At the BFS Saturday workdays, volunteers not only improve habitat but also maintain and improve usability for students and researchers. For example, our first two workdays of the spring semester were dedicated to clearing the (badly overgrown) trail around pHake Lake and clearing brush from sites used by students to collect lake water for aquatic biology studies.
We also removed some invasive Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta) from the little island in pHake Lake. This common landscape ornamental has become extremely invasive in riparian areas, orchards and landscaped areas and can create monospecific stands in riparian areas, crowding out native vegetation. Several years ago one of these palms appeared on the island, and then another, and then another, so it seemed that it was time for them to go!
BFS Director Marty Meyer digs up a Mexican Fan Palm on the little island in the lake. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Dean McHenry tosses a Mexican Fan Palm onto the brush pile. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Next the volunteers tackled the two sampling sites, which you can see before and after clearing:
One of the Keck Science Department’s sampling sites before (left) and after (right) clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Apparently students will not be the only ones to enjoy improved access to the water’s edge – a Snowy Egret visited the site the day after clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
The second Keck Science Department sampling site before (left) and after (right) clearming. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Attention was then turned to the lake trail:
Sarah Stevens (HMC ’15), Max Byers (HMC ’17), and Kyle Jensen (Pomona ’17) trim back shrubs along the trail. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Jacob Thomas (Citrus College) hauls out a large laurel sumac limb, while Anwen Evans cuts branches that snagging the limb, and Valerie Evans and Max Byers (HMC) wait to carry out brush. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Mike Tschudi rakes cut cholla stems off the trail. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Dean McHenry, Carol Cox, and Mike Tschudi haul out brush. ©Nancy Hamlett.
Mike Lertvilai (HMC ’16), BFS Director Marty Meyer, Dean McHenry, and Terry Donovan bring back cut branches. ©Nancy Hamlett.
The results were most satisfying, as you can see on a little virtual walk around the trail:
A portion of the lake trail before (left) and after (right) clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
A portion of the lake trail before (left) and after (right) clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
A portion of the lake trail before (left) and after (right) clearing.
A portion of the lake trail before (left) and after (right) clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
A portion of the lake trail before (left) and after (right) clearing. ©Nancy Hamlett.
The next volunteer workday will be Saturday, Feb. 15. We hope you can join us!