This restoration is part of a larger effort to preserve and restore the historic Hindman Springs portion of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. We re-built the Hindman Springs Area trail in August of 2017, stabilized the Hindman barn in January of 2018, removed weeds April-October of 2018, and are now working to restore native vegetation.
The Hindman Springs portion of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve has a long history as a historic wagon road stopping station, farm, and ranch--150 years of history before the Land Trust acquired the Preserve. This use had an impact on native vegetation in and around the barn and has led to a major effort to restore native plants in the area.
In October we planted more than 3,800 new native plants, including milkweed plants for our monarch butterflies. Next, we'll sow ten pounds of native grasses and wildflowers seed. Finally, we’ll water and tend our new plants to ensure they succeed and out-compete the weeds! Here's a visual of the progress:
The last phase of this Hindman Springs preservation and restoration project will be installing new interpretive signs that tell the story of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve as a historical crossroads. Stay tuned for these new materials later this fall.
Many thanks to the Oregon Community Foundation Historic Trails Fund, the Roundhouse Foundation, the Laird Norton Foundation, East Cascade Audubon Society, and private donors for making the Hindman Springs Area Preservation and Restoration possible.
Learn more:
- About Camp Polk Meadow Preserve
- About the history of Camp Polk Meadow Preserve
- About the Hindman Springs Preservation and Restoration project