How live stakes help protect Doan Brook
Live stakes are cuttings from native trees and shrubs that, when planted into moist stream banks, sprout roots and grow into healthy vegetation.
This natural approach strengthens the brook’s edges, slows erosion, filters pollutants, and creates habitat for fish, birds, and insects.
Planting live stakes, step by step
Choose a moist, eroding bank and confirm you’re using native species. Fill in the top of your data sheet.
Use a mallet and rebar/metal rod to create a hole at least 12″ deep, or deep enough to bury 2–3 nodes of the stake.
Remove the rod, insert the stake butt‑end down, and firm the soil so roughly two‑thirds of the stake is underground.
Repeat every 2–3 feet along the bank to knit roots together and stabilize soil.
Record the species and number of stakes at each location on the data sheet.
Snap a photo of the completed sheet and email it to info@dbwp.org with the subject:
“Live Stake DATE (MM/DD/YYYY)”.
DBWP staff will enter your site and totals into our tracking map.
Live staking data sheet
Identify your plants
Streams like Doan Brook survive because people show up.
You don’t need to be an expert, just someone who believes this stream is worth protecting.
