SoCal Native-Plant Dune Restoration Project (2023-2024)

Fragile and hardy all at the same time – how can this be? Dune plants are incredibly resilient to moving sands, salt air, wind and nutrient-poor soil. They can withstand almost anything except being walked on. They are also incredibly difficult to propagate and grow in a pampered nursery environment. They crave tough love!

After receiving a resounding “not interested” from other nurseries, Growing Solutions was asked to grow a batch of dune plants for a Southern California coastal mitigation project. We always like a challenge – that’s the fun part of plant propagation.

We took on the task of growing Abronia maritima and Abronia umbellata var. umbellata, the charming sand verbenas seen on protected dunes around southern and central California. This species has beautiful red (A.maritima) or pink (A. umbellata) flowers and produces seeds housed in tough fibrous pods with three wings—the better to float on the tides and catch a hollow in the sand. In nature these pods persist in the wild for several seasons and over time sun and rain will decompose to release the seed. 

In the nursery there are several techniques and tricks to achieve germination and once germinated they need a bit of TLC (Tough Loving Care) in transplanting. Ruth Hamilton, former student and Growing Solutions’ horticultural master, did a fine job of bumping up baby dune plants and noticing small changes and nuances that ensured plant survival. We discovered that Abronia follows the movement of the sun throughout the day, orienting its leaves and twisting slightly to track the sun. We also discovered the plants don’t like to be rotated in the nursery different from their adapted orientation. 

Part of our success in growing dune plants is recognizing their adaptation to shifting dunes. Plants such as silver bur ragweed (Abrosia Chamissonis), has nasty burrs that are no fun to step on with bare feet. But it’s a great way to spread itself around! Another treasure is beach suncup (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia) and the stalwart seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium). To successfully grow plants in the nursery we accept the evolutionary traits the plants have and adapted our growing techniques to the plants’ needs. One way to do this is to divide species such as Abronia and cut back Eriogonum to simulate natural disturbances. 

We’ve had a lot of fun and a few challenges growing these plants, with our guiding light being our effort to simulate the natural conditions the plants need to thrive. 

Blue Mountains Forest Management and Restoration

Poor forest management and climate change have driven the surge in massive forest fires. We saw that coming 35 years ago and started restoring 400 acres of forest in the Blue Mountains of NE Oregon. In the mid 1930’s this old growth forest was clear cut. Massive erosion ensued destroying fish bearing streams and downstream meadows. This heavy logging also significantly modified the historical structure, composition and function. The forest has regrown. 35 years ago we saw a thicket of small and medium trees, instead of widely spaced big trees. There is not enough light and moisture to grow a healthy stand of trees. These are perfect conditions for a massive wildfire.

Over time we have thinned the small and medium sized trees leaving all of the bigger ones. This summer, with help from NRCS we thinned 78 acres of 6-to-8-inch trees. We have created more open patches for understory plants for wildlife habitat. Over time we have created a mixed aged stand of all tree sizes and species. This has helped to create a healthy fire-resistant forest. Taking a landscape approach, we have been careful not to do any work near the two creeks. An elk calving area is also off limits. We have left thick patches for foxes, coyotes and bears. No work anywhere close to eagle and owl nests. Along the creeks we have been adding biodiversity by planting more cottonwoods, aspens and dogwoods.

 It has been a long process, but our work is showing promise. A healthy fire resistant forest with lot’s of wildlife has emerged.

Oregon Grassland Restoration

Here’s a fun fact: Native perennial grasslands sequester more carbon than trees. This increased carbon sequestration happens due to their extensive root systems. Unlike trees, most of the native grass biomass is found below ground. And overall, native grasslands store more carbon than those dominated by non-natives. 

