Vote the Environment's Notes
Whether Bing shredded the gnar or not, he lays claim to recording one of the first holiday songs to speak to the hearts of all those who find themselves in love with the Big Outside, and who love it just a little more around this time of year. Many have contributed to that tradition - knowingly or not - and Cleanest Line fan and contributor Don Darue compiles these tasty holiday music morsels into one of our favorite treats of the season. He's riding his sleigh across the airwaves again with another batch of fine X-mas music for folks who tire easily of the standard fare. Cowpokes, flats fishermen, powder hounds and garden-variety outdoor junkies join hands for a big ol' holiday singalong with the Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot's "Treeside Hoot."
So Merry Christmas Cleanest Line readers! Settle in by the fire, stack up the logs, and stir up the nog - it's time to relax and enjoy some music, Western style. Click the link, and enjoy a heaping helping of musical goodness served up just for you: Treeside Hoot. Hit the jump for a complete playlist of this year's show.
Tree-Side Hoot 2009
Michael Martin Murphey - Christmas On The Line
Loose Ties - Christmas For Cowboys
Willie Nelson - Pretty Paper
John Prine - Silent Night All Day Long
Jimmy Buffett - Christmas Island
Kevin Kling - Nutcracker (story)
Mark O’Connor - Sleigh Ride
John McCutcheon - Christmas In The Trenches
Jerry Jeff Walker - I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Christmas Jug Band - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Asleep At The Wheel - Let It Snow
Dwight Yoakam - Santa Can’t Stay
Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From The Family
Christmas Jug Band - Under The Mistletoe
Tony Trischka (w/ Charles Osgood) - Banjo Cheer
The Nashville Super Pickers - O Come All Ye Faithful
Peter Rowan - Christmas Time’s A Comin’
Nanci Griffith w/ The Chieftans - The Wexford Carol
Kevin Kling - The View From The Card Table (story)
Michael Martin Murphey - Ridin’ Home On Christmas Eve
The Dance Segment
Michael Martin Murphey - The Cowboy Christmas Ball
Hank Snow - The Reindeer Boogie
Asleep At The Wheel - Jingle Bell Boogie
Jimmy Buffett - Run Run Rudolph
Michael Martin Murphey - Two Step ‘Round The Christmas Tree
Christmas Jug Band - S.A.N.T.A.
The Bobs - 50 Kilowatt Tree
Christmas Jug Band - Santa Lost A Ho
Jimmy Buffet - Ho Ho Ho & A Bottle Of Rhum
John Prine - A John Prine Christmas
Michael Martin Murphey & Waddie Mitchell - Good Night Ladies / Auld Lang Syne
Whether you swing a hammer or hammer on the keyboard, we all find ways to stay sane during the workweek. Maybe it’s a particularly good post-work bouldering session or an hour of yoga, which has been the case for me lately. When Scott Harvey’s poem “40 Miles of Inspiration” showed up in my Inbox, it was a like a breath of fresh air. It’s hard not to smile at this refreshing cure for the mid-week blues. Farm dogs. Wayward bats. Coyotes. All in a day’s commute.
Download "Forty Miles A Poem"
(mp3 - right-click to download - music credits)
In between full-length episodes of The Dirtbag Diaries, listeners like you have the chance to narrate your own story on the show -- these are the Shorts. To submit your story for consideration, visit The Dirtbag Diaries and look for the Story Suggestions? link in the sidebar. You can subscribe to the show via iTunes and RSS, or connect with Fitz via Facebook and Twitter.
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In 2009, five Patagonia Japan employees all based in different departments created a team that has been participating in the company’s Internship Program through the Association to Protect the Northernmost Dugong. Patagonia Japan has sent individuals through the Internship Program in the past, however, this was the first time that a group participation was approved. The volunteer work that Tetsu Watanabe of Shibuya store, Sho Fukaya of Kanda store, Hiroyo Sakuba of Osaka store, Toshimi Nasu of Kobe store and Yoko Okuya from the Marketing Department had continued from 2008 individually to this single Association based on their own personal interests eventually led to the company providing support for their group internship.
