Fall 2006
Open Spaces Create Clean Water—Part 2
In the previous issue of Symbiosis, we
outbreak in 26 states, with 199 reported cases, 102 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. Besides the unfortunate cost in human life, economic losses to California farmers have been estimated to be as high as 74 million dollars.
presented the evidence for the relationship between open spaces and clean water. In this issue, we want to focus on how to incorporate what we already know about that relationship between open spaces Unwise public policy and clean water into sound and decisions can lead to well-crafted public policies. public health issues. Let’s begin by looking at a recent example a public policy decision which may have resulted in a public health problem. Spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in California’s Central coast led to a nationwide
Although the investigation into the outbreak is still continuing, there is evidence of water contamination. Samples of manure taken from three cattle at a ranch less than a mile from the suspect spinach field precisely matched the strain of E. coli 0157:H7 taken from infected patients. (continued on page 2)
Inside this issue…. 1 2
Feature Story Feature Story (cont.) 3 From the Editor 3 Fall Chautauqua Programs 4 Malibu Public Access Enhancement Plan 5 Malibu (cont.) Edward Albert Land Stewardship Workshop 4 Science News 5 Volunteer Calendar 6 Save these Fall Dates 7 Volunteer Happenings 8 LA River Story 9 Featured Plant and Animal 10 Photo Gallery
A gathering of Pelicans at Malibu Lagoon, where Malibu Creek enters Santa Monica Bay.
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Feature Story Continued….. The FDA has already expressed concern about the close proximity of cattle ranches and agricultural fields because of the potential contamination of irrigation and/or ground water. Land use is a public policy decision. Unwise decisions can lead to public health problems. Wise land use – that’s what the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority are all about. We’re in the business of acquiring, preserving, protecting and restoring parks and open spaces for the benefit of the people of California. That’s one reason why the SMMC and the MRCA Board voted to support Proposition 84, because Proposition 84 integrates the relationship between open spaces and clean water into sound public policy.
Threat
What are the threats to our water quality, safety and supply? How does open space address these threats? How does the SMMC/MRCA use open space to address these threats? How would Prop 84 provide funding address these threats? Here’s a thumbnail sketch that helps illustrate the connections. For more detailed information, the non-partisan Legislated Analyst’s Office has provided a summary of Prop 84’s provisions at www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2006/84_11_2006.htm. As a public agency, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority are committed to the wise use of the resources we manage for the people of California. We use your public lands to help protect our water quality, safety and reliability.
Open Space
SMMC/MRCA
Prop 84
Beaches and Coastal Waters. Storm water runoff gathers pollutants from impervious urban surfaces and channels them into rivers
Allows rainwater to infiltrate the ground, rather than flow across impervious surfaces
Series of riverside parks such as Marsh Park along LA River collect storm water runoff and allow it to infiltrate into the ground
Provides funds to purchase, protect and improve natural areas.
Reliable Water Supply. Increased water demand reduces underground aquifer stores
Allows rainwater to infiltrate the ground and replenish the underground water supply
Numerous open spaces provide areas for rainwater infiltration.
Provides funds to purchase, protect and improve natural areas.
Safe & Reliable Water Supply. Allows water to collect and MRCA-managed parkland Flooding, especially along the infiltrate, rather than flow drains into Franklin Canyon Delta, poses a danger to our into flood control channels. reservoir. state’s drinking water
Provides funds for construction and repair of flood control projects
Clean & Safe Water Supply. Agricultural runoff allows fertilizer and manure (with fecal bacteria such as E. coli) to enter streams and rivers
Open space at the top and along the watershed minimizes the opportunities for contamination.
ULV – top of the Malibu Creek and LA River watershed. Santa Clarita Woodlands – top of the Santa Clara River
Provides funds for improvements of wastewater treatment systems
Clean & Safe Water Supply. Urban runoff from homes and businesses contaminates streams and rivers
Trees and fresh water plants remove contaminants from water
Escondido Canyon Park lies between the Santa Monica Mountains and Santa Monica Bay
Provides funds for integrated regional water management and safe drinking water
Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 2
From the Editor….. A tale of two naturalists: Steve Irwin and Frank Hovore. Young kids always laughed when I mimicked Steve Irwin in my best but mangled attempt at an Aussie accent, “Krikey - that’s a lovely Sheila”. They instantly knew who I was imitating. That was the special magic of the Crocodile Hunter. He was entertaining, to be sure, but his underlying enthusiasm and passion for the natural world captured our attention and inspired us to care too.