In Oregon we are restoring 600 acres of grasslands that has been overgrazed for 150 years. A decade ago we took the first step by writing a management plan and rested all pastures for two years. Thanks to Natural Resource Conservation we have a funded plan. Our actions include reducing the number of cows and rotating them more often. We do not put the cows on until late in the season when all the grasses and forbs (small herbaceous plants) have gone to seed. We rotate the cows as soon as the grass gets four inches above the ground. We rest one or two of the six pastures every year. In addition, we are eradicating annual weeds and reseeding with native grasses and forbs. 

The grasslands have a complex plant pallet composed of perennial and annual grasses with an abundance of flowering forbs. Camas (Camassia quamash) is a high-priority plant as it is a first food for the tribes in our area. It has a striking blue flower creating a lovely swatch when flowering over a healthy meadow. Camas is harvested with a digging strip, poking the stick in the ground and popping out a bulb. The bulbs are sweet when roasted, high in protein and calories. As Camas is harvested and the bulbs broken up the small bulbs are distributed in the soil creating more plants the next year. 

In the long-term we are considering removing cattle entirely and leaving the grass for the elk and deer. Over time we will improve our soil fertility and enhance plant biodiversity. It’s a slow process, but ultimately, we will sequester more carbon. We all know there is too much carbon in the atmosphere and not enough in the soil. Healthy soils will help flip that picture.

Santa Cruz Island Field Trip, Feb. 2023

It still feels a bit strange to be back traveling with students – remnants of the Covid-isolation years, I guess. This year’s class of nine Santa Barbara City College restoration-ecology students were highly diverse in age and backgrounds as any past year, bringing valuable experiences and differing worldviews to the mix. Our annual student trip to Santa Cruz Island is such a great opportunity for Growing Solutions staff as teachers, ecologists (and chef!) to get to know the students, and dig into the concepts, techniques and realities of restoration ecology. 

After an easy, near-flat channel crossing we landed at Prisoner’s Harbor and drove the long, steep Navy road to the UC Reserve field station. Due to the heavy winter rains this year the more direct Canada del Puerto road was washed out and impassible in a number of spots. 

The next day the channel was so windy that no boats ran and we had the island to ourselves. Awesome! We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day of hiking searching out our stands of endemic Island Bush Mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus) plants, brought back from the edge of extinction and now thriving in multiple areas of the island. We enjoyed excellent meals prepared by Barlo, one of our founding board members and chef extraordinaire. 

On the last day after packing up the truck, most of students opted to walk Canada del Puerto to see for themselves the condition of the canyon road or lack thereof. It was a pleasant and sometimes wet three-mile walk, crossing the creek multiple times. We learned a bit about hydrology and the power of water, noting downed trees, tons of rock and gravel that was carried with the flow of the past storms. And resilience. While the road was washed out, the oak trees were glistening and brilliant from the rain and every plant looked happy and ready to burst into amazing flowers.

“The sense of serenity that washed over me on the island felt instinctual,” wrote Steve, one of the students. “It felt incredible to exist in a place that is so close to how it is naturally supposed to be. Being with two of the heroes that have dedicated their lives to this and many more restoration projects was eye-opening as to what type of impact we can have on the world if we choose a path that feels right.“—Karen Flagg


Dune Plant Ponderings

Dune species are some of my favorite plants for a number of reasons. To begin with, who can complain about a day spent working and researching on the beach? However, in growing dune species a person comes to understand why they are so vulnerable to human disturbance. They can be tricky to germinate, don’t like confined spaces (such as one-gallon pots) and may or may not be perennials. And, they need careful handling.

For example, Ambrosia chamissonis. Such a pleasantly deceptive name for thorn-ridden silver ragweed that beach goers step on only once! While it is problematic to handle while sowing, it does germinate readily…most of the time. Then there’s the Calystegia soldanell, the pretty dune morning-glory that loves to send out long tendrils, twisting and curling around its neighbor making it all but impossible to rotate the pots. Great for stabilizing the dunes, problematic in the nursery. 

