See you in June

I visited the nature park yesterday to say goodbye for six months. For those who don't know, I will be living in India with my family this winter and spring. We will be back at the end of May.

The park looks good though I can see the weeds sprouting with the cooler, wetter weather. Hopefully people will be out there pulling a few weeds while enjoying the park. If you are so inclined, check out the guide to weeds of the South Pas nature park. I had hoped to put up a few more of these plant guides but didn't get around to it. May try to do some more work on this while traveling.

Additional park information can be found on my website, Weeding Wild Suburbia. 

Nature Park on an overcast, wintery day. (11/28/2012)

NATURE PARK CLEAN-UP - Sat, Oct 20, 9 am - noon

This may be my last park clean-up for a while since I will be leaving for India in late November. We will be away for six months, returning June 1. It is my hope that as many of you as possible will continue to visit the park, pulling weeds (especially around spring time), picking up litter and keeping your eyes open for any other problems.

If you do notice anything unusual or suspicious, please do call the city. The Department of Public Works (626-403-7240) takes care of maintenance and graffiti (626-403-7249), and, of course, contact the police (626-403-7270) if you see anything suspicious.

 In the next few weeks, I am going to try to upload pictures of weeds-to-look-for by the month so that you all will know what they look like as they are coming up and when they are full grown.

View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

NATURE PARK CLEAN-UP - Thurs, Sept. 27, 8:30 - 10 am

We have made a lot of progress with these short weekday morning clean-ups. We have been working behind the main sign (that is no longer there), up from Tocalote Hill. We have been removing dead mustard and horehound. This should make it easier to remove the new weeds once the cooler, wetter weather comes. We are also pulling castor bean seedlings. Things are looking pretty good.

I am not sure whether many of you are aware but I will be away from December to June. I am trying to put together a booklet with pictures of the weeds linked to the time that they appear. This way you will be able to see, for example, what tocalote looks like in April (when it first appears) and in June (when it bolts and puts on long flowering stems).

The next Saturday clean-up is October 20. I am not sure about these weekday morning sessions - things are getting pretty busy for me. Will keep you posted.

View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

NATURE PARK CLEANUP - Sat, Sept. 8, 9 am - noon

Hard to believe summer is just about over - hope the weather realizes it is time to cool down! Anyway, the next regular clean-up at the park will be Saturday, September 8th, 9 am to noon. If the forecast is for very hot weather, I may change that to 8 or 8:30 to whenever...

This summer the Wednesday morning clean-ups worked out well and I may continue them into the fall. If there are other days/times that would work for you, please email me to let me know. I can be flexible.

I have been working on a new website that will make the information on the Nature Park a bit easier to find. Check out the Nature Park tab on WeedingWildSuburbia. It is "in the process" so check back every now and again.

Hope to see you in September!

View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

PARK CLEANUP - Sunday, August 12, 8 am - 10 am

There will be a work day this coming Sunday, August 12, from 8 -10 am. If it isn't too hot I may stay longer. A South Pas high school student is going to help out for his upcoming Environmental Science class. I think it would be nice if the rocks that are outlining a path going into the central mound area were set a bit better. I will also be weeding - getting rid of tumble weed before it gets too large.

 On another note, there was some bizarre activity in the park while I was away on vacation. A big hole was dug above the detention basin. Whoever did it had to have been exposed to a lot of poison oak. If any of you know anything about this, please email me. Thanks.



View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

Nature Park Clean-ups

We just completed the third Wednesday morning work day at the park. I am thinking of continuing this from August through November on a weekly basis. We may also have one Saturday (or Sunday, if there is interest) morning work day each month from September through November. Let me know if there are other days/times that you would be able to come. I will try to be flexible.

I posted pictures of the central area of the park (the mounds) from early 2005 to date on my other blog. We have made a great deal of progress! - though of course there is much more to do. In addition to keeping the weeds under control, we will work on finishing the path through the mounds. Some day I would also love to have an artist carve the large pieces of wood (from the Dec 1 storm) that I asked the city to deliver to the park. It would be wonderful if we could use these beautiful reminders of that powerful storm for natural seating. Thoughts?

Anyway, no more cleanups until August. Have a great summer.

