Winter 2017 Nature Park Cleanups

PLEASE NOTE THE FEBRUARY DATE CHANGE DUE TO FORECAST OF HEAVY RAINS.
 
The next scheduled cleanups are on the following Saturdays from 9 am to noon:

• January 21

• February 18  February 25

• March 18

Be sure to confirm dates on Facebook page before coming or email me (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com).

We will be planting and weeding in the park. We will concentrate on planting in the Monarch Butterfly Waystation at the east end of the park and on the slope below the main Outlook area. We may also be planting some oak trees in the Park Annex area adjacent to the golf course driving range.

Map of park with areas labelled.

Some of you may be wondering about the sign in the central sign holder. It is part of the SPACELAND III - Aftermath biennial art exhibit. The exhibit which ran from September 10 - October 9, 2016 and is described on the Bermudez Projects website as:

Approximately 10 works, ranging from two large-scale mural installations, mixed-media drawings, fiber based sculpture, paintings, and photography, will be made specially for this exhibit. An originally produced soundtrack will be available both in the gallery and online. And, a site-specific installation will take over a local park along the Arroyo Parkway.

Interestingly, the sign has remained undamaged for many months. Maybe it is time to put in new interpretive signage in the park? If you are interested or know of any scouts or environmental science students who are interested in working on the design and execution of signage for the park, please have them contact me. 

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Volunteers should:

• wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
• bring water
• bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
• wear comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots) and long pants
• bring binoculars for birdwatching (optional)

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

The South Pas Nature Park is a four-acre habitat park along the Arroyo Seco. The entrance, marked by a small plaque on an attractive river rock wall, is in the 100 block of Pasadena Avenue in South Pasadena, east of the York Street Bridge. There is plenty of on-street parking on Pasadena Avenue.

The park is graced with mature coast live oaks, southern walnuts and western sycamores. Planted with sage, buckwheat and other native coastal sage scrub plants, the park provides an inviting environment for birds, lizards, squirrels and numerous other critters. Locals too enjoy walking, jogging and horseback riding through the park.

Coast live oak

Since 2006 an informal group of park stewards, Friends of the Nature Park (FONP), have been removing invasive weeds and litter on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.  Cleanups are held approximately once a month. For notification of cleanup dates, contact Barbara Eisenstein (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com), or check the Nature Park blog, (http://www.nativebydesign.blogspot.com).  

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.

May Weeds and More

We had a nice turn out for the May 7th cleanup. In addition to the "old reliables" there were two Arroyo Vista students and parents, and a couple of other adults, along with two adorable little dogs.





We focused mostly on the central mounds where castor bean seedlings, mustard and other exotics were planning an attack. I would like to say that the weeds are in retreat but, alas, this is a long-term project. We have made amazing progress but it took years to get this way and it will takes years to reverse it.

Park Enemy: castor bean seedlings. Pull if you see them.


Weeds, as many of you know, are just plants growing in places you do not want them to be. Here in California, and throughout much of the world, many plants from far away places have found a good home with few nature enemies and little competition. They are aggressive bullies that force out the native plants, reducing biodiversity and limiting food supplies for native animals. Some, like castor bean, grow so large that they shade out our lovely, delicate native wildflowers. Other weeds, like arundo, suck the water from the ground, forcing out all other plants, and providing poor habitat for most birds. Where these non-native, invasives grow, little else can grow.

In California, hillsides and fields of multi-colored wildflowers once teamed with life and delighted all who saw them. Now mustard colors the slopes a lovely yellow, but unfortunately at the expense of lupines, tidytips, poppies, phacelias, and untold other wonders. When I hike I see the mustard and ripgut everywhere and I wonder whether we will ever win this battle and restore balance and diversity to the land.

Since Friends of the Nature Park started weeding back in spring of 2006 I have thought hard about methods of weed control. I've read books and articles on the subject and spoken with experts. I see progress but wonder what we could do to be more successful with the limited resources we have.