But my best memory of Frank speaks more about the kind of person he was. Several years ago, Frank briefed me just before the MRCA stepped in to help support the Placerita Nature Center. As we talked, I was struck by how passionate he was about that place. His passion didn’t come across in wild, sweeping body language or a florid jumble of words; that just wasn’t his style with me. His passion was quiet but intense. He really cared about the people there – the staff and volunteers. He really cared about the work they were doing – and he wanted it to continue.
Steve Irwin died too soon, doing what he loved.
Frank Hovore died too soon, doing what he loved.
We recently lost another naturalist, this one closer to home. Frank Hovore died last month of a heart attack while on a research trip in Ecuador. Frank was greatly respected for his environmental expertise and helped us train many docent classes at Franklin Canyon. Among his many accomplishments, his testimony helped convince the state Wildlife Conservation Board to preserve Ahmanson Ranch, which was acquired by the SMMC in 2003.
It seems to me the best way we can honor both men is to continue doing our work with a renewed sense of passion. And if we do, perhaps one day we will be fortunate enough to have our friends say the same thing about us. Wendy Langhans 310-858-7272 x 115 Wendy.langhans@mrca.ca.gov
Fall Chautauqua Programs… Women and Children in Nature: Creative Expression in Music, Words, and Art, Tuesday, November 21, 7:30—9:00 pm Actress Jeanie Van Dam will present “Women and Children in Nature: Creative Expression in Music, Words, and Art.” We invite you to come explore, through music, words, and art, the human connection to nature from the perspective of women and children.
Animal Tracks: Keys to a dialogue with Nature Tuesday, December 19, 7:30 – 9:00 pm Jim Lowery, author of The Tracker’s Field Guide and founder of Earth Skills, will present “Animal Tracks: Keys to a dialogue with Nature.” Join us as we explore what it means to be an “urban tracker” who dwells at the razor’s edge between intense focus and complete openness. Programs will be held in the Dining Hall at Temescal Gateway Park For more information call 310-454-1395 x 106 The program and parking are free. Page 3
Public Access to Public Parks: Malibu Parks Public Access Enhancement Plan... Early in 2006, the SMMC proposed a Public Works Plan for Malibu that would link five existing state, federal, and MRCA public parks with a contiguous trail, including provisions for trail users and park users with disabilities. It includes provisions for overnight camping at established camping areas in existing parkland. The parks linked by the Coastal Slope Trail include Zuma Canyon, Ramirez Canyon, Escondido Canyon, Solstice Canyon and Corral Canyon Parks (for details, see maps below and on next page). This proposal was drafted to provide a comprehensive plan whose impact could be assessed in its entirety, then to be submitted to the State Coastal Commission where it will be subject to public review through established legal processes. Trail alignments, where feasible, will follow existing trail alignments adopted by the City of Malibu, existing public trails and road easements. Eminent domain (condemnation) will not be used to secure trail alignments, easements, or rights of way.
Zuma/Las Trancas
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All trails will be acquired from willing sellers by purchase or donation, or through the regulatory process of the California Coastal Act and/or the California Environmental Quality Act. Campsites are proposed within the boundaries of Ramirez, Corral and Escondido Canyon Parks and will include self-contained toilet facilities, not new septic facilities. A fire safety plan has been established for each park and no camping will be allowed on Red Flag days. There have been several public meetings on this proposal, including a July 31 meeting with the City of Malibu. Additional public comment was taken at the October 23, 2006 joint Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and MRCA Board meeting. When the plan is finalized by consultants it will be made available online at www.smmc.ca.gov.
Edward Albert…. Former Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board member and California Coastal Commissioner Edward Albert passed away in September at his home in Malibu. A memorial service was held at Stewart Hall in Temescal Gateway Park. Mr. Albert was a dedicated environmentalist, respected actor and ardent supporter of land preservation in the Santa Monica Mountains. He and his family lived for many years near Escondido Canyon in Malibu. For is role in the preservation of Escondido Canyon, the SMMC named the area the “Edward Albert Escondido Trail and Waterfalls” in his honor several months ago. We mourn his passing and are grateful for his many years of support.