Barbara

Nature Park Cleanup, Wednesday, June 27, 8:30 - 10 am

I know that some of you cannot make it to the Saturday morning cleanups. This summer I am trying to get into the park early on Wednesdays to do some weeding. Please join us if you are free. It gets hot, so we will start at 8:30 am and work until ... we are too hot and tired, probably around 10 am.


View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

PARK CLEANUP - Wednesday, June 20, 8:30 am - around 10ish

I know that some of you cannot make it to the Saturday morning cleanups. This summer I am trying to get into the park early on Wednesdays to do some weeding. Please join us if you are free. It gets hot, so we will start at 8:30 am and work until ... we are too hot and tired, probably around 10 am.


View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, May 26, 9 am - noon

Yes, I know it is Memorial Day Weekend, but what better way to spend it than weeding in the park? I don't have plans for cleanups during the summer, though I am sure I will not be able to stay away. If any of you want to join me, send me an email and we can set something up. If I do plan to go down on a Saturday morning, I will send an email to the Nature Park group. Hope to see some of you on Saturday. If not, have a great holiday weekend.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, May 5, 9 am - noon

More pulling, pulling, pulling of weeds. We will win the "War on Weeds." If you can't come on Saturday, stop by any time and pull, pull, pull. For pictures of the weeds we are concentrating on see the previous post.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

City staff to recommend no driving range expansion!

Wanted to update everyone on the golf course lease and the driving range expansion. The Draft of the Initial Study for the Golf Course Lease recommended a Mitigated Negative Declaration. This means that as long as the study is not contested and they answer everyone's questions and comments satisfactorily, they could go ahead with the lease and the expansion.

Now for the good news. City staff is recommending (p. 229, http://www.cityofsouthpasadena.us/government/PDFs/packet/Agenda_Packet.pdf) the following:

Instead, it is recommended that the City Council:
1) Direct staff to modifY the existing management agreement with Donovan to delete references about a proposed lease agreement; and
 2) Direct staff to revise the MND to reflect that the City would implement the capital improvement program for the golf course instead of Donovan; and
3) Provide direction whether to delete or leave in place the option to expand the driving range expansion

The analysis below (p. 231) indicates that the city is going to try to continue having the golf course managed by Donovan rather than entering into a long term lease agreement. Furthermore, they are recommending that the driving range expansion not be part of the capital improvements, but rather to use money for needed improvements to kitchen, rest rooms, etc.

Analysis
Staff recommends that the City continue with a Management Agreement with Donovan because it is advantageous for the City from a financial standpoint. Although the driving range expansion was expected to "enhance" the golf experience, staff recommends that this component be eliminated. Shifting the funds from the driving range expansion to other improvements, such as the kitchen and restroom upgrades, would result in greater value to the golf course operations. If the City Council is inclined to remain in the management agreement, staff will request that the City Council approve a 5-year capital improvement program for the golf course at a future meeting. It would include all of the items listed above (under "lease agreement") except for the driving range expansion. At that time, the City Council will have a revised Initial Study IMND that has removed all references to a lease agreement and eliminates the driving range expansion from the capital improvements list. Once this CEQA document is revised and made available, there will be a new 3D-day review period prior to the City Council meeting.

To be on the safe side, I sent my concerns about the MND, Initial Study. This will put it on record, just in case something changes. I will also be going to the city council meeting and will make comment as such. Others who feel strongly may want to attend the city council meeting, though I think the only important comment, other than - THANK YOU! - is to bring up any objection to the Initial Study, in the unlikely event that the city staff recommendation is not followed. If we do not have our objections to the study as part of the public record by the date of the public hearing (this Wed.) then we cannot bring them up later.

Enjoy South Pasadena's only habitat park!

So now we can turn our attention to the weeds. With all of these late rains they are thriving. It is very therapeutic to pull weeds, so once the rain stops, mozie on down and give a pull or two.

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, April 21, 9 am - noon

This Saturday we will be pulling, pulling, pulling. The weeds are all over but we will win the "War on Weeds." If you can't come on Saturday, stop by any time and pull, pull, pull. For pictures of the weeds we are concentrating on see the previous post.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

"Most Wanted" (to be rid of) Weeds

Late rains are good for the new natives that we planted in January, but they are also good for the weeds. Mustard (several different kinds), Maltese star thistle (also called tocalote), horehound, and weedy annual grasses are all thriving. So this Saturday (April 21, 9 - noon) at the park cleanup we will focus on pulling. Fortunately the soil is moist and they come out pretty easily. If you cannot make it on Saturday, stop down at the park at any old time and pull a few. If we all keep at it we will get there. The natives will take hold, and though we will always have to keep after the weeds, it should become more manageable over time (so says the optimist in me).

