Date of volunteer work: 08/17/2016.
Site Name: Errol Heights.
Number of hours worked: 3.
Species removed: Thistle.
Estimated percent cover before removal20.
Approximate square feet of invasives removed200.
Found a patch of thistle near the bridge about to bloom. As I looked around I found more plants with flower buds coming. The ground was really hard so pulling plants didn’t work. I cut to ground all I could find. There was also a patch near the fence on the 45th Ave. side which I treated the same way.
I also checked on the status of the nightshade; the area I cleaned up last month is not coming back. I also took the opportunity to check beaver dam status. The westernmost dam is getting taller, and longer. They dammed up the old creek channel and a large lake is forming. Water is now spilling around to the south of the dam, but I expect that to be remedied soon, as this is an active site. I also found a relatively new canal between the uppermost pond and the middle one; must be more active use of the area. Almost all of the area to the south of the pond to the hillside is now wetland. Last year I walked that area in hiking boots pulling nightshade; this year I need waterproof knee high boots.