[Patagonia members (from left to right): Sho, Hiroyo, Toshimi, Yoko and Tetsu. All photos courtesy of Yoko Okuya.]
Have you heard of a living creature called the Dugong? Dugongs are sea mammals and in the same Sirenian category as the Manatee. Dugongs prefer the warm waters (at approximately 20 to 30 degrees Celsius) around Australia and tropical/subtropical shallow waters of the East China Sea. They also live in Okinawa, Japan, which is the northernmost region of their habitat. They eat the seagrass that grows in the shallow waters where the sunlight reaches and they consume about 10% (about 30kg) of their body weight each day. The seagrass grows in the shallow waters along the coast so the Dugong’s habitat is easily influenced by human activities. However, since the seagrass is the only food that they eat, they are fated to stay close to the coastline. Their life span is about 70 years and their birthing period is said to be approximately 3 to 7 years. The pregnancy period is from 13 to 14 months and because they can only give birth to one baby at a time, their immune system is weak, making their comeback precarious once the number of existing Dugongs decreases. And in reality, the number of Dugong is getting smaller in many of their habitats. Whether the environment where the Dugongs can thrive is saved is up to the actions of human beings.
[The stuffed dugong of one stranded at Kanna beach in 1973.]
[The skeleton bones of a dugong at Nago Museum in Okinawa.]
[Very beautiful seagrass beds in Kayo.]
The Dugongs that inhabit the northernmost region of Okinawa used to inhabit the various coastlines of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa Islands). Currently, there is only an estimation that a small regional individual group made up of less than 50 Dugongs currently inhabit the east coast of Okinawa’s main island and it is very rare to actually see one. The Dugongs were listed as Japan’s National Protected species and designated as “Endangered Species IA Type” which is the most critical class in Okinawa Prefecture’s Red Data Book. Despite these actions, Japan’s Environmental Ministry still has not listed the Dugong in the Red Data Book and the country has yet to implement specific measures for its protection. To aggravate this situation further, the Northernmost Dugongs are exposed to serious conditions created by humans that threaten their extinction. These threats caused by human beings include mistaken capture by fishnets, reduction of their feeding bed and worsening of their habitat’s environment due to development. Another monstrous threat that exists is the scheduled construction of the U.S. military base starting in 2010 (to be completed by 2014) in the Henoko ocean area. Henoko is one of the most important habitats of the Dugongs because of the vast seagrass beds, massive coral area and a place where new species are still being discovered. Henoko was designated as the alternative U.S. Military sea heliport when the U.S. government agreed to the total return of the base properties to Japan in 1996.
[The boundary line fence between Camp Schwab military base and Henoko beach.]
[People's prayers for peace and a beautiful ocean.]
The goal of the Association to Protect the Northernmost Dugong, where we interned, is to prove the existence of this scarce species in this area, simultaneously clarify the protective measures, and to ultimately have the Dugong habitat that encompasses the east coast of Nago City in Okinawa prefecture be designated as a marine sanctuary. The mission that the five of us carry is to locate the Dugong’s feeding trail called the Dugong trench, gather data on the location, number, types, cover degree, quality of the sea bottom and surrounding habitat, and gain a thorough understanding of the conditions of the Dugong’s habitat. It is difficult to conduct a research on the Dugong itself due to the very few numbers of the Dugongs in Okinawa, however, there is a distinct feeding trail along the seagrass left by them and this remains visible for a while until the seagrass grows again. This research method to continuously monitor/research their feeding trail of the seagrass has minimum impact on the Dugongs and is a way to prove their existence.
[A very clear feeding trail in the seagrass beds.]
The last of our three fall research sessions was conducted over a three-day period during November 20th to 23rd and the five of us, scattered all over Japan, reconvened in Okinawa to participate. The research method initially intended to be implemented was to take a boat around the Henoko ocean area. However, the winds were too strong in bad weather so they changed it to a beach entry method from Kayo area several kilometers north from Henoko. The Kayo area is shallower compared to Henoko. Unlike Henoko, which also has a Camp Schwab military base nearby, there is no noise pollution caused by helicopters and amphibious vehicles, resulting in more confirmed feeding trails in the past research. This research was as successful as the past results and we were able to record many feeding trails. Also, this method was recently implemented as an alternative method to the use of boat. It allows for lesser people and lighter footwork compared to the boat. This beach entry method was very effective and appropriate for the relatively shallow areas of the Kayo ocean.
