Hello! I am excited to join Johnson Creek Watershed Council as the 2014-2015 Riparian Technician and AmeriCorps member. I come to the council as a previous JCWC volunteer and having worked with the Council on culvert surveys for fish passage as a student at Portland State, where I earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Science with a focus in Environmental Science and Biology. As a student, I became concerned about the need to improve wildlife habitat within cities in an increasingly urbanizing world. With riparian areas often serving as the only existing corridors for wildlife movement within developed areas, I began to realize how vital these ecosystems are to the persistence of vulnerable wildlife populations. Additionally, the ecosystem services we receive from healthy riparian forests are immense- including protection from flooding, stream bank stability, cleaner waterways, and better air quality. When I found the opportunity to serve the Johnson Creek Watershed through the AmeriCorps program, I jumped at the chance to become more involved.
It’s been an amazing month since joining the Johnson Creek Watershed Council in early September. I have had the opportunity to meet many of the people that make the council so effective (and fun!) and seen many of the sites where restoration work has been occurring. I have also been able to participate in a Salmon Watch field trip with the Portland Waldorf School and have assisted in giving presentations on Johnson Creek and stream ecology to several Milwaukie High School classrooms. I look forward to the upcoming opportunities to work alongside so many of Johnson Creek’s weed warriors and reforesters. As a fourth generation Willamette Basin native and mother of a small (but avid) creek explorer, I am thrilled to join Johnson Creek’s dedicated staff, board, interns and volunteers in efforts to restore native habitat and create a more resilient watershed system for generations to come.
Questions? Contact Danielle at danielle@jcwc.org.