We recently ventured outdoors for another Mountain Rose River Project! Nothing makes us happier than spending the day in the sunshine collecting trash from a section of riverbank that Mountain Rose Herbs adopted in 2012. And we had a surprise visitor who put the cherry on top!
Shawn Donnille, co-owner and Vice President, shares his thoughts about the day:
At midday we stopped for lunch on the banks of the scenic North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River. As we approached the sandy riverbank, we saw a massive steel structure shaped like a cylindrical cup turned on its side and buoyed in the water by cables. Attached was a turbine spinning and making a whining noise. I am familiar with the odd machines used by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Forest Service as a fish trap. I assisted the Forest Service a couple of years ago with the trapping, recording, measuring and sexing of Salmon as part of their reintroduction efforts on another segment of the Middle Fork.
As luck would have it, just as I was explaining the mechanics and operation of the weird contraption, a biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife came to our sandy spot on the river to check the trap for Salmon! We watched her tow the machine closer to the bank, wade into the river and board the platform to open the hatch door. With a seine she caught all of the fish which included a handful of Chinook fingerlings and Smallmouth suckers. She proceeded to explain reintroduction efforts, the environmental and human threats Chinook face, and how to properly identify fingerlings and smolts, which are young salmon. We watched and listened with wonder and appreciation. All told, a beautiful day filled with education and a sense of accomplishment. More than anything, it reminded us of the cultural and biological significance Salmon has on our lives and why the Mountain Rose River Project is so important to us.
We had the pleasure to meet Meghan Horne-Brine, Fish Technician with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Thank you for all the work you do!
In total, we removed 380 gallons of trash including 4 car tires and a battered tent!
Learn more about our sustainability initiatives!
Check out more photos of the project!