SPRING UNDER THE EUCALYPTUS (2 years in)
San Bruno Test Plot
By Jen Toy
Test Plot
DATE: March 31 2025
San Bruno Test Plot
By Jen Toy
Test Plot
DATE: March 31 2025
TIME: noon-1pm
TEMP: 53 degrees
︎WEATHER: Sunny
WIND (SPEED/DIRECTION): not noticeable
SOIL MOISTURE: Damp with lots of insects under the eucalyptus debirs
︎PLANTS SIGHTINGS: I didn’t have a lot of time so I just did a visual survey of the most noticeable plants. I did not go hunting under the rooreh and weeds to search for small plants.
︎WEED SIGHTINGS: The weeds have been left to grow since the December workday.
WILDFLIFE SIGHTINGS: When you pull out weeds, you’ll see a scattering of insects that are thriving in the leaf litter. I didn’t have time to ID.
︎HUMAN ACTIVITY: As usual, there were many walkers out on the path.
The plot is now two years old. It was first planted in March 2023. For the first year, we hosted nearly monthly workdays (11), weeding the oxalis, rattlesnake grass, ivies and himalayan blackberry. As a reminder we have never provided supplemental irrigation. The plants subsist simply on rain and the fog drip. For the second year, we have intentionally done very little management. I’ve been interested to see which plants thrive and can hold their own despite the constant raining down of leaves, bark and branches and allelopathy. Considering these conditions, I think the test should evolve to document the species that can take up space and thrive. I’ve also been thinking about how to measure this? I think our metric is percent coverage. I was initially thinking of this as biomass, but I recently learned that biomass is usually measured by weight. So I’m calling it percent coverage. Basically we’re looking for the weedy natives that aren’t fussy or delicate and will take over and self seed with very little work.
︎A note on documentation: This is the first time I’ve been able to photograph the plot since I bought a drone. The low canopy of eucalyptus directly above makes it impossible to get an orthographic view of the entire plot. I was able to capture a few oblique angles.
SCRUB MX: One year ago I ID’d 15 species and found the dominant species included beach strawberry, CA fuschia, and miner's lettuce (rooreh). I estimated that 60% of the plot was composed of these 3 species. On this visit I noticed that the rooreh is completely dominant. The buckwheat and sagebrush is poking through the rooreh and monkeyflower is hanging on in the back. The self-sown red elderberry is doing great.
PRAIRIE GRASSLAND: Last year I noticed 12 species, including clear winners CA phacelia, hummingbird sage, and woodland strawberry. This plot is also dominated by the rooreh, though hummingbird sage and phacelia are still thriving.
OAK WOODLAND: Last year, I documented 19 species, including Symphoricarpos sp., Pink honeysuckle, buckeye, pearly everlasting and mugwort, woodland strawberry, sticky cinquefoil, and heucheras. This visit I noticed the cow parsnip has remerged, and the snowberry, honeysuckle, buckeye, pearly everlasting and mugwort and strawberry are still present. The cinquefoil and heucheras may be buried under the rooreh and weeds.
SEEP/FRESHWATER MARSH: Last year there were 16 species and the clear winner was Bee plant. This is still true, though the dogwood, fringecups goldenrod and rush are still thriving.
WEEDS: The oxalis is largely gone (more present in the oak woodland and scrub plots). No cape or english ivy and very little himalayan blackberry. Pretty impressive for only 2 seasons of hand weeding. These species are still hugely dominant outside the plot fence. Other species that I noticed include bur chevril, common sow thistle, hordeum, cut leaf geranium, sheep sorrel and galium.
A NEW YEAR AT STARR KING
Starr King Test Plot
By Théa Ryan
DATE: March 30 2025
The past few months have been an evolving dance of observing, tweaking, and nudging. The Purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra) plugs were planted in the fall, and we’ve learned to distinguish it from the many other grasses on site - it’s blueish green, it can withstand a strong tug, the blades are stiffer than others. It was also planted in groups of three in the poppy plot which helps us to know which were transplants and which were pre-existing (this technique is borrowed from the Skyline Gardens playbook). We continue to apply the Bradley Method, clearing as many non-native species directly embedded in and around the native species we are trying to support. In the poppy plot, the main native plants we’re seeing are Naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridiamun) and purple needlegrass.
