Volunteer Workday: Verde Watershed Restoration

Join us for a Saturday volunteer workday in partnership with the Prescott National Forest. Our goal is to restore the native habitat by building erosion control and gully site restoration structures. We will be implementing loose rock structures and juniper structures on the landscape and in gully systems to stabilize and improve the watershed.

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 future project goals. Then, we will work together to build loose rock structures and picket baffles— which includes hauling medium-sized rocks to the site or pounding in wooden posts. Loose rock structures are designed to slow water moving across the landscape and within a gully system and baffles are similar in they induce meander, widen the channel, deflect from a bank, and assist in point bar deposition. The Erosion Control pdf compiled by the Quivira Coalition is an excellent resource to review the methods we will use in the field, 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*

Details:

Meet either in Chino Valley or Jerome and carpool to the field site. The site has restricted parking that is exclusively accessible for high-clearance vehicles and is about a 1-hour drive from Chino Valley and Jerome.

• Chino Location: Meet at the Safeway in Chino at 8am
• Verde Valley Location: Meet at the large parking area behind the Jerome Fire station

Participants will be back to their cars by 3pm.

Participants must bring:

• Close-toed shoes
• Work clothes, including long-sleeved shirt
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Needed snacks and Lunch
• Water

The Human-Nature Connection in the Age of Climate Crisis will examine the history and current ecological challenges of the Upper Verde River as a case study to help Arizonans understand the reality of the climate crisis and discover strategies to mitigate its effects. Through field trips, a volunteer workday, a lecture, and a community dialogue, this initiative aims to raise awareness about the threats facing the Upper Verde and build support for securing a federal Wild and Scenic designation for Arizona’s last wild and free-flowing river.

Host or Publisher Natural History Institute