On Friday, June 12, Petrolia Elementary joined AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project and the Mattole Salmon Group in constructing willow mats at the Mattole Beach. The students and several volunteers began by lashing pieces of driftwood together into large square frames with biodegradable sisal twine. They covered the frames with freshly cut willow branches tying the branches to the frames to create sturdy mats. After fueling up on homemade cookies, made from ingredients graciously donated by the North Coast Co-op, students flexed their muscles and carried the mats to the beach parking lot. The willow mats were placed in the upper estuary of the Mattole to provide shade and cover for juvenile salmonids oversummering in the estuary. The willow mats were anchored in an area lacking in vegetative cover and will provide a shady escape for juvenile steelhead and Chinook. With such heartfelt and solid construction, the willow mats will provide shade for salmonids during the upcoming hot summer months.

The AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project (WSP) is a community-based watershed restoration program that places 44 members in 14 communities throughout Northern California from San Francisco to the Oregon border. A special project of the California Conservation Corps, WSP is sponsored by CaliforniaVolunteers and administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service.