Remove invasive bush honeysuckle and replant native riparian species along the White River bank

Bush honeysuckle has choked out the native understory along this stretch of White River bank, shading out everything that would otherwise hold the soil and feed the river's food web. Standard: Urban-creek riparian restoration INSTALL (USDA NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice) -- native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal along an urban creek or river reach. The hands-on DOING sibling of the stream_bioassessment / watershed_health surveys. SDG 6.6 & 15.1. Proof: before/after photos + species log + disposal photo + GPS Method (Urban-creek riparian restoration install (native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal) per NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice -- hands-on restoration, not a bioassessment survey; assess->clear->plant/stabilize->verify, ~90-180 min): 1. Walk the reach with the site plan (or the standing bioassessment/watershed-health finding, if one exists) and photograph the bank/buffer segment as found: bare soil, invasive cover, litter, erosion. 2. Clear invasive growth and litter from the planting zone by hand, bagging trash separately from green waste; leave native volunteers in place. 3. Plant native riparian species (or set willow stakes / erosion-control matting) at the spacing and depth the site plan calls for, working from the top of bank downward; water each planting in. 4. Stake or anchor any erosion-control matting so it will not lift in the next high-flow event, and mulch around new plantings kept clear of stems. 5. Photograph the finished segment from the matching vantage, record species/count or matting area installed, and note any follow-up watering the planting needs. Equipment: shovel / dibble bar, native bare-root or plug plantings (locally sourced), erosion-control matting or willow stakes (bank-stabilization sites), loppers / hand saw (invasive removal), gloves + trash bags (litter pass), camera, GPS-enabled phone Done when: Before photo of the reach segment (bare soil, invasive cover, litter, or erosion as found); Invasive/litter removal photo-documented, green waste separated from trash; Planting or matting installed to spec (species/count or matting area recorded) with after photo from matching vantage; Erosion-control matting/stakes secured against the next high-flow event, and follow-up watering need noted

Where

White River bank near the W Washington Street bridge, Haughville-adjacent, Indianapolis, IN 46222

Pay

$95 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before/after photos + species log + disposal photo + GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-08-17

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–180 minutes. Method of record: Urban-creek riparian restoration install (native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal) per NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice -- hands-on restoration, not a bioassessment survey; assess->clear->plant/stabilize->verify

Bring

• shovel / dibble bar
• native bare-root or plug plantings (locally sourced)
• erosion-control matting or willow stakes (bank-stabilization sites)
• loppers / hand saw (invasive removal)
• gloves + trash bags (litter pass)
• camera
• GPS-enabled phone

Steps

1. 1. Walk the reach with the site plan (or the standing bioassessment/watershed-health finding, if one exists) and photograph the bank/buffer segment as found: bare soil, invasive cover, litter, erosion.
2. 2. Clear invasive growth and litter from the planting zone by hand, bagging trash separately from green waste; leave native volunteers in place.
3. 3. Plant native riparian species (or set willow stakes / erosion-control matting) at the spacing and depth the site plan calls for, working from the top of bank downward; water each planting in.
4. 4. Stake or anchor any erosion-control matting so it will not lift in the next high-flow event, and mulch around new plantings kept clear of stems.
5. 5. Photograph the finished segment from the matching vantage, record species/count or matting area installed, and note any follow-up watering the planting needs.

If it does not match the plan

• Steep, actively eroding or undercut bank -> stabilize with matting/stakes before planting; never plant into a bank that is still actively failing.
• Standing or fast-moving water in the work zone -> stay on the bank, never enter the channel; document from the bank and reschedule if the reach is unsafe.
• Suspected illicit discharge, sheen, or odor in the reach -> stop, photograph from a safe distance, do not touch, and report to the MS4/311 line rather than working through it.

What counts as done

• Before photo of the reach segment (bare soil, invasive cover, litter, or erosion as found)
• Invasive/litter removal photo-documented, green waste separated from trash
• Planting or matting installed to spec (species/count or matting area recorded) with after photo from matching vantage
• Erosion-control matting/stakes secured against the next high-flow event, and follow-up watering need noted

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.