Photo By Edzel Butac | Dennis Buckingham, left, Joint Base Lewis-McChord biologist, explains the origins of...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Focused on clearing brush and installing nest boxes for rare birds, volunteers and interns from Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Directorate of Public Works Fish and Wildlife Internship Program worked together to restore critical habitat along a wetland edge on base to honor National Public Lands Day Sept. 22.
“Our goal today is to restore an oak savanna along a salmon bearing riparian corridor,” said Dennis Buckingham, JBLM Fish and Wildlife biologist. “This will promote a transitional habitat gradient from open prairie to oak woodland to wetland edge, allowing species to utilize a greater range of available resources.”
JBLM professional biologists provided direction and education to volunteers about the diverse ecosystem that makes up the rare South Sound Prairie. The area is a mosaic of habitats that includes upland prairies, wet prairies, oak woodlands and savannas. Volunteers were treated with a tour of a known site for the western gray squirrel. This squirrel is listed as threatened species in Washington.
Western gray squirrels are often confused with introduced eastern gray squirrels that are increasingly common in Washington's urban areas. The western gray squirrel's large size, bushy tail and gray fur, lacking any brown on the body or tail, are keys to distinguishing it from other tree squirrels in Washington.
National Public Land’s Day is the nation’s largest single day volunteering event for public lands. Since 1994, this day has brought volunteers together in government owned green spaces, or protected areas of undeveloped landscape, that are a part of the public domain.
JBLM Fish and Wildlife’s goal is to not only provide restoration and needed upkeep to the training lands, they celebrate the connection between people and green spaces, inspire environmental stewardship and encourage use of these spaces for education, health benefits and recreation.
Efforts like these support JBLM’s sustainability goals for training lands, which are to assist in the recovery of all listed and candidate federal species in South Puget Sound region and to maintain the ability of JBLM to meet current and future military missions without compromising the integrity of natural and cultural resource both on the installation, and regionally.
With support from JBLM Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, their interns and committed volunteers like these, it is possible to keep these green spaces healthy and available for future mission and future generations.
People interested in participating in the JBLM Fish and Wildlife internship program can visit https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/index.php/my-Joint-Base-Lewis-Mcchord/all-services/public_works-environmental_division/jblm-fish-and-wildlife/jblm-fish-and-wildlife-volunteering.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2022 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 431242 |
| Location: | TACOMA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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