Restore a relict maple canyon forest segment at McKittrick Canyon, site 4, McKittrick Canyon day-use area, end of McKittrick Canyon Road off US Highway 62/180, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, near Salt Flat, TX 79847 (public National Park Service day-use trailhead, gate open 8am to 5pm) (2026-07-30)

The survey above found a bare or invasive choked segment of this Ice Age relict bigtooth maple and canyon hardwood forest along the McKittrick Canyon Trail, and hand cleared, hand planted native seedlings would otherwise close that gap in a forest community found nowhere else nearby. Standard: USDA NRCS Soil Health forest floor and understory restoration practice, applied here to McKittrick Canyon's relict bigtooth maple and canyon hardwood forest, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Culberson County, far West Texas. SDG 15.1 and 15.5. Proof: before after photos plus species and seedling count record plus GPS Method (USDA NRCS Soil Health forest floor and understory restoration practice, applied here to McKittrick Canyon's relict bigtooth maple and canyon hardwood forest, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Culberson County, far West Texas. SDG 15.1 and 15.5.): 1. 1. Confirm the trail corridor segment and the restoration permit with Guadalupe Mountains National Park staff and photograph the bare or invasive choked stretch before starting. 2. 2. Hand clear invasive plants from the segment with hand tools only, no power equipment, staying strictly on the maintained trail corridor. 3. 3. Hand plant native bigtooth maple, chinkapin oak, and other relict hardwood seedlings at the design spacing along the cleared corridor. 4. 4. Photograph the planted segment from the matching before vantage and record species and seedling count. Done when: before after photos plus species and seedling count record plus GPS

Where

McKittrick Canyon day-use area, end of McKittrick Canyon Road off US Highway 62/180, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, near Salt Flat, TX 79847 (public National Park Service day-use trailhead, gate open 8am to 5pm)

Pay

$195 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 plus species and seedling count record plus GPS

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

Level

advanced

Open until

2026-08-29

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 45–90 minutes. Method of record: USDA-NRCS soil-health in-situ assessment

Bring

• soil auger or trowel
• infiltration ring + measured water + timer
• penetrometer (if compaction in scope)
• clean bucket
• sample bags + labels
• gloves
• GPS phone
• camera

Steps

1. 1. Navigate to the plot; record GPS; sketch the sampling layout.
2. 2. Photograph each sampling station.
3. 3. Run the infiltration ring; record time to infiltrate 1 inch.
4. 4. Assess aggregate stability and note visible organic matter, roots, and biology.
5. 5. If compaction is in scope, record penetrometer resistance by depth.
6. 6. Collect 0-15 cm cores if a lab subsample is specified; bag, label, complete COC.
7. 7. Enter all measurements with units + depth, GPS, photos into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Infiltration > 30 min/inch or high penetrometer resistance -> flag compaction; recommend cover crop / reduced traffic.
• Very low organic matter / no visible biology -> flag degraded; recommend amendment plan.

What counts as done

• Infiltration time recorded
• Aggregate stability + organic-matter observation recorded
• Each in-scope measurement recorded with units and depth
• GPS waypoint + station photos + site sketch

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.