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6th

Wetlands

Curriculum

Produced by

the Institute for Applied Ecology

for the

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

6th Grade

Wetlands Ecology Curriculum

Curriculum Credits

Lesson Plans written by:

Tyler Knapp

Graphic Design:

Tyler Knapp

Content Editors:

Stacy Moore

Dionne Mejia

Carolyn Menke

Illustrations:

Amanda Devine

Jody Einerson

Pearson Scott Foresman

Barbara Gleason

Tyler Knapp

Ella Samuel

Henry Warre

Mabel Osgood Wright

Photographs:

All photos are public domain unless otherwise noted

Created With Financial Support From:

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

201 S.E. Swan Avenue PO Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380

(541) 444-2532 http://ctsi.nsn.us/

Produced by:

Institute for Applied Ecology

563 SW Jefferson Ave. Corvallis, OR 97333

(541) 753-3099 www.appliedeco.org

Introduction

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) Is a confederation of many bands and

Tribes, each with their own language and customs,

whose ancestral homelands include all of Western

Oregon from what is now Northern California

north to the Columbia River and from the summit

of the Cascades to the Pacific.

The 1.1 million-acre Siletz Reservation was

set aside by President Pierce on Nov. 9, 1855, to

reserve a permanent home for Tribes that had

ceded approximately 19 million acres of their

lands to the U.S. government under treaty agreements. After the people were relocated to the

Siletz Reservation, the seven ratified treaties of

the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue Valley Tribes

were ignored. The 1855 Coast Treaty was not ratified, but the Tribes held to its terms without the

United States fulfilling its promises.

By 1875, more than 900,000 acres of the

Siletz Reservation had been taken and opened to

settlement without treaty agreement, recognition

of rights or compensation. Starvation, violence,

abuse, exposure, depression, epidemics, boarding

schools and unscrupulous Indian agents took their

toll. The effects of the 1887 Allotment Act continued to reduce the Siletz Tribe’s sovereign jurisdiction, lands and resources.

Finally in 1954, Congress passed the Western Oregon Termination Act, severed Tribal relations and

took the last scattered parcels from Tribal members. Still, the Siletz people and culture endured.

On Nov. 18, 1977, after years of effort, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians became the second

“terminated” Tribe in the nation and the first in Oregon to be “restored” to federally recognized Tribal status

by Act of Congress. In 1980, a modest land base consisting primarily of timberlands was re-established by

passage of the Siletz Reservation Act. With the Tribe’s restoration began decades of growth. The Siletz Tribe

now has a strong Tribal government to manage its resources, oversee and implement the many programs and

services offered to Tribal members as well as an expanding variety of job opportunities. Committed to serving

their people, the ninemember Siletz Tribal Council is the elected governing body of the Siletz Tribe.

Since Restoration, the Tribe has progressed from Bureau of Indian Affairs management to PL 93-638

contracting and finally to status as a self governance Tribe, allowing the Tribe to design and manage its own

programs specifically addressing the needs of the Tribal membership. As a result, services to Tribal members

are more efficiently managed and new programs have been developed.

The Siletz Tribe’s land holdings total more than 15,000 acres, the majority of which lie in Lincoln and

Douglas counties, with smaller parcels in Marion, Lane and Multnomah counties. Tribal headquarters and administrative offices are located in Siletz. Satellite offices in Eugene, Salem and Portland provide a variety of services to Siletz Tribal members within an 11-county service area that includes Lincoln, Tillamook, Linn, Benton,

Lane, Yamhill, Polk, Marion, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties in northwestern Oregon.

For more information about CTSI visit www.ctsi.nsn.us and read The People are Dancing Again: The History of

iii

the Siletz Tribes of Western Oregon by Charles Wilkinson (2010, University of Washington Press).

Siletz Dee-Ni Language

Each lesson includes Siletz Dee-Ni vocabulary words. Dee-Ni is part of the Athabaskan language group,

and is one of many dialects. These dialects vary from region to region and even from village to village. In

pre-contact times the area a person hailed from would be recognized by the dialect they spoke in. After being

brought to the Siletz Reservation there were five major languages spoken there. The major language stocks

were Athabaskan, Hokan, Penutian, Sahaptin, and Salish. Chinook Jargon became the language that different

speakers used to communicate with as well as English. With the passage of time each successive generation

found itself with an ever smaller pool of speakers. When the Siletz Tribes were Terminated by the Federal

Government in the 1950’s, the Tribal Government was disbanded and their lands sold, their people were dispersed far and wide. Their languages went unspoken except among Elders. It would take another 20 years and

the Restoration of Tribal Status to rekindle any hope of Language Restoration. Following a tribal wide assessment beginning in 1996, it was discovered that they had lost more than 90 percent of the ability to speak the

native language Athabaskan. The Tribe has made a concentrated effort to address this loss. In 2003 the Tribe

made a commitment to the preservation of traditional arts and language by establishing a permanent position

in the Culture Department, Traditional Arts and Language Specialist. Many linguistic archival materials have

been used to guide the language teachings at the community language classes, Nuu Wee-ya (Our Words).

The website for the Siletz Tribal Language Project http://www.siletzlanguage.org/ includes many resources for learning Dee-Ni, including a talking dictionary, videos, and language lesson plans for all grade

levels.

The Institute for Applied Ecology

Founded in 1999, the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) is a non-profit organization established to provide

a service to public and private agencies and individuals by developing and communicating information on

ecosystems and effective management strategies. IAE offers habitat restoration services complete with habitat

management plans, site preparation, maintenance and monitoring. Our Native Seed Network connects buyers

and sellers of native seed while our Conservation and Research division conducts native ecosystem research

and monitoring and provides surveys for rare plants. The Ecological Education Program provides opportunities

for K-12 students, teachers and the adult community in place-based education and service learning projects.

Organization of Curriculum:

The curriculum is designed to be a complete unit of study. We understand that many teachers are unable to

commit to the entire unit of study, so lessons can also be used individually. All lessons start with an overview

of the lesson, time estimate, teacher preperation tips, learning objectives, materials needed, and the 6th grade

Next Generation Science Standards that are met. The vocabulary speech bubble includes English as well as

Siletz Dee-Ni words. The “background information” section gives teachers the necessary knowledge to teach

the lesson, while the “teacher directions” give step by step instructions for leading each activity. The last page

of every lesson includes an “in the field!” section that suggests ways to integrate student studies into field trips

or service-learning projects. The “science inquiry” section offers opporunities for further scientific inquiry

as homework assignments or extensions of the lessons’ activities. The “reflection” bubble offers questions to

ask students at the end of each lesson, which can be useful for class discussions or journal writing. The “assessment” circle gives three challenge questions to assess how well the learning objectives were met. Finally the

“resources” section lists texts or websites that were either referenced in the lesson, or that are useful for further

research into each topic.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments................................................................................ii

Introduction ...................................................................................iii-iv

Wetlands Ecology Lessons

1. What is a Wetland? ...................................................................... 1-9

Students learn what wetlands are, including their characteristics and the different types of

wetlands: swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens. Students also learn some of the Dee-Ni vocabulary

that pertains to wetlands.

2. Identifying Wetland Plants and Animals.................................. 10-25

Students learn how to identify some of the common wetland plants and animals using natural

items as well as wetland animal and plant cards to play various matching and guessing games.

3. My Pack Basket: How Wetland Plants are Used for Fiber.......... 26-34

Students learn how to identify some of the common wetland plants and animals using natural

items as well as wetland animal and plant cards to play various matching and guessing games.

4. Ecosystem Services of Wetlands............................................... 35-41

Students learn about the ways that wetlands filter water and reduce the risk of flooding by

doing a science experiment using common kitchen items and natural materials.

5. Designing a Wetland Restoration Plan...................................... 42-52

This lesson introduces the basics of wetland restoration through exploring restoration concepts,

terminology, and methods. Learn about common restoration tools and weigh the trade-offs

land managers juggle when planning a restoration project. You will work as part of a team using

design principles to plan, budget, and market a restoration plan to the Siletz Tribal Council.

Cobra Lily

(Darlingtonia californica)

Wetlands

Teacher

PageLesson 1

Plants

WhatHave

is aFamilies,

Wetland?Too

Time Estimate:

60-90 minutes

“We are all water babies. It’s never too late to save the world. Wherever you are, take

care of the water—if you really want to live.”

—Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Siletz Tribal Elder

Overview

Students learn what wetlands are, including their

characteristics and the different types of wetlands: swamps,

marshes, bogs, and fens. Students also learn some of

the Dee-Ni vocabulary that pertains to wetlands.

Best Season:

Any- Indoor classroom

Preparation

◆◆ Make color copies of the provided labeled wetlands photos to pass

around, or use a document camera to project them.

◆◆ Gather all of the Wetland model materials in advance.

Materials

Learning Objectives

◆◆ Describe the three main

attributes of wetlands.

◆◆ List or describe the

similarities and differences

between different types

of wetlands: swamp,

marsh, bog and fen

including their plant and

animal composition.

◆◆ Write or say some of

the Dee-Ni words that

pertain to wetlands.

Next Generation

Science Standards

◆◆ Whiteboard, flip chart paper or butcher paper and markers.

◆◆ Provided labeled wetland photos: wetland,

swamp, marsh, bog, and fen.

◆◆ Wetland model materials. Mix and match

according to what is available:

* A long (roughly 13” x 9”) sturdy metal or glass

baking pan with a smooth, flat bottom, or a

rolling paint pan from a hardware store.

* Clay- modeling or pottery

* Potential items from nature: sticks (to represent woody

plants), moss, peat (from a garden store), narrow soft

leaves (to represent non-woody plants), evergreen twigs (to

represent evergreen trees and shrubs), ferns, grass, etc.

* Sponges or foam to represent spongy peat soils

* Scraps of astroturf or indoor-outdoor

carpeting to represent grass

* Water in cups or bottles to represent ponds and flowing water

◆◆ Optional: “What Makes a Wetland a Wetland?” Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRCPQebNIgA

This lesson meets the following 6th Grade standards:

MS-ESS2.C The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes

MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe phenomena.

MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms.

Wetlands

Lesson 1

What is a Wetland?

Vocabulary

Cobra Lily

(Darlingtonia californica)

is a carnivorous plant

that grows in the bogs

of Southern Oregon and

Northern California.

Background Information

English

Dee-Ni

◆◆ Wetland

◆◆ Water: Tvl-xvt

◆◆ Marsh

◆◆ Tree: Tr’aa-me

◆◆ Swamp

◆◆ Swamp: Xwvtlh-srvlh

◆◆ Bog

◆◆ Puddle: Chvslh-mvn

◆◆ Fen

◆◆ Meadow: Tuu-me’

◆◆ Hydric Soil

◆◆ Soil: Ee

◆◆ Hydrophyte

◆◆ Plant: Xvm-srvn’

Wetlands are defined as having the following components:

• Water loving plants (hydrophytes),

• Water soaked land for part or all of the growing season each year

• Soils that developed in low oxygen (hydric soils).

Wetlands differ from ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams because they are defined as areas having, at least

periodically, waterlogged soils or standing water. Although wetlands are often wet, a wetland might not be wet yearround. In fact, some of the most important wetlands are only seasonally wet. Wetlands are the link between the land

and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun

meet to produce a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soils, and vegetation.

Wetlands stay wet for any of several reasons: they are in low areas that stay saturated by rain, they are fed

from below by groundwater that is at or near the surface, they are near rivers or other bodies of water that flood them

periodically, or they are saturated along the coasts by the tide. Beavers can make wetlands by damming a stream.

People also create wetlands unintentionally by blocking normal water flow with construction, or intentionally by

flooding areas for uses such as waterfowl breeding grounds. Wetlands are among the most biologically productive

ecosystems on Earth, comparable to tropical rain forests and coral reefs. They provide food sources that support a

variety of species.

Wetlands found in the United States fall into four general categories – marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.

• Marshes are periodically saturated, flooded, or ponded with water and characterized by herbaceous (non-woody)

vegetation adapted to wet soil conditions. marshes frequently occur in poorly drained depressions, floodplains,

and shallow water areas along the edges of lakes and rivers.

• Swamps are fed primarily by surface water inputs and are dominated by trees and woody shrubs. Swamps occur

in either freshwater or saltwater floodplains. They are characterized by very wet soils during the growing season

and standing water during certain times of the year.

