State Parks staff Daniel Wilson and Mike Mutshnick from Asilomar State Park, Todd Robnett and AJ Cocco from Andrew Molera State Park, and Mary Paul, Wes Gray, Nate Sweeters, and Joshua Williams from Marina Beach State Park were joined by volunteers Jan Shriner and Bruce Delgado on Friday July 20, 2007, at 930am at a Hwy 1 pullout 5.85 miles south of the Carmel River to assess and herbicide spray a fennel/kikuyu grass site on the east side of Hwy 1. After everyone visited this site Wes and AJ volunteered to stay and spray this location with Roundup while everyone else proceeded to Soberanes Creek watershed to begin abating sticky eupatorium and Cape ivy. The eupatorium project site was located in a tributary to Soberanes Creek located approximately 1.25 miles upstream from Hwy 1. This tributary is “affectionately” referred to as “Impossible Gully” due to the large extent of sticky eupatorium and the steepness of the drainage in which it is located. The Cape ivy location was located on the second west facing slope east of Hwy 1 behind (east of) the Soberanes Barn. This Cape ivy location hasn’t been gps’ed but is approximately 10 acres in size and is the largest single Cape ivy infestation currently known in the Soberanes watershed.

Sticky eupatorium was to be sprayed with Roundup and notes from this day are needed by State Parks staff. State Parks staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard and fairly long hours in difficult conditions here for two years (2005-2006). In 2006 this location was sprayed twice and treated with manual removal a few times.

Today, Mary Paul, Nate Sweeters, Josh Williams, Mike Mutshnick, and Wes Gray worked at this location. This was approximately the 8th revisit to this site after it was initially observed by State Parks staff in 2005. In August of 2006 Jonathan Greening and Candilario Reyes used brushcutters with metal blades to clear a path thru the middle of Impossible Gully for future access and this access was key to improving efficiency on Sept. 1, 2006, and future visits.

This site should be revisited each month until December, 2007, by as many workers as possible.

One hour was required to sharpen tools and gather equipment to leave the parking area at the barn for the Cape ivy site. AJ Cocco, Todd Robnett, Daniel Wilson, Jan Shriner, and Bruce Delgado walked up to the second ridge east of the Soberanes Barn to work on Cape ivy and carried two brushcutters, 2 gallons of 50:1 fuel, two mcleods, two machetes, three backpack sprayers full of 2% Roundup, and seven 2.5 gallon jugs of 2% Roundup. 2 hours were necessary to access the work site due to steep, brushy, and equipment –laden conditions. Work on Cape ivy began at 1pm. It was hard slogging mostly due to having to carry so much supplies and equipment. Todd, AJ, and Daniel sprayed along the top of the Cape ivy infestation. 4 Roundup jugs were left on site. Two were left at the top of the Cape ivy site, 1 was left at the burrito cape ivy site, and 1 was left in the dry drainage between the first and second ridges behind the barn. All 4 jugs were left in shaded areas on the path to the worksite. These will be easily retrievable next month and not degrade in the shade. Jan and Bruce brushcut and piled brush along the north east corner of the site along approx. 15 meters of the top (east) side and 30 meters of the north side. 1.5 tanks of brushcutter fuel were used and the extra fuel carried up wasn’t necessary. The 4-stroke brushcutter’s throttle was sticking in the off position so it was taken into the shop for repair on July 23, 2007.

State Parks staff left the Cape ivy worksite at approx. 315pm and returned to their vehicles at about 345pm and left to get back to their respective offices by 430pm.

Volunteers Bruce and Jan left the worksite at approx. 430pm and returned to their vehicles at approx. 530pm. This was physically the hardest weed bash either Bruce or Jan could remember.

Bruce removed 1 fennel plant on the way home from Garrapata State Park 4.0 mi. north of Soberanes Barn along northbound Hwy 1. Most fennel is still in bud or early flower and need not be bagged yet to prevent seed set.

All in all it was a beautiful day and the volunteers enjoyed working with staff. A lot of work and learning was also accomplished. Photos were taken of the Cape ivy worksite on the CHCF camera and now reside on Bruce Delgado’s computer. These are available to State Parks upon request.

Total volunteer hours = 19
Total staff hours = 60

Obviously something is going on here cuz this landscape is bizarre and beautiful! Well, its exposed serpentine soil and a forest of pines and incense cedar that grows nowhere else in the world. Located 90 southeast of Monterey in San Benito County, California, this is the San Benito Mountain and Clear Creek serpentine area, owned by you, the public!

THE PROBLEM:

There is trouble in paradise here and its name is yellow star thistle, an invasive weed that's causing trouble for people, landscapes, wildlife, and native plants, in a word, this noxious weed "crashes" ecosystems it dominates.

Please click the photo for a better look at this infestation of yellow star thistle.

Photo taken July 23, 2006.