[Morning meeting with all of the participants of that day.]
[Kayo beach where the fall research was conducted.]
[Confirming an alternative research method at the beach.]
[The marker's map for Kayo area.]
At 8 a.m., members from the local research team named Team Zan (“Zan” means Dugong in the Okinawan dialect) and five members from Patagonia Japan got together. We wore our wetsuits for cold protection in the drizzling rain and conducted the meeting for the day’s research. We decided to create teams consisting of four people each. The first thing we did was to search for the GPS marker previously set up in 50-meter increments at the beach where the research was to be conducted. We then placed signs painted in neon orange at the site of the marker and put another orange sign where it was vertical to the beach. These served as the sign to make it possible to draw a straight line in the water with a weighted rope (rope that has lead inside to allow it to sink in the ocean) from the marker. Drawing a straight line allows us to conduct a thorough research of all marine areas. Once the orange signs are placed, one person in charge of pulling the rope holds one end and draws it for the first 50 meters. While this person is swimming and pulling the rope, he/she consistently checks that the two orange signs are in alignment. Once the first 50 meters are drawn, the one in charge of research swims along above the line and records the water depth, bottom sediment quality, seagrass type and cover degree. The remaining two persons swim along either sides to search for the feeding trails. The measurement is conducted every 10 meters and if a feeding trail is found, the number of the feed marks, as well as the type of seagrass around that area and degree of cover are recorded. Once the first 50 meters are covered, the same process of drawing the rope is taken off the island to cover another 50 meters. Since the research area is considered basically to be from the marker on the beach to 300 meters off shore in the water, we repeat the same process six times and that concludes the research on the 1st marker.
[Two orange signs which are placed vertically to the beach.]
[One person is swimming and pulling the rope, checking that the two signs are matching.]
[The rope is marked by yellow and white ink so that we can identify its length.]
Once the ropes are all laid out and you follow this along the sands of the Kayo ocean, the feeding trails of the Dugong spread before your eyes. We have identified 6 different types of seagrass, which are Halophila ovalis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata, Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis and Halodule pinifolia; however, since many of the different types actually look alike, it is necessary to dive to the sea bottom and look at the leaf sheath and veins. Also, the Dugong’s favorite seagrass is a small circular-shaped variety called the “Halophila ovalis” and it looks soft and good even in the water.
[The rope and a feeding trail. You can see Halophila ovalis in the foreground.]
It is interesting that the Dugongs’ feeding trails are often found in areas where the seagrass is slightly sparse rather than the areas where the cover degree is large and the grass grows abundantly. The Dugongs eat the seagrass by opening their mouths sideways and eat down to the underground stem and roots of the sea grass. In clear water and in the newer feeding trails of the Dugongs, you can see a distinct white line across the green colored seagrass bed. You can also see trenches in the same area that go crisscross, which is very hard to count. Okinawa is very prone and affected by the typhoons and pressure patterns and we were affected by unstable weather this time around too, but with the implementation of the new research method we were able to complete the Kayo area research in the three days. We are looking forward to seeing the results on one diagram based on the data we collected.
[Finding a feeding trail.]
[Identifying the type of seagrass.]
[You can see the number of trenches on the fifth column from the left in the report.]
[The trenches in the same area that go crisscross -- difficult to count.]
[Even in warm Okinawa, it's impossible to spend all day in the water without wearing a wetsuit.]
With the construction due to begin in 2010, and with the mayor’s election for the city of Nago where Henoko is located slated for January next year, news on the Futenma military base transfer is being reported on a daily basis. Amidst this situation, the five of us from Patagonia Japan can participate in the biological research, communicate the results and local conditions to the people living on the mainland and assist in working toward a solution by raising awareness.
