Palouse Outdoors - Local Conservation Organizations Have a Field Day with Dixie Elementary School

In late October, the Walla Walla County Conservation District (WWCD), Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hosted Dixie Elementary for a conservation field day. Alison Crowley, Project Manager with the WWCD, leads the WWCD "Conservation Connections" program, which promotes conservation-related outreach and education. As a part of Conservation Connections, Alison led Dixie Elementary School students through completing a riparian habitat project in 2022, and she approached BMPF and WDFW to cooperate on a similar gig this year.

Rain threatened with ominous skies as WDFW Biologist Corrie Thorne Hadley and BMPF volunteers Larry Boe, Eric Hockersmith, George Endicott, and I (Brad Trumbo) eagerly awaited the arrival of the students. The South Fork Coppei Creek tumbled in the background as a damp wind rustled bunchgrasses and whistled through ponderosa pine needles. The crew quickly laid out plants, rakes, and shovels, anticipating plugging in 40 shrubs and seeding native grasses and forbs in a creekside meadow. The moment we finished, the bus arrived carrying 15 enthusiastic third through fifth-grade students, led by Alison and a cadre of the finest educators from Dixie Elementary School.

Hadley kicked off the event with introductions before leading the students down to the creek bottom. There, I dove into a discussion on various native plants and the benefits they provide to a variety of wildlife and pollinator species and the environment. When asked to identify the benefits of native shrubs, a dozen hands shot up among the Dixie Elementary School crowd.

A mix of berry-producing serviceberry, Woods' rose, golden currant, and blue elderberry were on the species list for the day, and the students learned precisely what benefits they provide.

"The berries provide food for birds," said a young lady with dark hair wearing a lavender sweater.

"Birds like to nest in shrubs," said a young man in a camouflage jacket.

"Exactly right," I replied. "But what about the rose? Do you think wild roses provide any food?"

I pointed to the crimson rose hips, which triggered excited responses. Deer and birds eat rose hips during winter. The fruits reward wildlife with flavor and nutrition; wildlife disperses the seeds.

"What about the rose thorns? Do you think they might protect birds from predators?" I asked.

Not only do shrubs provide good nesting cover for songbirds and other food and cover sources for wildlife, but species like roses provide good protection from predators for songbirds and even small mammals and upland birds when patches grow large enough. Additionally, shrubs in riparian areas provide erosion protection and food and energy to streams by dropping insects and leaf litter.

"Sounds like you all should be teaching me," I said.

"These are sharp kids!" Alison replied.

"In that case, let's put some plants in the ground!" I exclaimed.

Splitting the kids into four groups, Corrie, Alison, Eric, and I wandered off in different directions toward small groups of shrubs that we had pre-placed for the students. The group leaders explained how to plant woody species before dropping the shrubs into the ground.

My preferred sequence for planting potted plants is first to remove the pot and check for root binding. Plants grown in a pot for too long will have roots that encircle the root wad and need to be broken free. Once the roots are freed up, I place the plants in the hole on a bed of loose soil, then lightly pack loose soil around the plant's roots. Woody plants should not be planted below the root crown (where the roots flare out from the main stem into the soil) to avoid stem rot.

The students were familiar with planting potted plants, so we quickly set them free to complete the planting. Small hands worked with alacrity and possessed a clear advantage over adult hands for packing soil around the roots. While planting, each group's leader used their planting site to explain the importance of choosing good locations. It's important to pick a site that offers good soil moisture and sunlight and is not directly beneath a tree limb, for example. Clearing around the plant holes helps to reduce competition with other plants and invasive species.

With the initial plantings wrapped up, Corrie gathered everyone back to the middle of the site. Given all that the students had just learned, it was time they put their knowledge to use.

"Everyone, grab some plants and spread out along the downstream end of the property. This time, we want you to pick your own planting sites," Corrie instructed.

An excited conversation ensued as the kids fanned out along the meadow's edge. Naturally, the students formed teams with their best buddies, and off they went, searching for open spots in the cottonwood canopy free of invasive species like Himalayan blackberry.

I followed behind with a battery-powered auger and was pleased with the planting sites that the students had chosen. Planting interested them, and they wanted to do the job right. Some students even chose to plant with hand trowels for the full experience and challenge of planting by hand.

With the shrubs in the ground, the conversation turned toward grasslands, invasive species, and reseeding open patches along the hillside above the creek. Again, we discussed the benefits of species diversity and native grasses and flowers, many of which overlap with the woody species. Corrie led the charge, teaching about removing thatch and opening the soil surface with a rake to allow good seed-to-soil contact. Again, the kids broke into groups, taking rakes and seeds and spreading out across the hillside.

Students worked their rakes feverishly and tossed grass seed upon the breeze. The cool, damp morning air had become comfortable due in part to manual labor, but the clouds had thinned, allowing a hint of sunlight to shine upon the shoulders of the students and volunteers.

Everyone enjoyed the seeding activity, but the greatest attraction was a meadow vole that appeared immune to the bustle of a dozen bodies dancing around it as it frenziedly fed. The students gathered to watch the vole at work, tossed seeds for it to snack on, and built a protective thatch fortress where it could eat peacefully.

Alison rounded everyone up as the seed bags were emptied and the morning's work completed. The students gained a firm grasp on planting techniques and expressed their knowledge of habitat enhancement and restoration benefits for pollinators, wildlife, and the ecosystem. They were so effective that everyone agreed to meet again in the spring of 2024 at a shrub-steppe enhancement site to learn about planting project maintenance and arid land management.

Thanks to the teachers and students at Dixie Elementary School, Alison and the WWCD, Corrie and WDFW, and my fellow BMPF volunteers for making the most of this field day. Events like these are foundational to meeting conservation missions and developing future advocates for the environment and public resources.