Invasive Invasion

Invasive plant management is a key aspect of conservation. Some nonnative plants can become invasive and grow faster than Catalina natives. These invasive species compete for sunlight, water and nutrients in the soil, crowding the native species out. Left unmanaged, these invaders would overtake native habitats, potentially dooming some to extinction and harming animals that rely on them for shelter and food. Invasive species are routinely treated by staff through the Catalina Habitat Improvement and Restoration Program (CHIRP) to keep them from further invading our rare native vegetative communities.

on, as seeds can be transported via wind currents or even on visitors' shoes.

“When we list something in invasives as eradicated, the plants have all been removed and no new seedlings are coming up in those historical areas. Once time

Understanding the nuances of plant eradication is necessary to measure the impact of CHIRP or similar programs elsewhere. For example, some plants whose historic populations have been deemed eradicated across the Island may still show up later has passed, beyond the plant’s seed longevity, then it is coined eradicated,” said Ryan Murdoff, Plant Conservation Manager, Invasive Plants. A perfect example of this would be the Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus). “Unless someone plants it or a bird deposits a seed, it is no longer on Island and is past the seed longevity period.”

Still, technically eradicated plants like the Himalayan blackberry are only kept at bay due to the vigilant work of the CHIRP team. Two species, Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) used to be in that same category, but reappeared in the last two years. Last July, Yellow starthistle was discovered along Airport Road, a great example of how seeds can easily come onto the Island by vehicle, bicycle or hiking boot. The team discovered 209 plants, 55 of which were flowering. Due to their efforts, all were removed before

going to seed. There is one known active population of Puncturevine which has been removed and the site is being monitored.

“We’ve had success with early detection,” Ryan said. “It’s bad news that these plants showed up, of course, but good news that we’ve caught and actively manage them.”

Another unique species is Giant reed (Arundo donax). All historic populations outside of Avalon have been eradicated, but new populations start via water sources. Giant reed doesn’t spread via seed, but instead by root division and cuttings. Currents and storms transport rafts of debris, including live root systems and stems, from the mainland to Catalina’s beaches. Close to 100 percent of Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) populations have been eradicated from the wildlands, but new populations surface periodically for various reasons including wind and landscaping.

The biggest target species for the invasives team has been the same for years: Flax-leaf broom (Genista linifolia). This species makes up around 40 percent of all plants in a containment zone around Avalon.

The containment zone around Avalon is roughly 3,000 of Catalina Island's 48,000 acres. Once outside this containment zone, it has only a few known locations in watersheds. Flax-leaf broom makes up nearly half the year’s work for the CHIRP crew. It presents a clear threat because it is aggressive, fast-spreading and persistent in the environment - and its seeds can remain viable in soil for more than 50 years.

Determining target species is a group effort. The invasive plant program uses information from the California Invasive Plant Council and also gets input from The Nature Conservancy, United States Navy and other land managers from the mainland. The CHIRP staff travel to the most remote locations on the Island, through steep and rugged terrain, to control these species, bringing their comprehensive and complex understanding of Catalina’s unique ecology and geography to bear in the ongoing fight against invasive species.

GIVE INVASIVE SEEDS THE BRUSH OFF

Boot brushing is one way you can make a difference when traveling to the interior of Catalina. The proper use of this tool goes a long way to help keep invasive species from spreading on the Island.

Catalina is home to many unique plants found nowhere else on earth. This sensitive island habitat is easily harmed when non-native plants are introduced. Unfortunately, plant seeds can hitch a ride on our shoes without us knowing it. Brushing sides and soles of shoes helps to prevent the spread of invasive species. Cleaning before a hike and between different habitat types helps prevent the introduction of non-native seeds to protected areas. Help care for the Island by giving seeds the brush off!

These handheld boot brushes are available for purchase at the Trailhead visitor center in Avalon.

g the Nest

ald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) once again soar in the skies above Catalina Island. In 2019, nine chicks hatched and grew to young adulthood on the Island before taking flight. The species wasn’t always thriving. From 1947 to 1970, approximately five million pounds of the pesticide DDT was leaked into the ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. As eagles ate the contaminated fish, the shells of their eggs became porous and unviable. B

In 1980, Catalina Island Conservancy partnered with the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) in an effort to reintroduce bald eagles to Catalina Island. This consisted of bringing birds back to the Island, replacing their eggs with false ones to protect the fragile orbs from being crushed and artificially incubating the real eggs off site. After the chicks hatched offsite, they were brought back to the Island and placed in nests to continue to mature. Accessing these remote nests isn’t for the faint of heart, with some only accessible via helicopter. Until as recently as 2007, bald eagle populations were still in trouble on Catalina Island. With human help, their populations have rebounded and, as of 2009, all nests have been left once again to natural hatching and incubation.

Catalina Island Conservancy has worked over the years in partnership with IWS to make this success story possible. IWS continues to band eaglets at approximately two months old with both a federal bird band and the Bald Eagle Restoration Project band. There are now eight pairs of bald eagles that call Catalina Island home, seven of which successfully hatched eaglets in 2019.

