Live Stakes *Update*

It has been six weeks since thousands of live buttonbush and willow cuttings were installed throughout the restoration site, and the results are dramatic. At this point we are seeing around 95% survival rates, meaning that only 1 out of every 20 live stakes has failed to sprout new leaves and branches.

"We will probably observe slightly higher mortality rates when the weather turns drier and hotter as July and August set in," says Restoration Technician Clint Harris, who is overseeing much of this project's bioengineering.  "If the plants looks as healthy undergroung as they do above, however, their root systems should be able to support them through the summer months."

Pictured at left, a mass of cricket frog eggs has been attached to a newly-sprouted buttonbush sapling. This is only a small example of the many native species that have begun to re-colonize Benson Creek during the process of construction. Tracking these biological changes is an important aspect of this restoration project.