One of the most beautiful and confounding species is the Abronia, or sand verbena. Two species are found in Southern California. Red sand verbena, Abronia maritima, is a perennial found on the coast growing as low-lying mats on loose sand a.k.a. sand dunes. Pink verbena, Abronia umbellata, can be stress-deciduous (meaning a plant can go dormant because of stress like drought) and can be annuals or perennials. It can hybridize with the perennial red sand verbena making identification and challenging, not to mention is the progeny annual or perennial? 

This is why I love to find and grow plants; always a puzzle, something to figure out and the diversity, resilience and complexity of the plant world is endless. It’s also a huge boost to share dune-plant lore and see our students get interested and excited about these wonders hidden in plain sight. —Karen Flagg

When Rabbits Rule

Here at GS we’ve had an exciting winter. Lots of unexpected rain, flooding, and an overabundance of rabbits! The airport nursery which we manage is located on a wetland so flooding is not unexpected. Most of our plants are on waist-high benches and generally safe. 

Except for this year. During the recent heavy rains we had super-rabbits hopping, no, leaping, tall tables for their lives. As the waters rose during the heavy December storms during the rising waters of the of the December storms sirens went off and the airport folks evacuated the area and shut down all flights. 

But the rabbits kept coming. And once high and mostly dry they did what rabbits do. It took a bit of sleuthing to figure out who was munching our fragile, finicky dune plants. At first, our horticulturist Ruth and I suspected mice, maybe rats. But the leaves weren’t browsed, and quarter inch thick stems were cut clean at 45-degree angles. 

But since 2023 is the Chinese year of the rabbit—said to be the luckiest animal in the Chinese Zodiac—we consider the unexpected browsing an offering. And wish you hope, longevity, peace, and prosperity for the year and beyond.

Hidaway Calf Encounter

On the morning of June 27, 2022, our neighbor Susan texted to say she say heard gun shots at 5:30 am, causing the 100 plus elk herd on the Hidaway property we manage to bolt towards Cable Creek, abandoning a spotted young’n who couldn’t jump the fence. Damn poachers – nothing Daniel Boone-like about these modern-day rifle bearers…shame on them for going after elk out of the legal hunting season. Hunting happens in the fall for those who have bought tags.

There’s lots of different kind of tags; bull, cow, rifle, bow, etc… the overriding strategy is to have a healthy sustainable herd. Late-fall hunting allows the elk to breed around the fall equinox and give birth in the spring, when abundant grass and warm weather maximizes calf viability. Bulls are targeted as they service multiple females, so the populations doesn’t need to be 50/50. Additionally, the bulls are easier to spot in the fall hosting their full rack of antlers.

Don, returning from Hidaway Creek, spotted the lone calf in the tall grass next to the fence, waiting for its mama to come back. We agreed we needed to cut the wire on the fence and free the calf. While approaching the little one we contemplated our strategy, guessing what the calf would do. We thought it was likely to run away, or panic and run into the fence.

Wow, were we surprised! As Don worked the wire cutters the elk calf sniffed his hand. Two wires cut and the calf jumped the fence and came directly to me, its nostrils quivering as it sniffed the air. Now what? I decided to see if it would follow me to the creek. While the baby elk seemed in good condition, it wouldn’t have had any milk or water for over 24 hours. Being late June, calving season is just about ending, making this babe either a month old, or maybe just a couple of weeks. What we did notice is that it wasn’t grazing on grass yet.

I walked to Mud Creek with the calf following close on my butt, just as it would its mother. It occasionally gained ground and walked beside me, bumping me in the hip, just as a rambunctious 3-year-old child would do. We got to Mud Creek where the calf sniffed even more intently and eventually decided to drink from the creek. Mom and Don drove down in the Clipper mini truck, which didn’t seem to bother the calf at all. We hung out for a while, in the cool understory of the creek, keeping a keen eye out for an angry mama looking for her wayward calf. All was quiet.

