Josh- Big Bend- Day Two

Monday, January 14th

We woke up early Monday morning, warmer, though our layers could not protect us from all the
cold. We headed out to find our contact and learn about our volunteer work that week. We met
up with Joe, the parks botanist, who was to be our main contact for the week. He presented
the work he had been doing to preserve the park the last few years; the work we would be
continuing. After listening to his speech about the work, I thought I understood what we were
in for. We followed him out to the work site, and after some explanation we got to working. We
spent much of Monday tilling the paths we would plant seed in and help prevent the continued
erosion of these badlands/grasslands.We continued to till the land until lunch. We spoke to Joe
over lunch and he explained of the interesting features of the park, from the rocks and plants
to the best trails and sites. After lunch we continued our work in the field. Not long after starting
work again the “Hydro Mulcher” arrived to start seeding the area. The “Hydro Mulcher” takes
a combination of grass seed, mulch, water, and a sticky material to help the seed stick to the
ground and make it harder to be carried off by the animals. After finishing the long strip of land
that needed to be tilled, and making sure it was all covered in seed, we headed out. We got
back with time to spare before dark and start cooking dinner; quesadilla Monday. Though I was

a bit sore after the long day of using a pickaxe, I didn’t yet understand the large amount of work
we had to put in to even make a little difference. Joe had mentioned that they had spent years
trying to figure out the best way to get grass to regrow, and many times it failed. What we were
trying now had the best success rate, but still wasn’t nearly a sure fire way.