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Potawot Health Village Site Plan

Introduction

The Potawot Health Village is a branch of the United Indian Health Services whose services combine western medicine and traditional Native American methods of promoting wellness. The designers who worked on designing the grounds knew that nature has sacred value within the Native American community. They sought to create a space which honored tradition and would help their community to stay healthy, both physically and emotionally. One aspect of this idea was recreating the original habitats and biomes that once dominated the area, before people of European decent settled on the land.

History of the Area

The Northern California coast and the area around Humboldt Bay has been the home of the Wiyot people for thousands of years. Other native tribes to the area are the Yurok, Tolowa, and Karuk. The land around them, traditionally a place of great forests, seasonal wetlands, and heavy salmon runs, profoundly influenced their lives.

However, as people of European decent came to settle the land, the Wiyot were pushed off their native lands, which were reshaped to be more suitable for “modern” farming and development methods. On the Potawot land specifically, forests were cut down, native grasses were replaced by more aggressive ones, and the seasonal wetlands were destroyed to make the land more conducive towards farming.

In 1996, the United Indian Health Services began working with the City of Arcata and the Planning Commission to get their newly purchased land, which was zoned as “Agricultural Exclusive” to be approved for a Planned Development Permit and a General Plan & Zoning Map Amendment. A year later, after keeping the message positive and working hard, their plans for the Health Village at Potawot were finally approved.

As the owners of Potawot researched the land, they found that within the vicinity of the site were four historical Wiyot village locations as well as a burial ground for the victims of the 1860 Indian Island Massacre. However, the land has been changed so much over the years that it is now impossible to find the original locations. They also found the fossilized remains of spruce cones and other plants which helped them to discover what species were native to the area.

Forest Restoration Efforts

Sign introducing the Potawot Restoration Area

The Potawot grounds are known as the Ku’wah-dah-wilth Restoration Area, which means “comes back to life” in the Wiyot language. It is meant to reinforce the idea of the lands revitalization and the renewal of the natural resources that once existed there. Work on the site has included planting native species of trees and shrubs, creating a comfortable space for the clients of the United Indian Health Services. This space is also considered to aid in the healing of mind, body, and spirit.

Support for the Project

According to those who work for the Potawot Health Village, the community's reaction to the forest restoration efforts has been very positive. Financing was found in grants from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as through a California Resource Conservation District. These grants helped greatly to offset the initial cost of the project.

Local tribes, notably the Yurok, as well as crews of community members have also helped by collecting trees from their properties that would otherwise have been destroyed and replanting them at Potawot. Six Rivers National Park also donates plants that are in the path of new development or road decommissioning. Since their machines are going to be tearing up the area anyways, Potawot is given permission to collect and replant the trees. Massive amounts of community volunteers as well as AmeriCorps members also assisted in planting new trees.

Soil Regeneration

The original soil, already very heavy in clay (which prevents proper drainage) had been badly damaged by years of monoculture. The native plants brought in by community members helped to bring endomycorrhizae, fungi which encourage root development, as well as other native microorganisms which enrich the soil. Packets of endomycorrhizae, bought in the store, helped supplement the ones carried in by native plants. They also added redwood conditioner which makes for a loamier soil and better drainage. In addition, small amounts of fertilizer and mulch gave the trees an extra boost after first planting.

All of the trees and shrubs on the Potawot property were gathered from community donors, local nurseries, Six Rivers National Forest, and through [[Potawot | Potawot’s] own propagation in their native species nursery.


The trees and shrubs were planted in clusters around the property and in combinations in which they are thought to grow in nature. The clusters make them easier for the maintenance staff to care for and are separated by meadows. Trees were also specifically planted around the edges of the Potawot property. On the south side redwoods were planted to block noise pollution from the nearby freeway. Although it is unlikely that they are native to the Potawot/Arcata Bottoms area they are considered culturally significant to the local tribes and so were included within the design. On the north side, more wind tolerant species of trees were planted, including spruce and shore pine, to help block the North winds and protect the garden. Near the storm water treatment ponds, trees were specifically not planted in order to discourage raptors in the wetland areas and therefore ensure the presence of wetland birds.

Plant Species

Trees

Sitka Spruce

(Picea sitchensis)

Coast Redwood/Sequoia

(Sequoiadendron)

Douglas-Fir

(Pseudotsuga)

Grand Fir

(Abies grandis)

Cascara Buckthorn

(Frangula purshiana)

Red Alder

(Alnus rubra)

Lodgepole/Shore Pine

(Pinus contorta)

Black Cottonwood

(Populus balsamifera)

Coast Live Oak

(Quercus agrifolia)

Tan Oak

(Lithocarpus)

Scrub Oak

(Quercus berberidifolia)

Redtwig Dogwood

(Cornus sericea)

Big-Leaf Maple

(Acer macrophyllum)

Shrubs

Wax Myrtle

(Morella californica)

Red Flowering Current

(Ribes sanguineum)

Ninebark

(Physocarpus)

Red and Evergreen Huckleberry

(Vaccinium parvifolium)

Red Elderberry

(Sambucus racemosa)

Thimbleberry

(Rubus parviflorus)

Gooseberry

(Ribes hirtellum)

Snowberry

(Gaultheria)

California Bramble Blackberry

(Rubus ursinus)

Challenges

Although they have gathered the support of the community, there have been some problems with the nature of the area. Right at the beginning, the entire property had to be reshaped to account for the seasonal wetlands and the habitats that originally existed there. Also, the damage inflicted on the soil after around a hundred years of near monoculture is very great. The ground had become choked with clay, had lost many of the naturally occurring microorganisms and fungi, and the ph balance was not conducive for native species. The plants present when Potawot first began restoration also posed a problem. The introduced weeds and grasses were so aggressive that they would choke out the young trees, which had to compete for water and sun.

One aspect of the Potawot restoration efforts is that they do not perform any supplemental watering and have no irrigation system. Due to this, they have lost some trees and shrubs in the past because of too little water. However, planting in fall during the rainier time of the year helps support young trees and the practice shows their respect for how things actually exist in nature.

Successes

Since restoration efforts began, around 10 acres of forested area has been restored and there have been some marked changes in the lands around Potawot. Not only is noise pollution already beginning to diminish but the increased number of trees and shrubs has brought new birds, mammals, and other creatures to the area.

The increased number of animals has lead to the propagation of native species whose seed has been brought in the animal’s droppings. An increased number of trees and shrubs has lead to an increased amount of leaf litter and organic material in the ground which has been changing and improving the qualities of the soil.

As the trees grow larger they have begun to shade out certain grasses, most notably the non-ones that workers at Potawot are trying to eradicate. In addition, the trees shade is making the way for understory plants that require shade, such as ferns, to have a place to grow.

Continued Work

Currently the forest restoration efforts at Potawot are in a waiting period as they let the trees mature and grow into their surroundings and provide the areas for more shade loving undergrowth.

There is some continued maintenance, such as the replacing of dead trees, but for the most part they are left alone. They are also to begin work planting more trees along the North end in order to provide more wind and noise protection.

In addition, Potawot has been making outreach efforts regarding Sudden Oak Death, which is a problem in much of California. Although, Potawot and Humboldt County has been spared this danger so far, they have been working hard to educate others and prevent the spread of the disease into their local areas.

References

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