This week is the seventh annual California Invasive Species Action Week, a week to increase public awareness of invasive species issues and promote public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources.
Prevention is the most effective strategy in managing invasive species. However, hundreds of invasive plants and animals have already established in California and are rapidly spreading each year. These invaders are negatively impacting our waters, our native plants and animals (some of them rare, threatened, or endangered), our agriculture, our health, our economy, and our favorite recreational places.
Barbed goat grass
Last year, Save Mount Diablo’s land stewardship team, with the help of our neighbor and grazer John Ginochio, discovered the invasive barbed goat grass (Aegilops triuncialis) on our Mangini Ranch property. This year we visited the same site in the second year of our eradication phase.
Because the patch is small enough, we can reasonably set a goal to eliminate it, and we are making every effort to catch all seeds before letting them hit the ground to respawn. We were able to get 99 percent of the patch at Mangini this year and will keep monitoring it every year.
Unfortunately, we also discovered a couple of bigger patches at our Anderson Ranch property, which are sizable but not impossible to eliminate at this phase. If we send in our Integrated Pest Management team, we can probably remove most patches this season. We will be deploying the team in June.
Help us celebrate California’s Invasive Species Action Week, and more importantly, help stop the spread of invasive species by volunteering to take action. You can participate by
- Finding out which species are threats to California by reviewing UC Davis Information Center for the Environment’s invasive species list and scorecards for California.
- Select native or non-invasive plants for your garden.
- Remove invasive plants from your property.
- Monitor plants and trees for symptoms of infestations and disease.
- Prevent the spread of plant pathogens that damage and kill California’s native plants and trees.
- Learn alternatives to releasing unwanted fish, aquatic plants, and other pets.
- Find out which invasive species are edible on Eat the Invaders and how to prepare them.
- Stop invasive species in your tracks. Remove plants, animals, and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles. Clean your gear before entering and leaving recreation sites. Stay on designated roads and trails.
Removing the invasive barbed goat grass at Mangini Ranch
Join Our Volunteer Crew: We Depend on You!
Given limited staff, resources, and time, Save Mount Diablo depends on volunteers to take organizational effectiveness from excellent to exceptional. Save Mount Diablo seeks to connect a passionate community to our mission, cultivating a sense of ownership and proficiency in every volunteer position offered. Whether you want to help with restoration and stewardship, build and maintain trails, help with events, assist in the office, lead hikes, or advocate for us, there’s a place for you. For more information, check out Save Mount Diablo’s volunteer opportunities.
