Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
WiLDCOAST Youth Restoration Project, Otay Valley Regional Park
ALL AGES WELCOMED: Girl Scout Group member Andrea, 7, comes with her mother and sister to help keep the young plants in the project alive.
On a three-acre plot, behind the Ranger Station of the Otay Valley Regional Park, more than 200 indigenous plants, at several stages of growth need continuous care.
Between South Bay’s Palm Ave and Main St. on Beyer Blvd., this hidden entrance veils access to the beauty of what lies ahead—8,869 acres of river valley habitation. A direct route to Fenton Pond, this restored plot is growing into an educational showcase of the river’s natural landscape. To become this, it needs weekly watering by hand to thrive until the rainy season.
Fenton Pond in itself is a beautiful walk, with access to the pond for fishing and sightseeing. Sounds and sights are a direct draw to the pond. Birds are everywhere. Ducks floating around in the pond, hawks heading for the brush and sterns for the water as they dive for prey. Butterflies and dragonflies are just beginning to appear. Small natural coves are a perfect to sit quietly and observe.
HIDDEN OASIS: Fenton Pond hides behind the ranger station just beyond the Youth Restoration site.
Otay River Conservation Program Manager Katie Westfall, with the help of youth in the local community, developed and maintains WiLDCOAST’s Youth Restoration site. Together, Park Rangers, Girl Scouts, Finney Elementary, interns and community members removed invasive plant life and planted native species.
Westfall said WiLDCOAST’s goal, and her job, in this program is to educate and build community support for restoration and preservation of the Otay Valley.
WATERING MADE FUN: Otay Valley Program Manager Katie Westfall works as hard as she educates.
Our local ecosystems are overrun and many places conquered by invasive plants. Those beautiful daisies and eucalyptus trees you see are just two species that propagate by releasing toxic chemical from roots. No other plant life can survive within its boundaries with an internal system ensuring its own survival. Ice plants, used widely in housing and development projects spread throughout. It takes up precious space.
Just about any plant or flower seen in a neighbor’s yard grows from the valley to the South Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As beautiful as some of these plants are, they are still a hazard to the valley and wildlife.
Group Leader Irene Barajas, Girl Scout Group 5912 said that they got involved in this program by accident. Being the first and only Girl Scouts in San Ysidro, they call themselves a group. This Girl Scout group has 50 girls, kindergarten to high school age.
Barajas said that with her group so large, transportation is a real problem in getting the girls out on field trips. Group 5912 joined WiLDCOAST for one of their local community trash removal events.
“I didn’t even know that this was here,” she said. “This is exactly the type of place and event that I was looking for the girls.”
Meeting Westfall, her group quickly became a part of the Youth Restoration program. Barajas said it was like coming to Disney for all of them.
“They really enjoy this project and are very enthused,” said Barajas. “We have all learned so much. I didn’t believe that I could get my girls this much experience and education in the outdoors.”
HANDS ON TRAINING: Girl Scout Group Leader Irene Barajas teaches the fundamentals of weeding invasive plants.
WiLDCOAST needs volunteers to continue this program. Both young and old. Watering of these 3 acres is every Friday. Normally around 9 a.m., come out and spend the morning weeding, watering and learning.
A couple of hours take care of the task with help from Park Ranger John Barone. Listening to him and Westfall you will start to learn about each of the plants, the place they hold in this environment, and many times a story if a plants rich history.
IT'S YOUR PARK: Park Ranger John Barone works with volunteers, teaching them along the way.
Contact WiLDCOAST to volunteer for this continuing program.
Katie Westfall (619) 423-8665 ext. 214
Photo Credits/Albert Fulcher
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Exploring Border Field State Park with REI and WiLDCOAST
Tuesday, June 22, 2010.
Hiking the trails with WiLDCOAST. I went with one objective—not to have one.
Driving slowly down Monument Rd. to the entrance Border Field State Park, young rabbits and squirrels scampered and forth. Birds, butterflies and dragonflies fluttered and buzzed around the car. It had been a long time since I had been to Border Field State Park, and it was nice to be back.
Living in Imperial Beach, I consider the Tijuana River National Estuary my back yard. Whether from the road, the beach or walking in the estuary, I see a breathtaking picture of our coastline and the wildlife that depends on it.
Many days the estuary visits me in my own back yard. Barely a day goes by, especially this time of year that I do not see a bird that I do not recognize. I am not a bird expert, or even apprentice for that matter, but it is amazing the many different species I see go through this neck of the sloughs.
BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A HIKE: More than 20 people showed up for this late afternoon hike through Borderfield State Park.
