The Strike Team's last day, taken with RiversEdge West and WCCC staff.
RiversEdge West and Western Colorado Conservation Corps partnered to create a 2-person Strike Team for the Desert Rivers Collaborative. Strike Team members, Wil and Katrina, spent 9 weeks conducting retreatments of invasive plant species on riparian restoration areas throughout the Grand Valley.
Retreatments of invasive plant infestations are important to the long-term success of restoration areas because they suppress invasive plant regrowth until native plants can establish.
This was truly a collaborative effort! Thanks to all our partners who helped to plan and coordinate this season including the Bureau of Reclamation, City of Grand Junction, City of Fruita, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado West Land Trust, Mesa County, Town of Palisade, and private landowners.
A big thanks to Wil and Katrina for all their hard work! Now that their Strike Team season is over, Wil will lead youth corps crews in Colorado National Monument and Katrina will be leading an invasive plant crew on Grand Mesa for summer.
Photo taken on the crew's first day; REW's Restoration Coordinator, Joe is teaching them to differentiate tamarisk from native willows when they don't have leaves.