By Conor McElyea, The Conservation Alliance
Representatives from member companies including Keen, Adidas Terrex, B.Colective, Puddle Creative, Noto Group, and Yukon Trading Co joined forces in early June to participate in one of The Conservation Alliance’s 2024 Backyard Collective events. Hosted by Columbia Land Trust, the group worked to remove invasive species in the recently protected Nestwood Forest.
The Nestwood Forest spans Ross Mountain and Howard Canyon, just east of Corbett, Oregon. Until recently, this was the largest privately owned forest in the county and was at risk of being divided and developed. With the help of TCA funding, Columbia Land Trust successfully purchased and permanently protected this 820-acre area in November of 2022.
Throughout the day, the team of volunteers worked to pull out the roots of a dense thicket of invasive Himalayan blackberry plants, clearing a total area of around 1,000 square feet! Their work created space for seeding native grasses and wildflowers later this year, and will be followed in future years by planting native trees and shrubs to reforest the slope and restore forest habitat.
Backyard Collective events, first launched in 2009, have long played an important role in connecting member company employees with local grantees for a day of action in a landscape that TCA funding helped protect. Thank you to our participants!
Special thanks to 10 Barrel Brewing for donating beverages for the event!
