EarthCorps is a Seattle-based non-profit organization that trains young adults in environmental restoration techniques along shorelines, forests, and trails in the Puget Sound area. Over the course of a year-long training program, volunteers (including AmeriCorps members) learn practical skills that can be used to combat global warming, pollution, and environmental degradation.
Study Goals:
The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of EarthCorps restoration methods. The evaluated intervention focused on green infrastructure development needed to decrease pollution in Puget Sound watersheds around Seattle. Intervention activities included restoration work at select sites around the region, as well as installation and maintenance of engineered green storm water infrastructure and community education efforts.
Research Questions:
The primary research question was:
- Does the restoration action done by EarthCorps achieve the outcome of making natural areas healthier?
Additional site-specific questions were:
- What was the percentage of invasive cover on the site before the initial intervention? (baseline data from 2018)?
- What was the percentage of invasive cover after the intervention? (intermediate-term indicator, after one growing season)?
Findings:
The evaluation found the following:
- Results indicated that the plots treated with restoration efforts exhibited statistically significant pre-post reductions in invasive species cover after treatment (p < 0.05).
- There was no significant change in the comparison sites. It was estimated that the invasive cover in the treatment plots decreased from 93.2% to 16.3% within 12 months after treatment.
For more information, download the full report.
Full report
Further information
EarthCorps