AuSable Forks, NY – It wasn’t very long after their purchase of the Clark Farm when Rachel and George reached out to Kelley Tucker, Executive Director of the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC).
They wanted to be sure they were doing the right thing for their land, located along the East Branch of the Ausable River.
“The Adirondacks is a special area that’s already having problems with… invasive species, and the rest of it. Making sure to plant the right things to support the health of the area was of very high value to us,” said Rachel.
While this property hadn’t been on Kelley’s radar previously, she became excited at the thought of restoring the floodplain and wetland to help alleviate river flow in the area and prevent ice jams from forming behind Stickney Bridge. As many in the area know, the town of Au Sable Forks experiences frequent flooding.
Carrianne Pershyn, Biodiversity Research Manager at AFC, was the next staff person to visit the property and look around. She conducted a plant survey and created a three-year planting plan for the property.
Measurements were then taken in the river by Gary Henry, the Stream Restoration Manager at AFC, to draft a proposal for the floodplain restoration project.
Rachel said, “it’s been lovely to work with real experts. Before, we were just kind of looking on the internet and doing all we thought was best.”
An initial planting of nearly 2,000 trees and shrubs was completed in 2022. 400 trees were supplied by AsRA and planted by staff and volunteers. Rachel and George then purchased and planted another 1600 bareroot saplings as part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Riparian Border Package.
Unfortunately, after the initial planting there was no rain for a month, leaving about half of the plants dead due to drought conditions.
Early the next year, the couple purchased and planted 400 replacement trees from the Intervale Conservation Nursery in Burlington, Vermont and the NYSDEC program.
Rachel said, “I walk around and check them all the time, I have a look. They’re like my babies.”
In late fall of 2023, George and Rachel looked out from their home to the restored floodplain along the East Branch of the Ausable River, full of 18-inch-tall trees getting ready for winter conditions.
The stewardship work that Rachel and George have completed on site qualifies them to earn the Stream Wise Award for Best Management Practices in a Vegetated Stream Buffer. Sites that are awarded this Stream Wise Award represent model, stream-friendly properties.
Stream Wise assessor organizations, like the Ausable River Association, are offering free and voluntary property assessments across the Lake Champlain watershed with a goal to bring neighbors together to protect and restore healthy waterways in our region.
If you own property with a brook, stream or river, are curious about Stream Wise, or want to volunteer, contact Stream Wise!