by Michael J. Pach
Ninety-six students from four of Barbara Tillman's science classes at CarsonMiddle School participated in a project to help FortCarson's Directorate of Environmental Compliance and Management revegetate some wetland areas downrange and at Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.
This is a new project that came about as a result of trying to figure out how to make good use of the greenhouse that is adjacent to Tillman's classroom.
"We were trying to think of some ways to utilize the greenhouse, so when they (DECAM) proposed this project, I thought it was great," said Tillman. "It gives students a chance to do real scientific research which really isn't available to most students in middle school."
The project was coordinated with Wildlife Habitat Council Education and Outreach Specialist Janine Hegeman and DECAM Natural Resources Specialist James Kulbeth.
They presented the project to the students explaining the reasons behind it and what planting native coyote willows (Salix exigua) would do for the environment.
"The project helps create wetland habitat with the appropriate native shrubs," said Kulbeth. "There are marshes and erosion control basins (downrange and at PiñonCanyon) that don't have willows and we want to plant them along the high water edges of the pools and get them established there."
Planting tubes and stands were made available for the project through a grant from the Upper Arkansas River Weed Management Cooperative in Salida, so the project was done at virtually no cost.
In one day, the students planted 690 willow sticks in either sand or potting soil. Each class was responsible for a group of plants. The willows were monitored daily to observe their growth and make sure water levels kept the soil saturated. The sticks started to bud within a few days of planting and about 90 percent of them sprouted even though a
50 percent success rate was expected.
"Willows love water and that's why this technique works," said Kulbeth. "They will root in water or water-saturated soil. They need to be planted in saturated soil where there is water on or just below the surface year round."
Half of the plants was picked up and taken to PiñonCanyon May 14 and the other half was picked up May 15 to be planted in areas downrange.
"It's been really great for the students," said Tillman. "They were so excited daily to look and see how many plants sprouted and how their growth progressed. Before it was a row of sticks and now they're all green."
Students measured the growth of the plants for statistical reasons and will be writing up the results of their experiment. They will talk about the factors that may have prevented some of the plants from sprouting and will discuss things that could be improved for next year's project.
Next year, DECAM plans to do the same thing in areas where they have removed tamarisk (salt-cedar), an exotic, non-native noxious tree that grows in the wetland zone along stream and lake edges. DECAM wants to re-establish willows in those sites to fill a niche and give the tamarisk some competition.