noviembre 22, 2021
Posted in: News Articles
Los estudiantes de SRJC se unen para la jornada laboral en Haroutunian South
Earlier this month, Taylor Acosta, one of our Stewardship Technicians, welcomed a biology class from Santa Rosa Junior College to Haroutunian South for a workday caring for and learning from the land. Haroutunian South is a 21-acre property in southwest Santa Rosa that we purchased in 1995 for its values as a greenbelt in our county’s most populated city, and also for its unique natural resources. The property is home to vernal pools and seasonal wetlands that are home to unique animals and plants such as the state and federally protected endangered Sebastopol meadowfoam and Sonoma sunshine (a teeny-tiny yellow flower pictured in the gallery to the right). California tiger salamander have also been sighted on the property over the years.
Durante el reciente día de trabajo con los estudiantes de SRJC, los esfuerzos se centraron en quitar las tuberías viejas de monitoreo de agua, cortar la zarzamora invasora del Himalaya y sacar las rosetas de cardón (foto en la galería a la derecha). Durante la etapa de roseta, puede arrancar plantas de cardo y luego dejarlas en la propiedad para que se descompongan y beneficien la salud del suelo y los insectos, mientras que en etapas posteriores (cuando se están espigando) debe retirar las plantas de la propiedad para asegurarse de que no No esparzas sus semillas. ¡Una planta de cardo puede producir hasta 3,000 semillas! Los estudiantes también tuvieron tiempo para escribir un diario sobre la naturaleza para ayudar a reflexionar sobre su trabajo y lo que habían aprendido mientras estaban en la tierra.
Mientras cuidamos esta tierra durante los últimos 25 años, hemos visto serpientes reales, liebres, ciervos y animales de madriguera. Actualmente, la propiedad está siendo pastoreada por ganado propiedad de un pastor local, lo que ayuda a controlar las especies invasoras y evita que afecten los hábitats sensibles de las charcas primaverales.
Caring for our lands takes many types of support, from the voters who created our agency to the volunteers that sign up for stewardship outings. Last spring we had a bustling outing, hosted by us and our partners at the Laguna Foundation, where community volunteers helped remove a new patch of invasive yellow starthistle (which had never before been reported at this site), and then clipped and lopped two large Himalayan blackberry patches within the sensitive vernal pool area. They also had some time to remove teasel, too!
Looking ahead, we’re working with the Laguna Foundation whose staff will be surveying the property to monitor rare species. They’ve worked with us on this land since 2007 as part of their “Adopt a Vernal Pool” program, and will also be providing us with recommendations on how to manage the property in the future. Keep an eye on our Outings + Events page, and our social media, for future outings to learn from and care for this special place.
