Shine City Project
Pittman Wash
October 19, 2019
On October 19, 2019, Shine City Project joined forced with Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash! Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash is a non-profit environmental group focused on preserving and protecting the wildlife and wildlife habitat of the Pittman Wash in Henderson. The Pittman Wash is a three-mile restoration project that helps to carry run-off water from areas of Las Vegas to the main Las Vegas Wash, and then eventually Lake Mead. During stormy weather, the Pittman Wash also serves as a flood control channel for excessive rainwater. Because of the presence of water, various plants and wildlife can be found at the Pittman Wash which make it a riparian ecosystem in the Mojave Desert.
On this Saturday morning, we had four volunteers representing Shine City Project. Even though we were a small group, we were able to still make a big impression at the Pittman Wash. Equipped with hand saws and other tools, our group helped to remove tamarisk, an invasive plant species which can be indentified by its reddish-brown branches. Also known as salt cedar, tamarisk can aggressively compete and take away water from other plants and spread quickly. It has no known natural predators at the Wash, so it can quickly threatren native plants and destroy local habitats.
One of our volunteers, Katsu, had prepared prior to the service project by bringing two of his own personal hand saws. He helped to clear much of the tamarisk in the area by cutting one tamarisk after another. Another volunteer, Emely, who we had met at a previous service project, was able to focus on getting rid of some of the deep roots and trunks that were left behind by the tamarisks. Despite her small stature and the amount of effort that was required, Emely was able to help remove several trunks including one trunk that weighed around forty pounds! With the help of Andrés and Jeff, our small, but dedicated group was able to clear the tamarisk covering of about a hundred square feet!
After the service project, we were able to network with other volunteers who had come to help out that day while enjoying some pizza provided by Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash! Overall, it was a tiring but satisfying morning! Even though we were only four volunteers, the service project has shown that even just a few volunteers can make a big difference!
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