From trash to ecological treasure

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Story Published: Feb 9, 2008 at 5:41 PM PST

By Molly Blancett

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EAST EUGENE - Forty years ago, the eastern part of Alton Baker Park was a county landfill. Now, it's full of inviting bike and running paths. It's also home to a rich habitat, one that the City of Eugene Stream Team hopes to make even better.

Forty volunteers spent sunny Saturday planting trees and shrubs in the Whilamut Natural Area of the park. Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pines, Black Cottonwoods and Oregon White Oaks plus about ten more species were all on the agenda.

"It's really nice out today," said volunteer Rickie Potts-McMillan. "I bet that really helps the Stream Team with volunteers. It gets people out and more motivated. I think it's important because the rivers and streams all need a barrier of plants and trees and such to keep the runoff clean."

"That area that is used by the native animals and was severely restricted here," said Stream Team Coordinator Matt McRae.

Matt McRae said it may take up to a decade for everything to mature. He estimates they will plant more than 350 trees and shrubs by the end of the day, over the last few years, that number surpasses two thousand.

"In that time we've covered about three quarters of a mile of riverfront that was previous bare and just field grasses," said McRae. "We've covered it with trees and native shrubs."

Saturday's event was also an effort to spruce up Eugene for the 2008 Olympic Trials.

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