When we finished our Fairhaven Park Trail and Wetland Boardwalk project in 2017, we were required to provide mitigation for the impacts that we had on the wetlands. With the direction of Rae Edwards, Bellingham Parks Greenways Volunteer Coordinator, we installed fencing to protect the native plants from grazing deer. Now that the plants have had the love and attention given to them over the years, with our volunteers continuing the maintenance of removing the competing invasive blackberries, thistle and buttercup, they are mature enough to have had the fencing removed.
We are excited to be able to remove this fencing to open up the wildlife corridors for the deer and other animal friends to roam freely through the woods. This was our booty from removing the fencing in the abandoned trail corridor. Below is Caleb Savage, Recreation Northwest’s Program Coordinator, getting ready to transport the fencing material to Bellingham Parks Operations for reuse!
Instead of carrying the load down the hill, Caleb’s genius kicked in! “Let’s have gravity do the work.” It may have also been the classic lyrics in Grateful Dead Franklin’s Tower “Roll away…” that prompted this in his HEAD.
Yes, there was a lot of fencing installed in the abandoned trail corridor! Now it’s ready for Bellingham Parks to reuse on another restoration project.
We were also able to salvage all these “pea pod poles” for reuse for Bellingham Parks.
We are happy to be able to recycle and reuse/repurpose these materials. We also appreciate our relationship with Bellingham Parks in this coordinated effort! Go TEAM!
Todd Elsworth is one of the many “Mossy-haired lunatics roaming the dripping peninsulas”, described in “I’m Here for the Weather” by Tom Robbins. As executive director, he works to fulfill our mission to teach the health benefits of nature, promote outdoor recreation, and steward the places where we play.