• Bogs are freshwater wetlands, often formed in old glacial lakes, characterized by spongy peat deposits,

evergreen trees and shrubs, and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. Cranberries, blueberries,

and carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant also grow in bogs. The only water source for Bogs is rainwater, and

they are usually found in glaciated areas of the northern United States.

• Fens are freshwater peat-forming wetlands covered mostly by grasses, sedges, reeds, willow and wildflowers.

Fens, like bogs, tend to occur in glaciated areas of the northern United States.

Wetlands

Lesson 1

What is a Wetland?

Teacher Directions

1. Show the students the labeled Wetlands photo

and say: “Turn to the person next to you and talk

about a wetland that you have seen or visited,

then make a list of what plants, animals, etc you

saw there and write what you think makes a

wetland a wetland. You have one minute - GO!”

2. Once the minute is up say “Pencils down.”

Call on groups to share with the class what

they wrote. Make three columns on the board

or flipchart under the title Wetlands: Plants,

Animals, and Attributes. As the students

read off what they listed write those words

in the corresponding columns on the board.

Compare the words to those listed in the Deeni vocabulary and write those next to the

corresponding English words. Leave the list up

on the board, to add anything else that they

learned about at the end of the lesson.

3. Share the definition of “wetlands” using the

Wetlands infographic. Then go over the different

types of wetlands: Bog, Marsh, Swamp, and

Fen using the definitions from the background

information while showing the students the

included infographic of wetland types using

a projector, document camera, or print outs.

Optionally you can show the video: “What

makes a Wetland a Wetland?” (3 minutes

44 seconds) https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=bRCPQebNIgA

4. Lead a discussion. Example questions:

◆◆ How does the group list compare with the

wetland definition?

◆◆ What wetlands have you visited and where are

the closest wetlands?

5. Activity: Make a Wetland!

◆◆ Divide the class into four groups, and assign each

group a different wetland type:

◆◆ marsh, swamp, bog, and fen.

◆◆ Hand out the pictures of each wetland

type labeled with their attributes to each

corresponding group. Give each group materials

for making a wetland (see list in materials

section).

◆◆ Instruct the students to use what they’d learned

so far, and the information from the infographics

to make a model of the wetland type they were

assigned using the provided materials. They can

put the clay down for soil, put the sticks, twigs,

leaves, moss/peat into the clay to represent

plants, sponges or foam for spongy soils, and

scraps of astroturf or grass leaves to represent

grass. They can also pour water into it to show

where the water flows or pools up. Give the

students the Dee-ni vocabulary words written on

small pieces of paper, which they can use to label

parts of their model. Give them 15-20 minutes to

finish their models.

◆◆ Have a show and tell, where each group

shows their model to the rest of the class and

teaches them about their wetland type. Allow

for questions and answers, as well as a group

discussion. How are the wetland types similar or

different?

6. Lesson wrap-up. Review the definition of a

wetland, and the different types of wetlands.

Look over the list that the class created at the

beginning of the lesson, and add anything else

that they learned about wetlands.

◆◆ What are the differences and similarities between

a bog and a fen?

◆◆ What are the differences and similarities between

a marsh and a swamp?

◆◆ How are wetlands different from lakes, rivers,

ponds and streams?

Wetlands

Lesson 1

What is a Wetland?

In the Field!

Organize a field trip to a nearby wetland and have the students analyze its’

characteristics to determine if it is a bog, swamp, or marsh. Tell the students to

look for wetland specific plants and animals. Ask them to observe how the plants

in the wetland are different from those outside of it, and try to determine where

that boundary is. They can document their observations in a drawing, journal

entry, or photo journal. Recommend that the students wear rubber boots or other

waterproof shoes on the field trip.

Science Inquiry

Homework Assignment: Think about a wetland that you have visited in the past. Make a hypothesis

of what kind of wetland you think it is and why, write this down. How many acres do you think the

wetland covers? Find that wetland on the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) map. https://www.

fws.gov/wetlands/data/mapper.html Record the data that is listed for that wetland, including

the classification, wetland type, and acres. How does this data differ from the hypothesis that

you wrote down? How are the categories for wetland types similar or different from what you

learned in the classroom lesson? Research and then make a vocabulary list with definitions

for: Palustrine, Estuarine, Riverine, and Lacustrine.

ction

Assessment

Think about a wetland that you have

visited. How do you know it was a wetland?

What type of wetland do you think it was?

What is the water source for the wetland?

How did you feel when you were there?

Make a drawing of the wetland from your

memory, a photo, or by visiting it again.

Make a map of the wetland using your

memory, a paper map, or an online map.

Name the factors that

define a wetland.

List the four types of wetlands.

Say or write one wetland

specific Dee-ni word.

Resources

◆◆ Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. 1995. Project WET, 301 N. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT 59715. projectwet.org

◆◆ WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands. 2003. Environmental Concern INC, PO Box P, St Michaels, MD 21663. wetland.org

◆◆ Types of Wetlands. 2001 EPA. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/200053PZ.PDF?Dockey=200053PZ.PDF

◆◆ Discover Wetlands. 1995. WA Dept. of Ecology. https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/8816a.pdf

Identifying Wetland Plants

and Animals

Wetlands

Lesson 2

“We are all speaking to an unseen world, speaking for our Mother Earth, trying to stop our

spiritual blindness. We speak for the animal kingdom for those in the waters, for the fourleggeds and the one-leggeds (trees) and the creepy crawlers. I pray our Creator hears us.

The creatures have a right to be.”

Time Estimate:

—Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Siletz Tribal Elder

60-90 minutes

Overview

Students learn how to identify some of the common wetland

plants and animals using natural items as well as wetland animal

and plant cards to play various matching and guessing games.

Best Season:

Preparation

Any- Indoor classroom

◆◆ Collect the natural materials, and print out the cards beforehand. Print the

cards on cardstock or laminate them.

Learning Objectives

◆◆

◆◆ Differentiate between

several species of wetland

plants and animals.

“Wetland in a Bag” materials- Here are examples of some of the natural items you can

use for this activity. These items can be collected at a nearby wetland, park, your yard or

borrowed from nature centers, OSU Extension Service, or US Fish and Wildlife offices.

** An opaque bag: this could be a pillowcase, paper grocery bag, or reusable tote bag.

** Blindfold or eye mask

◆◆ Be able to match pictures of

wetland plants and animals

with their corresponding

names and descriptions.

** Cattail stalk and flower (the part that looks like a hot dog)

** Leaves- Cattail, Juncus, Skunk Cabbage, Yellow Pond Lily, Wapato, Tule, etc.

** Flowers- Skunk Cabbage, Yellow Pond Lily, or any other flowers you can find.

** Seeds or Roots- Wapato, Yellow Pond Lily, Skunk Cabbage, or other seeds.

** Twigs- Willow, Cranberry, Bog Huckleberry, Black Cottonwood

◆◆ Describe how wetland plants

and animals differ from non

wetland plants and animals.

** Bird Feather

** Turtle Shell

** Fur- pelt, small piece, fake fur, or a stuffed specimen. Wetland mammals preferred.

Next Generation Science Standards

** Tap water- in a small container

This lesson meets the following 6th

** A toy frog, fish, insect, duck, turtle etc.

** Wetland Mud- in a small container or bag that can be opened to reach into.

Grade standards:

** Snake skin or toy snake

MS-LS1-4 Use argument based on

empirical evidence and scientific reasoning

to support an explanation for how

characteristic animal behaviors and

specialized plant structures affect the

probability of successful reproduction of

animals and plants respectively.

** Egg Shells- from a chicken

RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative

or technical information expressed in

words in a text with a version of that

information expressed visually (e.g., in

a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or

table). (MS-LS3-2)

Materials

** Bird’s nest (only one that has fallen from a tree)

◆◆

Wetland Plant and Animal cards- the print outs for these can be found at the end of

this lesson plan. Print the cards preferably on cardstock paper or laminate them. There

are several options for printing these cards, depending on which activities and games

you would like to do with the students. Printing directions are listed with each game’s

directions.

Identifying Wetland Plants

and Animals

Wetlands

Lesson 2

Dee-Ni Vocabulary

Cattail: Chaa-’ak-t’i

Otter: Naa-ghaa-t’u’-ne

Frog: K’wee-lhin’-chu

Salamander: Tee-li~-ch’e’

Turtle: Ts’ee-nntelh

Willow: Gee-lish

Goose: Haa~-chu

Tule: Ch’uu-sutlh

Lamprey: Dvsh-xa~ Skunk Cabbage: Daa-chuu-se’s

Mink: Mvlh-yaa-’islh-ghelh-ne

Beaver: Chii-nn’telh

Pacific Lamprey

Dvsh-xa~

Entosphenus tridentatus

Background Information

Wetlands are not only diverse in their types, but in their

biology. There are an abundance of plants and animals that

prefer, or can only live in wetlands. Many of these have been

harvested and used for millenia by Native Americans for

weaving, food, medicine, and clothing. The wetland plant and

animal activity cards that are included in this lesson provide

most of the background information needed for this lesson.

-The wetland animal cards list: Name (English, Dee- Ni, and

Latin), Length, Weight, Description, Consumes (what it

eats), Makes (if it alters the landscape, like a beaver dam),

and Human use (includes known historic and cultural Native

American uses).

-The wetland plant cards list: Name (Dee- Ni, English, and

Latin), Description (general growth form and height),

Leaves (size, shape, and color), Flowers (size, shape, color,

and bloom time), Habitat (wetland type), and Human use

(food, medicine, weaving, clothing, etc.)

Warm-up Activity: Wetland in a Bag

Start the lesson by grabbing the students’ attention with this tactile activity. Use the list from the

Materials section to prepare this activity ahead of time. Place the materials you were able to acquire

inside the bag. Here are the activity procedures:

1. Call a volunteer to the front of the room, and then put a blindfold or eye mask on them. Tell the

students that the blindfolded person will be guessing what the item is, but no one else should say

what it is so the answer isn’t given away.

2. Hold the bag of items open for the volunteer, and have them reach inside it to remove one object. Or

you can reach into the bag to pick an item of your choice and place it in the student’s hands. Have the

student lift up the object so that the rest of the class can see it.

3. Ask the volunteer to use their senses of touch and smell to investigate the object. Have them

describe what they sense to the class using descriptive words. Give them examples of descriptive

words if need be: smooth, slimy, rough, slippery, soft, etc. Only after describing the object may they

try to guess what it is. If they need extra help they can get hints from the teacher or the class.

4. Remove the blindfold or eye mask so the volunteer can see the object. Ask them questions like: Did

you know what it was right away? If they guessed correctly: How did you know what it was? If they

didn’t guess it: Were you surprised when you found out what it really was?

5. Repeat the process for several more volunteers. Once an item is removed from the bag don’t put it

back in.

6. Activity debrief: Ask students to review all of the objects they felt in the bag. Which ones were

plants? Which ones were animals? Ask the students why they think the objects in the bag belong in

a wetland or not. Would any one of the objects also appear in a dry area? Why or why not?

Wetlands

Lesson 2

Identifying Wetland Plants

and Animals

Teacher Directions

◆◆ Wetland in a Bag- Begin the lesson with this warm-up activity. Directions are on the previous page.

◆◆ Wetland Plant and Animal Card Activities: The printing directions for the cards differ depending on

what activities or games you want to do. Refer to the directions listed for each game. Here are some of the

possibilities for using the cards, but feel free to improvise and make new activities with them.

Cattail

Dee-Ni: Chaa-’ak-t’i

Typha latifolia

Description: 3- 8 ft (2.7 -7.3m) tall. Grows in large

stands. The interlocking leaves are spongy inside.

Leaves: 0.4 -1 in (1- 2.5 cm) wide, grayish green, alternate, flat, long and narrow (somewhat grass-like).

Flowers: Cylindrical, brown “hot dog” shape on top of

tall stalk. Blooms from late June through August. Sometimes called “Corn Dog Grass” or “Swamp Sausage.” The

light, fluffy, cotton like seeds are carried by the wind.

Habitat: Shallow, standing or slow-moving water of

marshes, lagoons, sloughs, lakes, ponds and pools, and

roadside ditches.

Human use: The roots are edible if growing in clean

spaces, and the stems and leaves can be woven into

mats, clothes, etc. Seed fluff used for stuffing pillows,

mattresses, diapers, and fire starting.

