Stafford Lake Reflection
Problems of the stream at Stafford Lake were that the water moved too fast. The water moved too fast, cutting through the ground. The erosion makes the banks of the stream too steep and it will collapse, clogging the stream. In addition the fast moving stream picks up cow/horse poop. Another problem is the amount of weeds in the park. They are out competing the native plants. The native plants provide food and shelter to the native animals.To help the problems, the Marin Country Parks Project has tried to slow the stream down. They put rocks along the banks, to keep banks from collapsing. Yesterday we sheet mulched, to keep the population of the weeds down. We first laid down a layer of hay. After that we put down two layers of cardboard. After the cardboard, we put down a thicker layer of hay. On top of the hay, we put a layer of mulch. My work was part of the Integrated Pest Management approach because it helped keep the weeds from growing. I liked the fact that I helped the environment. Knowing I made a difference, even just little bit, makes me feel happy. Especially since this is where we get our drinking water, I felt that this helped our community specifically. This volunteer work helps the environment around Stafford Lake.