Other Channel Islands also saw breeding success Santa Rosa Island: 1 Chick San Clemente Island: 2 Chicks Anacapa Island: 2 Chicks Santa Cruz Island: 10 Chicks

Catalina Naturalist Excursions ON DEMAND

he Conservancy’s popular Naturalist training series continues to grow, offering options for you to expand your knowledge of the Island. There are three levels of instruction, Naturalist Training 1, 2 and 3. After completing the free, two-hour, classroom-based Naturalist 1 Training, many Island enthusiasts want to further their knowledge of the natural and cultural history of Catalina with an all-day excursion into the wildlands for Naturalist 2 Training. In addition to these monthly trainings offered the last Wednesday of most months, we are pleased to now provide topic-focused excursions to learning organizations upon request. T

Groups with a shared mission, such as an education or science related group, can reach out to the Conservancy's education department to schedule a private Naturalist 2 Training. Whether for team building or for further education, our goal is to make sure that we’re providing enriching experiences into Catalina’s wildlands for our learning partners.

“These private Naturalist 2 Trainings are great because I can schedule our stops to emphasize the topic the group is interested in,” said education interpretation & outreach specialist Hillary Holt. “We stay on the same loop, but for a group like California Native Plant Society we’re able to budget more time for the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery.”

Scheduled chartered groups include the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, San Diego State Association of Women in Geosciences, and the California Native Plant Society –among others.

Naturalist 2 Training explores the geology, botany and hydrology of the Island; visits prehistoric and historic cultural sites; and offers an overview of the Conservancy’s current land and wildlife management programs. Working through a course workbook throughout the training ties together the ecological history of Catalina.

If you have an education or science-oriented group that would like to schedule a Naturalist 2 Training, contact Hillary Holt at hholt@catalinaconservancy.org today. Visit us online at CatalinaConservancy.org for more information on monthly Naturalist Trainings currently available.

Catalina Educator Symposium

ducators across the Island came together on October 23rd for the Conservancy's Catalina Educator Symposium. More than 30 education thought leaders gathered at the Trailhead for the opportunity to network and collaborate about connecting with learners of all ages and to share the beauty and uniqueness of the Island through experiential learning. E

Sarah Marcotte, public engagement specialist, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, kicked off the program with an inspiring keynote address detailing the public engagement pathway they use for effective communication.

Three other speaker sessions tackled how to measure your impact, taking idea to action and creating successful partnerships. Catalina Island Conservancy's Director of Education, Dr. Leah Melber, spoke about incorporating evaluation as an important means of measuring program impact.

Hillary Holt, Catalina Island Conservancy Interpretation and Outreach Specialist, discussed many of the Conservancy’s programs, including Families in Nature, Course Catalina and NatureWorks. Facilities for deeper learning, such as the Conservancy Nature Center in Avalon Canyon and Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, provide more opportunities for hands-on learning, and interpretive displays at Airport in the Sky and the Trailhead engage visitors at popular stops.

Tony Budrovich, Conservancy President and CEO, shared his long term perspective on education and reaffirmed the Conservancy’s ongoing commitment to education programming. The educators agreed that Catalina is a unique, amazing place for sparking a love of science and nature, with many programs working to inspire change on both a global and individual scale.

“The 2019 Catalina Educator Symposium was a fantastic opportunity for educators from around the Island to have a full day to connect, share best practices and even plan for future collaborations,” said Melber. “While meetings like this are incredibly beneficial to our individual organizations, it’s really those who take part in our programs - who come to Catalina to camp, learn, explore, and recreate - that ultimately benefit from these learning exchanges.”

LESSONS FROM ISLAND ELDERS

In 2019, the Conservancy’s education department developed a unique, immersive experience for Avalon School’s third and fifth graders to learn traditional ecological knowledge. To prepare, Conservancy staff first conducted a lesson on the how the Island has been managed from the time of the first Californians to the present day. The students were introduced to special guest instructors who would bring the practices of the Tongva, the Island's first peoples, to life. Tongvan descendant, Craig Torres, and Purépecha descendant, Abe Sanchez, spoke to the students and shared some of their ancestral practices. Craig Torres is a captivating storyteller who shares the Tongva culture with groups young and old through work with schools, cultural and nature centers, museums, and city and state government agencies. The central theme of his message to the Catalina students was reciprocity. He reminded students that nature is not a separate thing from people. Torres taught the class that, in fact, there is no word for ‘nature’ in his language. Giving it a name implies it is separate from us; rather, we all have one mother Earth that provides for us who, in turn, we need to respect. The Nature, as he referred to it for the students, is the lifeblood of food, water, and shelter. Torres explained the cultural importance of soapstone and how it was a main source of trade for the early inhabitants of Catalina Island. Soapstone was used to make bowls due its uniquely high talc content, which allows it to be heated and cooled without cracking. Though primarily used to make bowls, Torres reminded the students that it is important to generate little to no waste. Therefore, any parts of the soapstone rock not used to make bowls were utilized to create effigies, pendants or jewelry. The class then learned how to make their own soapstone pendants, to keep as a reminder of the lesson. Abe Sanchez is a master basket weaver who teaches basketry at a variety of locations such as the Fullerton Arboretum and the Tree of Life Nursery. Sanchez explained to the students that even the most intricate baskets begin with a simple method of creating cordage, which can be used to make anything from an elaborate basket to fine fishing line to clothing. The students were surprised to learn that in the past, children their age learned the cordage methods and were responsible for creating baskets, clothes, fishing line, and other items for their families. After learning a simple form of cordage, the students used the cord they made to turn their soapstone pendants into a necklace.

These lessons on reciprocity provided the students with a window into the lives of early Californians and the importance of continuing to learn from their teachings today.