My Story

I grew up with an attorney father who was a man of few words. It was sometimes puzzling to figure out how he felt about things, but if he was either fishing or walking in the woods, he was definitely happy. I used to trudge along on his nature walks, and neither of us talked. But occasionally, he would stop to point out a bird or something about a tree he had noticed. I learned from him to value nature, especially the birds and trees.

In 2022, I was given the opportunity to head up conservation work at my condo community. Our complex owns 5 acres of woods which have become overgrown with invasive ivy and Himalayan blackberries. The ivy has grown upward on all of our beautiful tall trees, Douglas fir among them, and has caused quite a few of them to topple due to the extra weight. A seasonal creek runs through the woods, but for the most part you know it is there only by hearing it—the dense blackberries hide it from view.

I obtained a conservation grant in 2022 to restore a small portion of the woods to a native habitat, and I'm about to apply for another. I have a core group of committed volunteers who are willing to give up weekend and evening hours year-round to dig up ivy and uproot Himalayan blackberries. Our work is slow and time-consuming, but it is rewarding to watch how quickly the woods returns to a vital functioning ecosystem when given the chance.

Why GoFundMe? We need a bridge over our creek to be able to remove ivy from trees on the other side. A conservation grant will not fund this expense. I have set the goal at an amount that could cover all aspects of the total cost—permitting, design, materials, labor. It will be a pedestrian bridge, but sturdy enough to allow us to haul heavy loads of debris across.

Thank you for any size contribution you feel like making. And if you hesitate to donate online, let me know and I will send you my address for a personal check.

Thank you, and I think my dad would thank you too!

Mallen Kear