The plan for everyone today was to wake up at 6 am and then head out before 8 am. Todays destination was 'Swamp Creek, a tributary of Cunningham Creek'. Our trip guided by Doug Olney, John Washines, Patrick Hayden, Gerard Foley, David Lindley, and Jeanette Burkhardt. Very welcoming and fun people who devote their time and energy to help care for the preservation of the reservation and wildlife. The main purpose of this destination was to help them rebuild failed historic beaver dams to re-influence the effect beavers had on the land before they started disappearing, and hopefully make them return and stay.
Once we arrived we switched into their trucks before entering rough roads. I rode with Gerard Foley who happens to be a very chill and cool guy. We made our way as far as the trucks would take us and then walked the rest of the way down with the tools needed. Those with waders were able to go into the water and help set the material into the dam, others helped collect wood, and some like myself helped collect mud by digging it up from large ditches in the ground into buckets to deliver. After a few hours the first dam was built. Tiring and long work that makes you admire everyone taking a part of this for the sake of the land. After some rest and lunch, the first dam was finally finished and we took a group picture with our finished project.
We then headed off to collect our river water and it's information. Then we moved lower down the river to set another dam, this one didn't take as long since all we added was trees and branches before we had to leave. By the time we got to the cafe I was ready to just shower and lay down. In the end this experience made me better appreciate and respect the effort that goes into preserving the wildlife, and even though I'm exhausted, the day was very exhilarating and I would do it again.
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