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Welcome to the Test Plot log. Please check back for seasonal updates from our volunteers and stewards. You can also search by location in the footer.

2024

7/08 DISTURBANCE
by Jenny Jones

6/20 SUMMER SOLSTICE CHECK-IN
by Anthony Martin

6/08 BALDWIN HILLS TURNS 3!
by Jen Toy

6/07 DEBS FIRST FRIDAYS
by Cody Porter

5/25  EUCALYPTUS UNDERSTORY 
1 YEAR EVALUATION
by Jen Toy

1/15 EUCALYPTUS 2nd PLANTING
by Jen Toy



2023

11/13 UNDER THE EUCALYPTUS
by Victoria Bevington

11/06 STARR KING INTRO
by Terremoto SF

10/16 WATCHING WEATHER
Q&A with Joey Farewell

9/18 CATALINA SOIL TEST #1
Q&A with Alia Harris and Emersyn Klick

7/10 DEBS FIELD SKETCHES
by Hannah Pae

6/08 IT’S RAINING OAKS 
by Joey Farewell

5/25 SECRET SUPERBLOOM
by Jenny Jones

3/29 RAINBOW RIVER
by Dani Vonlehe, Jenny Jones, Dante Inguinez

3/23 VERTICAL MULCH
by Nina Weithorn

3/10 SPRING AT DEBS
by Adrian Tenney

3/07 WHAT’S IN BLOOM AT BALDWIN
by Arely Media Perez

2/15 USC NEW PLANTS
by Nina Weithorn

VALENTINE’S DAY AT RIO
by Daniela Velazco

1/30 ELEPHANT HILL RAINS
by Joey Farewell


2022

FIELD DRAWINGS FROM SAN BRUNO MOUNTAIN
by Lian Mae Tualla, Tera Johnson

10/22 RIO FIELD NOTES
by Daniela Velazco

STARTING THE USC CAMPUS PLOTS
by Alex Robinson

10/13 ELYSIAN AFTER 3 YEARS
Q&A with Jenny Jones

10/06 RIO AFTER 2 YEARS
Q&A with Jen Toy


2021

STARTING BALDWIN HILLS
by Daniela Velazco



MEET THE SUPER STEWARDS
All interviews by Daniela Velazco + Hannah Flynn

TANIA ROMERO

DANTE INIGUEZ + ANTHONY MARTIN

LUIS RINCON




PORTAL * INTERNAL USE
WHAT’S IN BLOOM
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
By Arely Mendia Perez
Habitat restoration site manager, Nature Nexus Institute

March 07 2023

The weather at the Overlook has mostly been sunny, with a combination of clouds and some rain peaks. Since we have had a decent amount of rain, we have not watered the test plot since January. We kept the test plot as a special site for volunteers to restore habitat and see a thriving native plant site. Our volunteers have mainly been weeding wild radish, mustard, and castor bean and fixing basins for our small native plants. Fortunately, many of the shrubs that were planted are fully established. We have had ground squirrels, rabbits, black phoebes, California towhees, song sparrows, western fence lizards, Harlequin bugs, honey bees, bumble bees, and sweat bees. A male anna’s hummingbird has claimed the Elderberry as his territory.



Current Plant List
Artemisia californica-- California sagebrush
Artemisia suksdorfii-- Coastal mugwort
Asclepias fascicularis-- Narrow-leaf milkweed
Encelia californica-- California brittlebush (blooming)
Epilobium canum-- California fuchsia
Eriophyllum confertiflorum-- Golden yarrow (from seed)
Helianthus annuus-- Common sunflower (blooming) (from seed)
Heteromeles arbutifolia-- Toyon
Juglans californica-- California black walnut
Keckiella cordifolia-- Heartleaf keckiella (blooming)
Lonicera subspicata-- Southern honeysuckle (blooming)
Lupinus succulentus-- Arroyo lupine (blooming) (from seed)
Muhlenbergia rigens-- Deer grass
Peritoma arborea-- Bladderpod (blooming)
Quercus agrifolia-- Coast Live Oak
Ribes speciosum-- Fuchsia flower gooseberry (blooming)
Rosa californica-- California wildrose
Salvia apiana-- White sage
Salvia leucophylla-- Purple sage (blooming)
Salvia mellifera-- Black sage (blooming)
Salvia spathacea-- Hummingbird sage (blooming)
Sambucus mexicana-- Mexican elderberry
Solidago californica-- California goldenrod