Land Stewardship Workshop... Do you own or manage land that includes natural areas, including chaparral, grasslands, streams or forests? Want to learn more about the ecology of your land, and how to protect it? Come learn from experts from UC Cooperative Extension, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, the National Park Service, LA County Fire Department, and others! This workshop will help you assess the current condition of and the threats to your land. It will be held on November 3rd and 4th, 2006 from 9:15 to 5:30 pm plus 5:30-6:30 social hour. Topics will include watersheds, vegetation, and wildlife; invasive species; fire preparedness; caring for forested property; stream health; erosion control; and road design and maintenance. Learn more about our new Forest Stewardship curriculum and other tools to help you manage, protect, and get the most out of your property. Class-room sessions in the morning and field sessions in the afternoon, $45.00 Registration fee includes lunch and morning and evening refreshments. For information or to register contact Valerie Borel at 323 -260-3851 or vtborel@ucdavis.edu.
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Science News You Can Use….. Mapping the Black Cottonwood Genome Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree. - Alfred Joyce Kilmer, who died in 1918 at the Second Battle of the Marne “Trees” was published in 1913. Ninety-three years later, we still cannot make a tree, but we can now read the blueprints. According to the September 15th issue of Science, researchers have sequenced the genome of the black cottonwood tree, the third plant species and first tree to be sequenced. To put this achievement in perspective, lets travel back a few thousand years. When early humans encountered wheat, corn, and rice they barely resembled the crops we cultivate today. Without knowledge of modern genetics it took thousands of years of domestication, hybridization, and evolution to alter the Black Cottonwood Leaf original genomes, Photo Courtesy of Larry Landry converting barely edible weeds into crops that now feed billions. But with our new knowledge of genetics, we now have the potential to greatly alter the current genome to fit our needs in decades rather than in millenniums. The issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (or GMO’s) is controversial, with passionate advocates on both sides. Let’s
consider some of the arguments for and against. Let’s start by first asking, “Why black cottonwood?” First, the Black Cottonwood has a relatively small genome, making it easier to sequence. Second, we currently use black cottonwood in countless ways to make our lives easier and better. We depend on black cottonwood for plywood, lumber, paper, and pellet fuel for power plants. Third, it has potential for use in phytoremediation (refer to “Featured Plant and Animal” section for details) and bio-fuel production, which suggests we may be even more dependant upon this tree in the future. Proponents of GMO’s view it as a agriculture revolution capable of better providing for humanity. These people envision forests of altered black cottonwoods that need less water to grow, yet produce higher quality paper pulp. They also envision cleaner air and water thanks to altered black cottonwoods that produce better bio-fuels and conduct more efficient phytoremediation. Others are vocal opponents, insisting that GMO’s are extremely dangerous for humans and the environment. They see the damage that invasive species such as Giant Reed (Arundo donax) have already inflicted on our Southern California riparian habitats. These people see altered black cottonwoods potentially out-competing natural trees and forever destroying the balance of intricate ecosystems. These opponents fear that altered black cottonwoods will have buds and twigs cannot be eaten by deer or trunks not suitable for animal burrows. Or perhaps these trees will be less resistant to diseases or wildfire. Both sides are equally passionate and equally convinced in the validity of their arguments. There are a few in the middle who see that this technology has the potential to do great things, but the ability to do great harm. This topic deserves serious debate, but to find the correct path, we need passionate people to discuss the issue with passion and humility. Contributed by Keith Jobson
And an Example of How You Can Use It….. Discuss the history of invasive plants. GMO’s could be the invasive plants of our future. •
Discuss how use of technology has led to plant and animal extinctions. Could the use of new GMO technology be a way to our save endangered species?
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Family Campfire Program Series We Need Campfire Program Leaders! Can you help in one or more of the following ways? Prepare the wood, build the campfire, tell stories, sing songs, lead nature games, and help roast marshmallows! Learn how to conduct memorable campfire programs for groups of all ages. Don’t wait, please call 310-858-7272 ext.132 if you are interested!
Kicha Rebuild in Franklin Canyon
Leave the driving to us
Mitzvah Day—Sunday, November 8 at 9am—? From time to time our replica of a Tongva dwelling, the Kicha , gets a little bedraggled from heavy visitation. Come out and help us weave the cattail reeds over the existing rebar structure. We will be starting the project for Mitzvah Day . We need one person who can cut the reeds in the lake, several people to help transport them and others to thatch the reeds onto the structure.
