A student’s view of the erosion control profession.

By David Watson

Recently I toured a first-rate restoration project in the Phoenix, AZ, Metropolitan area. Tres Rios natural recycling plant uses 60 million gal. of effluent daily to support lush vegetation in the Sonora Desert. The plant both conserves the valley’s most valuable resource–water–and creates a perfect habitat for a full spectrum of native species. During the tour, we stopped briefly at a pier affectionately called "The Bridge to Nowhere." Our guide, Wes Camfield, Tres Rios Wetlands manager, described the extensive effort required to build the long ramp and joked about the pier’s lack of destination.

Ironically, this story is a reminder of experiences much closer to home. As students, we are growing up, gaining responsibility, and studying diligently without knowing our final destination. Young people are required to fulfill many expectations but are often unable to envision the long-term results. I have met many IECA professionals who "walk the path," then share their experiences with young people who benefit from this wisdom. Now I realize that people, both young and mature, have successfully discovered how to set reasonable paths and clear goals through the process of mentoring.

A blue heron flies across the surface of a pond at the Tres Rios project.

Wes shared much information with us about his ancestral traditions. His Pima Indian family has lived in the Salt River watershed for generations. They are farming people who see a perfect connection between the land and those who live on it.

Every few steps, Wes shared stories about the many uses of native plants. We stopped and looked at a camphor plant that, as Wes explained, was used as an analgesic for generations. The camphor oil derived from that plant might be found in most of today’s medicine cabinets.

We stopped near a mesquite tree, where he patiently explained the process of making flour with mesquite beans–a common practice in times when food was scarce. He noted that the beans add an excellent flavor to barbecued meals. He also described special qualities of the large branches and trunks that are used as firewood.

Finally, Wes shared his entire vision for the Bridge to Nowhere. He showed us a structure built on dry land–a structure that would provide shade, cool water, and educational information. He is also planning to build a gazebo at the end of the bridge.

The completed pier will be an accessible resource for everyone. Soon all people will be able to view the plants, birds, and animals that the desert’s clear water will attract. The Bridge to Nowhere provides an excellent lesson for students: Hard work is simply not enough without developing long-range plans.

Three Elements for Student Success

In our urban society, few of us retain the traditions of a farming culture, even if our parents or grandparents farmed. At the same time, the need for qualified caretakers of our land has intensified dramatically because of increased use and overpopulation. Students should begin by accomplishing the "basics." Focusing on general studies, carefully completing assignments, and recognizing the seriousness of your undertaking are all critically important factors in achieving success.

Next, we are ready to incorporate the qualities of independent effort and experience. Because independent effort alone might include many failures, it is also desirable to extend personal experience with the third, perhaps most valuable, element: other people’s experience. Developing and maintaining mentoring relationships with people who have a wealth of experience and similar interests virtually ensure success. Although it has worked well for millennia, the practice seems to be all but lost in modern American culture.

Restoring Mentorship

Mike Harding and Kevin McPhillips stand with David Watson in front of a high school in Seward, AK, where the Young Marines and YRC stayed during their project at Lepit’s Lake.

Kelly Wolf explains a project at a restoration site to the Young Marines and YRC.

A covered path leads to the Little Susitna River just north of Anchorage.

Kelly Wolf oversees the restoration project at the Little Susitna.

Dean Davidson sits on a barrel in the middle of the Little Susitna.

Thomas Edison once stated that he "had not failed, but simply found ten thousand ways that didn’t work." He was referring to the discovery of the light bulb. Minimizing some of these failures through mentoring is one of IECA’s goals. We have, however, only tapped the surface of our potential as an organization.

Many IECA members are committed to learning and willing to share their personal experiences with others. But because of busy schedules and a lack of exposure to students, potential mentors are rarely connected with student counterparts.

Through mentoring, age differences vanish when we focus on common interests. Mentoring is a mutually beneficial activity, at least to all who love learning. I am happy to say that young people interested in erosion won’t have to reinvent the light bulb; all we have to do is simply build a better "connection" between us and those who came before us.

During the past year, I had the privilege of interviewing several erosion control professionals who have shared their personal histories for the Student Resource section of the IECA Web site. Each interview yielded a similar result. We talked about logical transitions that built a bridge for the interviewees from youth to adulthood and the people who guided them along the way. The following individuals represent only a small group of the many IECA members who assist young people every day.

Cathy and Kevin McPhillips. Cathy and Kevin McPhillips represent a "middle" generation IECA family. Cathy’s father, Rudy Dyck, invented the rice straw wattle, making use of a material traditionally viewed as a waste product. Creating a natural, biodegradable, and photodegradable barrier with rice straw mitigates environmental pollution by using straw that otherwise would be incinerated.

Within the first five years after development, the rice straw wattles prevented the burning of 40,000 ac. of land. As IECA Emerald Members, the McPhillipses invest in a positive future every day. Today Cathy and Kevin operate Earth Saver with their children, Allyson and Edward, who are continuing the family tradition.

John Peterson. When I arrived at the IECA conference last year, I was immediately introduced to President John Peterson. I soon found that the warmth and encouragement he demonstrated represented a commitment to both family and community service. He grew up in a remote farming community. His father encouraged him to take a summer job with the federal Soil Conservation Service. Gradually he progressed from part-time worker to deputy chief in this major United States Department of Agriculture agency. Today, in addition to his contributions to our organization, John is executive director of the Watershed Coalition in Washington, DC.

