Lane County youth plant 400 native plants to restore Willamette riverbank

Four hundred native plants were planted along the Willamette Riverbank in Springfield on February 22, 2026, when volunteers and justice-involved youth working with Willamalane Park and Recreation District and Lane County Youth Services removed invasive species and installed drought-resistant native vegetation. Organizers said the work was intended to restore riverbank habitat and provide hands-on conservation experience and life skills for youth in Lane County’s juvenile programs.

Crews spent the day cutting out ivy and blackberry and putting plants in the ground, then mulching to protect roots and reduce weeds. Dan Hanson, described as one of the crew leaders, said, "It's a privilege, honestly, because, every day I'm impressed by their, like, how hard they work and their interest in what we're doing." Hanson also noted the neighborhood effect, saying, "I think a lot of runners that come by here have been running past ivy and blackberries for a number of years and now when they start their run they're going to see flowering redcurrant and a variety of other beautiful native plants."

The Springfield planting ties into a longer horticulture effort run by Lane County Youth Services. Marisa Rubino, Senior Juvenile Justice Specialist who leads the horticulture program, said, "It provides a positive community interaction for these youth. Lane County has moved away from a punitive system to providing the opportunity for these youth to connect in a positive and polite way." Rubino added that the program’s aim extends beyond court service hours: "The goal of the horticulture program is not only to get these youth their court service hours, but also to show them how they can be an impactful member of society and the opportunities out there for them."

Register‑Guard coverage of the Lane County program documents related work at the John Serbu Youth Campus in Eugene, where drought and time had sapped older plantings and youth replaced dying plants with native, drought-resistant species. A Register‑Guard photo caption described 17-year-old Landon Madison and Rubino planting a Buckbrush Ceanothus in the Juvenile Justice Center parking lot on the John Serbu Campus, illustrating the program’s vocational and on-campus restoration activities separate from the Springfield riverbank site.

Regional restoration groups also emphasize similar restoration techniques used by volunteers. WRP (Walama Restoration Partnership) material highlights sheet mulching, "Students sheet mulch with NCS instructor Billy Hughes", and notes it has "proudly served more than 1,800 students in public schools throughout Lane County since 2002." WRP lists field staff by name and describes transforming "ivy- and blackberry-ridden slopes and stream banks to lush, diverse landscapes filled with native plants and pollinators," underscoring the ecological goals behind the Springfield planting.

Willamalane has scheduled a follow-up volunteer event at the Jasper Trailhead on Friday, March 5th, planning to plant 500 native plants and encouraging volunteers to register on the Willamalane website. The combined effort on Feb. 22, 2026, and the planned March 5th planting aim to replace invasive ground cover with visible native species such as flowering redcurrant, improving riverbank habitat and giving justice-involved youth practical restoration experience.