Northwest Youth Corps Working to Improve Habitat at Bandon Marsh Refuge
Contact: Eric Mruz, Refuge Manager
541-347-1470
Eric_Mruz@fws.gov
July 3, 2015
Northwest Youth Corps Working to Improve Habitat at Bandon Marsh Refuge
Bandon, Ore. - Ten young adults from Coos Bay and two crew leaders were hired through the Northwest Youth Corps to work at Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on habitat improvement projects. The crew will work a total of five weeks this summer at the Refuge. Northwest Youth Corps programs combine education and job skill training with outdoor adventure for ages 16 to 19. With the guidance of experienced field staff, youth crew members work on conservation, reforestation, and recreation projects, while developing leadership skills and learning how to work as a team. The Corps crew at Bandon Marsh Refuge has been pulling invasive plants on the Refuge and hand digging new tidal channels within the
Ni-les’tun Unit. The channels will both reduce mosquito habitat and improve the overall function of the marsh as a fish nursery and as habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.
“The Northwest Youth Corps is doing a great job helping us maintain valuable wildlife habitat, and even learning about wildlife management,” says Bill Bridgeland, Refuge Biologist.
In addition to monitoring for mosquitoes and providing treatment when necessary, Refuge staff is continuing to dig new tidal channels to reduce mosquito production on the marsh. Over the past three weeks, over 2,000 feet of new tidal channels have been dug using the Refuge’s excavator.
Refuge staff have been invited and will provide an update on marsh improvement efforts to control mosquito production during the next Coos County Vector Assessment and Control Advisory Committee meeting. The Vector Committee meeting will be held at the Ni-les’tun unit overlook on the Bandon Marsh Refuge on July 16 at 5:30 PM and it is open to the public.
For updates on the Integrated Marsh Management Approach at Bandon Marsh Refuge:
http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/bandonmarsh/Mosquito.html
Coos County Health and Wellness – Public Health division:
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/cooshealthwellness/PublicHealth/Env...
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