John devotes a great deal of time to his own family and works to encourage excellence in other young people. He is a longtime volunteer and routinely aids in many community restoration projects, including his own Chesapeake Bay community.

Kelly Wolf. When I met Kelly Wolf at the IECA conference in Las Vegas, his first words were, "David, you are coming to Alaska." He explained that he shared my dream for young people to participate in restoring our nation’s watersheds.

Kelly, director of the nonprofit Youth Restoration Corps (YRC), made it possible for more than 100 young people to experience Alaska last summer while participating in large-scale erosion control projects. Kelly remarks that working with Youth Conservation Corps when he was young changed his life forever. He even retired from his contracting business to devote more of his time and effort to the YRC.

Dean Davidson. A member of IECA’s Stream Restoration Committee, Dean Davidson works full-time as soil scientist in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska. When Dean works with young people, his face lights up with enthusiasm. As associate director of the YRC, he works side by side with students, sharing his gift for inspiration.

Michael Harding. Past president of IECA, Michael Harding is internationally recognized for his understanding of soils and restoration. He was closely involved in the development of the extraordinary Soils Lab at San Diego State University, where his son currently carries on the family tradition.

Although Mike has served on IECA’s Scholarship Committee and travels the world as a consultant, he is always happy to assist young people.

John Trotti. John Trotti contacted us several months after I first joined IECA. In addition to reinforcing my interest in erosion, his example encouraged me to write. He is working actively on developing community programs to benefit youth, and he is firmly committed to helping young people in IECA.

Nihat Gokigit. Nihat Gokigit of Istanbul, Turkey, sponsors special seminars and workshops about erosion control and restoration for young people in the Middle East. Following his success in the construction, finance, and insurance industries, he has chosen to devote himself to improved communication in the Middle East and has developed several large-scale projects.

Nihat has, for example, funded the development of the Black Sea Orchestra, a symphony orchestra of musicians representing a wide variety of cultures and states from all over the Middle East. The orchestra uses native instruments to perform classical music for the purpose of developing goodwill among diverse cultures and religious groups. His partner has sponsored sports teams with the same objective. Recently Nihat underwrote an award-winning film describing the destruction of the Aral Sea in Turkey. This region has been decimated because of upriver dams and erosion of the natural watershed.

A Challenge to You

Erosion control and watershed restoration professionals represent a select and uniquely qualified group of people who can make a difference. Together we hold the skills and knowledge that can save millions of lives and dramatically improve the quality of life for a suffering world.

When Nihat explained the tragic results of erosion in Turkey and other regions of the Middle East, and when I witnessed the dramatic loss of farmland and the starvation presently occurring in Bangladesh, my perspective on erosion was changed forever.

Planning for convenience in the US is important, but we must not overlook the worldwide crisis in water management. Fresh-water supplies are in serious jeopardy around the world, and millions of acres of farmland are disappearing as a result of uncontrolled erosion.

Many of the erosion control experts are nearing retirement, and others have already left our professional community. Somehow we need to find ways to prioritize working together to build an effective bridge for future development within our industry. Families who pass on expertise from one generation to the next are rare. The reality is that our future depends on finding ways to develop a vital interest in watershed restoration among young people.

Concluding Thoughts

YRC sets up silt fencing at Cooper Creek

The title of this article relates to a personal experience. In May 2001, five young people and a couple of adults took shovels and other hand tools to install a silt fence on Cooper Creek in Alaska. Above the silt fence is a steep mountainside that resembles the slopes of Mount St. Helen’s following its eruption. Tall pines populate the black, gravelly soil, and the entire mountainside lacks vegetation.

Soil has continuously flowed into Cooper Creek at the base of the hillside. The discharge has gone directly into a sensitive salmon-spawning habitat. Following the manual installation of this silt fence, it has been calculated that more than 400 yd.³ of soil have already been retained. Because of this success, the youth who participated in the project now have a long-term vision that involves the gradual restoration of the entire hillside, literally starting from the bottom up. These young people have demonstrated that well-placed manual effort can be both economical and effective in saving the environment. With support from many IECA members, the efforts in Alaska successfully restored more than half a mile of streambanks this summer.

Similar YRC efforts take place throughout the state, as Cathy McPhillips notes. "Earth Saver has an ongoing commitment to protect the environment, which is why, for the past two years, we have helped sponsor the Youth Restoration Corps riverbank restoration project on the Russian and Kenai Rivers in Alaska," she says. "Earth Saver donates rice straw wattles that are used to fight riverbank erosion and stabilize the slopes along these waterways. Kevin and I travel to Alaska to hold outdoor seminars for the teenagers involved in the project on how the wattles work. We plan to participate each year; it’s a great opportunity to help the environment and promote future stewardship of the rivers."

In an interview last summer, Aimee Conroy, an engineer at the Phoenix Water Department, suggested that students could be involved in the planning stages of future restoration projects in Arizona.

It is truly a privilege to witness restoration in action. Needless to say, moving mountains–and restoring them–is not only possible but is already occurring with the help of seasoned professionals who are combining their skills and expertise with young people who are eager to learn.

David Watson, a student in Tucson, AZ, is IECA’s student resource editor. He plans a career in soil science.