ɶɶ Guessing Game. This game is adapted from the “Water Address” activity in the “Project WET

Curriculum and Activity Guide.” For this game you will need to print:

One-side of the cards with the plant and animal descriptions (but not the photos) and the “Siletz Tribes”

logo on the other side. Several copies should be printed so each group of three to four students can have a

set. For example: a class of 30, divided into groups of 3, will need 10 sets of cards.

1. Tell the students they’re going to play a riddle game in which they try to guess a wetland plant or

animal’s identity based on its description. Break students into groups of three to four.

2. Hand out a set of the description clue cards to each group face down. Instruct students not to look at

the cards before the game starts.

3. Explain that each card lists the key characteristics and descriptions of a wetland plant or animal.

Based on the clues, students will try to guess the plant or animal that is being described.

4. Each group should pick one student to start as their reader. This student will read the description clues

(without saying the name), one at a time and in any order, until someone in the group can guess the

name of the organism. The answer is listed at the top of each card.

5. The student who comes closest to guessing the name of the organism receives points based on the

number of clues that were read before he or she got the answer. Assign one student in each group to be

scorekeeper and to keep track as follows: Only one clue read = five points, Only two clues read= four

points, Three clues read = three points, Four clues read = two points, All five clues read = one point.

Wetlands

Lesson 2

Identifying Wetland Plants

and Animals

Teacher Directions, continued

ɶɶ Who am I? For this activity you will need to print two different sets of cards:

1. One set of cards: one-side with a plant or animal picture, and “Siletz Tribes” logo on the other side.

2. A second set of cards: one-side with a plant or animal description, and “Siletz Tribes” on the other side.

1. Hand out one card to each student, make sure that there is a picture card and a matching description

card handed out to different students.

2. The students have to find the card that matches theirs. For example, a person with the beaver picture

card has to find the person with the beaver description card. The students cannot show each other

their cards, but must describe them without using the name of the animal. Students will walk around

the room asking other students about their cards and comparing them until they find a match.

3. Once everyone has found their match the activity can be repeated by mixing up the cards and handing

out different ones to everyone.

ɶɶ Memory Matching Card Game. For this game there are two printing options:

Option A: print using the printing directions listed above for the “Who Am I?” game.

For this option students will match the picture card with its corresponding description card.

Option B: print two of each picture card with the “Siletz Tribes” logo on the other side. For this option the

students will match duplicate pictures. Here are the directions for the matching memory game:

1. Mix cards up and lay them all face-down on a table in a grid pattern.

2. Youngest player goes first and turns two cards of their choosing over. If cards match, they take the

cards and have another turn. If cards don’t match put the card down in the same spot, and move to

the next player. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.

3. When all cards are matched, the player with the most sets of matching cards wins.

Wetlands

Lesson 2

Identifying Wetland Plants

and Animals

In the Field!

Take a set of the cards on a field trip to a wetland and use them to identify the

plants and animals that the students encounter there. One activity option is to

give a plant card to each student, or a small group and see if they can find that

plant. Once most of the plants have been found, do a show-and-tell tour where

each student or group teaches the other students about their plant and how to

identify it. .

Science Inquiry

Students can go further into this subject by learning how to use plant and animal field guides

(see those listed in the “Resources” section) to identify wetland organisms. Students can add to

the deck of cards by making their own wetland plant and animal cards from photos or their own

drawings and information they find in books and online. Another option is to have students make

their own Wetland Plant and/or Animal field guide for a specific local wetland. These could be

printed and shared with the community.

ction

Assessment

How can you tell whether a plant is a wetland plant/animal vs. a non-wetland plant/

animal? Research some of the adaptations

that wetland plants and animals have. What

are some non-native, invasive wetland plants

and animals found in your area? What are

other games or activities that you could do

with the plant and animal cards?

Identify two animals, and two

plants using only the picture

cards, or by matching a picture

card to a description card.

List the characteristics

for one wetland plant and

one wetland animal.

Describe two characteristics

that are different between a

wetland plant/animal and a

non-wetland plant/animal.

Resources

◆◆ Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. Project WET Foundation, 1995. www.projectwet.org

◆◆ Guard, B. Jennifer., et al. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Pub., 1995.

◆◆ Russo, Candace Banners., and Erin Rose. ONeil. A Guide to Oregon and Washington Wetland Wildlife: and Their

Habitats. Northwest Habitat Institute, 2007.

◆◆ Slattery, Britt Eckhardt. Wow! The Wonders of Wetlands: an Educators Guide. Environmental Concern

Inc., 2003.

American Beaver

Dee-Ni: Chii-nn’telh

Castor canadensis

Pacific Lamprey

Dee-Ni: Dvsh-xa~

Entosphenus tridentatus

Length: 34 - 40 in (86cm-1m)

Length: 16 - 30 in (40 - 76 cm)

Weight: 24-71 lbs (10- 32kg), 44 lbs (20kg) average

Weight: up to 1.1 lbs (0.5kg)

Description: Largest rodent in North America. Nocturnal. Broad, wide, flat tail, which is used to slap the

water as they dive to scare away predators.

Description: Jawless eel-like fish that have slender,

Consumes: Tree bark, branches, stems, leaves, and

aquatic plants.

Makes: Burrow, paths, snags, and structures that can

block the flow of water (dams), and expand wetlands,

thus creating more habitat.

Human use: Meat for food, pelts are prized for warm,

water-resistant fur clothing.

American Mink

Dee-Ni: Mvlh-yaa-’islh-ghelh-ne

Neovison vison

elongated bodies with two dorsal fins arising far back on

the body. Adults living in the sea are a bluish-black or

greenish colour above and pale below, and called “Night

Eel.” Those that have spawned out in fresh water are

brown and called “Sun Eel.” They have a round, funnellike sucking mouth with three sharp teeth. They climb up

rocks using their mouths, and can get past waterfalls this

way. They are anadromous, meaning they migrate from

saltwater to freshwater to breed, like salmon.

Consumes: Parasitic of larger fish, including salmon.

Human use: Traditional native food that is still harvested today at places like Willamette Falls.

Northern River Otter

Dee-Ni: Naa-ghaa-t’u’-ne

Lontra canadensis

Length: 19 - 28 in (48 - 71cm)

Length: 50” (1.27 m)

Weight: 1-3 lbs (0.45- 1.4kg)

Weight: 11-31 lbs (5-14kg)

Description: Semiaquatic, and mostly nocturnal

mammal in the weasel family. They have soft chocolate brown glossy fur, sometimes with white patches

on the belly. They have a long thin body, and a furry

tail. If frightened they hiss or screech and can even

release a scent like a skunk. If happy they will purr.

Description: This mammal is in the weasel family.

They are fast swimmers and can close their nostrils

underwater. They can run 15 mph on land. Look for

dark brown fur, grey throat, muscular tail and webbed

toes.

Consumes: Small mammals including muskrats, fish,

eggs, birds, frogs, and found dead animals (carrion).

Human use: Meat historically eaten when other food

was scarce. Pelts are used for fur clothing,

Consumes: Fish, frogs, turtles, crayfish, small mammals, and birds.

Makes: Burrows in river banks.

Human use: Meat historically eaten when other food

was scarce. Pelts are highly prized for warm, waterresistant fur clothing.

Tule

Dee-Ni: Ch’uu-sutlh

Scirpus lacustris

Description: 3- 8 ft (2.7 -7.3m) tall. Sometimes grows

in large colonies. Grass-like. Stems are round, spongy

inside, and taper from 1.18 in (3cm) at the base to 0.08

in (2mm) at the tip.

Leaves: Plant is mostly made up of stems, and has a

few small leaves, which are sheath-like at the base of

the stems.

Cattail

Dee-Ni: Chaa-’ak-t’i

Typha latifolia

Description: 3- 8 ft (2.7 -7.3m) tall. Grows in large

stands. The interlocking leaves are spongy inside.

Leaves: 0.4 -1 in (1- 2.5 cm) wide, grayish green, alternate, flat, long and narrow (somewhat grass-like).

Flowers: 0.31-0.59 in (8-15mm) long. Grow in clusters

at the tips of the stems. Brown.

Flowers: Cylindrical, brown “hot dog” shape on top

of tall stalk. Blooms from late June through August.

Sometimes called “Corn Dog Grass” or “Swamp Sausage.” The light, fluffy, cotton like seeds are carried by

the wind.

Habitat: Deep or shallow water, or in muddy or

marshy ground around lakes, ponds, streams, and

marshes.

Habitat: Shallow, standing or slow-moving water of

marshes, lagoons, sloughs, lakes, ponds and pools,

and roadside ditches.

Human use: Edible roots. Stems used widely for

weaving mats, clothing, bags, bedding, hats, sandals,

houses, and even boats.

Human use: The roots are edible if growing in clean

spaces, and the stems and leaves can be woven into

mats, clothes, etc. Seed fluff used for stuffing pillows,

mattresses, diapers, and fire starting.

Willow

Dee-Ni: Gee-lish

Salix spp.

Soft Rush

Dee-Ni: Baa-bvs

Juncus effusus

Description: 6- 40 ft (2 -12m) tall shrubs and trees.

Leaves: Oval to lance-shaped, broadest near tip; upper leaf surfaces are green, glossy, leaf undersides are

waxy with dense, white, often rusty hairs; leaf edges

occasionally have fine teeth; leaf stalks are 0.2 -0.4 in

(5-10mm) long.

Flowers: In catkins on short stalks.

Description: 8- 40 in (20cm - 1m) tall. Grows in

distinct clumps, like a bunch grass. The blades/stems

of a rush are round, each pushing directly from the

soil with no branching.

Leaves: Plant is mostly made up of stems, and has

brown sheath-like leaves wrapped around the stems.

Flowers: Greenish to brownish cluster that looks like

a continuation of the stem.

Habitat: Shrub swamps, moist woods and clearings,

streambanks and lakeshores.

Human use: Mainly used for weaving baskets, fish

nets, twine, and for building sweat lodges. Also used

as a medicine similar to Aspirin.

Habitat: Wet fields, pastures, tidal flats, shallow water

at edges of ponds or lakes.

Human use: Used for weaving, sometimes mixed with

cattails to weave cordage.

Yellow Pond-Lily

Dee-Ni: Lhts~ chvslh-mvn dan’

Nuphar polysepalum

Wapato

Dee-Ni: Gus

Sagittaria latifolia

Description: Leaves floating on the surface of the

water are attached by long (up to 8 ft or 2.4m) stalks

to fleshy roots in the mud.

Description: 8- 35 in (20 -89cm) tall. Leaves and

flower stalk grow in tufts out of roots with potato-like

tubers attached.

Leaves: Floating leaves are large 4- 16 in (10-40cm)

long) but thin, broadly oval and heart-shaped, with

deep notch at base where long leaf stalks attach.

Leaves: Arrowhead-shaped. 10 in (25cm) long and

8 in (20cm) wide; sometimes submerged, but above

water later in summer.

Flowers: Yellow, large up to 4 in (10cm) across bowlshaped, on stalks that usually extend well above surface of water.

Flowers: White, 0.4 -0.8 in(1-2cm) across, 3 petals.

Grow on a 8-19 in (20-48cm) tall stalk. Blooms from

middle to late August.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams and deep

freshwater marshes.

Habitat: Easily established in mud at edges of marshes, lakes, ponds, and sloughs.

Human use: The roots have been used medicinally

to treat tuberculosis. The seeds can be roasted like

popcorn eaten.

Human use: Historic widespread use of the starchy

edible tuber, which was often baked.

Bog Cranberry

Dee-Ni: Chvslh-mvn dee-chi

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Description: 2 in (5cm) tall. Small, evergreen shrub

that creeps low along the ground on slender vine like

stems.

Leaves: 0.1-0.4 in (3-10mm) long, alternate, evergreen,

leathery, sharp pointed, with edges rolled under. Dark

green on top, grey-waxy below.

Flowers: Deep pink to red growing alone or in clusters

at the ends of slender stems. Fruit is a red, juicy berry.

Habitat: Bogs and wet meadows half buried in moss.

Human use: Edible berries. Berries and bark have

been used medicinally for nausea and urinary tract

infections.

Western Skunk Cabbage

Dee-Ni: Daa-chuu-se’s

Lysichiton americanus

Description: 12- 59 in (30cm- 1.5m) tall. Flower stalks

and large leaves emerge directly from ground

Leaves: Up to 5 ft (1.5m) long, and 1.6 ft (49cm) wide.

