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Healing the Earth: A volunteer workday to control erosion and plant seeds
May 13 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Free
Healing the Earth: A volunteer workday to control erosion and plant seeds
In this Saturday morning workday, the Natural History Institute partners with the Friends of the Verde River and Prescott National Forest to build erosion-control structures and to distribute seed balls in order to restore native habitat.
The morning will start with a site tour led by Chad Yocum, Prescott National Forest’s hydrologist, who will share the history of the site and what the future brings. Then, we will work together to build loose rock structures — which includes hauling medium-sized rocks to the site — and distributing seed balls in the area. Loose rock structures are designed to slow water moving across the landscape and within a gully system. The Erosion Control pdf put forth by the Quivira Coalition is an excellent resource to review the type of loose rock structure we will be constructing, https://quiviracoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Erosion-Control-Field-Guide.pdf.
*Make sure you’re in good health and able to physically perform these tasks*
We will meet in Chino Valley at 8am and carpool to the field site. On-site work will be between 9-11am; participants will be back to their cars by noon. Limited parking available at the site for high-clearance vehicles ONLY.
Participants must bring:
- Close-toed shoes
- Gloves
- Work clothes, including long-sleeved shirt
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Water
Tracy Stephens is the Program Director at Friends of the Verde River. Previously, she has worked with Wyoming Game and Fish and Arizona Game and Fish. Tracy holds an M.S. in Natural Resources with a Fisheries emphasis and a B.S. with a double major in Biology with an emphasis in Aquatic Biology, and in Water Resources with a Fisheries and Limnology emphasis from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Tracy enjoys mountain biking, running, reading, knitting, spending time with her family.
Chad Yocum is the hydrologist with Prescott National Forest. He manages a number of ongoing erosion-control projects on the forest, often partnering with Friends of the Verde River for volunteer events. Chad is originally from Illinois.
This workday is part of our “Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves” series. Sign up for other events in the series on their Eventbrite pages, linked below.
Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves
A reciprocal healing series from the Natural History Institute
There is a growing awareness of the positive mental, physical, and physiological benefits that humans can reap from time spent in nature. Join the Natural History Institute in this new series where we ask: how can we heal ourselves in nature? And how can we, in all gratitude, work to heal the earth? Joined by a writer and philosopher, a local nonprofit, our partners at Prescott National Forest, and mindfulness leaders, we explore how to heal and how to give back.
Other events in the series:
4/12 – Gratitude – “Gratitude is a Way of Life,” a webinar conversation with philosopher and nature writer Kathleen Dean Moore. FREE.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/586178705287
5/17 – Reciprocal Healing – “Natural History, Reciprocal Healing, and a Sense of Kinship,” a speaker series talk by NHI emeritus director Tom Fleischner. FREE.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/588345185287
6/10 – Healing Ourselves – “Homecoming: A Journey of Reconnection,” a day-long workshop with Grace Burford & Carol Russell. Participants will anchor in gratitude and experience mindfulness in nature through practices rooted in deep ecology, ancient wisdom, and systems thinking. $75
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/586216999827