Starr King Test Plot
By Théa Ryan
DATE: March 30 2025
The past few months have been an evolving dance of observing, tweaking, and nudging. The Purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra) plugs were planted in the fall, and we’ve learned to distinguish it from the many other grasses on site - it’s blueish green, it can withstand a strong tug, the blades are stiffer than others. It was also planted in groups of three in the poppy plot which helps us to know which were transplants and which were pre-existing (this technique is borrowed from the Skyline Gardens playbook). We continue to apply the Bradley Method, clearing as many non-native species directly embedded in and around the native species we are trying to support. In the poppy plot, the main native plants we’re seeing are Naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridiamun) and purple needlegrass.
The poppy plot now has minimal weeds, which will ideally give the native plants more space to grow - however, it is also wide open for more non-natives to move in. The ground is hot, crumbly and dry. The poppies started blooming in mid-February - we noticed one plant growing directly on serpentinite that has brown and red-tinged leaves. I asked a CA native Facebook group for their take and learned that environmental stress can cause the plant to produce more anthocyanins (creating the reddish color). This tracks with the harsh chemical makeup of serpentine soils. Other poppies on the same plot don’t exhibit the same colors - does it have to do with proximity to the actual serpentinite? Just a guess. The lupines followed in late February after a very hot (70°F) day. The heat also welcomed more birds and butterflies. On February 26th, we spotted a pair of Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies and a flock of 16 western meadowlarks flying through the site.
Over at the pine plot, we’re seeing a high concentration of naturally-occuring purple needlegrass fighting for its place among the encroaching oxalis and non-native grasses. We heard mention that there may have been a fire on the site at some point - possible connection? Sarah Burton helped track down some local history and we discovered there had indeed been a fire in 2015 at this exact site. It was about 2-4 square meters, and locals observed a higher occurence of purple needlegrass and Dotseed plantain (Plantago erecta) the following spring, which is exactly what we’re seeing! While this may have been a case of arson, it’s very exciting to have living proof of the benefits of fire. Another serpentine grassland in San Francisco’s Presidio was the site of a controlled burn in 2007. We’re asking ourselves about the logistics of requesting a controlled burn, and residents’ perceptions of fire.
The tiniest plant observed on the pine plot, dotseed plantain, is generating a lot of excitement for us. In its early stages, we were often stumped as to what was and wasn’t dotseed plantain. With time, it formed its signature cottony head and became much easier to identify. Dotseed plantain is an unassuming but very important plant for our native pollinators - it’s the primary host plant for the Bay checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis), a federally threatened species endemic to the area.
One theme that keeps coming up for us is having a reference site. We’re thinking about reaching out to the folks at the Presidio to learn about the methods they’ve used on their serpentinite grasslands. Another much more proximate site is the open space just across the street. Some of the current natives in bloom in the open space are Blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus), Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Harvest brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans), California goldfields (Lasthenia californica), Miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor), Checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora), Shining pepperweed (Lepidium nitidum) and Purplespot gilia (Gilia clivorum). Having a sister site to compare techniques, disturbances, and species distribution is a wonderfully collaborative way for us to learn from one another.
Speaking of techniques, we’ve been experimenting with the scythe with mixed results (we think it needs more/better sharpening), and using a hyper-localized vinegar spray on the weeds in the poppy plot. We’re avoiding any weeds that are very close to the native plants so as not to risk spraying the natives. It’s unclear whether hand-weeding or vinegar spraying is the more effective technique.
On our most recent visit, the purple needlegrass was blooming. We’re hoping to see some Yellow mariposa lily (Calochortus luteus), blue dicks, and maybe even some butterflies like the Acmon blue (Icaricia acmon) or Bay checkerspot if we’re lucky!