The protocol for weed control is to 'pull and leave' plants that do not have flowers and seeds. It is more important to get rid of these young plants than to keep everything neat and tidy. Just leave their roots exposed so they will dry out. The most important places to weed are around existing native plants and in the newly planted area in the center of the park, the mounds. Once we have made progress in these areas we can move to other heavily infested areas. And finally, do take care to avoid poison oak.

Poison oak. Do not pull, do not touch! Do not get into thicket unless you know this plant well and are sure you are not in it. If you do suspect that you touched it, wash immediately with cold water and soap.(I use Tecnu, a detergent, to remove the irritating oils. Available at most drugstores.)

Here are pictures of the “Most Wanted.” If you are unsure, don’t pull.

Tocalote or Maltese star thistle (Centaurea melitensis) is having a bumper year this year. As it matures the center stem elongates and yellow flowers with sharp thorns appear. Get rid of this wherever you see it!! (4/16/2012)

Tocalote infestation in nature park near the Arroyo Seco channel. (6/2011)

Tocalote flower (June 2003)

Weed friends: mustard on left, tocalote on right. If you don't think you can tell them apart, don't worry. Get rid of all plants that have toothed leaves in rosette shape. There are no natives in the park like them.

Tocalote.

Mustard

Young horehound (Marrubium vulgare). These are growing all over the mounds. Their seeds stick to clothing, shoes and dog fur. Pull them before they get a chance to make more seeds.

Mostly horehound and mustard on the mounds. Be careful not to pull the newly planted natives. 

This pretty little non-native, scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), is quite common but not as problematic as many other non-native weeds. Better to spend your time pulling tocalote, mustard and horehound!

Scarlet pimpernel before going into bloom.

Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)

Wild radish flower, kind of pretty, but pull it anyway.

Driving range ext to be considered by council, 4/18

Wanted to pass along information on a Public Hearing Notice from the city regarding the environmental review of the golf course driving range extension proposal (extending the driving range and a reconsideration of the lease agreement that was not approved previously) on April 18, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard in the City Council Chambers at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena.

The proposal to extend the driving range is as follows, according to the public hearing notice:

As proposed, the project would include screening the boundaries of the expansion area, as well as replacing the screening along the northem and southern boundaries of the existing driving range. The screening at the western boundary of the existing driving range would be removed. The new screening would be supported by poles approximately 75 feet in height. The proposed project would also involve the removal of 16 trees within the expansion area, of which 12 are considered mature. Of those 12 mature trees, one is a coast live oak, two are "Significant Trees" (as defined by the City of South Pasadena Tree Ordinance): one is an American black elderberry; and one is a sycamore. 

Environ. Review, p. 3-4:

The project applicant is proposing a 0.59-acre expansion of the existing 4.56-acre driving range at the Arroyo Seco Golf Course. The current driving range is irregular in shape, and is approximately 660 feet (220 yards) in length and 300 feet (100 yards) in width (refer to Figure 2, Project Site). The proposed expansion would extend the length of the existing driving range by approximately 97 feet (32 yards) to the west. The golf course property (which is not included as part of the land leased by the City) extends an additional 39 (13 yards) feet to the west beyond the proposed expansion area's western limits. This area will remain undeveloped and the existing chain link fence will remain in place. Currently, a protective screen is located along the northern, southern and western boundaries of the existing golf course driving range. This screen is supported by poles approximately 40 to 50 feet in height. As proposed, the project would include screening the boundaries of the expansion area, as well as replacing the screening along the northern and southern boundaries of the existing driving range. The screening at the western boundary of the existing driving range would be removed. The new screening would be supported by poles approximately 75 feet in height……

The proposed project would involve the removal of 16 trees within the expansion area, of which 12 are considered mature… Prior to removal of any tress a "Tree Removal Permit" would be obtained, consistent with South Pasadena Municipal Code (Chapter 34 Trees and Shrubs). The ordinance does not have a specific or numerically defined replacement policy on trees removed as a result of development or construction. Tree replacement criteria are discussed within the Private Property Tree Removal/Replacement Permit Application (City of South Pasadena, Public Works Department, Engineering Department) and the City of South Pasadena Guide to the City's Tree Ordinance...

