Keep at it.
That was one of the lessons Brent Cousino took away from the streambank stabilization project he headed up in Depot Park last week.
The undertaking, months in the planning, was an Eagle Scout Service project for Cousino, 16, a member of Boy Scout Troop 189 out of Calvary Lutheran Church.
‘I was real proud of him,? said Brent’s dad, Gary Cousino, who’s also the troop’s scout master. ‘He took on a pretty big project, but he was adamant he wanted it to be something significant, and something environmental. He stuck to it, even when he felt discouraged.?
As a candidate for Eagle Scout, Brent was responsible for the planning’lots and lots of planning’and execution of the project.
It started months ago, when Brent and his dad approached the Clarkston Watershed Group to see if they had suggestions for a project in Depot Park.
Brent, after all, had been volunteering with the CWG since the group’s inception. He helped with the first phase of the rain garden in Depot Park, as well as the Children’s Garden and another garden by the millpond at Washington and Main Street.
After talking with members of the CWG, Brent decided on the streambank stabilization project near the bridge in the south end of the park, where the Clinton River passes under Main Street between Waldon and Middle Lake Road.
Once the project was decided and the planning process begun, though, Brent had to overcome one obstacle after another.
‘I got shot down a lot,? he said with a wry smile. ‘The project itself was easy compared to all the planning.?
Initially, for example, the Eagle Scout project advisor didn’t see much merit in Brent’s proposal. It took some convincing, but Brent’with some help from CWG co-founder Jim Brueck’were eventually able to illustrate the benefits of the project.
The stream bank in the area Brent wanted to work on has eroded over time, and the lack of vegetation allows sediment, fertilizer, chemicals, road salts, and animal waste to wash into the river, causing serious concerns with water quality.
So Brent put together a plan using a technique called live staking to stabilize the area. The stakes, created from Silky Dogwood cuttings, a plant native to the Depot Park area, were sharpened to a point and planted into the shoreline, where they will begin to grow into new plants.
Swamp milkweed, cup plant, and rushes were also planted along the shoreline to supplement the Silky Dogwood.
‘Every single plant he used has habitat value for wildlife, as well as deep roots to stabilize the shoreline,? said Trish Hennig, a native plant expert who owns American Roots Native Plants and Wildflowers in Brandon Township.
Flowers, berries, and seeds from the various plants, she pointed out, are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.
Brent consulted with Hennig in his choice of plants; she also helped him identify Silky Dogwood in Depot Park and advised on proper planting techniques.
‘He saw what needed to be done and persevered in learning how to do it,? she said. ‘His project brought a whole new dimension to River Day.?
In addition to the plantings, Brent and his crew of volunteers’other scouts and parents from his troop’had to excavate sod, and pull errant chunks of concrete from the river. They also used 6-foot maple logs, placed end to end along both shores, to support the live stakes and keep them in place until established.
Over a hundred hours of planning, Brent said, went into the project; he attended meetings with the CWG, Clarkston City Council, and the Oakland County Drain Commissioner.
He also did a great deal of research and made one inquiry after the next about whether he needed a permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality before he could begin the job.
Turns out, the amount of material excavated came just short of requiring an MDEQ permit, a lengthy process.
‘Managing my time was probably the hardest part,? Brent said. ‘I play three sports, so trying to get this organized was really tough. I had to balance a lot of different things.?
But he had some help along the way.
Dad helped out quite a bit,? he said. ‘He sat through all those meetings with me, drove me around to all the places I needed to go, helped with the research.?
Brent will start his junior year at Clarkston High School this fall, and continue on in football, track and basketball. And now that the project is finished, Brent has made a point of going down to check on things, especially with the recent heavy rains.
He’s not the only one.
‘The end result is fantastic,? said CWG Co-founder Jim Brueck. ‘It’s very well constructed; even with the recent monsoon, the plants didn’t wash away. Brent did some outstanding planning and execution. He’s a super individual to work with.?
The issue of streambank stabilization was addressed in a master plan for Depot Park developed by three University of Michigan graduate students who put nearly 18 months of research, analysis, and planning into the project.
In an executive summary of the plan, the students wrote ?…ensuring the slopes leading into the water are stabilized to reduce the amount of sediment entering the water is an important ecological priority.?
‘The streambank should be stabilized…using cuttings like…dogwoods and willows, driven into the ground like stakes and allowed to root and regenerate…and provide more native vegetation and habitat for the area. If these areas along the stream banks are not secured and continue to degrade, sedimentation will increase and additional prime habitat for invasive species will be created.”