Weed control by our group has only involved pulling. Weeds with no flowers or seeds are pulled and left to dry up in the sun. Weeds with flowers or seeds are bagged and removed. This has the disadvantages of being very labor intensive, difficult once the ground dries up, and it causes a great deal of soil disturbance.

I have been thinking about trying another method: weed whipping the exotics to keep them from going to seed. We would have to visit the park frequently to make sure we never let the weeds reach maturity. We would also have to be very careful to target the weeds, allowing any native seeds to germinate and grow. Timing is critical. We would go after each weed right as it emerges.

Anyone who has been working at the Nature Park knows how difficult and frustrating this work is, but they also know how much progress we have made. We are beginning to see some native that would never had made it if the weeds had been allowed to grow. There has been more miners lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), fiddleneck (Amsinckia), and miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor). Mugwort (Baccharis salicifolia) is sprouting here and there, and golden currant (Ribes aureum) is appearing all over. Jimson weed (Datura wrightii) is also doing very well. Coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and southern California walnuts (Juglans californica) are sprouting from seed.

So when those who have not seen where we have come from, what we are up against, and how much progress we have made, comment on the condition of the park, I want them to get educated by coming on down to help out.

The state grass, purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra) appeared on the mound near the deerweed.


A lovely stand of blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) with wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpus), golden currant (Ribes aureum), and jimson weed (Datura wrightii).



Blue wildflowers of globe gilia (Gilia capitata) grow with buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), sagebrush (Artemisia californica), and bush sunflower (Encelia california), all coastal sage scrub plants.

Delicate tendrils of wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa) curl from the stems.


Deerweed (Lotus scoparius) is a native shrub found in areas of disturbance, like our Nature Park.


Jimson weed (Datura wrightii) is another early pioneer plant for areas that have experienced rapid change or disturbance.

Jan. 29 Cleanup Report

What a lovely day it was at the Nature Park! Old friends and new wandered in through out the morning. A couple of young families arrived to help out and to look for lizards and other critters.


Others got down and dirty pulling weeds like...


horehound (Marrubium vulgare) before it goes into bloom, forming seed heads that stick to everything.


This horehound has been left to dry out in the sun, leaving room for black sage (Salvia mellifera) and other natives to thrive.


Seedling of sagebrush (Artemisia californica) will do just fine!


Coast sunflower (Encelia californica) on left and large black sage (Salvia mellifera) on right have enjoyed this winter's rains. It took several plantings of the encelia to get one going. Early ones didn't get enough rain and cooked by the wall. This one seems like it will make it. Keep a look out for its happy yellow flowers.



Hope to see some of you at the Nature Park. If you can't make it for the scheduled cleanups, do make the time to go for a stroll - there's always something interesting to see.

Future cleanups are scheduled for:

February 12, 2011
March 19, 2011 (changed from 3/12)
April 9, 2011

PARK CLEANUP, SATURDAY, January 29, 2011, 9 am - noon

Don't know about you all, but I am ready to get back into the park and pull some weeds. On my last visit to the park horehound (Marrubium vulgare) was out of control. Here are some of the weeds we will be battling as the war on the weeds continues!

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)


Castorbean (Ricinus communis)


Mustard (Brassica and Hirshfeldia species)


Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)


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.
See you soon!

PARK CLEANUP - SATURDAY, December 11,9 am - noon

Time to sprinkle some wildflower seeds in the park. I've got California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), globe gilia (Gilia capitata), purple needle grass (Nassella pulchra) and probably some others collected from my garden last spring. And you know, no one sprinkles wildflower seeds better than kids. So hope to see some of you at the park tomorrow.

Poppy with bird's eye gilia (Gilia tricolor)


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.
See you soon!

Park Cleanup Report (9/4/2010)

1. Conyza (horseweed) is spreading in the park. Removed seedlings before they form flowers. Bagged flower/seed heads.
   
2. Very little castor bean. Removed seedlings.
3. Tree of heaven sprouting near sycamore. Removed all sprouts to starve roots.
4. Graffiti on some signage.
5. Irrigation leak near central kiosk.
6. Curved path down the hill from entrance needs to be rebuilt to keep people from taking short cut. Scouts may help with this project.
7. Some of the natives planted last winter are making it. Yay!
8. Many new trees were planted in the park this summer. Some are dead. There are tire tracks from trucks driving over the central area to water the trees. This is not good for the plants or soil.
   
