Paul brought his granddaughter to the HRT workday so share the fun
There are times when we can't wipe the smile off of our faces for the whole day.
The first job is to get the watercraft to the cleanup site.
We are removing the non-native Water Hyacinth from Middle Slough before it gets unmanageable.
It’s a short portage to the water by Paul, Aubrey, Robin, and Jim.Aubrey and her grandfather wrestle two “stuck” buckets apart.
Most of the hyacinth that we remove from Middle Slough will ride back to shore in buckets.
Aubrey, Greg, and Paul return with a load of Hyacinth in the flatboat. Note the smiles.As Greg unloads the Hyacinth, it’s obvious that they have more than the buckets could hold. Mahlon uses his canoe to slice a path through the Bulrushes to reach the Hyacinth.Jim uses a rope tow to haul the loaded watercraft back to shore. That helps a lot. A couple of trail hikers stop by (with smiles) to watch Paul Ycasas pull the loaded boat ashore. A tall mound of dried mud serves as a good place to dry-out and kill the Water Hyacinth. Robin and Mahlon stand proud on top of the alien Hyacinth. We used a bucket brigade to get the water plant from the canoes to the mud mound. Lunch break in the shade on our portable benches (supplied by our leader Alex Cabrera). From left to right is: Paul Ycasas, Mahlon, Alex, Aubrey, and Paul Lester. Alex brought the pink box. Jim Long hung some of his wet cloths from nature’s handy drying rack. Paul Ycasas rescued this injured Kestrel on his way to The Preserve this morning and handed it off to Jim Curtis to deliver it to a local Wildlife Rescue facility on his way home.
It became obvious to me, early on in my time at The Cosumnes River Preserve, that it's hard to call all of our time here "work".
Joe Watson hard at work at The Cosumnes River Preserve.
Sometimes it’s so much fun, you forget that you’re working