Sunday, December 3, Franklin Canyon Park 10a –4p Join us for a ride on the Parklink Shuttle in the Santa Monica Mountains. We’ll start in Franklin Canyon and ride out to Malibu Creek State Park, then allow four hours on your own to ride the shuttle and stop and visit parks. We will meet back at Malibu Creek State Park at 3pm and return to Franklin Canyon. Families welcome. Call Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132 to RSVP.
Tracking Presentation by Jim Lowery
CPR and First Aid training
Wednesday, November 8, 7pm, Franklin Jim Lowery of Earthskills, Inc. goes over some basics of tracking and entice the audience to incorporate tracking into interpretive programs. No reservations necessary.
Sunday, December 3, 9am –5pm, King Gillette Ranch When patrolling remote trails on bike, horseback or foot, it’s important to know what to do if you come across someone who’s had an accident. Come and learn CPR or bring your certification up to date. MRCA Ranger Dave Updike will be the instructor. Call Angi at 310-8587272 ext. 132.
Plant Skills with Jim Lowery
Thursday, November 9, 10am—5pm, Franklin Foster a deeper connection with plants with experienced Mounted Volunteer Patrol (MVP) naturalist Jim Lowery of Earthskills. Working with a If you have a horse, and want to help patrol our parks, few key plants, get a full sensory experience beyond this group is waiting to ride with you! identification. Call Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132 The MVP is a group of riders who provide horseback Seasonal Plant ID with Bob patrol services for the Mountains Recreation and Saturday, November 11, 9:00 am, Franklin Conservation Authority, National Park Service, and Join MRCA volunteer and plant enthusiast Bob California State Parks. Margolies on the trails in Franklin to refresh your Call Ranger Jodi Thomas for more information at plant identification skills in the Autumn. 310-858-7272 ext. 205
Santa Monica Mountains Nature Gift Shop Coming Soon! Just in time for Holiday Shopping! Help support your local MRCA parks while you shop for fun nature and outdoor adventure gifts!! Look for us inside The Sooky Goldman Nature Center at Franklin Canyon Park. We will be announcing the date and time of our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Soon! Check our website for updates. Page 7
ParkLINK Shuttle now connects with the San Fernando Valley this Fall Ride the shuttle free on November 11, 12 and 13 in honor of Veteran’s Day Shuttle will run Thanksgiving weekend—bring your family along MORNING Connection: Take the Orange Line every 15 minutes to the Warner Center. Catch Metro 161 at Warner Center Metro 161 connects with ParkLINK Shuttle at Agoura/Las Virgenes Rd AFTERNOON Connection: ParkLINK Shuttle connects to Metro 161 at Agoura/Las Virgenes Rd. Metro 161 connects to Orange Line at Warner Center For more info call 888-734-2323 or www.parklinkshuttle.com
To Connect to ParkLINK Shuttle from the Pacific Coast Highway Take the 534 MTA bus to Malibu Village/Cross Creek (http://www.mta.net/images/534.pdf)
MRCA Volunteers know how to celebrate the holidays!! Celebrate all the joy of the holiday season by gathering with your fellow volunteers: Northern Volunteers: Saturday, December 16 at 10:00 am Holiday Brunch Bring a breakfast dish to share—Location TBA Call Wendy to RSVP at 661-799-2965 Franklin Canyon Volunteers: Saturday, December 9, 4pm—7pm in Franklin Canyon—Bring a dish to share, and a $20 gift if you want to participate in a rousing gift exchange game. RSVP to Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132 MBU Volunteers: Sunday, December 10 from 4—7pm, at King Gillette Ranch. Bring a pot luck dish to share .
Fire Volunteers: Wednesday, December 13 at King Gillette Ranch. Pot luck—bring a dish to share. RSVP to Dave Updike at 310-858-7272 xt. 123 Eastern Volunteers: Date for holiday party to be announced Mounted Volunteer Patrol: Date for holiday party to be announced
“ A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” - Chinese proverb
MRCA Volunteer Wish List - What exactly do we need? As the MRCA continues to grow, volunteer opportunities increase. Consider volunteering in new ways, or help us to recruit new volunteers! We specifically need school and campfire program leaders, Sooky Goldman Nature Center and Towsley Canyon Nature Center hosts, trail patrol, trail maintenance, outreach and special events, Symbiosis mass mailing, and program marketing. These volunteer opportunities and available now, and in need of your assistance! If you are interested, please call 310-858-7272 ext. 132., or email angi.orton@mrca.ca.gov Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 8
Mountain Bike Unit receives prestigious George B. Hartzog, Jr. award for excellence in volunteering
There’s No Place Like Home by Angi Orton, MRCA Director of Volunteer Services
After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, I have happily returned to coordinate volunteers for the MRCA. I began my career in volunteer trail maintenance at Circle X and have enjoyed every bit of the journey. I look forward to meeting all of you and hope that I can visit you in your parks or see you at a training or meeting. Happy trails!
