Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently held a wetlands planting at on April 21st (Joh Muir’s birthday!). The “Magnificent Seven Sierrans” participated on behalf of the Houston Sierra Club. Exploration Green is a 200-acre greenspace in Clear Lake City that was a golf course but now has been turned into five, wet, detention lakes which hold floodwaters.
Trees, shrubs, and wildflowers have been planted on the banks of the lakes. Already egrets, cormorants, cardinals, blue jays, mocking birds, ducks, herons, and other birds use the lakes. However, to reduce water pollution like nutrients (fertilizers) and sediments (eroded dirt) so stormwater will be clean when it runs into Galveston Bay, Texas AgriLIfe plans on planting wetland plants (wild iris, water plantain, crinum lily, water hyssop, etc.) on all five lakes.
The planting effort was ably run by Mary Carol Edwards, Stormwater Wetland Program Coordinator for the Texas AgriLife Texas Community Watershed Partners. There were tables where people signed in, gloves handed out, shovels and dibble bars at the ready, and buckets of wetland plants hauled to the shoreline.
About 100 people came and participated, including students from Clear Lake High School. The work began at 9 am and ended about 11:30 am. With so many people and good supervision, the kids, teenagers, and adults had a great time, particularly splashing in the water as they planted the lake shoreline.
When planting was complete we all enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs, and brownies. Who could ask for anything more? Then the “Magnificent Seven Sierrans” walked the hike/bike trail that circles the lake. We enjoyed the cool, overcast, day and a profusion of blooming wildflowers (Fire Wheels, Brown-Eyed Susans, Plains Coreopsis, Mexican Primroses, and many more).
By the time we finished our walk, said goodbye, and drove off not only were our appetites sated, but our hearts were full of good feelings about Exploration Green, Earth Day, and the beauty of Nature. Thanks to the “Magnificent Seven Sierrans”, Emily, Ginger, Trudy, Colleen, Lynn, Elaine, and Brandt for representing the Sierra Club so well.
If you would like to participate in future wetland plantings contact Mary Carol Edwards at 281-989-5517 or mcedwards@tamu.edu. You will be glad you did!
Brandt Mannchen
April 23, 2018
