Molalla Pioneer

RiverWatch volunteers to work on Molalla River Recreation Corridor Trail System

By Abby Sewell
Molalla Pioneer

Next Saturday’s Earth Day activities will be more than a walk in the park for dozens of volunteers who will lace up their work boots and head out to the Molalla River Recreation Corridor for a day of hard work in the woods.

Kay Patteson, executive director of Molalla RiverWatch, said she expects to see more than 125 volunteers trek out to the Molalla River Recreation Corridor Trail System.

There they will construct a new informational kiosk at the Aquila Vista Natural Resource Education Areas, plant native plants, and fan out around the area to clear winter debris from the 50-mile trail loop.

The work day is part of the SOLV-IT Earth Day program presented by Portland General Electric, and sponsored by Molalla RiverWatch and the Bureau of Land Management.

Last year, Patteson said, about 25 volunteers participated in the cleanup, but this year’s projects are on a larger scale.

“We didn’t have any major things planned last year, just a number of diverse small projects,” she said.

This year, volunteers will have their choice of several different projects. The most ambitious of these is the construction of a kiosk at Aquila Vista, about five miles from the Hardy Creek Trailhead.

The kiosk will provide a map of the local trail system and information about native animal and plant species.

Aside from that, volunteers will be planting trees and rooting out invasive species.

Patteson said that the LDS Church Neighbor to Neighbor program has offered to bring about 100 people to help out.

“(Neighbor to Neighbor) brings a lot of volunteers and enthusiasm to the project,” Patteson said. “It’s great to think we can establish a working relationship now and we’re looking forward to it in the future.”

Along with the Neighbor to Neighbor group, Patteson expects a crew of 10 from the Clackamas County Environmental Youth Corps, as well as any other unaffiliated people who may be interested in doing some physical labor for a good cause.

Molalla RiverWatch and the BLM will be supervising the projects and providing tools and barbecue fixings to keep up the volunteers’ strength and spirits.

They will start between 9 and 10 a.m., after meeting at the Hardy Creek trailhead to register.

To volunteer in the Earth Day Trail Enhancement efforts, meet at the Hardy Creek Trailhead between 9 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 28. From Molalla, follow detour signs to Dickey Prairie, as the Feyrer Park Bridge will be closed at the time. Turn left at the Dickey Prairie store onto Dickey Prairie Road and drive about four miles; then turn right to cross the Glen Avon Bridge. Follow the paved road about 3.5 miles and the Hardy Creek Trailhead is on the right. For more information, call Kay Patteson at 503-824-2195 or e-mail riverwatch@molalla.net.