connelly Creek we can begin to build conviction and start to advocate for the health of all of the land that is around us. Once we feel and define our connection and dependence on the land we can begin to develop an ethic for it. We ended our day talking about a man named Aldo Leopold. He to had a patch of land that he took care of for forty years.  Aldo Leopold once said, “Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.” This statement sums up the relationship the Explorers are cultivating with Connelly Creek. We gave thanks and ended our day snacking on apples in the sun, what a glorious day! 

Please visit the Daredevil’s Club photo gallery for more pictures of the day.

Click here for more information from the City of Bellingham. Once you have clicked the link and are on the COB webpage click on Presentation of 60% design for a presentation and slideshow about the Padden Creek Daylight Project.