After three recent wood-chipping volunteer events in Farrells Marsh Park, the trails are looking better than ever. The Main Trail has been built up making it easily passable, muddy spots on several trails have been eliminated, and walking in general has been enhanced with a thick cover of wood chips over several trails. The hard work of volunteers has generated many favorable comments.
Thank you Judy Bittenbender, Dan & Trina Wiswell, Mike Henderson, Steve Hibbs, John and Ryan Rozsnyai, Jane & Rick Bell, Roberta Black, Marilyn & Don Thompson, Rick Clark, Mitchell Valdez, Jake and Jasmine Orthouse, Dick Muri, Michael Drapela, Hugo Fischer, and Barb & Dan Szekely for improving the Sisters Lake and Oak Dr. trails on 11 Apr. The teamwork was impressive, resulting in the remaining half of the wood chip mountain disappearing in a little over an hour!
To keep up the momentum, our next wood chipping event in Farrells Marsh will be this Sunday, 18 April, from 1 to 3 pm. We will meet at the Chambers St entrance to the marsh. A large wood chip mountain will be awaiting us down the Main Trail. Rakes, three 10-tine pitch forks, and 6 Town wheelbarrows will be on hand. Personal wheelbarrows are very welcome and make the work go faster. Water and light refreshments will be in place.
Beyond the fragrant smell of the fresh wood chips, another bonus for volunteers is a likely sighting of the bald eagle that is causing some consternation for the ducks and geese with their newly hatched broods.
Questions? Nancy Henderson nehenders@comcast.net
Thank you for making our parks and trails even better!
Is this the same place where the beavers are killed each year? If so why can’t they just knock the dam down after the kits grow up? Keep the beavers busy building a new one?
Why can’t it be a real natural park?
No confirmed beaver killings thus far and plans to do so are currently on hold. Historically beavers have been active in Farrells Marsh Park for many years. A long-time senior resident who lives nearby shared that in his youth beavers were trapped in the park. A study published in 1998 documented evidence of beaver activity. We had one or two active beavers again in 2015-16 until they met their demise on a busy road. Beavers move faster in water but are slow and vulnerable on land.
Beavers returned in late 2019 and built a substantial dam at the outflow. The dam has enabled the water level to rise and rejuvenate a degraded wetland. The WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife has much to say about the environmental benefits that beaver, as a “keystone” species, create for other life forms. Tearing down the dam would reverse these benefits as the water in the marsh would return to having a small footprint, especially in the summer.
Volunteers are working hard to enhance the park while keeping it natural. You and anyone else is welcome to us at one of our work parties.