Lance-shaped to oblong-oval, fleshy, thin.

Flowers: Yellow. Skunky smell. Up to 1 ft (30.5cm)

long, round, corn cob looking spike covered in small

flowers and surrounded by a large yellow petal-like

bract. Blooms in early spring before the leaves appear.

Habitat: Swamps and marshes

Human use: The Roots were eaten as an emergency

survival food, but have to be prepared in a certain way

(do NOT try). Leaves can be rolled into a cone-shaped

container for berry collection, or used in steam pit

bakes.

Rough-Skinned Newt

Dee-Ni: Tee-li~-ch’e’

Taricha granulosa

Length: up to 8 in (20cm) from nose to tip of tail

Weight: 0.43 oz (12.32 g)

Description: This amphibian can be yellow or tan,

but usually dark brown or black. Underside is yellow, orange or red. Dry, rough, granular skin when

in terrestrial phase. Wet, smooth, slimy skin when in

aquatic phase.

Consumes: Tadpoles, earthworms, slugs, snails, insects and insect larvae, and amphibian eggs.

Human use: None. They are highly toxic, and contain

tetrodotoxin, which is the same toxin found in puffer

fish.

Canada Goose

Dee-Ni: Haa~-chu

Branta canadensis

Length: 20-40 in (51cm-1m)

Wingspan: 50-68 in (1.25-1.7m)

Western Pond Turtle

Dee-Ni: Ts’ee-nntelh

Actinemys marmorata

Length: 4.5-8.5 in (11.4-22cm)

Weight: 1-2.4 lbs (0.45-1kg)

Description: This reptile’s coloration ranges from

brown to black on the the upper shell, with lighter

marbling visible close up. The lower shell is black and

yellow. The head and legs are dark with possible yellow markings.

Consumes: Insects, worms, tadpoles, frogs, snails,

leeches, and fish. Plant foods include filamentous

algae, lily pods, tule and cattail roots.

Human use: Meat and eggs for food. The shell can be

made into a rattle.

Pacific Chorus Frog

Dee-Ni: K’wee-lhin’-chu

Pseudacris regilla

Length: up to 2 in (5cm) long. Males are usually

smaller than the females.

Description: Large waterfowl with a black head and

neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown

body. They are normally migratory and tend to be

found on or close to fresh water, often in urban and

cultivated areas.

Description: This amphibian has a dark “mask” or

eyestripe extending from the nostrils through the eye

as far as the shoulder. Rounded toepad at the end of

each digit. They vary in color from shades of green,

tan, reddish, grey, brown or black. Individuals can

even change colors over the course of several days to

match their environment. Their life stages go from

egg, to tadpole, to adult.

Consumes: Grasses, aquatic plants, grain, insects,

mollusks, crustaceans, and tadpoles.

Consumes: Aquatic plants, flies, ants, centipedes,

beetles, spiders, slugs, and snails.

Human use: Meat and eggs for food. The downy

feathers can be used for stuffing pillows or mattresses.

The wing feathers can be used as arrow fletching.

Human use: None known.

Weight: Males 7-14 lbs (3-6kg) Females 5.5-12 lbs (2.55kg)

Wood Duck

Dee-Ni: Ch’ash

Aix sponsa

Great Blue Heron

Dee-Ni: Ch’uu-ket-ni

Ardea herodias

Length: 20 in (51cm)

Length: 36-54 in (91-137cm)

Wingspan: 28 in (71cm)

Wingspan: 66-79 in (167-201cm)

Weight: 16 oz (454 g)

Description: This waterfowl uses swamps, marshes,

shallow lakes, and ponds as its habitat. The adult

male has distinctive multicolored iridescent plumage

and red eyes,with a distinctive white flare down the

neck. The female, less colorful, has a white eye-ring

and a whitish throat. Both adults have crested heads.

Consumes: Acorns, leaves, berries, aquatic plants,

aquatic insects, beetles, and grasshoppers.

Human use: Meat and eggs for food. The feathers can

be used as arrow fletching, and for decoration.

Height: 45–54 in (115–138 cm)

Weight: 4-8 lbs (1.82-3.6kg)

Description: This large wading bird has gray-blue

flight feathers, red-brown thighs, and a paired redbrown and black stripe up the flanks; the neck is

rusty-gray, with black and white streaking down the

front; the head is paler, with a nearly white face, and a

pair of black or slate plumes runs from just above the

eye to the back of the head. The bill is dull yellowish,

and the lower legs are gray.

Consumes: Fish, amphibians, small reptiles, small

mammals and birds, and aquatic plants.

Human use: Meat for food.

Red-Winged Blackbird

Dee-Ni: Lhshvn-ch’ash

Agelaius phoeniceus

Length: 8.75 in (22cm)

Wingspan: 14.5 in (37cm)

Weight: Males 2.3oz (64g), Females 1.46 oz (41.5g)

Description: The common name for this bird is taken

from the mainly black adult male’s distinctive red

shoulder patches, which are visible when the bird is

flying or displaying. At rest, the male also shows a

pale yellow wingbar. The female is blackish-brown

and paler below. It generally prefers wetlands, and

inhabits both freshwater and saltwater marshes, particularly if cattail is present.

Consumes: Insects, spiders, snails, seeds, and berries.

Human use: Meat for food.

Raccoon

Dee-Ni: K’wvn-shan’

Procyon lotor

Length: 26-38 in (66-97cm)

Weight: 11-57 lb (5-26kg)

Description: This mammal has gray fur, a black mask

around its eyes, a ringed tail, and hand-like front

paws.

Consumes: Worms, slugs, insects, amphibians, small

mammals, turtles, fish, seeds, fruit, and bird eggs.

They are oportunistic omnivores, eating about 40%

invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.

Human use: Meat for food, and pelt for clothing.

My Pack Basket:

Wetlands

Lesson 3

Time Estimate:

1-2 Class sessions

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

“Siletz basketry is not just an art form but also a means of making utilitarian baskets without

which our people could not have survived. To see our people making and proudly wearing

Ceremonial caps and work caps, carrying our children and grandchildren in our baby baskets,

wearing bark capes and dresses, using traditional mats, and cooking and eating from baskets is to

me preserving the very core of our collective Tribal existence.”

-Bud Lane III

Best Season:

spring

fall

Learning Objectives

◆◆ Describe what makes

some plants useful for

baskets and cordage

◆◆ Recognize the history

of baskets and cordage

used by Siletz Tribes.

◆◆ Summarize the role

of management in

utilizing fiber plants

◆◆ Practice hands-on techniques

using plant materials to

make cordage and basketry

◆◆ Identify the decorative

designs used to personalize

baskets (dyes, colored plant

materials, motifs) as well as the

techniques that create them

◆◆ How ecosystems influence

available plant fiber materials

Overview

This lesson introduces native plant fibers and their uses, with a focus on cordage, baskets, and decorative techniques. Students will gain an appreciation for

basket function and design by studying traditional weaving materials and techniques. Students will then collect, prepare, and construct cordage or a simple

pack basket practicing techniques and using various plant materials.

Preparation

◆◆ Scope out locations to take the students on a plant materials gathering trip.

Materials can be found in many locations: long grasses can be collected from

vacant lots or roadsides; cattails, rushes, and sedges can be found in most wet

areas. Challenge the students to make use of what they can find growing locally.

City gathering requires creative thinking. English ivy may be readily available in

urban areas. Ask permission before collecting any plants. Or, ask students to

collect plant material from home to bring into class.

◆◆ WARNING: Make sure everyone can identify harmful plants (e.g. poison

ivy), if they grow in your collecting area.

◆◆ Work with students to create ethical collecting guidelines for the class

to use. Be sure that the students discuss such things as: responsible

harvesting, cutting rather than pulling plant materials (unless it is

invasive), avoiding over-collecting, and asking permission from

landowners if on private land.

Next Generation Science Standards

Materials

◆◆ plastic bags

◆◆ gloves

◆◆ dish pan

◆◆ spray bottle

◆◆ old towels

◆◆ pruners/clippers

◆◆ Twine, raffia or yarn

◆◆ project direction sheet(s)

This lesson meets the following

6th Grade standards:

MS-ESS3-3 Changes to Earth’s

environments can have different impacts

(negative and positive) for different

living things.

MS-ETS1-1 All Human activity draws on

natural resources.

MS-LS1-4 Plants reproduce in a variety

of ways, sometimes depending on animal

behavior and specialized features for

reproduction.

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Background Information

Vocabulary Words

English

fiber cell

lignin

cordage

coiling

twining

weft

warp

pack basket

tumpline

open weave

overlay

Dee-Ni

K’hee-lu..................open woven basket

See-le’............................basket bottom(s)

Xaa-ts’a......................close woven basket

Xwvn-daa-wutlh-ni~k...........basket design

Gay-yu...................................baby basket

K’hee-lu............................work basket(s)

Xee-tr’at..........................basket cap(s)

Gaa-si..............................sieve basket

Me’-dan’...............storage basket

T’ulh.....................tumpline

For millennia, people have used plant fibers to meet the needs

of daily life, from making simple twine to bind things to building entire

houses. Traditionally, plant fiber has played a large role in many cultures,

but with the proliferation of manmade materials like plastics, this need has

diminished, as have the skills that go with it. At one time plants provided

the materials for food storage containers, clothing, utensils, tools, and

adornments. A woman who needed water from a stream would use a basket

that was woven so tight it could hold water (Xaa-ts’a). Today, we just reach

for the nearest bucket. Although modern society still depends on plants to

supply fiber for paper, cloth, and lumber for building materials, much has

changed in just the last couple centuries making our relationship with the

plants around us very different than it once was.

What makes some plants useful as fiber plants? First, the plant

must include fiber cells. These cells tend to be long, thin, and tapered

on the ends. All plant cells have cell walls, making them tougher than

animal cells, but fiber cells have extra thick cell walls that are reinforced

with a substance called lignin. Lignin is a compound that makes fiber cell

walls stronger, more waterproof, and more resistant to attack by fungi,

bacteria and animals. Fiber cells are one of many plant structures that

help support plants, letting them grow to reach sunlight, supporting their

vascular tissue (water and sugar transporting cells), and providing them

with protection from other organisms. Fiber cells are often present in the

wood or bark of hardwoods, including oak (Quercus spp.), ash (Fraxinus

spp.), and maple (Acer spp.). The stems of some plants such as flax (Linum

spp.) and jute (Chorcorus spp.) also have fiber cells, which make these

plants useful for fabrics like linen and weaving items like floor mats and

bags. Fiber cells are also present in the leaves of many grass or grass-like

plants, such as sisal (Agave spp.), which is used for twine and rope.

Traditionally, Siletz tribes used fiber from native plants, as well

as other natural materials, to meet their needs for baskets, rope, fish

traps and nets, cooking containers, water jugs, garments, plates, floor

mats, and houses! Nature supplied everything they needed. Although

many of these traditional plant uses have declined, people still find time

to gather materials and produce objects made from plants. In our busy

modern times, creating a useful beautiful object with your own hands

from materials collected yourself can be very fulfilling. What are some

of the things you would need to know about fiber plants, design, and

construction techniques to be able to make your own containers?

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Background Information, continued

Cordage

To begin, you might analyze the form and function of different

container’s design. One common container design is called a pack basket.

Sturdy pack baskets were frequently worn on the back much like today’s

backpacks. Pack baskets are made for carrying heavy items such as

deer and elk meat, salmon, or eels, or for when the wearer needed their

hands free, such as while harvesting camas or berries. Such baskets are

often cone shaped and outfitted with a tumpline (t’ulh), a strap over the

forehead or shoulders, and used for hands free transporting. The cone

shape fits comfortably while distributing the weight on the wearer’s

back. The large opening at the top allows for easy filling by tossing items

over the shoulder, and the cone shape discourages thrown items from

bouncing out. Tumplines (T’ulh) are a tightly woven strap made of soft

pliable materials for the wearer’s comfort. The baskets are often made

of an open weave (K’hee-lu) to hold bulky items while contributing a

minimum of weight in basket material to carry.