[blah, blah, blah.... the bold, red type was added by me. So how does this go? Residents get slammed for removing trees, whether it is justified or not, but for development, no prob!]

It came as no surprise to me that the draft of the review issued the following finding (p. 12)

X - I find that although the proposed project could not have a significant effect on the environment, there will not be a significant effect in this case because the mitigation measures described on an attached sheet have been added to the project. A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION will be prepared. 

The riveting, 160 page report can be found at this link: http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/whatsnew/PDFs/golflease/ArroyoSecoGolfCourseLeaseAgmt.pdf. It takes a while to download. All relevant info can be gotten at:

Copies of all relevant materials, including the project specifications, and the MND, are on file at these locations:
• City of South Pasadena City Hall, Planning and Building Department (first floor), City Clerk's Office (second floor) located at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, hours are from 7:30a.m. to 5:00p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 7:30a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
• City of South Pasadena Library, Reference Desk, 1100 Oxley Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, hours are from Monday- Wednesday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00p.m., Thursday & Friday 10:00 a.m.-6:00p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00p.m., and Sunday 1:00 p.m.-5:00p.m.
• City of South Pasadena Website http://www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us/whatsnew/index.html If you have any questions regarding the MND, please contact Senior Planner, John Mayer, at (626) 403-7220, or via e-mail at jmaver@ci.south-pasadena.ca.us.

Have a read and let me know what you think. I have tried hard not to say too much until I read everything more carefully, but some of it is kind of hard to take. One of the most annoying aspects is the amount of money spent so far, just on this proposal, that may be ultimately be cost prohibitive and financially crazy. Ask the city how much the Environmental Review cost, particularly the amount spent on the driving range extension portion. To see this happening at a time when we are being asked to pay more for water, schools, police, fire, and all of the other essential city services, is truly galling.

I want to report, on a happier note, South Pas girl scout troop 1371 has been working in the nature park on their Silver Award and are just finishing up. They created an interpretive sign for the kiosk on Pasadena Ave (a temporary sign is in place until the permanent one is completed), brochures and an attractive brochure holder, and plant id signs in the park. They also participated in the MLK Service Day in January. All in all they worked very hard and did a truly amazing job. Hats off to Troop 1371!

NEXT PARK CLEANUP: APRIL 21 

PARK CLEANUP - Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012

The Planting Party on January 28th went extremely well - and now with rain in the forecast (please, please, please rain....) the plants should be happy. Have a look at my other blog to see some pictures taken during the event.

On Saturday, Feb. 11,  we will water any plants that look thirsty, especially if the rain is insufficient. We will yell at the gophers to go elsewhere, and sing to the new plants, but mostly, as always, we will hunt down every last weed we can find. Yes, there is also trash to remove and junk to pull out of the gully. If you were unable to come to the Planting Party, stop by to see all that we were able to do. Hope to see some of you on Saturday.


View Larger Map

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. The group will pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

Planting Party, January 28th

Planting Party at the Nature Park - SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012, 9 am – 3:30 pm
(Note: the event will take place all day as part of the Occidental MLK Service Day activity)

With money allocated from city council discretionary funds (special thanks to Council Member Rick Schneider!) we have purchased nearly 300 native plants for the Nature Park. On Saturday, January 28th students from Occidental College and South Pasadena Girl Scouts will spend the day at the park planting, weeding, and cleaning up. Join us for this exciting event! (See Volunteers at the Park in my other blog, Wild Suburbia, for a description of the 2010 MLK Service Day Planting Party.)

If you know of any groups - scouts, students, clubs - that would like to participate please give them my contact information. Also, if you have any extra trowels, garden gloves and garden shovels, please bring them to the park to share with those who don't. It would be helpful if you labeled them with your name so they don't get lost.

Meet at the park info sign on Pasadena Ave and then head down into the park. You can park on Pasadena Ave. on the north side of the street. There is a bus stop to the left of the park entrance. Email me (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com) if you have any questions about location. As always, come by for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.




Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring shovels, trowels, and gardening gloves
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone who might be interested in the park.