Greetings!

How are you passing your time during the heart of these chilly winter months? For me, the recent snow we've had has added a lot of beauty and fresh perspective as I walk through the woods with my family. Having the chance to experience the changing sights and sounds of all four seasons is one of many reasons I love calling Central PA home.

The natural world is still active and alive in winter, even though there are no blooming wildflowers or hatching robins telling us so. This month's issue focuses on local stream restoration efforts taking place currently, right here in our region. Like the lands and streams we work to conserve and restore, our work has no off-season. This is just one of the many reasons why ClearWater Conservancy is so appreciative of the year-round support we receive from landowners, volunteers, and community members. Thank you, and enjoy this month's issue!

Sincerely,

Deb

Deb Nardone, Executive Director, ClearWater Conservancy
It takes a village:
Streamside forest planted along Spring Creek
Jodi Hakes and Michael Beck opted to plant streamside forest along Spring Creek when designing their dream home in State College. Photo by Josh Robinson
In Autumn 2020, ClearWater Conservancy and Native Creations Landscape Services partnered with local landowners, Jodi Hakes and Michael Beck, to plant one acre of native streamside forest, or streamside buffer, along Spring Creek.

As Jodi and Michael were planning and building their dream home, practicing responsible land stewardship for their floodplain and the segment of Spring Creek flowing through their property was a top priority.

"The very reason we selected this site for our home was the natural beauty of Spring Creek, forested banks, and surrounding floodplain, so for us it was a foregone conclusion that we would learn proper stewardship of the land and its inhabitants," the landowners shared when asked about why the project was important to them. "Partnering with Clearwater Conservancy and Native Creations has helped us tend to the land in a way that promotes the kind of habitat that our wildlife neighbors depend on.”

Before the native streamside forest could be planted, invasive plants and shrubs had to be removed first, requiring a great deal of expense and hard work. Propelled by their enthusiasm for the project, Jodi and Michael took a hands-on approach to site preparation for the incoming plants and shrubs. They hired Native Creations to remove solid shrub thicket of invasive species, including honeysuckles, privet and multiflora rose. In addition to speeding up the site preparation process, Jodi and Michael also provided matching funds for grants that make it possible for ClearWater to assist landowners with stream buffer projects.

Following site preparation, the streamside forest, or buffer, was planted with trees and shrubs to create a habitat referred to in conservation terms as a multifunctional forest buffer (MFB). MFB's consist of native trees and shrubs that thrive in floodplains and also produce fruits and nuts that landowners can harvest for their own use or to sell. Typical native species that have value as food for people include elderberry, hazelnut, blueberry, and serviceberry.

Following the site prep and initial plantings, the project shifts into the next phase which is forest stewardship. Ongoing stewardship is needed for many years to ensure that plantings grow successfully into larger trees and a healthy mature forest. During this time plants may need to replaced, competing vegetation needs to be removed, and invasive species must be monitored and controlled as needed.

These efforts require a long-term commitment from landowners and support from conservation partners with the right blend of technical expertise, resources and funding. Pennsylvania provides funding to non-profits and small businesses for these buffers through PA Department of Natural Resources (PA DCNR) MFB grants as well as PENNVEST MFB grants.

Many thanks to Jodi and Michael for the contributions and excitement they bring to this stream buffer project. ClearWater Conservancy is grateful for their partnership and look forward to working with them for many years as their streamside forest grows!
Partners and funding sources on this stream buffer include Jodi Hakes, Michael Beck, Native Creations Landscape Services, North Central PA Conservancy and ClearWater Conservancy using PA DCNR and PENNVEST grants. We are grateful for all the partners who work with us to restore streamside forests.
A unique well that was discovered during the removal of invasive plants.
A view of the streamside forest planting area after invasive plants were removed
Spring Creek flowing in front of property in the fall
Photo by Jodi Hakes
Live stakes: Unsung heroes of stream restoration
Live stakes are a natural stream restoration tool used to strengthen streambanks by keeping soil in place. Live stakes are created by trimming specific plants in a specific way that allows them to take root and grow into streambanks once planted. They are inserted into streambanks horizontally but shoots will sprout from their growth points and grow vertically toward the sun. The vegetation that grows is able to break up the velocity of flowing water which helps prevent soil from loosening and eroding the streambank during flooding events. The roots that grow inside the streambanks also help stabilize the bank and prevent erosion.

This month Colleen DeLong, habitat stewardship biologist, and Sidney Shultz, Americorps member, created live stakes from some of the elderberry plants in the ClearWater Conservancy's Native Garden. The photos below describe their process.
While these look like dead sticks, they are actually dormant plants that will soon become live stakes.
Sidney looks for growth points, or nodes along the stakes and trims accordingly.
The ends are trimmed at angles to promote healthy growth. They are ready to plant immediately.
Please save the date, Thursday, March 18, for ClearWater Conservancy's Art & Chocolate Winter Gala and online art auction. While we will miss gathering in person this year in order to stay socially-distanced and as safe as possible, we have plenty of fun and excitement to share as we celebrate fellow friends of conservation from our living rooms!

Guests will enjoy a chocolate tasting presentation, live music by Eric Ian Farmer, and opportunities to bid on artwork by talented local artists. Tickets are $35 and include chocolates for the tasting. We'll share more details about registration and the online auction soon!
Your support makes our work possible!
Thank you for considering a gift to ClearWater Conservancy! Did you know that you can now set up a recurring, monthly donation online? Your monthly support of any amount provides the resources needed year-round in order to fully achieve long-term conservation goals while also connecting people to the wonder and beauty of nature during every season. Thank you for your continued support!
ClearWater Conservancy | 814-237-0400 | contactus@clearwaterconservancy.org | www.clearwaterconservancy.org