On the Oregon coast people use the open weave pack baskets

for collecting shellfish to allow the user to rinse and drain them in one

container. Tightly woven (Xaa-ts’a) pack baskets are used to harvest small

seeds and berries. Tightly woven cooking baskets were used by putting

water in the bottom and adding hot rocks while contantly stirring so as

not to damage the valuable basket. The pack basket is just one of many

designs perfectly suited for its jobs. Studying other basket types, you will

find they too were designed to perform the function needed in an equally

efficient manner.

Cordage is another essential tool that uses plant fiber. Cordage is

made by twisting multiple fiber strands together into strong cords that

can in turn be used in ropes, nets, and baskets. Many native plants are

prized for making strong cordage and these vary by region. Plant fibers

can be used as cordage, bundled, or in their natural form as weaving

material.

There are many techniques for making baskets, with two common

methods being twining and coiling. The twining method uses two pliable

“weft” strands (usually spruce roots) that are twisted around a more rigid

“warp” (usually hazel) or foundation structure. This method iss used to

make some of the specialized baskets like water jugs, cooking containers,

and soft hats. In the second technique, coiling, the base foundation is a

spiral of materials that are sewn together with a pliable fiber thread.

Coiling

Twining

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Basket Materials Gathering Times

◆◆

from The People are Dancing Again (Wilkinson 380)

May - Hazel, willow, fir sticks

June - Hazel, willow, fir sticks (until mid-June)

July - Fir sticks, bear grass, maidenhair fern

August - Fir sticks, bear grass, maidenhair fern, hazel sticks, willow

September - Bear grass, maidenhair fern, woodwardia fern

Year-round - Spruce roots

Background Information, continued

Cattail

Chaa-’ak-t’i

Typha latifolia

Baskets can be constructed of many different native plant materials,

but some species stand out for their superior fiber or weaving attributes.

Shoots of hazel and willow, spruce roots, the inner bark of cedar, and the

stems and leaves of rushes, cattails, and tules are all prized materials.

Historically, cattails, tules, and rushes were be woven into mats with many

uses (e.g.. clothing, sleeping, house siding, and even canoes!). Traditionally,

baskets were used in all aspects of life; some were plain and quickly made

for immediate use. Other baskets show painstaking attention to detail and

were intricately decorated. Some baskets show geometric patterns that are

woven in or overlaid in contrasting colors. Plant materials supply the colors

for these designs. For example reds were made with a dye from the inner bark

of alder, and yellow from the root of oregon grape. Highly decorated baskets

are cherished, culturally important, used in ceremonies, and passed down

from generation to generation. “The most prized of all [Siletz] baskets are

the basket caps used by female dancers in Nee Dosh or by women and men

on other impoortand occasions. Small and delicate, these hightly decorative

caps, tightly and finely woven, were created by experienced weavers. Making

a high-quality basket cap -- a piece that rises to the level of fine art -- takes 50

to 100 hours” (Wilkinson 379)

Traditionally, fire was used by the Siletz tribes as a management

technique to promote long, straight plant re-growth for harvest. This traditional

management method has become more difficult to use with changing times

although it is still employed in natural areas around the state.

Gathering native plant materials requires ethical collecting practices

to ensure access for future generations as well as to protect significant natural

ecosystems and species. Ethical collecting includes preventing over-collection

to minimize population damage. When gathering plant material, one should

minimize damage to the parent plant by cutting and removing only a small

section of plant, not disturbing the roots, and never taking whole plants. Collect

only from large plant populations and allow plants to reproduce between

collections. Using thoughtful practices can allow you to harvest plants fibers

without hurting plant populations. Think also about actions you can take

to protect or enhance native plant populations for the future. Imagine the

connection you would have to your environment if you used plants to supply

all your needs, from containers to clothes!

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Directions

1. Ask the students to think of all the containers that

they come into contact with daily; food storage,

cooking, eating, backpacks, purses, boxes, water

bottles, and egg cartons. We are surrounded by

containers of all uses, shapes, and sizes. Have them

make a list of 10 containers that they commonly

use daily. Tell them to take 5 from their list and

brainstorm ways that they could construct an

adequate replacement container using materials

found in nature. Ask the students to share their

ideas with the class.

2. Class discussion: How often did baskets come

up as a container in the brainstorming session?

What are the pros and cons of using traditional

vs. present day container materials? Be sure

to address such things as: individual vs. mass

production, knowledge of materials, cost, time, and

skills. Don’t forget to include issues concerning

sustainability and environmental integrity.

3. Challenge the students to learn some of the

traditional art of using native plants to make

utilitarian and decorative objects. Have them

choose one of the projects from this lesson: “Make

a Simple Pack Basket,” or “Making Fiber Cordage.”

Make copies of those project direction pages to

distribute to the class.

4. Use materials gathered beforehand, or go on a

gathering walk to collect materials needed for their

projects (cordage and/or baskets). Have them work

with a partner or in a small team. Each team will

need pruners/clippers, a plastic bag, and gloves.

5. Traditionally, most fiber materials are collected

when they are green and are dried before use. This

helps to keep the basket weaving tight, because

Taking it Further

green materials will shrink as they dry and may

disrupt the weave. This might not be an important

factor in a large gathering basket, but it is critical

in baskets used to hold water. We will be using

green, un-dried materials for this project because

of time limitations, and because green materials

are easier to work with.

Review responsible gathering guidelines and how

to identify plants to be avoided (i.e. stinging nettle,

poison ivy, and poison oak). Collect in an area

where you have permission (if on private land),

and take precautions to avoid damaging the plants;

cut rather than pull out or tear the materials, don’t

over collect or gather more than is needed. Give

the students gloves to protect their hands while

collecting.

Upon returning to the classroom, have students

organize their collected materials. Separate similar

materials into piles so that all of the grasses are in

one pile, the willow in another, and so on. Prepare

the materials by removing leaves, cutting off seed

heads, etc. Store the materials in a folded damp

towel to keep them moist and pliable until students

are ready to use them.

If working with dried materials, soak them in

water for several hours to make them more flexible

before working with them.

Consult the project sheets at the end of this lesson

for directions to make the specific projects.

◆◆ Gain additional appreciation for the beautiful baskets created with native plants by Siletz people, past and

present. View online collections listed in the resources section, or ask the Siletz Cultural Resource Program

about a class presentation on basketry. When observing the collections, analyze the basket for their form

and function, as well as decorative patterns and techniques. Challenge yourself to identify the weaving

technique employed, and speculate as to the intended use, before reading any caption information.

◆◆ Research other historical and modern uses of plant fibers. What other cultures of the past depended

on plant fibers for everyday items? What items do you use regularly that include plant fibers?

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

In the Field!

◆◆ Take a field trip to a museum with basket collections, or contact the cultural resources

department of your tribe to inquire about viewing their collections. Take your field journal

and sketch your favorite piece, including information on the materials used. Crossreference the plant materials in a local field guide, and include other plant history and

ethnobotany in your journal entry.

◆◆ Examine baskets that you have at home or in stores. Look closely at the weaving. Mass

produced baskets tend to be woven using a different technique than the traditional methods

you learned in this lesson. Can you identify how they are different?

Science Inquiry

Fiber plant materials are valued for many attributes, including strength, durability, availability, and

beauty. Fiber was used for cordage to make rope, snares, fishing line, and nets, where strength was

critical. Design a way to test the strength of cordage materials. Make cordage from several different

fiber sources and compare their strength. Write up a simple analysis of your trials. Explain how

you controlled for different variables in your testing. Consider testing for other qualities such as

strength when wet, durability, and ease of use.

Assessment

ection

what makes

1 Describe

some plant materials more

Cultures throughout time have used their skills

to decorate their homes and belongings. How

would you decorate a basket to express what is

important to you? Design a basket that you would

call beautiful. Share it either through making it,

drawing it, or writing a detailed description. If

you feel artistically challenged by this activity,

try using small-square graph paper and color in

the squares to make your display your pattern.

Geometric patterns lend themselves well to this

technique.

useful as fiber plants.

two native plant materials

2 List

that are valued for their fiber.

cordage, explain

3 Define

how it is constructed, and

list some of its uses.

several traditional

4 Name

uses for basketry.

Resources

◆◆ Wilkinson, Charles. The People are Dancing Again. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 2010.

◆◆ The Language of Native American Baskets from the weavers view. http://www.

nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/subpage.cfm?subpage=intro

◆◆ Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Webite has some photos of Siletz baskets http://www.ctsi.nsn.us/

chinook-indian-tribe-siletz-heritage/salishan-nehalem-warm-springs-siletz-photos/gallery-i#content

◆◆ Portland Art Museum’s collection of Siletz baskets is visible on their website:

http://portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=14074;type=701

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Make a Simple Pack Basket

Gather, prepare plant materials, and make a simple cone-shaped pack basket using the twining technique.

Directions

Materials Needed

◆◆ plant fibers for weaving (raffia, twine,

natural cordage, cattail, tule, rush, etc)

◆◆ thin, flexible, straight, unbranched

willow or hazel twigs 5 or 7 per

student (always an odd number)

◆◆ rubber bands

◆◆ pruners

◆◆ optional: colored raffia, yarns or

1. Make a rigid form for your basket out

of straight, supple twigs of uniform size.

Use a minimum of 5 twigs (always an odd

number), approximately the diameter of

a pencil and 10-12 inches in length. Using

additional sticks or longer sticks will make

a larger basket. Bundle the twigs together

with a rubber band approximately 1 ½

inches up from the bottom.

2. Fan out the longer end of the

twigs to make a cone-shaped

form for your weaving.

3. Prepare your plant weaving

materials. If you are using

green, supple materials, little

preparation is necessary. The

drawback is these materials

will shrink as they dry and can leave your weaving

loose. If you have collected dry materials, presoak

them before using to make them flexible and less

prone to breaking. Wrap the fibers in a warm wet

towel, and leave for 30 – 60 minutes before using.

Raffia must also be presoaked.

4. Prepare your weaving strands. In the twining

technique, you will use two

strands of the material,

each one passing on either

side of the twig form and

then twisting between the

sticks, alternating as you work

around the basket.

5. Start by taking an 18-24 inch

strand of fiber and folding it

loosely about one third from one end. This will stagger

the ends, making it easier to add new weaving material

smoothly. Place the fold around one of the twigs at

the bottom of the basket form (near the rubber band)

and start. Don’t forget to make the twining weave, the

double strands need to cross between each twig.

6. Continue weaving the two strands around the twig

form, twisting each fiber to alternate back to front at

each twig.

7. When you start to run out of

weaving material, add a new

strand by laying the new strand

overlapping the old one 3-4

inches. This technique is called

splicing. Then continue weaving as before.

8. After each course around your twig form, be

sure to push the weaving materials down to fill in

empty spaces.

9. Hints: To keep the cone shape basket form, start

weaving with thinner materials (e.g. grasses). As you

work up the cone, use weaving material of thicker

diameter or double-up the fiber strands. Additionally,

if you are right-handed, hold your left hand (switch

if you are left-handed) in a fist in the center of your

basket to maintain the spread shape as you weave.

This will keep your basket spread and keep you from

pulling in the twigs in by weaving too tightly. If you

work with a partner, they can help hold it open for you

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Make a Simple Pack Basket, continued

10. To finish the edge of your basket, make a loop knot

around the last twig and tuck the ends into the

weaving below. An experienced weaver can finish their

basket so you cannot even find the ends of the strand.

Don’t expect this for your first attempts. You have just

finished a very simple twining weave basket. Don’t

expect your first weaving attempts to be uniform or

tight. If you find this interesting, try a more detailed

how-to book or take a basketry class.

Add a Design (for ambitious basket weavers)

11. Design by texture: Use different textured fibers or

weaving materials. Experiment with leaving the leaves

or seed heads on your plant fibers or using different

diameter strands for twining.

12. Design by color: Traditionally designs were created

from naturally colored fiber or dyed materials (e.g.

red from the inner bark of alder, yellow from the inner

bark of Oregon grape). You can add color with yarn or

raffia fiber worked into your design.

References

•

Tutorials on gathering, preparing, and basketry

techniques: www.basketmakers.com/topics/tips/

tipsmenu.htm

•

Wilkinson, Charles. The People are Dancing Again.

University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 2010.

• Portland Art Museum’s collection of Siletz baskets is visible

on their website:

http://portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;i

d=14074;type=701

Beaked Hazelnut

K’vn

Corylus cornuta

Wetlands

Lesson 3

My Pack Basket:

How Wetland Plants Are Used For Fiber

Making Fiber Cordage

Directions:

Materials Needed

◆◆ one-foot section of two-ply twisted

natural twine (jute, sisal, or hemp)

◆◆ plant fibers—cattail is one of the easiest to

identify and find, Stinging Nettle, Rush and

Tule can also be used.