Compared to the sense of sight, the Dugongs’ have an extremely advanced sense of hearing and live by catching the sound vibration that travels in the water. They are therefore very wary and cautious. Nobody from our team and Team Zan has seen a Dugong. The elusive Dugong has rarely been sighted but the proof of their existence in the ocean is clearly marked in the feeding trails. Approximately 30 minutes by car from Henoko, there is a hill that we call “The Hill Where You Can See the Dugongs.” When we stand at the point of the cliff where the research area of Henoko and Kayo ocean can be seen, we lose words in awe of the beauty of the ocean. We can clearly imagine the Dugongs, that we have yet to see with our eyes, swimming in those waters. As we reflect on the natural environment and the culture and many lives nurtured in Okinawa, we feel so strongly that the Dugongs are a vital part of those elements and an indispensable existence that must remain intact for the future.
[The Hill Where You Can See the Dugongs.]
Ready to put the finishing touches on your holiday shopping? Our last Patagonia Shipping Announcement of the year reminds you that free 2-day shipping is available through tomorrow (12/22/09).* Because of the UPS pick-up deadlines however, you must place your order by 11 a.m. PST on 12/22 if you want any gifts to arrive by December 24th. There are plenty of last-minute gifts to be found in Holiday Favorites. Spend $100 or more and get free 2-day shipping by selecting 2-Day Delivery at checkout.
Next-day delivery will be available on Wednesday (12/23), but again, you must place your order by 11 a.m. PST if you want any gifts to arrive by December 24th. Our handy chart breaks it all down. Cheers!
At the age of 14, Patagonia ambassador Ron Kauk left for a 20-day backpacking trip through the Sierra with a high school group and the hook that would tie him to large, expansive spaces was set. After that trip, he didn't want to ride bikes with the other teenagers. He wanted to rappel. He traveled to Yosemite in 1972, signed up for a rock climbing class and has been living there ever since.
Ron has been pushing the limits of free climbing worldwide for three decades: from the first ascent of Astroman and Midnight Lightning in the late '70s to the first 5.14 in the Valley in the '90s. Focused and passionate, he is a minimalist, well-grounded in all aspects of the rock. And when he's not climbing, Ron works to protect Yosemite from over-development and abuse.
"It's important to me to inspire people to get out in nature," he says. "I like to question: What's influencing them? What will get them out there? That's what I'm interested in."
Today we bring you the first in a series of audio dispatches from Ron and his home in the Yosemite Valley. Some of you may already be following Yosemite Bob on Twitter. Now we have another voice in the Valley and another way to keep the magic of Yosemite a little closer to our hearts and our daily lives.
Download "The Next Hold"
(mp3 - right-click to download)
Music: "Big Sur A.M." by Sus Corez
For more from Ron, check out his DVD Return to Balance: A Climber's Journey available through the Ansel Adams Gallery.
Before we even had a chance to find our morning cups of coffee, Kodiak and I were breathing tear gas for breakfast at the COP15. An organized march called the "Push for Climate Change" took a radical turn this morning outside the Bella Center as protesters and police clashed. More than 250 people have already been arrested in the several hours long stand-off while other, smaller, confrontations have broken out in the city's center. For a complete report on the unfortunate and violent developments at the United Nation's Climate Change Conference check back soon at www.independent.com/climat
[Images like this were par for the course before lunch today in Copenhagen. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
[The march outside the Bella Center turned ugly today as climate change activists clashed with Danish police. More than 260 people have been arrested and the day isn't over yet. Already other confrontations have broken out in other parts of the city. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
[One of hundreds of arrests already in Copenhagen today. Tear gas, baton beat downs and civil unrest were not uncommon outside of the Bella Center this morning. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
[More of the mid-morning mayhem in Copenhagen. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
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Our thanks go out to Ethan and Kodiak for being in the mix and allowing us to share their work. Read on for some links and excerpts from their time at COP15 so far.
December 2, 2009
The Case for Copenhagen
"Heralded by many as the biggest environmental moment of our lives, the two-week conference is the ideal time to come together as one world, reflect on just how royally screwed we all are, and, above all else, begin to move forward."
