The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps’ Sacramento Campus deployed Gold Six to an environmental stewardship project inNorth Bend,Oregon.  The team has been hands-on, on the ground working to improve the specific natural green space environment.  The focus of their activities was to remove invasive species, when left in place, choke out the solar and water resources for new native species to establishment themselves and allow older species to continue to grow and thereby maintaining a natural, living green space.

Working with the Washington Conservation Corps and the Mountains to Sound Greenway organizations, the team’s mission was to protect and connect the natural lands, preserving the forests and providing balance between regional growth and the environment betweenSeattleandCentral Washingtonalong the I-90 corridor.  These endeavors included construction of drainage ditches and turnpikes, trail maintenance and ecological restoration.  The team was effective in reducing erosion and promoting the health of established native plant species, as well as the removal of non-native evasive species.

During their time with Mountains to Sound Gold Six focused on the removal of several invasive species of exotic vegetation, including English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, Holly and Scotch Broom.  Altogether the team removed six and one half acres of exotic vegetation, transferred two acres two acres worth of a pre-determined disposal area, removed 62 holly trees, one laurel tree and created 151 survival rings, a process for saving a tree from the vertical growth of ivy.  Gold 6 also planted 3, 044 trees and shrubs, replanted 30 additional trees and potted 1,105 trees at the Mountains to Sound nursery, along with preparing another 275 trees to be potted by local volunteers.  During this same time the team restored 100 feet of existing trails, cleared 15 culverts, removed one culver, built eight new drain dips, reestablished 57 drain dips, built 1,235 feet of new ditches, cleaned and reestablished 622 feet of ditches, covered two social trails, removed four trees blocking existing trails, reestablished one water bar, built four rock check dams, built 60 feet of turnpikes, flattened 147 feet of trails and widened 946 feet of trails.  Gold 6 removed more than 140 pounds of garbage from various trail sites.  They also provided the Mountains to Sound Nursery with 70 feet of new fence, replaced 15 fence posts, tilled 1,500 square feet and established the first on-site native nursery.

During their time with Mountains to Sound Gold Six engaged with 187 volunteers during nearly 760 hours of work beautifying local parks and green spaces.  The work accomplished by Gold Six resulted in a tremendous step forward for Mountains to Sound, the local residents of the I-90 Corridor, the citizens of the State ofWashingtonand the overall environment in the area.