We decided I should head closer to the calving grounds, which I did, hoping the young calf would smell something significant and make its way back to mama. After a while, I turned back and seemed to have been forgotten by the lost calf, as it did not follow me back. The game warden showed up and continued the investigation, heading over to the calving ground to see if he could pick up any sign of the poacher. We’re all hoping for a happy ending to the calf’s adventure.

Post script: Five days later, we went back to Hidaway to see what we could find… We followed the tracks of the poacher, learning where he entered the property. We did not see any vultures circling and considered this a good sign of nothing dead nearby. Back at the office, I checked the SD cards from the Mud Creek game camera and it appears the baby elk went back to Mud Creek and Mama showed up that evening.





SBCC Stadium Hill Restoration

When the Santa Barbara breakwater and harbor was completed in 1929, sand immediately started accumulating behind the jetty and a beach (and a world-class surf break) was formed. Nine years later, the University of California built the La Playa Stadium on the coastal bluffs overlooking the harbor. Generations of students, alumni and sports fans have practiced, played and watched their favorite field sports with an unparalleled view of the coast as backdrop.

However, the undeveloped steep slopes leading down to the playing field/track are subject to ongoing erosion and weed infestation. To help shore up and beautify the slopes, Growing Solutions, with a private donation from a Chumash tribal member, began to revegetate and restore the long-neglected slopes in 2007. 

Over the next two years SBCC Ecological Restoration students weeded, laid down irrigation and erosion control fabric during several class labs. Section by section students from SBCC’s Ecological Restoration class planted Santa Barbara-native quailbush, coastal sunflower, sages and lemonade berry. Today we have nearly 100 percent cover providing slope stability, cover and forage for birds and small mammals. The next time you’re on campus, check the view and smell the lovely coastal sage!

Hidaway Creek Update Winter 2022

We had a good day yesterday at Hidaway which is tucked away in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. It was sunny and warm, a balmy 35F degrees compared to the sub-freezing single digits we’ve had this week in Pendleton. We drove in from the forest service road before the permit expires on Monday with team member, John. Due to road conditions, we parked and hiked 2.5 miles down to the river, contouring the mountainside, and descending over 600-feet in elevation. All downhill in…and all uphill out!

The $470,000 Hidaway Creek Restoration project (to help the native Steelhead populations recover) is slated to be installed this coming July. The project has been jumpstarted by cutting trees and staging them for the summer install in the creek. This winter portion of the project cost $140,000: $20k to get the feller/buncher, bulldozer and excavator on and off site. After that, $15k a day for equipment and their operators —eight days on site to complete the staging. This work is being done during the winter as the ground is frozen and mostly covered in snow which protects the soil from disturbance and does the least amount of damage.

During the day we spotted two coyotes and three deer along with snow-hare prints and other prints we couldn’t identify. John came across a canine print as big as his fist (he’s a big guy) and suspects it was a wolf. If so, this would be the first wolf on site although some locals swear they’ve seen them nearby. We haven't "caught" a wolf on camera yet, or a beaver. But we’re ever hopeful. Beavers are the keystone indicator species that will indicate the success we’ve been working towards…a healthy river ecosystem.

New Santa Rosa Island Virtual Gallery

Over Easter weekend 2019, Growing Solutions staff, students and colleagues made their first official trip to Santa Rosa Island to study island-endemic plants and help Dr. Kathryn McEachern remove non-native invasive species from one of her many island test sites. With mild sunny weather after a wet winter, the island was painted with amazing wide swaths of rainbow-hue wildflowers. Santa Rosa Island, which opened to the public as a national park in 2011, has a full-time research field station run by California State University Channel Islands. Seven students from the SBCC Restoration Ecology Class made the three-hour crossing (with stops on Santa Cruz Island) and stayed for two nights at the field station. Lots of fresh air, fun and good food…and absolutely no cel reception to keep people off their smartphones! Plans were made to return the following year but were abruptly shut down by Covid-19 precautions. But we look forward to 2022. To learn more about Santa Rosa Island and to tour a gallery of SRI images, CLICK HERE