December 10, 2009
Operation Copenhagen Commences
"From advertisements touting the perils of a climate change ravaged world lining the terminal hallways to green clothed Conference volunteers lurking at nearly every corner along the way to provide information to Conference specific instructions flashing at the airport’s metro stop, the city’s commitment to this international and potentially historic two-week gathering is impressive."
[Welcome World: Climate change themed advertisements like this line the walls of Copenhagen Airport as tens of thousands of people arrive in Denmark's capital city for the United Nation's Framework Conference on Climate Change. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
December 11, 2009
Of Credentials, Crowds, and Climate
"Make no mistake folks, once you enter the undulating, groovy green vortex of the Bella Center where the conference is located, you better have a game plan or else you may never be heard from again (though you probably would be recycled somehow)."
[Bikes are everywhere in Copenhagen and most of them aren't even locked. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
December 12, 2009
Taking It To The Streets
"While things were relatively quiet at the COP15, it was anything but in the streets of Copenhagen. Tens of thousands of protesters from around the world gathered in front of Denmark’s Parliament building throughout the morning with designs on making the nearly 5 mile hike to the climate change conference’s headquarters at the Bella Center and letting conference delegates know just how disappointed they are in the current track the negotiations are taking."
[Protesters took it to a new level today in Copenhagen. A reported 100,000 people marched from Denmark's Parliament building to the COP15 with more than 900 of them getting arrested along the way. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
December 13, 2009
A Lens-Eye Look at COP15
"Sit back and enjoy some of Kodiak Greenwood's images from the past few days in the trenches. A health food eating machine that can fall asleep on command, this Big Sur native is an artist of the highest degree."
[Signs of the times. Photo: Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
December 14, 2009
Lockouts and Walkouts
"In a dramatic turn of events, at a time when every minute of sub-group horse trading on big ticket items is crucial as the negotiation process ramps up for the arrival of top level heads of state later this week, delegates from several developing countries- including several African nations, Brazil, India and China- walked out in disgust in the middle of the talks."
[Monday was the official "Ocean's Day" at the COP15. Here, a representative from the U.S.'s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), presents the bad news about ocean acidification with a little help from a really cool, glowing globe. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood]
December 16, 2009
The Final Phase Begins
"The final phase of the COP15 officially got under way this evening at the Bella Center and, in our honest opinion here at Operation Copenhagen, if you are holding your breath waiting for a definitive climate change fighting agreement, you better plan to pass out."
In recent months, we’ve also seen visitors from Wal-Mart intent on greening their company. We got a drive by from Tesla Motors, complete with test rides in their new fully electric roadster. And just the other day we were treated to a beer tasting by one of our corporate customers and favorite brewers, Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales.
Over the years, we’ve received visits from many amazing people from all walks of life who’ve come to Patagonia for lots of different reasons. We’ve seen and heard authors, activists, athletes, scientists, politicos, and futurists, among others. Below you’ll find the names of some of the people we’ve been fortunate to spend time with – some we invited, some who just dropped by to say hello.
Hit the jump for a partial list of some notable visitors, and links to find out more about their work.
[A couple of guys from Sweetgrass Productions dropped by in early December to promote “Signatures,” their new backcountry ski film. Photo: Jim Little]
• Anne Lamott, novelist
• Annie Leonard, “The Story of Stuff”
• Bertice Berry, author & sociologist
• Bill McDonough, architect, designer, author
• Carl Pope, Sierra Club chairman
• Dale Velzy, “The Hawk”
• Dave Foreman, co-founder of Earth First!