MRCA Volunteer Firefighters are Trained to Rise to the Occasion by MRCA Supervising Ranger Dave Updike
A little over a year ago the MRCA started a Volunteer Firefighter unit. The first group consisted of 10 volunteers who went through extensive training and became certified in wildland firefighting. The Program was a 1 year pilot program Above: The MBU members pictured left to right are: Joe designed to give the MRCA extra trained staffing in Dillman, Bill Foster and Jack Dwyer. Joe and Jack are the a moments notice for a major emergency. The last two active members from the original program proved to be a success in the Topanga Fire members when MBU was formed in 1988. Bill is the last September when Fire Volunteers came to aid the group’s current lead coordinator. agencies many structures that were threatened. Now with over 20 members the Volunteer Fire Unit logs It was a sunny morning. It was a Saturday in late over 256 hours every month in trainings, equipment September. It was a great day for a mountain bike maintenance, active patrol and responding to ride. But instead of being out on the trail, the incidents such as the most recent, the Day Fire. Mountain Bike Unit Volunteers for the Santa Monica Volunteers commit to one 12 hour shift a week. Fire Mountains gathered indoors at the visitor center in Volunteers also participate in campfire programs, Thousand Oaks at the National Parks Headquarters school programs and charity events. to receive an award for excellence in volunteering. Below: Dave Updike (Fire Management Officer) and Nominated by NPS Volunteer Coordinator Mike Jordan Mirochnick (Fire Volunteer) set up a portable Malone, the MBU group was awarded the regional pump to draft pond water to fill fire engines. George B. Hertzog, Jr. award for excellence in volunteering on September 23 at 10am. George B. Hertzog, Jr. was a Director of the National Park Service responsible for creating the Volunteers in Parks (aka “VIP”) program for the National Park Service. A permanent display of the award is prominently displayed in the NPS Headquarters visitor center. The award ceremony was followed by some good food, a social gathering and, of course, a bike ride. Keep up the good work, MBU—we’re proud of you! Page 9
The LA River—A Main Artery in the Heart of the City
Canoga Park High School football field at the confluence of the Calabasas Arroyo and Bell Creek and ends in Long Beach, a somewhat artificial legacy. Ironically today it has a year-around flow fed mainly by ground water and natural run-off, but mostly by the 60-million gallon per day effluent from the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, which filters sewage water that Los Angeles initially receives from the Colorado River and Owens Valley. Before the concrete was poured only 8% of the river’s water made it to the sea. Today 80% of the water that could be used to recharge the groundwater and create wonderful recreational lakes scattered throughout the city shoots out to the ocean.
In a visionary document the Bradley administration conceived of a Master Plan for the Los Angeles River, but the By MRCA Volunteer Allan Gluck plan received no traction. Activists (particularly artist Lewis Downtown is the heart of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles MacAdams) started the Friends of the Los Angeles River in River is its main artery, robust in youth but hardened with 1985 (folar.org). With their shoestring budget they brought age. With historic accounts of a flow as great as the great attention to revitalization of the River as the core of Los Mississippi it teams with life. The Los Angels River is 52Angeles, as so many throughout the world have done miles long, and central to the formation of Los Angeles. successfully. In the mid 1990’s the Santa Monica Mountains Today it has become a 51-mile concrete lined channel known Conservancy partnered with the organization North East to few as a river. But there are signs of life. Trees to create small pocket parks that not only created river side refuges but were a model illustrating the value of small, On Saturday, October 7 noted nature writer and activist incremental contributions to what is envisioned as a 51-mile Jennifer Price joined by artist, author and Friends of Los greenbelt through the County’s core. With the river Angeles River Board Member Joe Linder led a diverse group extending through 20 more cities and multiple county, state, of about 40 to 6 key sites along the river’s course. The federal, and private lands along its path, much work remains diversity of artists, academics, architects, students, but with it the hope that each segment will have it’s own government representatives, and public at large typified by personality. the group reflects the convergence of interest that is creating the considerable forces that one day could result in one of the The Los Angeles River was and is central to Los Angeles nation’s greatest urban parks along the river’s course. for its history, economics, and sociology. Los Angeles would not exist without it. It has become The early, unruly Los Angeles River was a seasonal flow that our weakness but can be our greatness. flooded broad areas of Los Angeles and met the Pacific variously from points from Ballona Creek to San Pedro. It was, and is, fed by the watershed of the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and Santa Susanna Mountains. The Tongva village of Yangna was located above the river’s flood plain near what is now Downtown, and the pueblo of Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles de la ProciÚncula was cited to take advantage of its flow on an area with year-around water. Steelhead trout were abundant. Through a $5 billion, 30-year Army Corps. of Engineer project starting the 1930’s almost the entire length of the river was channelized to prevent flooding and collect storm water run-off. The channel officially commences adjacent to the Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 10
Featured Plant and Animal….. Up a Creek Steelhead, like most southern California residents, are commuters. Their freeways are our rivers and streams. Adults must journey from the ocean to freshwater tributaries to reach their spawning grounds. Our commute becomes a nightmare when we lose a lane due to construction. The steelhead’s commute becomes a nightmare when access to freshwater streams is blocked by culverts and dams or when their spawning grounds are buried in silt from hillside construction projects.
