Project operated by Northwest Youth Corps

Neighbors for a Livable West Linn are keeping teens active and engaged this summer with help from Northwest Youth Corps - OutDoor Oregon.

About a dozen 16- to 20-year-olds formed a West Linn work crew and did restoration work in the White Oak Savanna for several weeks this summer. This is the third year students have partnered with Neighbors for a Livable West Linn — a nonprofit community outreach organization.

The crew is financed jointly by a $3,950 grant NLWL received from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund and the city of West Linn Parks and Recreation Department.

Teens are helping to restore the 14-acres by clearing trails and removing invasive plant species, such as Himalayan blackberries. The teens are also placing oak seedlings into biodegradable net tubes to protect them from deer.

The student work crew will also take part in a field seminar with biologist Richard Mishaga. Students will learn about the more than 100 species of vertebrates that have been identified in the Savanna.

The students will also be given a tour by Rich Fiala of Fiala Farm. Fiala will teach students about the more than 30 native plant species that have re-emerged and been identified since restoration efforts began.