Over the past two months, a collaborative stream restoration effort has taken shape in the App State Nature Preserve, bringing together students, staff, and community members who share a commitment to protecting one of our most cherished natural spaces. After determining the project’s scope and restoration methods, volunteers gathered on March 22 for a dedicated workday focused on stabilizing an eroded section of streambank once occupied by a former dam. Years of sediment buildup, followed by the dam’s collapse, had left the streambanks steep, unstable, and largely unvegetated—conditions made worse by heavy foot traffic, informal recreation, and accumulated trash.
Thanks to strong volunteer outreach and enthusiastic support from the biology department, 25 volunteers spent two and a half hours planting native vegetation and cleaning up the site. Together, they harvested and installed roughly 600 live stakes—primarily Cornus amomum, with smaller numbers of Sambucus canadensis, Aralia spinosa, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Clethra acuminata. Volunteers also planted eight native trees, including black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) and white oak (Quercus alba), and removed an estimated 80 pounds of trash from the stream corridor. A new sign now encourages visitors to tread lightly and avoid the fragile streambanks as they recover.
While some recreational structures remain in place, their removal falls outside the scope of this phase of work. The heart of the project—led by David Bass with support from Bonny Bonville (Watauga County Soil & Water), friends, and a dedicated volunteer team—was to restore stability, increase root mass, and rebuild habitat along the stream. These plantings will help slow erosion, improve water quality, and support wildlife while inviting the public to care for the preserve more thoughtfully.
Over the next year, the site will be monitored for live‑stake and tree survival, with the hope that this effort becomes a lasting example of community‑powered restoration and stewardship.
SD Stream Restoration Project
SD Stream Restoration Project