By: Abbey Cline and Alex Rogers
Hiram Biology Field Biology for the Non-Major
GLISTEN-NSF
Watersheds
A water shed is an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas. Hiram and the surrounding cities are prime examples of what a watershed is. Most the water that falls on Hiram goes to the Cuyahoga River, while the rest goes to a different river. (information courtesy of water.epa.gov)
(An example of a watershed, courtesy of Pulse via Arizona.edu)
Ivy Removal
Invasive vine species, such as the english ivy, cause a lot of trouble on the environment and houses as well. Not only do they over crowd plant beds, but they also grow up into the woodwork of homes causing the wood to become frail and even to break. (info courtesy of kingcounty.gov)
(pictures courtesy of Greenwood nursery)
During the community service project, vines were clipped one inch below the beginning of Bonney Castle. The vines were removed for many reasons; they are an invasive specie, when grown near a house they cause a lot of damage to the building, and because a stone wall was created in their place to stop erosion of the soils. Erosion of soil causes much distress on watersheds, so a stone wall was very beneficial to the environment.
(taken during community service day; english ivy)
Taking the ivy out from in the house stops from having to do renovations on the house, and from having to do construction from the effects of the ivy. This would help the watershed by allowing less fuels from getting into the streams and rivers.
Trenching
Runoff water is a large problem in watersheds. It causes pollution in the water, and soil erosion. To reduce the amount of runoff water and to keep the mulch from leaving the flower bed, trenches were dug on the outer rims of the flower beds. The trenches were dug to create a cheap, effective, and safe alternative to mulching. Also, the trenches stopped a lot of runoff water from occuring, which keeps the watershed clean and natural.
(trenching around a plant bed, courtesy of bamboo garden)