Audubon Hesthavn’s New Bridge

One of the local organizations we support is Corvallis Audubon, since 1993 they have been developing a nature center on Oak Creek Road. The Hesthavn nature center has walking trails and a temporary bridge to connect to the west side of Oak Creek. Unfortunately, the temporary bridges are very unstable and not high enough to cross when the creek is flowing strongly. We are offering to help the Audubon society by building the bridges at cost.

Local Engineer James DiNardo has volunteered the preliminary design. The bridges would each have a clear span of 40’ over the creek and set on strong concrete abutments. The plan is to carry each glulam from the road to the creek and set them across the creek with a mini-excavator. Then the excavator will dig for each abutment. Following that, we will form and pour the concrete with a concrete line pump. Next, we will bring back the mini-excavator to set the beams onto the abutments and build up the gravel path to the bridges. After that, our carpenters will secure the beams and install the decking and handrails. We are planning to minimize our disturbance to the meadows, trails and creek bed by using rubber tracked equipment, pre-planning our activities and working in August.

According to the Corvallis Gazette Times article “the Audubon Society of Corvallis is raising money to build two bridges to cross Oak Creek, which would create a looped-trail into the wooded area of the land.

“It’s just such a stark contrast and all on the same property,” Atkisson said, looking at the prairie area and then glancing across the creek at the growth of fir, cedar, maple and oak trees. “It would just be so much nicer to have a loop.”

The project will cost between $15,000 and $20,000, which will go toward hiring a structural engineer, building permits, building costs and other requirements such as a handrail and flood studies.” Read more at: http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/bridges-to-the-future/article_27fade55-1504-52e0-ae35-ff7ca86fc702.html#ixzz1sc53pYPN

Audubon Hesthavn’s page: http://www.audubon.corvallis.or.us/hesthavn.shtml

HOW TO HELP

Those interested in making a donation can send tax-deductible cash or checks to the Audubon Society of Corvallis, P.O. Box 148, Corvallis, OR 97339. Those interested in volunteering their time for Hesthavn Nature Center can do so by contacting volunteerasc@gmail.com.