A Much Needed Job

I know it seems like all we do is go on vacation and play tourist but we also do some actual work around the refuge. 

There are two observation decks on the trail leading to Dungeness Spit.  The upper deck is very large with benches and several kiosks.

Large upper deck.

What is a Spit?

There are wonderful views from both decks.  This is the view from the much smaller lower deck.

View from the lower deck.

Much smaller lower deck.

We have never thought of this before but we were asked to clean out the grooves between the deck boards.  They get packed with dirt, pine cones and leaf litter.

Decking packed with debris.

Deck after cleaning.

The problem is that when it rains, the water is not able to run off the deck.  The boards stay wet and slick for quite some time.

Mark found this homemade tool in the shed that seemed to be just for this project.

The pine cones seem to be the biggest problem.  Once they get stuck in the spacing nothing else can fall through.  I’m not sure how often these decks had been cleaned but it looked like it needed to be more often.

Except for the first few boards, both decks are raised off the ground.  Mark had to go underneath and scrape some of the litter out that had accumulated.  It wasn’t an easy job!

After sweeping the deck looked great!  We finished the lower deck the next day.

Finished deck.

Next time you visit a refuge or park, check out the decks!  If they're clean, thank a volunteer.

Teri