3M Wetlands Restoration Project - Treekeepers CARP project

With spring in the air it is time for another round of planting at the 3M wetlands site. We still have roughly 600 shrubs and trees to plant throughout the site, so with any luck we will have the same if not more volunteers for this next round of volunteering.

The event is scheduled for Saturday March 24th at 8:00a.m. meeting again at the site end nearest to the Forum Nature Area parking lot.

More details on how to sign up go here. to the TreeKeepers website or here to the Volunteer Services main website. Both CARP and TreeKeepers will be involved in the project and anyone who has an interest in the environment is more than welcome.

Look forward to seeing you there!

3M Wetlands Restoration Project - treating stormwater

Today's rain is the first event that will start the filling of the wetlands project. Full pool will be attained in the first cell with the rains projected through tomorrow afternoon and the filling of the second pool will begin with subsequent rains.

Winter Wheat and Annual Rye were sown as the first rain fell this morning and hopefully will sprout with through the rest of the winter season.

With all the final stage of the grading operations, funded by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation's Five Star Grant, native planting will resume over the next few months. There will be some 500 + additional native trees and shrubs planted by TreeKeepers & CARP volunteers, provided by Missouri Forest ReLeaf. Several thousand native wetland plants will be installed in the new wetlands by the same volunteers, funding provided by National Fish & Wildlife Foundation's Five Star Grant for $25,000.

Work on the on covered observation structure continues with new and innovative ideas being considered each day, more to come on that as funding allows!!

Work has begun on the $20,000 Missouri State Parks RTP Grant for an accessible interpretive sign system for the wetlands that will include interpretive information about the site and its functions and purposes...more information to come on that too as progress is made!!

3M Urban Ecology Restoration Grant digging in.

Volunteer Columbia had a great turn out for the Native Tree Planting event this past weekend at the 3M Urban Ecology Restoration Project. Volunteer Columbia has posted photos of the event here. Thanks to all who participated in this first of several planting events that will be held here.

3M Urban Ecology Restoration Grant takes to the air.

On 10/30/2011 Parks & Rec and the Stormwater Educator took part in an interview about the 3M wetlands project, amongst others. Please click to hear what was discussed. For additional information on KFRU's programming please click here.

Treekeepers and C.A.R.P event scheduled for Saturday, November 19th 2011

Treekeepers and C.A.R.P are co-hosting a native tree and shrub planting event scheduled for Saturday, November 19th 2011 at the site of the Urban Ecology Restoration Project funded in part by the 3M Foundation. Join us as we plant close to 500 trees and 500 shrubs suited for wetland and bottomland woods environment. Free snacks and beverages will be available to participants!! Exercise is FREE!!!

Friend of Columbia's Parks Passes Away

There will be a memorial service today at Riechmann Pavilion to celebrate the life of Dr. Jim Whitley. The service is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Complete obituary is posted at the Columbia Tribune and the Columbia Missourian.

Jim Whitley served on various parks and recreation committees most recently providing native plant expertise on the Flat Branch Park development and on the MKT Trail Vegetation Management Committee.

Park staff often utilized Jim for expertise on native plant selection and management, especially in terms of aquatic plants. Jim was a extremely valuable contributor regarding the aquatic plant selection and management at Stephens Lake Park. In addition to his noteworthy expertise, Jim often donated or provided at nominal cost hundreds of native shoreline and aquatic plants which were planted around the shore lines at Stephens Park, Auburn Hills, Louisville Park, Twin Lakes and many other Columbia park ponds, raingardens and waterways.

In 2006 Jim graciously agreed to assist with the fledgling volunteer program the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project or CARP. The CARP program was design to help build community support and assistance in maintaining healthy, sustainable lakes and ponds in Columbia Parks and Jim served as mentor and educator to both park staff and volunteers.

Jim's legacy to the parks will always be seen in the bold purple blossom of the pickerel weed, lovely nodding white flowers of lizards tail and the rigid dark green of the square stem spike rush.