Photos from last weekend

Amon Creek Preserve Restoration Update

Willowbrookers--Treat yourselves to a visit to Amon Creek Natural Preserve to see the plant restoration work just finished! On Saturday, Nov. 28, more than 35 intrepid volunteers –including some from Tapteal Greenway, Friends of Amon, Team Battelle, and the Restorative Community Service Crew--planted 263 healthy young specimens of native vegetation selected by Tapteal’s own Dr. Ed Rykiel.

Remember, everyone in Willowbrook benefits from having Amon Basin Community Preserve at our doorsteps. Please help to protect this incredible natural asset.

Here’s the list of new plants:

25 Red Osier Dogwood 30 Black Cottonwood
30 Sagebrush 30 Rabbit brush
20 Bitter brush 30 Currant
50 Globe Mallow 30 Basin Wild Rye
6 Smooth Sumac 6 Mock Orange
6 Blue Elderberry

The largest concentration of these is along the old roadbed running N-S along the large wetlands just north of the KID Pumphouse and pond. You can park on Center Drive and walk down: look for the sawhorses and yellow pennants, and of course, stay on the marked trail. Bright pink flags also mark plants and the many cages built and installed Saturday to protect young trees from hungry beavers.

You’ll find many more of these pink-ribboned beaver-proof cages ringing the large ponds at the far south end of the Preserve all the way south to the “Yellow Gate” access road (at the Kiosk off Leslie).

And as you hike, please stay alert for off-road motorized vehicles—motorbikes, snowmobiles, ATVs. These are illegal in the Amon Creek Natural Preserve because they irreparably damage Amon’s delicate lands and vegetation. Report ANY violation by calling the Police non-emergency number at (628-0333). We encourage you to program that number into your cell. Please call Kathy at 627-0950 so we can follow up. If you see damage (shudder!), we also need to know that.

Next summer, we’ll need folks to water our new plants—many hands make light work. Can you help? If so, please call or email me at kdechter@charter.net or call Scott Woodward (627-3621).

Thank you!
Kathy Dechter
627-0950