Stewardship Update
Written by Haley Sutton, Land Stewardship Associate and Kendra Smith, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Barb Goatgrass Be Gone
Volunteers with garbage bags full of barb goatgrass. Photo by Haley Sutton
With the help of volunteers, we continued our efforts to eradicate a patch of invasive barb goatgrass (Aegilops triuncialis) that our team spotted at Curry Canyon Ranch in May.
We held three Diablo Restoration Team (DiRT) workdays where we drove up to the site and pulled handfuls of the lime green grasses with spikey barbs to toss into garbage bags before disposing offsite.
By the third DiRT day, the grasses were drying out and blending in with the golden-yellow grasses that are also present on the hillside, making the “I spy barb goatgrass” game a bit more challenging.
Volunteers with garbage bags full of barb goatgrass. Photo by Haley Sutton
Around a dozen volunteers helped us remove over a dozen trash bags stuffed to the brim with barb goatgrass, which should significantly reduce the seed bank that will germinate next spring.
With a few more years of timely and meticulous pulling, we have a solid chance to completely remove the grass from the area. A big shout-out to our hardworking volunteers who braved the sun and heat to help us tackle the pesky weed!
Volunteers with garbage bags full of barb goatgrass. Photo by Haley Sutton
CARES Summer Field Trips at Curry Canyon Ranch
Students protecting an oak seedling. Photo by Haley Sutton
This summer, Save Mount Diablo had the privilege of hosting five field trips at Curry Canyon Ranch with students from the Mount Diablo Unified School District.
Students from El Dorado Middle School, Oak Grove Middle School, Holbrook Language Academy, Garden Academy, and Riverview Middle School participated in our 10,000 Trees and Plants initiative.
They protected blue oak seedlings on the slopes above our Curry Canyon Ranch field station using special blue grow tubes designed to create a beneficial microclimate.
Through the efforts of 66 students and 11 adults, 387 seedlings were protected!
Students along Curry Creek. Photo by Haley Sutton
In the afternoons, Save Mount Diablo staff created opportunities for students to engage in free exploration in nature, such as
- using binoculars to look for wildlife around the house pond,
- wandering along the creek looking for wildlife in the last pools of water, or
- plein air painting the landscape.
We hope each student felt a little more comfortable in nature and had a fun, memorable experience. Thank you to all the CARES students and staff for their stewardship help and fun energy!
Students checking out a rattlesnake while giving it lots of space. Photo by Sean Burke
Other Stewardship Happenings
Our team chipped piles of woody debris created by the California Conservation Corps crew who were working along the Knobcone Point area in May.
We also completed another round of fire abatement touch-ups at our Marsh Creek 4 and 6 and Big Bend properties.
CARES students at Curry Canyon Ranch. Photo by Emily Sherwood
Discover Diablo
Stargazing with Mount Diablo Astronomical Society. Photo by Kendra Smith
Stargazing with Mount Diablo Astronomical Society, June 20.
It was a beautiful clear night at Mount Diablo’s summit for this stargazing night in partnership with Mount Diablo Astronomical Society.
After hearing a presentation about the moon, participants got to lean into using their different senses on a night stroll along the Mary Bowerman Trail.
A lone bat flitted back and forth across the trail as the group passed by, and everyone enjoyed stunning views of the sunset before heading back to look through the numerous telescopes.
Stargazing with Mount Diablo Astronomical Society. Photo by Kendra Smith
Plein Air Painting Hike, June 27.
Participants lucked out with a cool, clear, sunny day for painting at Curry Canyon Ranch.
Plein Air painting hike
A smaller group led by Land Stewardship Manager Roxana Keshmiry got to take an OUV (open utility vehicle) to some cool spots on Knobcone Point Road! It’s always fun to see everyone’s different perspectives, color palettes, and techniques when painting.
One participant even brought metallic paint, which added a cool shine to her finished work.
Welcome Summer Interns
Save Mount Diablo staff and interns monitoring a property. Photo by Haley Sutton
This summer, Save Mount Diablo is hosting two high school interns through Mount Diablo Unified School District’s Career Pathways program.
Earlier in June, we welcomed Joseph and Kevin, who will be working with our stewardship and education team for several weeks.
They are contributing to field work and office tasks to help them gain career skills and learn more about the ins and outs of our stewardship and outreach programs.
So far, they’ve supported outdoor educational programs and community outreach events, monitoring visits, and weeding projects.
We look forward to another great month with Kevin and Joseph and are excited to share more about what they’ve been up to this summer from their perspective in next month’s newsletter.
