Bright, sunny and 22 degrees. Much warmer than the previous two days. Randy Arnold and his merry band of volunteers are clearing an impassible stretch of the upper Kinnickinnic in St. Croix county. Fifteen volunteers showed up this morning, ten of which show up almost every Saturday morning. Four or five other volunteers show up whenever they can, and then there are always one or two new faces. I know my math doesn’t quite add up, but I can’t help it. I’m a banker. The volunteers include both men and women, young and old (I mean “more mature,” of course) and folks from all walks of life. Some drive less than five miles every Saturday to clear brush. Some drive more than 50 miles. Some are certified chainsaw operators. Some are certified in first aid. Some are certified in herbicide application. Pretty much all of them hate European buckthorn and the way this invasive species has turned our streambanks into impenetrable jungles. I’m pretty sure most of them aren’t very fond of box elder trees either and the way this native tree grows up and out of both sides of stream banks and then falls across the water, causing coldwater streams to meander and warm, thereby becoming uninhabitable for trout.
As it turns out there are many, many miles of coldwater trout streams in Polk, St. Croix and Pierce counties in Wisconsin, that have had habitat work done on them in the past and that hold trout, but that are just plain inaccessible because of these two aggressive plant species. Imagine that. We have some of the most productive spring creeks in the world right in our own backyard and we can’t get to them to fish!
That’s where Randy and his merry band of brush-clearing volunteers comes in. Nobody told them that it was an impossible task to clear the many miles of buckthorn and box elder jungles we have here. Or if they told them, they just didn’t listen. Instead, they put on their gloves and pick up their loppers on Saturday mornings, show up at a designated spot and start clearing brush together. Some cut trees and brush. Some cut up downed trees. Some drag brush to the fires. Some start the fires and keep them going. At the end of the morning, all gather around one of the fires to roast hot dogs, eat cookies, and take a look at what they’ve accomplished together. A new, formerly unfishable section of trout stream is now fishable again. What an accomplishment! Regardless of whether the volunteers were able to clear 100 feet or 500 feet in a given morning, they know they’ve made a positive difference. They know they’ve worked together with a group of like-minded individuals to help the environment, to help each other and to help people they don’t even know. One branch, one tree at a time, these volunteers have cleared miles and miles of coldwater stream banks over the years in our area. In their own quite way, they have made huge contributions to our coldwater ecology and trout fishing. And over the years, many of these volunteers have become lifelong friends.
No experience is necessary to join Randy Arnold’s merry band of brush-clearing volunteers. Just a warm pair of work gloves and a pair of boots. Email Randy at randyca999@ gmail.com if you would like to be added to his volunteer workday email list.
Happy Fishing! —Scott Wagner