• David James Duncan, novelist/essayist
• David Mas Masumoto, organic peach and grape farmer, author
• David Whyte, poet/author
• Doug Peacock, American naturalist, outdoorsman, author
• Elizabeth Kolbert, journalist/author
• Fred Beckey, mountaineer
• George B. Schaller, pre-eminent wildlife biologist
• Gerry Lopez, surfer
• Hunter Lovins, president and founder of the Natural Capitalism Solutions
• Jack Johnson, musician
• Jane Goodall, researcher, speaker, author
• Janine Benyus, natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, author
• Jim Collins, student/teacher of enduring great companies
• Jim Hightower, national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, author
• Kenneth Leach, expert in quality systems development and assessment
• Kennan Ward, wildlife photographer
• Lance Craighead, Craighead Environmental Research Institute
• Marcus Buckingham, author/consultant
• Michael Fay, conservation biologist
• Mike Roselle, author and co-founder of Earth First!, the Ruckus Society, Rainforest Action Network
• Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, author
• Ray Anderson, founder & chairman, Interface, Inc.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 
• Ted Danson, actor/activist
• Terry Tamminen, former head of the California Environmental Protection Agency and cabinet secretary to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Terry Tempest Williams, author, naturalist, and environmental activist
• Timothy Treadwell, documentary filmmaker/grizzly man
• Van Jones, pioneer in human rights & clean energy economy
• Vandana Shiva, physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, author
captions
[Above, right - Just in time for the holidays, Annie Leonard, who created “The Story of Stuff,” presented her short film to Patagonia employees in late November. Photo Annie Leonard]
[Right - Even government agents (especially government agents?) get a royal welcome at Patagonia. Photo: Jim Little]
What obstructs animal movement in your neighborhood?
Please share your observations in the comments on our blog, The Cleanest Line, or on Patagonia’s Facebook page. Unfortunately, the stories about these obstacles typically aren't pretty, as Martha Sherrill illustrates below. [Wildlife corridor sign in Central Park, New York. Photo: Tom Skeele]
Turtle Blues
by Martha SherrillI’m not sure when the turtle discovered our vernal pond. One day I noticed his head sticking out of the water – slim, pointy, a completely different shape from all the frogs’ broad heads.
He panicked easily, was shyer than the frogs. For a month or two, he spent his days basking in the sun on a mud island in the middle of the pond. He was yards away, protected by water, but if I moved toward the pond’s edge, he plunged in with a loud splash. Ker-plunk. I began watching him through binoculars from the kitchen window instead.
And I Googled him. He was a Painted Turtle, according to the New England field guides, sometimes called “sun turtle” for their love of basking. He had a red-orange throat – and a thin stripe of the same color was visible along the perimeter of his glossy dark green carapace.
I wondered where he’d come from. I wondered if he had a mate, or wanted one. He was a mere seven inches long, but he had won some kind of unseen conquest against the frogs and ducks for the mud island – and had created a stronghold there. The only thing that seemed to bother him was me.
Driving home one shadowy late afternoon, a truck swerved on the road in front of my car, then slowed way down. I slowed too – just in time to see a painted turtle, about seven inches long, crossing the road. The truck had been careful and missed him.
I wasn’t far from our house, so I wondered. Was that him? Our turtle? When it was safe, I pulled the car over, about sixty feet ahead, letting a couple of cars behind me whiz by. They’d been on my tail and anxious to speed up.
Maybe I could carry him back to our pond, I thought. Or maybe I’d just put him somewhere safe. I turned my car around for a rescue mission. Returning to the spot in the road where he’d been crawling along so obliviously, I found him again – smashed, carapace shattered, face pressed flat into the choppy surface of the asphalt, a gory pool of blood seeping out of him.
It was too awful to look at. But I did anyway. It was the only time he let me get so close. My son was wailing in the car; I bent down over our shy friend and did too.
There's no doubt Patagonia Skiing Ambassador Lorenzo Worster was feeling fired up about his job while on location for the latest video (Signatures) from Sweetgrass Productions. Skiing's not his only job, though. In today's post, Lorenzo makes it clear that he holds just as much enthusiasm for his work as an environmental restoration specialist as he does for deep Hokkaido powder.
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Pierce Meadows was bought from a private land owner by the Truckee Donner Land Trust and handed over to the Forest Service for management. Not only is the area an important buffer zone to the proposed Grouse Ridge Wilderness Area, but it also helps cleanse runoff of sediment before it enters the South Yuba River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River. Before the sale of the parcel it was important to the land owner to decommission several . . .