Steelhead Illustration courtesy USDA Forest Service Steelhead travel throughout all segments of those coastal rivers and streams that are not blocked by dams and culverts or run dry by our own need for drinking water. They commute up rivers, streams, and tributaries to the cool, clear headwaters to spawn. Their eggs must remain hidden in the gravel, surrounded by oxygen-rich water. Juveniles remain in the stream for one to three years before moving down to estuaries to adjust to the salinity of the ocean. Steelhead spend two to three years in the ocean before beginning that long commute back upstream to spawn. Because they spend time in both fresh and salt water, steelhead are sometimes referred to as steelhead trout or steelhead salmon in the popular press. Their use of entire river systems and need for clean water have earned steelhead the title “indicator species.” They use all parts of freshwater “freeways” to hatch, grow, and move to and from the ocean. They have specific needs when it comes to their freeways--the waters must be cool, clear, and carrying life-giving oxygen. If the steelhead aren’t doing well, that indicates that our rivers and streams aren’t doing well either. To protect their habitat, we must protect the land that drains into those freshwater freeways to keep them running free and clear from headlands to ocean. By taking care of the land around rivers and streams, we give steelhead a chance to survive. Submitted by Keliann LaConte
Black Cottonwood - Cleaning up our Messes If you are like me, you can appreciate the majestic beauty and the cooling shade provided by black cottonwoods. But there’s another story going one below the surface; this tree is now being used to clean up some of our most dangerous messes. Exceptional trees of this species have reached heights approaching 200 feet and can grow as much as 12 feet in a single year. To support such quick growth the root system can reach 10 ft into the soil. It is this extensive root system that has brought the black cottonwood to the attention of the phytoremediation industry. Phytoremediation is the use of vegetation to clean contaminated groundwater and soil. While the process has many aspects and can be extremely complicated, it is conceptually very simple. Plants take the metals or organic pollutants in with water through their root system and either trap this pollution in their tissue or utilize the natural chemical processes in their tissue to breakdown the pollutants. The black cottonwood is perfect for this application because it grows fast, taking in large amounts of water and pollutants. It also has deep roots which allow it to “filter” soil and groundwater deep below the surface.
Organic Pollutants Metals Metals
Metals
Organic Pollutants Metals
H20 and Minerals
So, the next time you are enjoying the shade of a majestic mature black cottonwood or spy a young sapling along the Las Virgenes View Trail or near a stream in another one of our parks take a moment to explain what is going on below the surface. After all, someday you could be thanking the black cottonwood for helping to keep our water and soil clean of dangerous metals and organic pollutants. Submitted by Keith Jobson Page 11
A hike along a stream is a the best place to view fall colors in our parks and open spaces. Here are a few plants you might see.
Our popular full Moon hikes often start out at sunset. This view captures the last few scattered rays reflecting off the clouds. Poison oak turns bright red, due to the production of plant pigments known as anthocyanins.
California Black Walnut leaves don’t “turn” yellow. They “are” yellow. Their yellow color is masked by green chlorophyll, which disappears in the fall.
A few delicate blossoms remain, even in the fall.
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California Wild Roses produce seed pods commonly known as rose hips.