Please click '2013 Spring Work Crew' to see our student-created posts and learn more about our program.
Spring 2013 4-H Stewardship Program Recap
We are 12 Chimacum area teens, 2 crew chiefs, and many support staff members providing stewardship help to the U.S. Forest Service.
Please click '2013 Spring Work Crew' to see our student-created posts and learn more about our program.
Please click '2013 Spring Work Crew' to see our student-created posts and learn more about our program.
Alex Brown
Alex Brown
Port Townsend High School Student
Returning 4H Stewardship Program Member
2013 Spring Work Crew
Ropes Course:
This day there were many activities that the group engaged in. Most of them were team building exercises that were quite enjoyable. The most memorable experience was when we were doing the spider web, I was used as a stepping stone to help complete the challenge.
Seal Rock Campground:
We worked here two times during the program. The first time we cleaned up walkways and campsites. The second time we did brush clearing. During the second time one of our crew members decided that were not going to continue working as it went against their morals.
Elk Habitat:
Here we did the clearing of felled trees. As there were so many trees, a great show of teamwork happened. With the way we operated it was quite something to remember.
Lower Big Quilcene Trail:
Here we cleared the ditches on the side of the trail to help with water flow so the trails did not get washed out. It was memorable as I was introduced to a new tool. The tool was called a rhino, it was a shovel with the head flipped around and reconnected with a piece of re-bar. Another thing was when one of our crew members fell in mud and decided it a good idea to clear their backside in a small waterfall.
Quilcene Watershed:
This day we were split into group and went to different locations to clean dumping sites. The trash dumped there was quite surprising. We found a bunch of tires, an oil drum, a dog skeleton (which was pretty interesting to find), and other junk littered about.
Brinnon Watershed:
This day was quite memorable as we got to work with a couple people from back country
horsemen. We spent that day clearing noxious weeds and some trash.
Ranger Station:
This day we spent along the roadside next to the ranger station pulling a bunch of scotch broom. The memorable part of that day was the few cars that passed and honked with a thumbs up.
I think the most memorable event from this whole thing was all the experiences I encountered that made it more than just Saturday work. This program is another valuable experience to remember until I forget.
Port Townsend High School Student
Returning 4H Stewardship Program Member
2013 Spring Work Crew
Ropes Course:
This day there were many activities that the group engaged in. Most of them were team building exercises that were quite enjoyable. The most memorable experience was when we were doing the spider web, I was used as a stepping stone to help complete the challenge.
Seal Rock Campground:
We worked here two times during the program. The first time we cleaned up walkways and campsites. The second time we did brush clearing. During the second time one of our crew members decided that were not going to continue working as it went against their morals.
Elk Habitat:
Here we did the clearing of felled trees. As there were so many trees, a great show of teamwork happened. With the way we operated it was quite something to remember.
Lower Big Quilcene Trail:
Here we cleared the ditches on the side of the trail to help with water flow so the trails did not get washed out. It was memorable as I was introduced to a new tool. The tool was called a rhino, it was a shovel with the head flipped around and reconnected with a piece of re-bar. Another thing was when one of our crew members fell in mud and decided it a good idea to clear their backside in a small waterfall.
Quilcene Watershed:
This day we were split into group and went to different locations to clean dumping sites. The trash dumped there was quite surprising. We found a bunch of tires, an oil drum, a dog skeleton (which was pretty interesting to find), and other junk littered about.
Brinnon Watershed:
This day was quite memorable as we got to work with a couple people from back country
horsemen. We spent that day clearing noxious weeds and some trash.
Ranger Station:
This day we spent along the roadside next to the ranger station pulling a bunch of scotch broom. The memorable part of that day was the few cars that passed and honked with a thumbs up.
I think the most memorable event from this whole thing was all the experiences I encountered that made it more than just Saturday work. This program is another valuable experience to remember until I forget.
Larry Green
Ranger Station Weed Pull
This particular day of our work experience in the 4H Stewardship Program happened to be our last of the actual work days on (5/25/13) but it was one of my favorite days. This is because on this day I worked really well and efficiently. An example of this would be how another member of our crew (Samuel Allen) and I had gone ahead of the groups many times and cleared out areas that it took some other groups to do in double the time that it took us. So yeah, this is basically how the work day went and I believe it went well. Also this day I had quite an interesting talk with a random person.
My "River Teeth"
One thing that sticks out in my mind from my experiences here is the van breaking down (4/13/13). I find this significant because I never really expected it to happen, but it did and it just made our experience for that day more interesting. I also thought it was kind of nice because we got to stay out and hang out with our friends among the crew. However, I disliked the fact of it happening because I and I'm sure everyone else was ready to hurry up and get out of there and go home. So yeah, this is one of my "river teeth."
Another one of my memories from my experience in this would be lunch time on (5/25/13) because Sam (mentioned earlier) and I where approached by a random old man and he told me he liked the music I had on and that he knew the band (Megadeth, song Holy Wars a punishment due). We had such a strange talk with him. We talked about music to start with then we moved the talk to drugs and why states outlaw them when they have medical use and then to why companies ban products that are cheaper to use because they don't want to loose money. Then we talked about government corruption and made a sudden turn to video games and why we like certain ones. All in all it was interesting and I will remember this for a long time.