POST-JANUARY LA FIRES CHECK IN
Burn Scar Test Plot
By Hannah Pae
Terremoto
DATE: February 27, 2025
Burn Scar Test Plot
By Hannah Pae
Terremoto
DATE: February 27, 2025
It’s been about two months since the wildfires started in Los Angeles at the start of the year, and life before the fires seems like a distant past that we will never be able to go back to. Amidst the immediate fear, destabilization, and heart-wrenching grief over our city and our collective unknown future, I’ve experienced glimmers of hope while observing the resilience of the native flora and fauna during the times I’ve come back to Burn Scar post- LA fires to check in on how everything has been holding up after the extreme, drying Santa Ana winds, the LA fires, and late winter rain storms the past couple of weeks.
Soon after the brush fire in Elysian Park in fall 2023 that burned through the Burn Scar Test Plot, we noticed toyon sprouting back from charred stumps. A year and four months later today, the toyon sprouting back from the base of a charred branching arch has grown to be almost 5’ tall, with toyon seedlings coming up nearby – a true testament to the resilient nature of our fire adapted ecology.
Charred logs that we’d sawed and laid on the ground have inadvertently taken on the critical role of nurse logs for wildflower seedlings from last year’s seed bank – baby lupine, clarkia, and lacy phacelia – that are taking advantage of the sheltered microclimate created by the logs. A few months before the LA fires, we’d also spread native seeds we’d collected from nearby intact chaparral ecosystems in Elysian Park, and I expect we’ll finally see these seedlings pop up in the next few weeks, now that we’ve finally had a couple long-awaited, bittersweet, winter storm events in LA post-fire.
We’ve had to postpone our volunteer work day in January because of the LA fires, but we are looking forward to having our first volunteer work day of the year in a few weeks – Fri, March 14th – and working in community to care for this land together.
STARR KING TEST PLOT PHASE 2 BEGINS
Starr King Test Plot, San Francisco
By Elena Fox
Terremoto
DATE: Nov 21 2024
Starr King Test Plot, San Francisco
By Elena Fox
Terremoto
DATE: Nov 21 2024
After a brief break from our first year of observation at Starr King Test Plot, we are back on site to begin Phase 2 as the wet season comes upon us. We have developed a restoration plan that will move us from observation to operation with limited resources. Our high level plan is to start a regular weeding + maintenance schedule internally as a company before engaging the community in volunteering.
Our maintenance approach is based on the Bradley Method, where we will chose two work zones (the plots) based on where native plants are currently observed. We will concentrate our efforts in these two zones and organize our work in concentric bands of intensity. In the center of each zone, we will continue with hand weeding around natives. In an outer band we will do a non-targeted a cutback of all plant material a few times over the course of the wet season. The logic is that through cutbacks we prevent annuals from going to seed- after 3 years the seed bank of annual weeds is exhausted.
During Phase 1 (Observation), we collected native seeds to contract grow. These plugs will be planted now and into this winter, with the goal to only plant what originally came from the site.
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The goals and methods of Phase 2 are as such:
1. We only (re)introduce/use materials and plants from the site, or from the adjacent open space on serpentine outcrops.
2. We test variable weeding strategies using the Bradley Method:
3. We pay attention to time and use it as a tool - by continuing to observe + weed regularly, we can start to understand how much time is required of us, and how the site is evolving based on our new inputs and labor. We focus on maintaining our slow and measured approach
4. We involve the greater community in volunteer days + observation sessions (once we get grounded in the space ourselves)
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Our maintenance approach is based on the Bradley Method, where we will chose two work zones (the plots) based on where native plants are currently observed. We will concentrate our efforts in these two zones and organize our work in concentric bands of intensity. In the center of each zone, we will continue with hand weeding around natives. In an outer band we will do a non-targeted a cutback of all plant material a few times over the course of the wet season. The logic is that through cutbacks we prevent annuals from going to seed- after 3 years the seed bank of annual weeds is exhausted.
During Phase 1 (Observation), we collected native seeds to contract grow. These plugs will be planted now and into this winter, with the goal to only plant what originally came from the site.