[Constructive destruction - the team at Integrated Environmental Restoration Services erases a road near Pierce Meadows in the Tahoe National Forest, and with it, a chance to do further damage to the area through erosion and illegal OHV use. The above photo was taken mid-way through the restoration process. Before-and-after photos of the area are after the jump. All photos: Lorenzo Worster]
. . . roads that had become a hot spot for illegal Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use, which had created serious erosion issues. In addition, the Forest Service requested the old shack be torn down as it was otherwise a liability and a safety.
To do this work, we have a bulldozer, a mini excavator, and a week to rip the snot out of some dirt roads and tear down the shack. I’m not going to lie, I get great satisfaction dropping the tines of the ‘dozer into the ground and feeling the raw power of the machine loosening years of compaction. To some this could seem like wanton destruction, but we have found that loosening the soil is one of the vital steps to rehabilitating a highly impacted area. When water is able to absorb into loosened earth instead of running off the compacted surface, not only does erosion decrease but plant roots chase the water deep into the ground creating a strong root system and stabilizing the soil.
The standard restoration practice has been, and still is to a large extent, to spray compacted areas with hydroseed (the green stuff you see plastered on road sides) with enough quick-release fertilizer to start plants growing. Our company mission has been to re-define the old restoration assumption that “if its green, its good.” Instead, we focus on restoring topsoil function and letting the area follow the natural succession from there. Two of the functions that we try to create are the ability of the soil to hold water and cycle nutrient levels similar to those in the native soils of the surrounding area. Rather than having a flush of nutrients (which often creates weed issues) and a compacted surface (which encourages runoff and erosion) we have a soil with water storage capacity and nutrients to support long term native vegetation.Now, as a dirt road is graded, driven on and re-graded over time, the nutrients that used to be in the upper soil “horizon” get blown, washed, and pushed away. We typically lay down aged woodchips - the more fungus and bugs the better. This is tilled into the soil adding nutrients, microbes and water storage capacity. We then add Biosol – a slow- release organic fertilizer – seed it, and top it off with pine needles as mulch.
If ripping the road up with tines was fun, then pushing a pile of rich brown soil out of the fill slope and back up to where it came from on the cut slope is a friggin’ blast. By running the road across this steep slope, an over-steepened slope above the road was created, which funneled additional water down the road. In order to take the water’s erosive energy away we needed to spread it out and decrease the slope so that it would sink into the soil instead of running off. Once we were finished re-contouring the area, we dropped some overcrowded pines across what was once the road and used the branches as added mulch and left the trees to slowly decompose, delivering future nutrients. Standing at the bottom of that area where we literally erased the road made my heart swell with pride.Our secondary goal was to prevent future use by off-road vehicles from interrupting the healing process. As we backed the mini excavator out we pulled logs and boulders back into the road creating a maze of features. It is amazing how doing just that makes the area look like it is coming back to life.
After a week of long, buggy and dusty days, we pulled our gear back out of the woods with wide grins. As we took one last dip in the river to wash the grime off before the trip home I thought to my self, “I still can’t believe that this is my job.”
This Patagonia Shipping Announcement is brought to you by the holiday shopping season. Every $100 order placed on or before 12/14/09 gets free ground shipping,* and that makes now a great time to tick your gift list.
Looking for a place to start? Try our Holiday Favorites collection or the discounted gear in Web Specials. Or, hit the jump to see six gift-guide recommendations from some top magazines and Web sites.
- Wired Magazine 2009 Gift Guide - Nano Puff Pullover
- People Magazine 2009 Gift Guide (12/7/09 issue, print only) - Baby Synchilla Cardigan
- Gizmodo.com 2009 Gift Guide - Nano Puff Pullover
- New York Magazine 2009 Gift Guide - Lightweight Travel Pack
- Outside Magazine 2009 Gift Guide - Slingshot Down Vest
- Backcountry Magazine 2009 Gift Guide (print only) - Skinnard Jacket
Cheers! This concludes our holiday PSA. You may now resume your regularly scheduled outdoor activities.