Lastly what sticks out in my mind was something that happened during our two week break from the program was me getting in a car crash. Okay so what happened was I was at a friends house and we were on the rally track in her backyard and we had a few bonfires set up along it and the car had no brakes and we ended up hitting a tree and putting the car on top of it and ended up with a stuck car. Nobody was hurt but it stuck out in my mind. Along with this on the other hand tho is that on the same day my friends house had burned down so this day is something I will remember.
Our Work Days
3/30 Seal Rock-cleanup
4/6 Sequim-wildlife habitat
4/13 Lower Big Quil-trail work
4/20 Quilcene Watershed-cleanup
5/11 Seal Rock-brush clearing
5/18 Watershed (Brinnon)-clean up
5/25 Rtanger Station- weed pulling
Annaliese Chamberlin-Holt
You can always depend on the Stewardship program to keep you busy, but sacrificing saturdays isn't all that bad, and the good part is that it's always worth it in the end. If you like hanging out with other awesome people your age but don't like going to parties, this activity is for you. If you also like that warm burn in your muscles without overworking yourself, this program might be one you'd enjoy.This spring was one full of laughter and accomplishment. I also learned about and worked on a couple trails that I would like to explore further.
April13- Trail work (Gray Wolf Trail)
This is one of the trails, that I said earlier, as one in which I would like to explore more. I'm really afraid of heights and there were cliffs all over, I wasn't much afraid because all the beauty around me, I remember how the morning dew clung to the limbs of the shrubs and the bridge over the waterfall... you had to be there. On this foot path we cleaned and dug fairly long ditches to current rain water off the trail for hikers, this involved being very aware of your surroundings. One girl that I work with ended up falling backside first into the mud, she got rid of this problem by placing herself under a waterfall, it took care of the mud but then she was soaked. This day was also the day that the 4-H van broke down. This happened when the trail work was over and a few team mates had to stay behind as the limited seat, blue van shipped us home.
March 23- challenge course
That day was pretty fun and it foreshadowed basically the the rest of the workdays, meaning how the people acted and how they worked with each other. One highlight that I will never forget was when we were participating in the spider web challenge course and one person had to use someone else's knee for a stepping stool to get out of the web, this resulted in the first person getting out of the web but my other team mate was thrown backwards into the center of the web, thankfully he was okay. =)
March 30- Seal Rock Campground
On this day we did mostly campground trail maintenance that involves racking and sweeping the many leaves that covered the looping trail, it reminded me of shaving a giant beast. I loved all the jokes a couple teammates and I made while working, and it was the first evidence with our group that we can have fun and talk while "gettin it done".
April6- Elk Habitat
When we went out on that day, it was the wettest saturday that we would ever have this spring. In two big groups we separated and built titanic animal habitats out of big slices of trees and branches. Not only was this job good for the animals but it also cleared the forest for new baby trees to grow with space (those were cute little trees). There was only one point of that day that was annoying was when I stepped in a deep patch of mud and my shoe popped off my foot, although it sucked, every one can agree with me that it was funny. Because of this I had to work with one foot cold and squishy, while the other foot was snuggly and warm. Over all we created a lot of habitats and improved the space where new trees could grow.
April13- Trail work (Gray Wolf Trail)
This is one of the trails, that I said earlier, as one in which I would like to explore more. I'm really afraid of heights and there were cliffs all over, I wasn't much afraid because all the beauty around me, I remember how the morning dew clung to the limbs of the shrubs and the bridge over the waterfall... you had to be there. On this foot path we cleaned and dug fairly long ditches to current rain water off the trail for hikers, this involved being very aware of your surroundings. One girl that I work with ended up falling backside first into the mud, she got rid of this problem by placing herself under a waterfall, it took care of the mud but then she was soaked. This day was also the day that the 4-H van broke down. This happened when the trail work was over and a few team mates had to stay behind as the limited seat, blue van shipped us home.
May25- Ranger Station Clean Up
Sadly, our last work day I discovered that pulling scotch broom was easier than I first thought, then again we had the giant weed pullers. After the main road side work was over the scene was amazing. We pulled about a half-mile of the invasive plant and even though it's almost everywhere in washington, and the overall impact might be small, the right-hand side going to the Quilcene Ranger Station went from scotch broom choking death to the natural plant growth. The public liked what we did so much they honked and waved as they drove by. There was also a couple of people with a pickup truck who began to pull Scotchbroom on the road opposite of us. It was cool that we made an impact on the environment as well as the public.
Like I've previously stated, this spring was so much fun I really enjoyed working and meeting new friends. The scenery on all the workdays was truly beautiful (even if it rained) and I highly recommend this program to others.
Kale Gonzalez
Watershed clean up
On 4/20 we did watershed clean up where we pick up spent bullet shells, beer cans, soda cans, tires, and oil barrels filled with bullet holes. We were spilt up into four groups going into different areas. One group went to pick invasive weeds. Two groups went to pick up trash and bullets. One went to clear rocks, drain pipes, and what people dump in the woods like grills and other heavy things that we had to drag out up really steep slopes. Rangers that we worked with were Jennifer Fujji , Eric Fosse, Stephanie Neil, Kurt Aluzas, Lynn Kindred.
River teeth: One group found whole clay pigeons, an arrow, a whole dog skull and skeleton, and a wheel chair. But what sticks with me most is a hide-a -bed couch that we had been trying to get out for two season because it was stuck with wire into the ground.
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