Streamside Planting Tomorrow

Michael Courtney sent this to me last week and, unfortunately, it got lost in my email box until now. I am sure that if you wanted to participate you could just give them a call in the morning.

Volunteers Sought for Streamside Planting
Along Esopus Creek

Get some fresh air and exercise by the gorgeous Esopus Creek! Catskill Streams Buffer Initative (CSBI) is looking for volunteers to complete a tree planting project along the Esopus Creek in Oliverea to restore a streamside forest area on Saturday, November 13 from 9:00 am to 2:00pm.Lunch will be provided.

Volunteers will meet at the site, which is at 338 Oliverea Rd. at 9:00am. Please dress appropriately and bring gloves. Holes will be pre-dug for easy planting. Go online to www.ashokanstreams.org for a map to the site. Volunteers should RSVP with Colleen Griffith at 845-688-3047.

Volunteers for this project will restore a section of trees that were torn away by the April, 2005 flood. The restoration is designed to reduce the chances of future damage. Streamside vegetation is essential to the health of streams as they filter runoff, maintain the stability of streams, slow flood flows and provide essential habitat.

The landowner for this site, John Michelotti, has worked with CSBI to create a riparian corridor management plan that provides prescriptive measures. Landowners who complete a riparian corridor management plan can then apply for plant materials to restore their riparian buffer. The landowners provide in kind support of the project and learn skills needed to keep their riparian buffer in an optimally functioning condition. For projects like this one with over 500 trees to plant, volunteers are essential to completing the projects which in turn, provide a public benefit by protecting the creek.

Catskill Streams Buffer Initative is sponsored locally by Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York City Department of Environmental Protection.