Each of our volunteer restoration events is unique depending on the time of year, the weather on the day of the event, the number of volunteers that join us, and even the wildlife that makes itself apparent to us. Peruse these photographs to get an idea of what the experience is like before coming to an event. If you've already joined us, enjoy these photos as a reminder of the good times you had.

At the June ROOTS event, volunteers tackled spreading invasive plants in the Newport Valley restoration site. Some of the largest pampas grass were finally removed and the flowering Spanish sunflower made it easy to identify and take out. We also planted over 60 additional arroyo willow stakes propagated in our native plant nursery. These arroyo willows will grow to create a willow thicket typical of riparian (streamside) habitats in southern California. It is also the preferred habitat of the endangered least Bell's vireo, which may someday call these willows home. Thank you volunteers!

It's easy to sign in and join us at the ROOTS event!

Volunteers work hard to remove a very large invasive pampas grass.

Pampas success!

Spanish sunflower needs to removed with the roots intact to prevent
it from sprouting again.

A ROOTS Captain plants an arroyo willow

In May, our work turned to the Watering Experiment next to Bayview Park. We are testing four different watering methods on coastal sage scrub plants. The four methods include hand watering, drip lines, overhead spray, and Rainbird irrigation supplement, which is a gel that slowly releases moisture into the soil at the plants' roots. The purpose of this ROOTS event was to change the Rainbird gel packs, irrigate the hand watering plants, and remove as many invasive weeds as possible. Great job volunteers!

It's tough work removing the many invasive mustard seedlings.

Repairing the posts and twine that mark each restoration plot

Volunteers dig out larger invasive plants in the Watering Experiment
restoration site.

This month we worked at the Newport Valley restoration site near Shellmaker Island.  We took out a tremendous amount of black mustard, sweet fennel, artichoke thistle, pampas grass, star thistle and Spanish sunflower.  These invasive plants would have otherwise caused a loss in habitat value in the Newport Valley, but due to your efforts the native plants will thrive and continue to provide the food and shelter that our native wildlife species need for survival.

A beautiful site in which to volunteer on a Saturday morning

A volunteer works to get young mustard plants out before they begin
to flower.

Black mustard grows fast with little rain. As an annual, its main focus is
flowering and seeding as quckly as possible. Our job is removing these
flowers before they seed.

One of many piles of black mustard pulled from the site

Removing each small mustard will save us lots of work in the future.

Thanks to all of our volunteers including this group from
Edwards LifeSciences.

At the March 24 ROOTS event, volunteers worked to maintain plants in the Bayview, Bayview West, Genesis, and Bayview Mesa restoration sites. Plants were irrigated after the driest winter in a century. Mulch was used around the base of each plant to maintain soil moisture and prevent weeds from growing and competing for resources with the native plants. With this maintenance, these native plants will survive the upcoming heat of spring, summer, and fall and will be ready to take advantage of (hopefully more) rain next winter.

Ecological weight lifting

Irrigating newly mulched native plants

Mulching native plants to maintain soil moisture and prevent weeds
from growing around the plant

Mulching plants within the monitoring sample area

Young native plants prepared for a successful future at the
Upper Newport Bay