EVERETT – A small group of dedicated adults and children are proving that everyone can make a difference. In this case, the proving ground is a section of Mouse Creek in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Wilderness.
WSU Snohomish County Extension 4-H will host restoration activities at Mouse Creek on Sauk Prairie Road near Darrington on Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
With help from the community the fourth, fifth and sixth grade 4-H members from Darrington Elementary School and Arlington’s Stilly Valley School will work to remove invasive species from the site and plant Red Alder saplings to improve and restore the stream’s salmon habitat. Like many streams around the region, Mouse Creek’s native salmon population has dwindled over the years, in this case mostly due to livestock damage.
The students are participants in the WSU Extension 4-H Natural Resource program, Forest and Salmon Stewards. The program teaches young people not only in the classroom but also in the field with hands-on instruction in watershed and habitat management, native plants, forestry, water quality and wildlife. Young people in the program teach each other about restoring salmon habitat, stewardship and sharing experiences while developing important life skills.
The program is a partnership between Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Task Force, Snohomish County Surface Water Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and WSU Extension 4-H.
For more information or directions to the site, contact Gabrielle Roesch, Natural Resources Program Coordinator, at 425/357-6011 or gabrielle90@wsu.edu.