1. Get a feel for cordage by investigating a

piece of readymade twine. Observe the

twisting pattern. Unravel it slowly and note

how the cord twists as you pull it apart.

Look for the direction of the twist. If you

stop pulling the twine and give it slack, it

will most likely re-twist slightly. The twisting

motion is what holds the twine together

and makes it strong. Most twine is made by

machines. Your early cordage attempts will

not be as uniform, but with practice your skills will

improve.

2. Prepare your plant fibers. Remove extra leaves,

seed heads, or outer bark. Plant fibers will need to

be free from chafe and pithy interior materials. Roll

or rub the fiber by hand, or lightly pound it with a

rock to divide the fibers. Divide larger leaves such

as cattails by standing on the leaf tip and pulling the

ends apart, making several smaller strands out of

one leaf. Prepare fibers of uniform size to produce

a higher quality product. Green fibers can be used

soon after collecting but may shrink when dried. If

working with dry fibers, wrap them in a damp towel

to make them pliable. For dry cattails, soak them

about 15 minutes before working;

other types of fibers may need

longer soaking times.

3. Take 2 strands of different lengths and

tie them together with a knot in one

end. This makes it easier to add new

materials as you add to your cord.

4. Have a partner hold the knot or clip it to a stationary

object to hold while you are twisting. Take a fiber

strand in each hand about 6” from the knot. Twist both

strands tightly to the right.

5. Once you have the two strands twisted, pass

your right hand over your left and switch the

bundles in your hands. This will produce the

double twist.

6. Continue twisting the individual strands to

the right for another 6” and cross your hands

again, right over left and switch bundles.

Continue in this pattern to make your cord

as long as needed. Make sure you are always twisting

and crossing your hands in the same direction.

When you come to the last 3-4 inches of your fiber

strand, you will need to splice in a

new fiber piece to continue. Overlap

the thinnest end of the new fiber

with the old, and just twist the two

together as you work.

8. You may end up with some fiber

“hairs” sticking out but these can be

trimmed off when you are completed.

If you staggered the ends of your

initial fiber these spliced joints will

come at different spots on your cord.

9. When your cord reaches your desired length, end by

tying an overhand knot including both ends.

10. Use your cordage to tie things together, make a handle

for a basket, or add beads and turn it into a friendship

bracelet.

Resources:

◆◆ Wilkinson, Charles. The People are Dancing Again. University

of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 2010.

◆◆ Native American Cordage: http://www.nativetech.

org/cordage/ by Tara Prindle, 1994. The website

of Native American Technology & Art.

◆◆ Cordage and other basketry directions: http://

basketmakers.com/topics/tutorials/cordagea.htm

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

Wetlands

Lesson 4

“I pray that this message will go to all people, to be able to teach their children and their

children’s children, not to make a garbage dump out of rivers and streams. We need to start

cleaning it up. Those swimmers in the water, they have the right to live just the same as

anything else.”

Time Estimate:

—Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Siletz Tribal Elder

1 hour

Overview

Students learn about the ways that wetlands filter water and

reduce the risk of flooding by doing a science experiment

using common kitchen items and natural materials.

Best Season:

Preparation

Any- Indoor classroom with a

sink

◆◆ Depending on the amount of materials available to you and the number

of students, you can either do the experiment as a class, or in several small

groups. Decide this beforehand because it will determine the amount of

materials you need.

Learning Objectives

Materials

◆◆ Perform an experiment

to find which natural

materials are more effective

at preventing flooding.

Each experiment will need:

◆◆

◆◆ Use an experiment to

demonstrate how freshwater

wetland soils and plants

can filter water.

◆◆

Cutthroat Trout

Lha’-xwas-chu

Oncorhynchus clarkii

Vocabulary

◆◆

English

Turbidity

Sphagnum Moss

Hydrology

Aquifer

Evapotranspiration

Recharge

◆◆

Kitchen sieve, strainer, or colander

Cheesecloth, burlap, or any other loosely woven fabric

2 large clear glass or plastic bowls that can hold 2 liters of water

Scale- a digital scale that can weigh in grams is preferred

4 cups of Sphagnum or Peat Moss (can be found in the gardening department of most department stores)

Sod (Can be dug up with a shovel from a field or lawn)

Sand

Gravel

2 liter plastic bottle full of dirty, turbid water (Make by mixing 1/2 cup

sand, dirt, leaves, etc.) Have enough mix to fill each bottle four times.

1 data collection sheet for each student

1 instruction sheet for each group

Stopwatch & timer

Dee-Ni

Sand: Lhtr’vsh

Moss: Mvs-na

Gravel: Naa~-k’vt

Cloth: Lhchvms

Dirt: ’Ee

Flooding: Taa-naa~-ya

Next Generation Science Standards

This lesson meets the following 6th Grade standards:

MS-LS1-1 Conduct an investigation to produce data to serve as

the basis for evidence that meet the goals of an investigation.

MS-ESS2-6 Develop and use a model to describe phenomena.

MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe the cycling of water

through Earth’s systems driven by the force of gravity.

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

Background Information

Hydrology is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water in relation to the land.

Hydrologists have determined that wetlands store water, control floods, recharge and discharge groundwater.

Wetlands provide a myriad of services to their entire ecosystem and its inhabitants, including humans. Wetland

ecosystems provide a very high amount of ecosystem services in comparison to other ecosystems. Here are the

main ecosystem services that wetlands provide:

◆◆Wetlands contribute to good water quality by filtering out and trapping pollutants and sediments. They absorb

heavy metal pollutants like lead, cadmium, and copper. They also reduce biological pollutants in sewage

and stormwater runoff. All of these function to lower the turbidity of water. Turbidity is the measure of

cloudiness of water due to the presence of suspended particulates. The lower the turbidity, the higher the

water quality.

◆◆Plants in wetlands act as filters or nets to trap pollutants and sediment from the air and ground, cleaning tributary flows before they reach aquifers and rivers. These plants, especially sphagnum and peat moss, also

act as important carbon sinks, which is a factor in combating climate change. Wetland plants also contribute greatly to the water cycle through evapotranspiration (evaporation + water loss by transpiring plants).

◆◆By retaining and absorbing water into the ground, wetlands act as natural flood prevention systems. Wetlands

function as a natural sponge by slowing down water before it flows into rivers, which reduce flooding from

storms and acts as a reserve during droughts. This water absorption also results in a gradual release of water that refills, or recharges aquifers (ground water).

◆◆Wetlands provide one of the most productive and diverse habitats in the world, supporting a wide range of

plant and animal biodiversity. Wetlands are the major habitat for most of the world’s water birds and are

a key habitat for migratory bird species. Almost all of the world’s water birds use wetlands as feeding and

breeding grounds.

◆◆Wetlands provide great opportunities for recreational activities including hiking, fishing, bird watching, and

photography.

Wood Duck

Ch’ash

Aix sponsa

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

Teacher Directions

1. Begin this lesson with a short discussion. Ask the students: What are some benefits of wetlands? How do

you think wetlands effect flooding? How do you think wetlands effect water quality?

2. Tell the students that today they get to be scientists and are going to do a science experiment to research

these questions using data they will be collecting. Hand out a data sheet to each student.

3. Depending on the amount of materials available to you and the number of students, you can either do

the experiment as a class, or in several small groups.

4. If done as a class, put all the materials in view of the students on a table at the front of the classroom.

You can perform the procedures yourself, or ask for student helpers. All of the students not helping with

the procedures should be collecting data on their data collection sheets. See the Experiment Procedures

page for further directions.

5. If you are doing the experiment in small groups, divide the class up into groups of 3-5, depending on

the amount of materials at hand. Distribute the materials to each group in addition to one Experiment

Procedures sheet for each group, and one data collection sheet for each student. Once the students are

all set up, you can rove from group to group to assist and answer questions.

6. Analyze and discuss the results of the experiment with the class. If the experiment was done in small

groups, compare the data for differences and similarities. Write the results on the white board, or

create a spreadsheet and bar graph to display with a projector for the whole class to see. Here are some

questions to guide the discussion:

• Which materials held water best?

• Which materials filtered the water the best (i.e. resulted in the lowest water turbidity)?

• Which materials would most likely be found in a wetland?

• How do wetlands help to prevent flooding and filter water?

• What would happen if there were no wetlands to filter water?

• Why do you think having wetlands along a river helps to keep that river flowing in the summer?

Salmon

Lhuk

Oncorhynchus sp.

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

In the Field!

Bring a water quality testing kit on a field trip to a local wetland and test the water’s

turbidity, temperature, pH, flow, and dissolved oxygen. Water quality can also be

tested by doing a survey of the aquatic macroinvertebrates present, since some of

them are very sensitive to pollution. Contact your local OSU Extension office for kits

of materials for conducting these field experiments.

Science Inquiry

Find a map of the closest freshwater wetland using the online National Wetland Inventory (NWI)

https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/mapper.html

Identify possible nearby sources of potential pollution or contamination: agricultural, urban,

industrial, silvicultural (tree farming). Where might pesticides and herbicides be sprayed

nearby? How do wetlands function as a water filter? Are there any threats to local wetlands from

development, sediments from logging or other sources?

ction

Assessment

How do wetland plants help filter

pollutants from the water? Why

are wetlands crucial for preventing

flooding? What kind of wetland do

you think would be best at filtering

water or preventing flooding: bog,

swamp, marsh, or fen?

Which natural material soaked up the

most water in the experiment? Why?

Which material filtered

water the best? Why?

What other natural materials

would be good at absorbing

and filtering water? Why?

Resources

◆◆ Slattery, Britt Eckhardt. Wow! The Wonders of Wetlands: an Educators Guide. Environmental Concern Inc., 2003.

◆◆ Discover Wetlands. 1995. WA Dept. of Ecology. https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/8816a.pdf

◆◆ Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. 1995. Project WET, 301 N. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT 59715.

projectwet.org

◆◆ Lesson 2: Nature’s Water Filter. 2016 SEA NOAA Pacific Services Center. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/

SEAMedia/Lessons/G5U2L2%20Natures%20Water%20Filter.pdf

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

-Experiment Materials-

◆◆ Kitchen sieve, strainer or colander

◆◆ Cheesecloth, burlap, or any other loosely woven fabric

◆◆ 2 large clear glass or plastic bowls that can hold 2 liters

of water

◆◆ Scale- a digital scale

◆◆ 4 cups of Sphagnum or Peat Moss

◆◆ Sod

◆◆ Sand

◆◆ Gravel

◆◆ 2 liter plastic bottle full of turbid water (mix with 1/2

cup sand, dirt, leaves, etc) Have enough materials to

fill each bottle four times.

◆◆ 1 data collection sheet for each student

◆◆ 1 instruction sheet for each group

◆◆ Timer or clock

-Experiment Procedures-

Place the cheesecloth (or muslin, burlap, etc.) inside of the kitchen strainer so that it lines the entire inside of the

strainer and can be folded over the edge. The strainer and cloth represent layers of soil that filter and slowly release

water from wetlands.

2. Set the strainer and cloth inside of a large clear glass bowl to make a “Wetland Tester.” The bowl represents an

aquifer (underground water deposit), and the glass will allow you to see and measure the turbidity (cloudiness) of

the water once it has passed through the various materials.

3. Weigh out your sample of sphagnum moss, and write this as weight “A” on your data sheet. It is important

to start with the Sphagnum Moss since it is the lightest, and go through the order of sod, sand, and gravel

after that. When weighing each material make sure each sample weighs about the same amount.

4. Place the sphagnum moss sample into the wetland tester and weigh all of them

together on your scale. Write this weight on your data sheet as weight “B.”

5. Take the 2 liter bottle of water and make it cloudy (turbid) by adding 1/2 cup sand, dirt and/or

leaves. Put the cap on the bottle and shake it up to mix in the materials that you added.

6. Slowly pour the water from the bottle onto the sphagnum moss inside of the wetland tester until

the bottle is empty or the bowl is full, whichever comes first. Use a timer or clock and let the wetland tester and

moss sit in the water for two minutes.

Lift the strainer out of, and above the bowl and allow it to drain until there is only a slow dripping.

Do not squeeze any water out of the moss or stainer.