The goals and methods of Phase 2 are as such:
1. We only (re)introduce/use materials and plants from the site, or from the adjacent open space on serpentine outcrops.
2. We test variable weeding strategies using the Bradley Method:
3. We pay attention to time and use it as a tool - by continuing to observe + weed regularly, we can start to understand how much time is required of us, and how the site is evolving based on our new inputs and labor. We focus on maintaining our slow and measured approach
4. We involve the greater community in volunteer days + observation sessions (once we get grounded in the space ourselves)
RAINBOW CANYON KICK-OFF
Rainbow Canyon Test Plot (Mt. Washington neighborhood)
By Tatianna Velicer
USC Student
DATE: Oct 24 2024
Rainbow Canyon Test Plot (Mt. Washington neighborhood)
By Tatianna Velicer
USC Student
DATE: Oct 24 2024
Rainbow Canyon has a homey community feel with beautiful sheltering trees, a riparian area, a scenic viewpoint of the city, and switchback trails. It is a peaceful oasis surrounded by the sounds of lawn work, neighbors out and about, barking dogs, birds chirping, and coyote howls. There is a characteristic rotting pumpkin, a chair with a tire perched on top of it, and lots of forgotten tidbits of plastic and metal.
On our site preparation day on October 26th, we divided and conquered tasks to prepare the area for planting. Volunteers conducted weeding, invasive species removal, trash removal, site maintenance, and debated design options for the new Test Plot. The switchback area was altered to have a longer entrance, a less steep gradient, and logs were added for trail identification. Castor bean and tree-of-heaven were removed. The trash cleanup group found all sorts of treasurers from lego figurines to seemingly ancient cans and bottles. A majority of the cleanup work focused on picking out tiny bits of plastic, glass, and styrofoam scattered in the soils.
We asked each volunteer to place a flag at their favorite place in the Canyon. I retrieved these flags from every corner of the Canyon but many were placed along the riparian area and central gathering spaces. We received feedback with exciting ideas for transforming the space, such as the addition of benches, a bridge, an art installation, a space for classes and events, and educational signage. Volunteers gathered to review potential designs and then had the opportunity to show us with rope where they would add a plot to the space. We received sketches with a Yin and Yang plot formation and a few designs with large central ovular plots.
The most heartwarming aspect of the day was the Mount Washington Community members and all the volunteers who showed up with a smile to help us with these preparation activities. With our volunteers, we were able to not only envision the future of Rainbow Canyon, but hear stories from its past. Rainbow Canyon has a rich history of community advocacy that led to its preservation. It has proven to be a space worth protecting and loving. We even learned that Rainbow Canyon was the venue of a wedding for a local resident. We hope to honor the combined natural and human history of the Canyon with our Test Plot, coming on December 8th, 2024.
On our site preparation day on October 26th, we divided and conquered tasks to prepare the area for planting. Volunteers conducted weeding, invasive species removal, trash removal, site maintenance, and debated design options for the new Test Plot. The switchback area was altered to have a longer entrance, a less steep gradient, and logs were added for trail identification. Castor bean and tree-of-heaven were removed. The trash cleanup group found all sorts of treasurers from lego figurines to seemingly ancient cans and bottles. A majority of the cleanup work focused on picking out tiny bits of plastic, glass, and styrofoam scattered in the soils.
We asked each volunteer to place a flag at their favorite place in the Canyon. I retrieved these flags from every corner of the Canyon but many were placed along the riparian area and central gathering spaces. We received feedback with exciting ideas for transforming the space, such as the addition of benches, a bridge, an art installation, a space for classes and events, and educational signage. Volunteers gathered to review potential designs and then had the opportunity to show us with rope where they would add a plot to the space. We received sketches with a Yin and Yang plot formation and a few designs with large central ovular plots.
The most heartwarming aspect of the day was the Mount Washington Community members and all the volunteers who showed up with a smile to help us with these preparation activities. With our volunteers, we were able to not only envision the future of Rainbow Canyon, but hear stories from its past. Rainbow Canyon has a rich history of community advocacy that led to its preservation. It has proven to be a space worth protecting and loving. We even learned that Rainbow Canyon was the venue of a wedding for a local resident. We hope to honor the combined natural and human history of the Canyon with our Test Plot, coming on December 8th, 2024.
