ng the Marquam Nature Trail ripping out heaps and heaps of ivy vines. Some of the vines really put up a fight and we were working on the side of a hill meaning our legs and backs had quite a workout. There was also pretty constant risk of falling back down the hill when the vines finally gave way. Still I think we made great progress and covered a lot of ground.The problem of invasive species really can be daunting but the work party organizers did a good job of giving us some facts to keep our spirits up. Given a chance, the native species really are quite resilient so work like we did on Saturday can really do a lot to give the good plants a window to grown and reclaim their territory. The Three Rivers staff admitted that we'll probably never rid our forests of ivy completely but that they have made several passes over large sections of land in the Portland Metro Area and have seen marked improvement. Check out their latest progress on the West Willamette Restoration Project here.
** On a personal note, I (Emily) have to mention a most wonderful thing that happened at this work party. Amanda, the amazing woman with Three Rivers organizing our group turned out to be my summertime best friend from day camp when we were seven years old in Kansas City, Missouri! We haven't spoken in 21 years and had completely lost touch and this was such a great surprise. More proof of the benefits of volunteering! **
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