In the turbidity column “C” of your data sheet describe in detail how cloudy

(turbid) or clear the water in the bowl is. Descriptive words you can use: totally clear,

pretty clear, slight color to the water, somewhat turbid, light brown, muddy, bits of stuff

floating, etc. If you have a turbidity meter, you can use that to be more accurate.

9. Once the strainer has reached the slow drip stage, pour the water into a sink or outside.

10. Weigh the wetland tester and moss again. Record this as weight “D” on your data sheet.

11. Rinse off the strainer and cloth, and then put them back into the bowl.

12. Find out how much water each material held by subtracting the dry weight “B” from the wet

weight “C.” Write down the weight of the water in column “E.” Soaked sample weight - dry

sample weight = weight of water

13. Repeat steps 3-11 for each of the other materials: sand, sod, and gravel.

14. Organize and display your results with a bar graph, comparing dry weight with wet weight, and

turbidity for each material.

15. Discuss the results of your experiment with your class.

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Material

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

Name:_________________

-Experiment Data Collection Sheet-

Weight of

Dry Material

(These should

be the same)

Weight of

Material and

Wetland Tester

(dry)

Describe the

Turbidity of

water in the

bowl

Date:__________________

Teacher:_______________

Weight of

Weight of WaMaterial and

ter Absorbed

Wetland Tester

by Material

(wet) *

(D-B)

1. Sphagnum

or Peat Moss

2. Sod

3. Sand

4. Gravel

*Keep the Wetland Tester and Material in the bowl of water for 2 minutes.

◆◆ Which of these materials would most likely be found in a wetland?_________________________________

◆◆ Which material absorbed the most water? (highest number in column E):____________________________

◆◆ Based on your data in column E, do wetlands increase or decrease flooding?__________________________

◆◆ Which material filtered the water best? (clearest water in column C):________________________________

◆◆ Based on your turbidity data, do wetlands filter or contaminate water?_______________________________

Use the data you collected above to make a vertical bar graph on the following page.

Wetlands

Lesson 4

Ecosystem Services of Wetlands

-Experiment Data Vertical Bar Graph-

Use the data from your Experiment Data Sheet to shade in the weight for each material, dry

and wet. Add numbers to the horizontal lines depending on the weight measurement used.

Make an “X” next to the measurement used: Ounces______ Kilograms______ Grams______

Name:_________________

Date:__________________

Teacher:_______________

Dry

Moss

Wet

Dry

Sod

Wet

Dry

Sand

Wet

Material- Dry vs. Wet

Dry

Gravel

Wet

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Time Estimate:

“We’re being a voice for the voiceless. Mother Earth is calling us back. We’re covering her

face with concrete. We’re polluting her waters with garbage. Enough is enough. When the

trees and water are gone, how can the world banks manufacture money?”

-Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Siletz Tribal Elder

Overview

60-90 minutes

This lesson introduces the basics of wetland restoration through exploring

Best Season:

Any- indoor classroom

Learning Objectives

◆◆ Define habitat restoration

terminology.

◆◆ List several restoration tools.

◆◆ Apply design skills to create a

habitat restoration plan.

◆◆ Practice persuasive writing skills

by submitting a written habitat

restoration proposal.

Materials

◆◆ budget worksheet

◆◆ site map

◆◆ tracing paper for

overlays

◆◆ colored pencils

◆◆ Internet connection and

screen to play videos.

restoration concepts, terminology, and methods. Learn about common

restoration tools and weigh the trade-offs land managers juggle when

planning a restoration project. You will work as part of a team using design

principles to plan, budget, and market a restoration plan to the Siletz Tribal

Council.

Preparation

◆◆ Introduce wetland & wapato restoration with these videos about the Yakama

Nation’s wetland restoration projects: “Restored Wetland Brings Wapato

Back to Yakama Nation” https://youtu.be/GEF6BNNExHg and “Return of

the Wapato” https://youtu.be/J2LiaKkas4w

◆◆ After the videos have a class discussion: brainstorm what it means to restore

a native wetland ecosystem, and have the class formulate a definition of

“restoration”. Discussion questions: What are some causes of wetlands

degradation and/or loss? Why is wetland restoration important? What part

do humans play in restoration? Can restoration happen naturally? How and

when? When is restoration complete? Define these words with the students:

reclamation, mitigation, reintroduction, conservation, degrade, disturbance,

native, non-native, and invasive species.

◆◆

English

Restoration

Disturbance

Reference Ecosystem

Reintroduction

Rehabilitate

Reclamation

Vocabulary

This lesson meets the following

Next Generation Science

standards for 6th Grade:

MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to

design a method for monitoring and minimizing

a human impact on the environment.

Math 6.NS Compute fluently with multi-digit

numbers and find common factors and multiples.

MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and

constraints of a design problem with to ensure

a successful solution, taking into account

scientific principles and potential impacts on

people and the natural environment.

◆◆

Dee-Ni

Habitat: St’lh-xat-dvn

Controlled burn: Xaktlh-nvt

Species: Dan’-dee-ne

Weed(s): Xvm-srvn’

Tool(s): Yvlh-naa-dvtlh-nvsh

◆◆

Seed(s) : See-’e’

Painted Turtle

Ts’ee-nntelh

Chrysemys picta

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Background Information

Paintings like this from 1845

can be used as a reference for

how the Willamette Valley used

to look due to native burning

practices: oak savannas & a few

conifers.

Valley of the Willamette River by Henry Warre

Wetland Degradation and Loss facts:

53 percent of the wetlands in the United States have been

lost since the 1700s. The United States loses about 60,000

acres of wetlands each year. In Oregon, 38 percent of

wetlands have been lost (Dahl, 1990). Losses for particular

rare wetland types such as wet prairie or peatland in

the Willamette Valley range from 99.5 to 98 percent,

respectively. Many wetlands are lost through urbanization

and direct fill for development. Unfortunately, this removes

wetlands from locations where the functions they provide

might have the most value for humans, fish and wildlife.

Invasive species, such as reed canarygrass, purple

loosestrife, and Japanese knotweed, invade and degrade

wetlands. They do this by displacing native plants, reducing

plant community diversity, reducing sources of food for

wildlife, and altering water flow and storage function.

Invasive, non-native carp, and bull frogs can impact

wetlands by consuming important native plants and fish.

Habitat restoration goes beyond protecting or

preserving land and natural resources. Through the use

of a wide variety of techniques and tools, restoration

ecologists are learning to return degraded land to a

condition that resembles its pre-disturbance state in

both community structure and function. If available, a

reference site is used as a model for restoring another

ecosystem. The reference site has more intact ecological

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

processes, higher functionality, more complex structure,

and greater diversity than the system to be restored.

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) International

defines habitat restoration as “the process of assisting

the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded,

damaged, or destroyed”(SER 2004). Many aspects

of restoration are debated amongst scientists and onthe-ground practitioners in the habitat restoration

community. Therefore, when planning restoration

treatments, project managers must first know and

understand what the “desired condition” is that

they are trying to achieve. Can we really restore an

ecosystem to a state that existed hundreds of years

ago and do we even have the necessary data to do so?

Since ecosystems are constantly changing through the

process of succession, what stage of succession should a

restoration project strive to reach?

Should ecological conditions in Oregon be restored

to mirror exactly what they looked like before EuroAmerican settlement, and is that even possible? What

financial limitations or constraints need to be considered

or how big does the project need to be to make an

impact? These are some of the questions that land

managers and restoration practitioners face and must

address while planning a restoration project.

The charts on pages 46 & 47 include some

restoration tools land managers use to accomplish

restoration objectives. This is not an all-inclusive list,

but it covers many commonly used restoration tools.

Use the information in the chart to hel guide your own

decisions as you work through your restoration plan.

Work crew getting ready to plant native plants

at a restoration site on the Siletz reservation.

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Background Information, continued

Agnes Baker-Pilgrim, Siletz Elder, lights a

prescribed burn of Camas Prairie with a drip

torch.

Siletz Land Stewardship & Restoration Practices

Siletz tribes historically used fire as a tool to aid plant

cultivation and gathering, and in hunting. Tribes

traditionally used fire: in hunting drives to concentrate

deer, making them easier to hunt; to clear underbrush

from around oak and hazel trees in order to increase

nut production; to stimulate berry and root production,

especially in the once extensive camas prairies; to gather

insects, particularly grasshoppers; and to prune willow

and hazel trees for basketry materials. These controlled

burns also promote deer and elk habitat, and reduce

the amount of conifers, thus maintaining oak savanna

ecosystems. The fires were started in the late summer,

and early fall before the first rains came to put them out

(Boyd, 1999).

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) still

practice controlled burning as a restoration tool to

increase food and fiber plant production.

CTSI has worked with several different nonprofit organizations and government agencies

to perform controlled burns on various sites

in Western Oregon. One example of this

is the Camas Prairie Restoration Project, a

collaboration with CTSI and the Confederated

Tribes of Grand Ronde, BLM, Oregon State

University, Lane Community College, Youth

Conservation Corps, Linn County Sheriffs’

Correction Crews and the USFS Sweet Home

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Ranger District. This project focused on restoring a 14

acre parcel of fallow ranch land back to a native wetland

prairie. The project began with the re-introduction of

fire. Tribal fire crews cut down encroaching ash trees and

later burned the site. Then Lane Community College

students, tribal members, and volunteers collected tens

of thousands of camas seeds in order to reseed after

prescribed fires. Some of the seed was planted at a

private nursery to be grown out and replanted at Camas

Prairie.

Camas Prairie has been burned every two years and

seeds have been collected yearly with remarkable

success. Since the restoration project began, camas

plants have almost tripled in number and invasive plants

have decreased by half. Other native species have been

reintroduced to the site such as native tufted hairgrass,

meadow barley, western red cedar trees, and hazelnut.

In 2016 CTSI, with a grant from the Oregon Watershed

Enhancement Board, acquired a 125-acre parcel of Siletz

ancestral territory called Fivemile Creek. Restoration plans

for the site focus on creating and protecting coho salmon

habitat and include removing two dikes, adding large

woody debris to the wetlands, and restoring traditional

native food & fiber plants.

CTSI is also working with the Wetlands Conservancy

to preserve cultural customs specific to wetlands by

conserving and restoring wetlands of the Siletz and

Yaquina Basins. These cultural customs include harvesting

basketry materials and traditional food plants (like

camas) found in wetlands. Combining traditional cultural

knowledge with modern conservation & restoration

planning is a new and innovative approach.

The mouth of Fivemile Creek upstream of where it flows into

Tahkenitch Lake, Siletz ancestral wetlands.

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Student Directions

Watch these YouTube videos: https://youtu.be/GEF6BNNExHg “Restored Wetland Brings Wapato Back to

Yakama Nation,” and https://youtu.be/J2LiaKkas4w “Return of the Wapato.”

Discuss the videos with your class. This activity will teach you how to restore a nearby wetland on Siletz Tribal

land to increase native food and weaving plants like wapato, cattail, soft rush, and willow and to improve

wildlife habitat.

Practice Restoration Scenario: A local landowner recently donated a ten acre rural property to the

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. The Siletz Natural Resources Department wants the land restored back

to a wetland to enhance habitat for native food, weaving plants, and wildlife. The previous owner drained the

wetland for farming, and it is currently a mixture of non-native grasses and invasive weeds. The site was

historically a wetland that was used by Siletz tribes for harvesting wapato, cattail, willow, and soft rush. The

topography is a combination of upland and lowland that is bisected by a standing or slow moving water course

during the wet season.

1. Work in teams of 2-4 students to create a

restoration plan. The restoration goal for this

scenario is to restore the land back to a wetland

to enhance habitat for native food, weaving

plants, and wildlife. Imagine that your plan will

be submitted to the The Siletz Natural Resources

Department as a bid proposal to do the actual

restoration work. The plan needs to cover the first

year of work including site preparations, restoring

natural vegetation, and monitoring. You need to

balance the restoration goals, current conditions

at the site, environmental concerns you identify,

and the costs of your project. Use the information

in the Examples of commonly used restoration

tools chart on pages 46 & 47 to help guide your

decisions, and then fill in the Wetland Restoration

Plan worksheet with the tools you want to use.

There is no single right answer or approach to this

project.

