As part of my volunteer work at the Indiana Dunes National Park I have now participated in three plug planting events as part of the Park Restoration Team (PRT). Park volunteers worked with restoration management specialists to plant native plants in areas of the Great Marsh that are being restored.
The satellite image below shows nearly the full extent of the Great Marsh, from Cowles Bog at the west end, to just outside Michigan City in the east. The stars mark the locations where we worked, and nearby park trails are noted as well.
Collectively, over the three outings I participated in, almost 10,000 native sedges and other plants were planted. I’d estimate I planted about 800 myself. The plants, mostly sedges, are Rhizome’s which form a network of roots from which new plants emerge. By planting them in groups of 15 to 20, spaced about 1 foot apart, the roots of the new plants will spread out together and form a stable nucleus from which new plants will emerge and spread out over time.
When starting on a new group I like to begin by spreading about 6 plugs on the ground with the correct spacing. Using a hand trowel holes are scooped out of the soft mud, into each of which a plug is inserted and pressed firmly into the ground and finished off by pinching the surrounding earth back in on the new plug. If not done correctly the plugs can pop out and die when water levels rise. After the initial half-dozen plugs have been put into the ground I expand outward, creating a roughly circular grouping. Then I grab my buckets, go about 5 feet away and begin the process again. As noted in an earlier post, the ground in the marsh is not nearly as solid as it can appear. Just beneath the surface of this mat of grasses is at least several inches of watery mud. A good pair of mid-calf high muck boots are quite necessary, and even then I had to watch where I walked because there are lots of spots where the water would have gone over the top of the boots. Most of the experienced restoration staff wear hip waders, and often times modified snow shoes. Note I was also wearing a pair of biking rain pants, otherwise my pants would be soaked from crouching in the muck for several hours. I learned that during my first plug planting.
The next two images show in more detail the areas we worked in and their relation to nearby trails. I am looking forward to returning to these spots and watching as these areas fill in with the native sedges I helped plant.
My first plug planting (PRT 1) took place near the Cowles Bog trail (marked in yellow). This is the western edge of the Great Marsh. The area of the marsh enclosed by the trail has been undergoing restoration for about 15 years. I have walked along the boundary between these restored and unrestored parts of the marsh many times. Now when I walk this trail I will be able to look out to the east and know that some of the sedges I see were planted by my hands.The second (PRT 2) and third (PRT 3) plug plantings were done at the eastern end of the Great Marsh, not far from the Great Marsh trail. Both work areas are close enough to the road that it will be easy to drive past and observe the effects of our efforts over time.
Needless to say that I will be taking lots of photographs of these three areas over the coming months and years. To know that I played a role in the restoration of the Great Marsh is incredibly rewarding. The spring planting season is now over, PRT 3 was the final plug planting of the season as I understand. Next up is removal of invasive brush along the Great Marsh Trail. I am looking forward to helping out with this work as well. As much as the work itself, I also enjoy learning about the restoration process.
One week after my first opportunity to do volunteer restoration work in the Great Marsh, another plug planting was scheduled. And as it turns out this one was the day before my Birthday! I considered it a wonderful birthday present to be able to spend another afternoon working and hiking in the marsh. I am learning a lot about what goes into this type of restoration work, and it is a lot of work.
After the plug planting was finished, I popped over to the Great Marsh trail which is very close to the area we were working in. The opportunity to work in an area of the marsh undergoing restoration work and then go and hike in an area which has been largely restored was very rewarding.
This was my second time helping with planting plugs in the marsh. I paid a bit more attention to what we were planting this time. I mostly planted Tussock Sedges and Blue Iris’s. These buckets held ~50 sedge plugs each.This is a pretty typical patch of ground that I was planting in. The water looks kind of milky because it is reflecting the overcast sky. These “dry” areas are not dry at all. Just below the surface is several inches of watery mud. Very easy to dig out holes for the plugs. Also very easy to discover your boots are being held captive by the mud if you are not careful.This shows the area of the marsh we were working in. Most of the team was students from a couple of nearby colleges. There were about 25 of us and we worked throughout the area circled in yellow. The tracks you see are leftover from heavy equipment the park used in the earlier stages of the restoration work. They were not really apparent at ground level.
After the restoration work I headed over the Great Marsh trail to enjoy photographing an area that is farther along in the restoration process.
Purple Dead-Nettle, of the mint family, is one of the early risers in the spring. It is pretty, but not native. I am not sure if it is considered invasive however. I really like capturing the early growth of the grasses, when everything is still close to the ground.Waterdrops on plants, love em.The Mayapple is peaking through out the park. Covering big patches of the ground with their umbrella shaped leaves.The yellow asters are just beginning to unfold.
