Friends Of Mission Trail Nature Preserve

GRANT FUNDED INVASIVE VEGETATION REMOVAL PROGRAM:FRIENDS OF MISSION TRAIL NATURE PRESERVE HAS RAISED SIGNIFICANT GRANT FUNDING OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS INVESTING MANY OF THOSE FUNDS REMOVING THICKETS OF INVASIVE SPECIES INCLUDING GENISTA, ENGLISH IVY, CAPE IVY, COTONEASTER, VINCA, AND INVASIVE TREE SAPLINGS. OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS, FRIENDS HAS PAID FOR A LABORER WORKING EACH SATURDAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN AGGREGATE, OUR GROUP HAS INVESTED $62,400 IN CLEARING THE PRESERVE OF INVASIVE VEGETATION OUT OF TOTAL FUNDING EXPENDITURES OF MORE THAN $140,000. THE REMAINDER OF THOSE GRANT FUNDS HAS BEEN SPENT ON NUMEROUS OTHER IMPORTANT PROJECTS BENEFITING THE PRESERVE. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT:FRIENDS CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED INVASIVE VEGETATION ENCROACHMENTS ON 19 SEPARATE PLOTS WITHIN THE PRESERVE AND SCHEDULED THE REMOVAL OF IDENTIFIED SPECIES. EACH PLOT WAS SURVEYED FOR NEW NATIVE PIONEER SPECIES ON SIGHTS PREVIOUSLY CLEARED OF INVASIVE VEGETATION. MANY NEW NATIVES ARE RESETTLING CLEARED SITES INCLUDING COYOTE BUSH, TOYON, PINE, LIVE OAK, CHAPARRAL, RIBES, COFFEEBERRY, NATIVE GRASSES, AND A HOST OF OTHERS.FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT AND ABATEMENT:GROUND SURVEYS IDENTIFIED THREE (3) ADDITIONAL PLOTS (6, 11, & 18) TARGETING FIRE FUEL ABATEMENT AS A PRIORITY. FUELS REMOVED CONSISTED OF DENSE CHAPARRAL, THICKETS OF GRASSES AND BRUSH, AND DEADFALL DEBRIS. INVASIVE ACACIA TREES WERE ALSO REMOVED PER PRESERVE POLICY. A FOLLOW-UP SWEEP BY GROUND CREWS REMOVED GENISTA SEEDLINGS AND SMALL INVASIVE PLANTS TO COMPLETE THE TASK.SINGLE TRACK HIKING TRAIL RESTORATIONS:THE ENTIRE SINGLE-TRACK HIKING TRAIL SYSTEM WITHIN THE PRESERVE WAS RESTORED. DOOLITTLE TRAIL WAS WIDENED, AND DECKING WAS INSTALLED TO CLEAR A WETLAND SITE. GRADES WERE IMPROVED AND SECTIONS REROUTED TO AVOID NATURAL HAZARDS. TWO SECTIONS IN THE NORTHERN REACHES OF THE FLANDERS TRAIL WERE REROUTED AND GRADES REDUCED OR WIDENED. ADDITIONAL SECTIONS OF SPLIT RAIL FENCING WERE INSTALLED ALONG THE MESA TRAIL SWITCHBACK TO PREVENT SHORTCUTTING AND CONTROL EROSION.MANUAL REMOVAL OF INVASIVE ENGLISH IVY THICKETS:LARGE SECTIONS OF PLOT 6 AND 11 (35,000 SQ. FT.) WERE COMPLETELY ENVELOPED IN ENGLISH IVY AND THICKETS OF GENISTA. THIS PROJECT TOOK 3 MONTHS OF FOCUSED ATTENTION HAND PULLING ALL PLANTS WITH SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW-UP REMOVING SEEDLINGS AND OTHER NEW INVADERS. THE ENTIRE SITE WILL BE MONITORED ANNUALLY TO ADDRESS ANY NEW CHALLENGES. REFORESTATION:FRIENDS VOLUNTEERS SPENT NEARLY THREE YEARS REMOVING THICKETS OF INVASIVE VEGETATION AND TREE SEEDLINGS THAT COLONIZED WETLANDS PREVIOUSLY CLEARED OF INVASIVE EUCALYPTUS AND ACACIA TREES. NOW THAT THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN CLEARED AND ARE BEING MONITORED, VOLUNTEERS PLANTED 63 NATIVE BLACK WILLOWS, BLACK COTTONWOOD AND COAST LIVE OAKS TO MIMIC THE WETLAND ECOSYSTEM SURROUNDING THE SITE. ELIMINATE IVY CLIMBERS:TREES WITHIN THE PRESERVE ARE CONSTANTLY THREATENED BY ENGLISH AND CAPE IVY TENDRILS REACHING FOR THE SKY USING NATIVE TREES AS SCAFFOLDING. THESE AGGRESSIVE INVASIVE PLANTS WILL EVENTUALLY COMPLETELY ENVELOPE AND SMOTHER A TREES CANOPY. A FEW HUNDRED TREES WITHIN THE PINE AND OAK WOODLAND HAVE BEEN TREATED.PLANTING NATIVE SPECIES:FRIENDS VOLUNTEERS PLANTED NATIVE SHRUBS, GRASSES AND TREES AT THE MT. VIEW ENTRY TO COMPLETE THE FINAL STEP IN REBUILDING AND IMPROVING THE ENTRY. FRIENDS INSTALLED FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT, SIGNAGE AND FENCING FOR THE PROJECT.ROWNTREE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN:VOLUNTEER MASTER GARDNERS CONTINUED MAINTAINING THE GARDEN GROUNDS. NEW IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE TO BE DEVELOPED AND UNDERTAKEN.