2. Make a project budget using the Wetland

Restoration Plan worksheet and the Wetland

Restoration Plan Budget worksheet. Keep in mind

the individual rate sheet units and the size of your

site. Remember that the costs are generally per

acre and you are working at a ten acre site. Give

an itemized cost for each restoration tool used and

calculate the grand total cost for the entire project.

3. Use the example site map to help design your own

unique site map to accompany your restoration

plan. The map must have a compass rose, and a

key with symbols to identify topography, current

plants, water, neighboring housing, and labels

or symbols for where you will use your proposed

restoration tools (mowing, burning, planting,

herbicides, etc.) Refer to the list of Western

Oregon Native Plants and Their Uses to decide

what plants to add to the site. Make a symbol for

each plant species, and draw those symbols on the

map where they will be planted.

4. Present your restoration plan and map to the rest

of the class, who will pretend to be the Natural

Resources Department. Each presentation will be

voted on and given feedback. The plan that best

meets the restoration goal will be considered the

winning bid.

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Examples of commonly used restoration tools

Restoration Tool

Explanation

Benefit

Challenges

Part 1: Planning—Long term success of restoration

Conduct baseline

inventory

Describe current conditions,

create list of plant and wildlife

species present, note dominant

species & rare species

Needed for long term comparison

Can be costly when inventorying a

large site

Pick a model or reference ecosystem

(What is the desired

future condition?)

Study a nearby habitat to act as a

model of what the

restoration is attempting to

achieve

Planning tool for species

composition

Possibly no similar sites nearby to use

as reference

Use historical data

Search original land surveyor

records or explorer’s journals to

learn about the site’s historical

conditions

Information can give an

overview of the major species

present prior to development

changes

Records may be difficult to locate, hard

to read, incomplete

Create master plan

Write a plan to guide each step

of the restoration

A document that all parties

can use to guide activities

Plan needs to be kept current with

modifications, timetable and monitoring

data

Part 2: Restore historical topography and hydrology

Earthmoving

Large machinery to restore historic topography

Restore natural hydrology

Disturbs soils, may interfere with native

plants and wildlife

Drain tile removal

Remove drain tile, ditches, and

culverts

Restore natural hydrology;

most common at wet sites

May affect neighboring property &

local flooding

Dam or water

diversion removal

Take out earthen dams and swales

that restrain or channel water

Restore natural hydrology

May affect neighboring property &

local flooding

Part 3: Site Prep—Control unwanted vegetation (encroaching trees/shrubs, invasive species, other unwanted plants), open

areas for planting, reduce competition for seedlings and transplants

Hand pulling,

digging, or cutting

Manually pull, dig, or cut out

individual plants.

Good control for small infesta- Labor intensive, may disturb the soil

tions, generally low impact

Herbicide

Chemical control through spot

spraying (individual plants) or

broadcast spraying (large

infestations)

Good for large areas, fast,

relatively inexpensive

Leaves chemical residues in soil and water,

timing is crucial for application, need

chemical applicators license, spray can

drift off property, not suitable near water,

can have negative effect on pollinators

and wildlife

Mowing

Cutting vegetation close to

ground level

Prevents plants from

producing seed, good

control of annuals

Weather or terrain may not be suitable,

correct timing essential, repeat mowing

will be necessary

Mimics historic disturbance

regime, encourages growth of

grasses and flowering plants,

discourages shrubs and trees

High cost, permits required, specialized equipment and trained staff

needed, weather can be an issue

Prescribed burning Low intensity, controlled burn of

ground level vegetation

Part 4: Restore Natural Vegetation—Seeding

Local seed

collection

Hand collect seed from plants at

your site or nearby areas

Seed source is well adapted

for your site

Labor intensive; plant I.D. and seed

collection knowledge needed.

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Examples of commonly used restoration tools (continued)

Restoration Tool

Explanation

Benefit

Challenges

Part 4: Restore Natural Vegetation—Seeding (continued)

Regional seed

collected

Purchase seed grown for regional

restoration projects

Genetics similar to the plants

native to the region

Locating the needed seed may be

difficult or impossible

Plant propagation

Start and grow plants from seed,

then transplant to restoration site

Gives more control over seed

source and quality of material,

plants available when needed

May require greenhouse, specialized

seed starting knowledge, time to care

for plants

Plant relocations

Move plants from local areas

slated for development

Saves plants that might otherwise be destroyed; ensures

local plants are used

May be labor intensive, and can only

occur at certain times of year

Transplant plugs

Purchase small plants in small

rocket-shaped pots

Relatively inexpensive, good

availability, efficient to plant

More expensive than seeding, plants

are small

Transplant bareroot

plants

Purchase started plants for planting when dormant

Relatively inexpensive, easy

to plant

Need to be planted when dormant,

weather & accessibility issues

Transplant potted

plant materials

Purchase well-rooted plants in

pots of larger sizes

Established plants

Relatively expensive, will probably

need watering for first year

Natural

re-establishment of

native plants and

wildlife

Allow native plants and animals to

recolonize on their own. Often

native animals return after native

plants and food sources have been

reestablished.

Inexpensive, uses local seed

source, Useful at sites with a

minimum of destruction to be

repaired.

Slow, leaves areas open for establishment of invasive plants

Part 5: Monitoring—Evaluation

Mapping

Create a data library. Maintain

map of site plantings, locate invasive problems, can use GPS

Guides restoration, essential in Need to keep updated with changes

communicating with partners over timetime

Photo points

Photos taken from permanently

marked fixed points (e.g., a fence

post) regularly for long term

monitoring

Time saving, general view of

restoration, easy to duplicate,

inexpensive, gives good overview of changes to site

Gives only a general overview, no

specific numerical data, limited use

when following specific plant populations

On the ground data

collection

Counting (sampling, percent

cover, complete counts)

Can give more detailed

information, good for tracking

specific plant populations

Labor intensive, costly

Part 6: Long Term Maintenance—Simulating natural disturbance cycle and controlling problem species

Prescribed burning

Low intensity, controlled burn of

ground level vegetation, used in

grassland and prairie restoration

Mimics historical disturbance

regime, encourages growth of

grasses and flowering plants,

discourages shrubs and trees

Expensive, permits required, specialized equipment and trained staff

needed, can only occur under correct

weather conditions

Mowing

Uses large machinery to limit

height of vegetation or prevent

invasive plants from setting seed.

Replace disturbance

regimen to control

unwanted vegetation.

Equipment can spread weed seeds

from other sites, cut material may

accumulate over time and require

removal

Livestock grazing

Run cattle, sheep, goats, or other

livestock for part of the year,

used in prairie restoration

Can control height of vegetation, browsers (goats) can

target brush or grazers (cows,

sheep) can target grasses

Animals may feed indiscriminately on

all plant material, overgrazing can be

harmful, trampling of sensitive species,

uncontrolled access to water can denude stream banks, may spread exotic

and invasive species

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Wetland Restoration Plan Worksheet

Team Member Names:_______________________________________________________________________

Site Name:________________________________________________________________________________

Date:___________

Site Size: 10 acres

Restoration Goal: Restore the land back to a wetland to enhance habitat for wildlife, and native food and fiber

plants.

Directions: Use the Examples of commonly used restoration tools charts on pages 46 & 47 to decide what tools

your group wants to use on its restoration site. For each of the six parts, write which tool or tools you want to use in

the blank space provided. When you are done deciding on what tools to use, fill out the Wetlands Restoration Plan

Budget worksheet to find out what the cost will be. You may then make changes to both worksheets if you would like

to change the total cost of your project. Use the Plan Proposal section of this worksheet, or another sheet of paper to

write out your oral presentation to present your restoration plan and map to the rest of the class.

-Restoration ToolsPart 1: Planning- Long term success of restoration__________________________________________________

Part 2: Restore historical topography and hydrology________________________________________________

Part 3: Site Prep- Control unwanted vegetation____________________________________________________

Part 4: Seeding- Restore natural vegetation_______________________________________________________

Part 5: Monitoring - Evaluation_________________________________________________________________

Part 6: Long term maintenance_________________________________________________________________

Plan Proposal:

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Designing a Wetland Restoration Plan

Wetlands Restoration Plan Budget

Team Member Names:_________________________________________________Date:___________

Site Name:____________________________________________________Site Size: 10 acres

Possible Restoration Tool or Activity

Cost/Unit

Prescribed burn

$400 per acre

Brush clearing (mechanical)

$91 per acre

Spot spray herbicides

$61 per acre

Broadcast spray herbicides- need to be aware of

drift issuses close to water and housing.

$55 per acre

Hand pulling

$100 per acre

Tractor work (seeding, mowing)

$75 per acre

Plug planting (100 plugs per hour)

$50 per hour

Grass seed (rate of 5lbs/acre)

$25 per lb.

Wildflower seed (forbs) (rate of 3-5lbs/acre)

$1,000 per lb.

Grass & grass-like plug (1210/acre at 6 ft. spacing)

$0.45 per plug

Wildflower plug (forbs) (1210/acre at 6 ft. spacing)

$1.40 per plug

Monitoring- 1 hr for photo point, 8hrs for sampling, 24 hrs for complete count.

$75 per hour

# Needed / Area to

Implement

Total Cost

TOTAL:

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Example Map – 10 acre site

Wetlands

Lesson 5

Food plants:

•

Designing a Wetland Restoration Plan

Western Oregon Native Plants and Their Uses

berries—black, black-cap, blue, currant , elder, huckle, salal, salmon, strawberry, thimble, manzanita, three-leaf

sumac, gooseberry

camas bulbs

crabapple

black and white acorns

chokecherries

hazelnuts

yampah root

miner’s lettuce leaves

ponderosa pinenuts

tarweed seed

wild celery seeds

wild parsley roots

wild sunflower seed

skunk cabbage roots—a famine food

cow parsnip young shoots

Sego lily bulbs

other edible roots: bracken fern, cattail, chocolate lily, Pacific silverweed, lupine, springbrook clover, wapato

Common fiber plants used for cordage and basketry:

•

bear grass

cattail

hazel shoots

maidenhair fern

purple-tinged grasses

red cedar bark

reeds

rushes

sea grass

spruce root

tule

willow

juncus aka common rush

nettle fiber

slough sedge

Common dye plants:

•

Oregon grape roots/inner bark—yellow

red alder—orange-red from inner bark

Designing a Wetland

Restoration Plan

Wetlands

Lesson 5

In the Field!

Take a field trip to view a restoration project in progress. Ask the managers of the restoration project to

talk to the class about what they are doing at the site, including their restoration goals, how the site was

selected, what historical data they used, the steps of the project, and where they are in the restoration

process. If available, visit restoration sites in various stages of completion (beginning, middle and finished).

Make observations in your field journal at each of the sites. Compare the sites: how do they differ, not only

in ecosystem type but progress toward their desired future conditions? Make a video about the restoration

project similar to the videos from the Yakama Nation projects.

Science Inquiry

Monitoring data can be collected to assess restoration site conditions before, during and after a restoration project.

This allows land managers to learn what restoration techniques are most effective. They can then use the information

to improve future restoration work. Ask if you may become involved in any monitoring that goes along with the

restoration site. Talk to the agencies involved to find out what methods they use and what they hope to learn.

Many natural areas have been historically maintained by fire at some frequency. Today, using prescribed fire

can frequently come into conflict with present-day policies. Air quality regulations, public perceptions, and

safety concerns can all make using prescribed fire a challenge. Brainstorm alternative methods for maintaining

a restoration site. How would you test your methods?

ection

Assessment

This activity has touched on some

of the philosophical difficulties

associated with habitat restorations.

Use what you know to evaluate

the ways environmental ethics,

public opinion, scientific work, and/

or government policy impact your

environment and society. Explore

your own personal views on one of

these topics.

the components of a

1 List

successful restoration plan.

List and explain two tools used in

each: planning, site prep, restoring

vegetation, and monitoring

in restoration projects.

Work as part of a team to

3 complete a restoration project

proposal. What did you learn?

Resources

◆◆ Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetland losses in the United States, 1780s to 1980s. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report to Congress, Washington,

D.C.

◆◆ Society for Ecological Restoration International Policy and Science Working Group (2004). The SER International Primer on Ecological

Restoration. Society for Ecological Restoration, Tucson, AZ.

◆◆ Anderson, Kat. Tending the Wild: Native American knowledge and the management of California’s natural resources. Berkeley:

University of California Press, 2013.

◆◆ Boyd, Robert, ed. Indians, Fire, and the Land in the Pacific Northwest. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 1999.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.