SEA-DISC students work for the first ten weeks of SEA-DISC revegetating the Sleepy Hollow Creek that runs through Drake's campus. In order to bring back the Steelhead Trout population, students assess the creek's plant habitat, also known as the riparian corridor, and make plans to remove and plant the proper plant species.
| The Sleepy Hollow Creek in San Anselmo is covered with non-native vegetation which invaded the native plant life, lowering the biodiveristy and causing soil erosion issues. Without the native plants, the creek can't support the native animals. When there is a lack of tall trees shading the creek, the soil in creek bed absorbs too much heat, resulting in a huge decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen which affects the aquatic life. |
Students working in the San Anselmo Creek. |
SEA-DISC, with the help of Friends of the Corte Madera Creek(an environmental organization that is working to protect the Corte Madera creek and its tributaries), agreed on which non-natives to remove and which ones to keep. SEA-DISC students first identified all the vegetation found along the creek and then researched it. With the information gained on the fact that non-natives are invasive and natives are fast growing so they survive the rainy season, students wrote an educated proposal on which species to remove and which to plant.
Students spend class time out in the creek pulling and hacking away at the non-native plants they decide to remove. With a grant, by MCSTOPPP, SEA-DISC was able to purchase the necessary native plants. Professionals come to teach the students how to Willow Waddle, a revegetation technique that will eventually sprout fast growing willow trees but keep the steep hillside from eroding. SEA-DISC has been revegetating the creek for the past five years and will continue in the quest to bring back the Steelhead trout population.
Back to Projects |