A diverse crowd of people of 20, of all ages and different reason, gathered for the walk. WiLDCOAST and a California State Parks representative that works at the Tijuana River Estuary Visitor Center joined our REI guide, JP. These people had an objective, to educate us about the park, its benefits to the community and the struggles of keeping this pristine land intact.
Armed only with my camera, ears and eyes, the hike began. This area is beautiful, and despite the large group walking and talking through the trails, life was all around us. This region is unique. There are open spaces, mesas and hills leading up to the border and down to the sand dunes and beaches.
Flowers are still blooming, but much of the early spring flower patches have dried up. First lesson learned that day was a simple way to identify what is indigenous or invasive plant life. During the dry season, dry plants and a fire hazard are greater part, invasive plants. Many of them crowd out the indigenous plants that the wildlife and delicate ecosystem depend on for continued growth and survival.
TWO INVASIVES IN ONE: These invasive sunflowers find a spot in one of the many tires scattered along the water flow area.
As the trail thins out and the brush thickens, there is a symphony of sounds from the thickets, trees and skies. Undoubtedly, you are in the wild. While walking you see animal trails and tracks leading into the heavy brush. This time of year, there are many young animals, seemingly unaware of the dangers that surround them. Moving around speedily, doing what they do, I was mesmerized.
A jutted rock formation caught my attention. Its unique shape led me to think that erosion created this beautifully carved rock. In our crowd, a professor of geology, involved educating children, was looking at local resources for outings. She said there was a story in this formation, seismically faulted upward eons ago. It is brief timeline of the evolutional history of the area. Old roots of trees, mineralized through the ages—an ancient fossilized forest.
AN OLD FOREST: A close up look at layers of soils and root systems of an ancient forest.
With young children along, we stopped and looked at stinkbugs and slug trails (we think). Kids love bugs, there is no doubt about it. They made great travel companions, creating a childlike adventure to the hike that was highly contagious.
Engulfed in my own little world of observation, walking around a bend, I saw it. I was left with my jaw hanging down, stunned.
It was my first close look. Stretched out in front of me stood the Great Wall of Mexico.
GREAT WALL OF MEXICO: Massive steel structured wall and parallel fences strip through the sensitive areas of the Tijuana River National Estuary.
I oppose construction of this magnitude in this sensitive area. Federal government waiving all environmental laws from the land acquisition, I also knew inside what it would do to this environment. Seeing it is atrocious. There had to be a better way.
Now instead of a fence, we have a wall between two fences. Construction has left this area barren paving the way for erosion during the rainy season to pollute the estuary more.
Pollution is not breaking news in the Tijuana River. Environmentalist, governments and communities deal with this continuously. Great progress already found comprehensive ways of reducing the amount of pollution this river spreads to the ocean every year. With still a long way to go, why take three-steps back?
Destroyed are acres of precious habitat, polluting the river more in the process.
BOOMERS FOR TRASH: Boomers have been set up to collect smaller pieces of trash that flow through this runout area during the rainy season.
Having such an age difference in this group, we were slow moving. Border Patrol wanted us leaving the park by 7 p.m. Access to Monument Park was only accessible through the beach, the road still flooded out. We did not get to the beach, but I plan on going back to that area and see what I can find there.
As we left the park, the moon was setting with the sun following closely. Like a curtain recall a hawk flew above us, a rabbit jumped in and out of the trail and as we got close to the gate, a full-grown coyote ran across the path in front of us so quickly it was startling.
It was a beautiful evening for a walk. It is my goal to see as much of San Diego County’s national refuges and parks as much as I can this summer.
Photo Credits: Albert Fulcher
These educational hikes sponsored by REI, a consumer cooperative donating millions supporting conservation efforts and education. REI promotes healthy, fun, safe activities outdoors in the community. REI is sponsoring free educational hikes to local state parks every Tuesday this summer.
WiLDCOAST joined REI for the parks and refuges close to the shorelines and riverbeds for its expert knowledge of these ecological treasures.
Sign up for REI’s free Tuesday evening getaways. They last about two hours, and you are sure to learn something while you get some fresh air and exercise.
There is no better way to show your support of protecting our local land treasures, than to go out and visit them. If the community does not use them, we lose them.
Directions to Border Field State Park
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos!
No place like home: A Snowy Egret makes itself at home in the lush J Street Marsh, Chula Vista, CA.
Photo credit: Albert Fulcher
Surf through San Diego County’s most precious natural resources as I tag along with WiLDCOAST. Our coastlands, rivers, estuaries and parks are an adventure waiting in your own back yard. Looking forward we will meet the WiLDCOAST team, learn environmental issues of today and see the local environmentally protected paradises in our neighborhoods.
Get involved.
Call WiLDCOAST and become a volunteer.
Remember, the best way to preserve our protected parks, is to get out and enjoy them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)