9. City agreed to remove some of the trees that were planted in the central mound. They have been marked with paint but not removed.
10. There are several non-native elms along service road that should be removed.

Next park cleanup: October 9th, 9 am - noon.

November 14 Clean up Report

The picture below is is the most encouraging sign that the nature park is healing. Some California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) was planted in the park. The plant is native to this area and was likely here before we wreaked havoc on the Arroyo. This one is a seedling that came either from those that were planted here or nearby, or maybe it comes from seed that has been dormant in the soil, or possibly it was brought here by a bird. Regardless of how it got here, it is the beginning of recovery for this degraded land.

California buckwheat seedling (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

But not all is perfect in the park. Weeds continue to be a difficult problem. Here you can see the castor bean (Ricinus communis) seedlings coming up in great number. On Saturday we spent time clearing several areas of these pesty weeds.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis)

I am reading a book on vegetation restoration, Bringing Back the Bush, written by Joan Bradley, an Australia woman, who worked with her sister Eileen Bradley battling weeds in the Australian bush. The climate and plant types found there are quite similar to our chaparral and coastal sage scrub. We can learn much from their experience. They have come up with three basic principles for what they call the Bradley method and these are: 1) start from the non-weedy areas (if there are any) and work from there out; 2) work with great care to create as little disturbance while weeding as possible; and 3) do not over clear.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is another opportunistic weed.


We have made some mistakes according to the Bradley method, but we should try to implement their methods in the future because they have found them to work, and they make sense. The general idea is that weeds win in disturbed environments. Over clearing an area makes it perfect for aggressive, invasive weeds to take control. Disturbance also tips the scale in favor of weeds. The idea is to work with nature by removing weeds while encouraging native vegetation to get a foothold because weeds have more difficulty competing with natives in undisturbed sites.

I would like to apply this idea by having individuals adopt areas that have some native plants and then work out from their areas. One spot might be near the sycamore circle. There is the remains of an ailanthus (tree of heaven) forest in this area. If several people focus only on that area, then eventually the massive root system will be depleted of nutrition and will begin to decompose.

A second area is south of the water retention basin. The castor beans were particularly thick in this area. We removed many seedlings this Saturday, with less disturbance to the site since they were young and easy to pull. We need to make sure no castor bean grows to reproductive size. By allowing the seeds in the soil to germinate and then removing them, we will eventually deplete the seed bank. At the same time we need to plant or encourage native plants to get going so that they will keep the area natural.

A third area is near the newly planted kiosk in the center. The native buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) in this area is seeding around. Rather than planting the whole central mound, let's start by the kiosk and gradually move towards the golf course. Datura (Datura wrightii) is a native disturbance plant that one expects to find in disturbed areas where non-native weeds haven't completely dominated. Many are coming up in this central area so we need to protect and encourage them.

Datura seedling (Datura wrightii)

So pick your spot and keep at it, and as always, enjoy the Nature Park.

Pretty picture of the day: alkali dropseed (Sporobolus airoides).

October 4 Clean-up Report

Beautiful red dragonfly

Although several people suggested that they had been unable to attend the Saturday clean-ups, few new people came this Sunday either. Unless I get a stronger commitment for Sundays, I will stick with the second Saturday of the month for future park clean-ups.

If you haven't stopped by, do so, the park is looking better all the time. Now that the weeds are less of a problem, we will focus more attention on planting to improve the vegetation in the park. Depending on weather, I am hoping to plant in November or December. I will let everyone know when that will be. We will have over a hundred plants, so I hope we can get some help.

Sunday was a beautiful cool day at the park. We found little castor bean or other weeds. The big one now is the Russian thistle, aka tumbleweed, (Salsola tragus). As I mentioned in the September report, we will concentrate on removing young plants since the older ones have already seeded. This plant needs to be bagged to make sure we remove the seeds. It likes disturbed soil, so in time, as the park stabilizes, it should become less of a problem.



