Students plant trees along Elochoman

On Monday, 12 Wahkiakum High School students, along with teachers Jeff Rooklidge and Kyle Hurley, helped staff from the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Conservation District plant 900 alder, hemlock, cedar and spruce trees along the Elochoman River near Foster Road. The students were a blend from FFA and the high school's environmental science and biology classes.

Their common goal was to improve salmon habitat and aid in their survival.

Trees will provide shade and lower the temperature of the river while raising oxygen levels, according to Rooklidge. Tree roots will stabilize the river bank. The conservation district has already added large woody debris in different areas along the Elochoman River to slow erosion and provide habitat for juvenile fish during the summer months when the river is low.

Erosion muddies the water, which in turn can clog the gills and ruin spawning beds.

"It's a good opportunity for our students to serve their community by helping area landowners and wildlife," Rooklidge said. "They also benefit from working with professional scientists who have a wealth of information and data about salmon habitat."

900 trees made for a long day for some of the students, but they chatted cheerily as they returned to the vehicles, all the while admitting that they had enjoyed the sunny day and comfortable temperature.

The project was funded by the Wahkiakum Marine Resources Committee through a grant from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The grant application was written by Rooklidge and Paula Culbertson, a tutor and volunteer at the school as well as a member of both the MRC committee and the Wahkiakum School Board.