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Save the Camas Project Part Deux
Date: April 3, 2005
Who: PCEI Staff, Community Members, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, the
Nez Perce
Tribe, Palouse Prairie Foundation.
What: Second round of camas salvaged from a wet meadow adjacent
to Highway 95
(soon to be paved over during the state's highway expansion
project).
Where: One mile north of Genesee, ID off Highway 95 at mile
marker 333.
Outputs/Accomplishments:
- Approximate number of camas salvaged: 15,001
- Total Volunteers: 18
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Event Summary: The day got off to a bit of a rocky start due to
some rain and daylight savings, but by 10:30 the rain had stopped and
most of the volunteers were at the site and ready to dig. Ken, Randy,
and Mike (our watershed staff) worked with a smaller crew than last
time (18 people), so we focused solely on digging up chunks of sod,
instead of splitting the crew into diggers and potters. With this more
efficient process we were able to haul off seven trucks and a trailer
loaded full of. Mike, Randy, and Keith (a volunteer) took one trip
back to PCEI with two trucks and a trailer full of sod and unloaded it
around 1:00. The volunteers helped load up two of the trucks again and
then took off for PCEI around 2:30. Ken brought another load back on
Monday, and Mike and Randy took two more truckloads back on Tuesday.
We now have an estimated 25,000 camas bulbs in residence here at our
PCEI camas refugee camp, awaiting their new homes at our various
restoration sites in the fall. |
PCEI AmeriCorps member, Aly Bean, helps one
volunteer with a clump of camas. |
Our first salvage
Date: 3/20/05
Who:
- PCEI staff, AmeriCorps members, PCEI members
and volunteers
- Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce tribes
- Palouse Prairie Foundation
- Idaho Native Plant Society
- Moscow Co-op
- University of Idaho students, Washington State
University students,
- Moscow High School students
- Idaho Transportation Department
- City of Pullman
- Lewiston Tribune
- Unitarian Church
- Palouse Peace Coalition
- KLEW TV and Moscow Pullman Daily News
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Idaho Transportation Department employee, Shawn
Smith loads up camas blubs into pots! Thanks
Shawn!
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What: Salvage of camas bulbs from a wet meadow adjacent to
Highway 95 to be paved over during the expansion of the highway.
Where: One mile north of Genesee off Highway 95 at mile marker
333
Summary of the Day:The day began at 8:00 at PCEI; Ciara, Mike,
Ken, Kelly, Joe and Tracy organized and loaded trucks. The crew arrived
at the site by 9:30 am. Michelle and Randy went to Rosauer’s to pick up
the first shift of volunteers. The morning shift arrived at 10:30 am to
clear skies and sunny conditions. Working in small clusters chatting and
playing games, approximately 24 volunteers began digging up the camas
bulbs. Tiffany and Eric helped organize and direct volunteers all day
long, while Aly lead the volunteers in fun word games as they worked.
Tom showed up in between meetings to help with the press interviews and
to do some digging. At 1:00 pm the first shift of folks headed home and
two truck loads of camas pots headed back to PCEI to be unloaded. |
Michelle and Randy picked up a large group of volunteers (36) for the
afternoon shift. The afternoon volunteers arrived on site around 1:30
pm just as the rain began. Luckily it rained for less than 5 minutes
and the sun was back out again. The afternoon shift worked rigorously
until 4:00 pm. The highlight of the day was a group of high school
students that chose to celebrate Paige Reid’s birthday by digging up
camas bulbs. Their laughter filtered throughout the site creating a
light-hearted and fun atmosphere. After the volunteers left for the
day, four more trucks were loaded full of camas and taken back to PCEI.
At PCEI the pots were organized on the nursery plot. Pots were
inspected and filled with soil where needed. A raised bed will be
constructed in the next couple of days to plant the large camas clumps
that were transported from the salvage site. We were pleased with
number of volunteers that showed up on such short notice, the diversity
of group affiliations that participated and the dedication and
enthusiasm of all involved. It was a great day! |
One of six truckloads of camas |
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Outputs/Accomplishments:
Total Volunteers: 69
Total Volunteer Hours: 273.5
Approximate number of camas salvaged: 9,424
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PCEI's 3rd Annual Camas Restoration Planting (2002-2003)
The wet meadows along Paradise Creek (and other Palouse streams) were
traditionally a gathering place for the Nez Perce and other tribes to
dig camas, dance, play games, arrange marriages, and renew
relationships. With a little help from PCEI, students from Moscow and
Lapwai gathered in these same meadows, now drastically altered, to
learn about camas and to bring it back.
Featured in the Horizon Air in-flight magazine
article...
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