They may not look like much, but “habitat piles” are a boon to wildlife. Join North Coast Land Conservancy for a volunteer stewardship day Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 10 am to 1 pm and help create habitat heaps at Circle Creek Conservation Center in Seaside.
Large piles of woody debris create perching sites for songbirds. They shelter frogs and salamanders seeking dark, wet refuges. On floodplains such as the one at Circle Creek, they help slow the movement of water, creating resting places for juvenile salmon. As they age, the wood in habitat heaps slowly breaks down, adding richness to the soil. NCLC has used habitat piles as part of its forest restoration project high on Boneyard Ridge. Now volunteers are being sought to build habitat heaps on the former pasture at Circle Creek.
If you’d like to help, contact NCLC Stewardship Director Melissa Reich at 503-738-9126 or melissar@nclctrust.org to let her know you’re coming. Wear sturdy boots and gloves. All necessary tools will be provided. Bring drinking water and lunch; there will be no toilets or potable water on site. Dogs are not allowed on NCLC properties.
Circle Creek Conservation Center is at the end of Rippet Road in Seaside; look for it on the west side of US 101, 0.7 mile north of the junction with US 26. Follow the road west and north a short distance, passing a gravel quarry on your left, to where it ends between two barns.