Deerweed (Lotus scoparius)

I know the above picture isn't exciting to many of you, but this plant is a native found in sites with disturbance, like washes. We planted a few last year but I haven't seen any of these return. It is likely this is a progeny from the ones we planted. I get excited when I see these kinds of plants because they indicate that the area is recovering from its weedy, disturbed condition.


Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

Similarly, these seedling buckwheats (Eriogonum fasciculatum) show that locally native plants can return and thrive in the area.


Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)

And of course, the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) in the center of the park is a joy to look at. The trash bag beneath it is filled with Russian thistle.


Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobia)

And what can beat poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobia) for autumn color?

Every time I come to the park I see people jogging, walking dogs, riding horses and just strolling through the park. It is your park - enjoy it.

Mid-Summer in the Nature Park

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

On Friday and Saturday I went down into the Nature Park to speak with some people interested in doing additional volunteer work. The good news first! The Clematis ligusticifolia - virgin's bower - is in full bloom.

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

The wild buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) is also blooming its heart out!

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

And now for the not-so-good news. The weeds are thriving! There are many new castor bean (Ricinus communis) seedlings.

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is going to seed.

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

Tree of heaven (Ailanthus alissima) continues to sprout from the root system of the original tree.

From 2009 0711 (SPNP)

Although litter and graffiti are both problems, we must be especially diligent removing these weeds. If we allow them get a real foothold, the park will not provide good native habitat.

And more good news! The boy scouts are coming to the rescue. I have been talking with a couple of scouts and am hopeful they will be able to make a serious dent in the weeds and possibly with some of the signage. If you know of anyone else who would like to help out, please give them my email address (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com).

And even more good news! The city has provided some funds for the purchase of new plants. We will be buying and planting them in November and December (the best time of year to plant natives). We will plant out from the central kiosk into the large, barren central part of park. By planting in a relatively contained area we will have an easier time keeping the weeds at bay and the new plants alive.

Next clean-up will be the September 12th (second Saturday of the month). I will send out an email a week and a half before the event, and another reminder a couple of days before it. If you want to be added or removed from the email list, please let me know.

See you in September!

Met with City Workers in the Park

Met with staff to discuss maintenance

On Thursday, August 7th, I met with the staff from So Pas Dept. of Public Works and TruGreen landscape maintenance at the Nature Park to discuss park maintenance. Overall, the park looks good. The sycamore circle is really looking better than ever. There is some graffiti, especially on the sign near the circle. We decided that for now it would be best to remove the sign since it is totally covered with graffiti, both painted and scratched, and can't be cleaned up anymore.
As Jesse Barajas of Public Works put it, "The greatest asset in the Nature Park are the trees." Many of the trees pre-date dedication of this land as a Nature Park in October 2004. The trees that were planted in 2004 by MRCA (Mts and Rivers Conservation Authority)and SMMC (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy) with money from the state, are doing well.

Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)

Invasive weeds are biggest challenge
The biggest challenge in the park are invasive weeds. The land before its conversion to a nature park was a degraded, illegal dumpsite. Land like this is usually overgrown with exotic, invasive weeds. MRCA cleared out a castor bean forest and removed many other aggressive weeds. They regraded the land, put in a retention basin, paths, signage, and some appropriate native plants. Many of the trees are doing well, but many of the smaller shrubs and perennials have not made it. This is not a problem, though, because the park had a very nice collection of native plants to start with.

The problem are the weeds. If we do not keep them under control, the park will revert to its earlier condition. The city has been doing much to control castor bean, milk thistle and other weeds. Right now the worst problem is the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissimo) above the circle (on the east side of the park, south of the sycamore). A large specimen of this aggressive weed was removed when the park was created. The root system continues to sprout new "tree-lets". If they aren't removed then they will take over this section of the park - no joke! TruGreen will be removing this problem plant, along with tree tobacco, Chinese elm, Russian thistle, and castor bean.

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissimo) getting a foothold in the Nature Park