Rick Barnett - Recreation Programs Supervisor - City of Albany
Some opportunities for students to gain work experience this Winter and Spring. We are totally open to any other ideas or ways we can be of assistance.
1. Continued work on the East Thornton Lake Project - Mark and others have done a great deal of basic research on this sensitive aquatic area. It has been identified in our state goal 5 planning as the most critical area for conservation within the Albany city limits. Right now we are relying on the good nature of landowners to protect this area. There are a number of small (and larger) projects that could be done as we move towards conservation. Could provide an interesting educational experience looking at the balance between urban development and conservation.
2. The city owns or manages a few hundred acres of wetlands that on the map basically form a big C shape around the urban area. At this point we are working on management planning and do not know what areas are priority or what features we need to focus our resources on. Plant, wildlife, water and other surveys would be helpful. The state has even identified a Calapooia Indian site. We may be able to roust up some limited funding for an internship this summer.
3. Urban Forestry - We manage several thousand street trees. We could be of assistance to a student interested in urban forestry. We also have many trees to prune in January and February if a class or individuals needed a volunteer project.
4. Crew Leader- The Community Services Consortium received a grant to put a group of 6 workers in our parks during the winter and spring. It would be a good part time piece for a grad student interested in parks. Last I knew they had not hired a crew leader. If someone was interested they would have to let me know very soon as the project starts in January.
5. Teloh Calapooia Park. We are doing a major renovation of this South Albany park in the spring. It is partially wetlands and a piece of what our Community Services Consortium crew is doing is working on a bio swale and other wetlands work in the park. A good opportunity for university level students to be involved in study, planning and implementation. We foresee the contract work happening as soon as the weather allows in the spring.
6. The talking waters project - This innovative way to cool reclaimed water through a series of waterfalls and wetlands has hit a bit of a federal funding snag but when it does happen is leading edge technology which solves a cooling problem with a simple environmental solution. Our department is involved on the back end in the recreational and classroom sorts of uses but could refer interested graduate students to our public works department.
7. City water, waste water and runoff operations - Albany public works has new plants on both the water and waste water ends. If anyone had interest in what they do, how we manage water flow and runoff etc.. we could refer them to public works.
8. Arbor week activities - Mark and the tree commission have been very involved in arbor week activities. Any student interested in being involved would be welcome.
9. Middle School Classrooms - We have a good solid core of middle school science teachers who are very interested in making math and science real for students. They are involved in a number of projects including salmonid rearing, habitat restoration and water quality testing.
10. Middle School and High School on campus water management, native plant and wildlife work. There is interest (particularly at the alternative school) in developing study areas using building runoff. The school district has a work crew that is going to be working on some of these issues.
Rick Barnett
Recreation Programs Supervisor
City of Albany
PO Box 490
Albany OR 97321
Rick.barnett@cityofalbany.net<mailto:Rick.barnett@cityofalbany.net>