THE SOLUTION:

The solution: Jason Lowe, Wildlife Biologist for BLM is shown here with a 40cc weed whacker removing yellow star thistle July 29, 2006, as part of a huge effort to use prescribed fire, mowing tractors, weed whackers, and hand pulling to eradicate yellow star thistle from 60 acres of your beautiful public land so value is increased for elk and other wildlife and native plants (some rare!) that live here.

Click on the photo for a closer look!

And if you'd like to volunteer any time between Aug. 3-14 just click on the Calendar of Monterey Bay Area Conservation Events tab in the column on the left of this photo and you'll get the scoop on details! Hope to see you out there!

Read more to check out more photos!

State Parks Senior Park Aide Amanda Yantos using the Mcleod hand tool to rake the invasive velvet grass (Holcus lanatus) into piles after volunteer Phil Smith cut it with a brushcutter. Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

Amanda Yantos providing a training session to volunteers on the safe use of herbicides.

Volunteer Mike Turbow applying Roundup herbicide to the invasive vine Cape ivy. Cape ivy is from South Africa and has no natural predators in the U.S. Cape ivy is uncomon in South Africa and is not invasive there.

Why is lizard tail bush called "lizard tail"? Maybe here is why. This photo shows two leaves of lizard tail next to a lizard. What do you think?

Volunteer Mary Paul trying to keep her pet hand tool Mcleod from flying away to join the red-tailed hawk. Photo by a flying manatee, June 22 2006.

Volunteer Bruce Delgado clearing dead brush to access and remove Cape ivy in coastal scrub at Carmel River State Beach. Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

Bruce Delgado high on life in pardise especially since he gets to remove Cape ivy! Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

Amanda Yantos discussing the safe use of herbicides to volunteers during a training session. From left to right Phil Smith, Mary Paul, Heather Brady, Jan Shriner, Amanda Yantos, and Mike Turbow. Photo by Bruce Delgado June 22, 2006.

Volunteers Phil Smith (left) and Mary Paul enjoying a rest after cutting, raking, and piling velvet grass at Carmel River State Beach meadows. Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

That First Kiss (so we think!)! Between velvet grass(right) and volunteer Mary Paul while a Harding grass seed head looks on from above at Carmel River State Beach meadows. Click on the photo for a closer look. Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

Volunteer Jan Shriner enjoying a close view of a red-tailed hawk. The hawk may be hard to see but the hawk will come alive if you click on the photo for a closer look. Later, Jan worked hard hand pulling Cape ivy and summer mustard from amidst thick brush. Photo by Heather Brady June 22, 2006.

Volunteer Mike Turbow all smiles after using a pulaski hand tool to clear Cape ivy and bag it! Photo by Jan Shriner June 22, 2006.

Volunteer Mary Paul using the Mcleod hand tool to rake just-cut velvet grass into piles. Velvet grass is an invasive grass from Eurasia that infests moist areas in Central California. Photo by Jan Shriner, June 22, 2006.

After raising their own trip money, these 15-year old Austin Texas girls and their chaperones came to the Big Sur coast for 5-days of volunteer habitat restoration service. They did great work with a great attitude while singing the tune 'California Girls' by the Beach Boys! From left to right Chaperone Barbara Attwell,Chaperone Patty Hooks, Calif. Native Plant Volunteer Jon Hubbard, Savannah, Alex, Leslie, Chaperone Rebecca, Mindy (kneeling), Christina, Micalea, Katherine, Katie, and State Parks volunteer Bruce Delgado(far right).

May 28, 2006. Photo by State Parks Senior Park Aide Amanda Yantos.

Click on the photo for a closer look!

This outing with Austin Texas high school crew. 1115am Austin crew (8 fifteen-year old girls and 3 adult women chaparones) arrived and joined Amanda Yantos (staff), and three volunteers, Al Washburn, Jon Hubbard, and Bruce Delgado. After mcleod training walked approx. 150 meters down former road to the south from porta potties to clear resprouting Cape ivy from area on east side of this former road. This Cape ivy site had been initially cleared about 5 months ago and its perimeter had been revisited 1 month ago and cleared of all resprouts leaving the middle without follow-up efforts until today. Everyone used mcleods and hands for 1 hour and 15 minutes (17.5 person hours) to rake, pull, and bag Cape ivy respouts. 13 large trash bags were filled with Cape ivy and then dumped in the “boneyard” behind the old barn and under a cypress tree where previous Cape ivy “harvests” have been piled after pulling.

Lunch from about 1245 till 2pm on ocean edge followed (Al and Amanda returned home at this point) by 13 folks pulling various weeds on the west side of the Highway. Weed removed at this location were spring mustard (Brassica rapa), summer mustard (Hirschfeldia incana), yellow sweet clover (Melilotus indica), bur chervil (Anthriscus caulcalus), Cape ivy (Delairea odorata), ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), prickly ox tongue (Pichris echioides), sow thisles (Sonchus spp.), and the native wild celery (Apiastrum angustifolium) which was removed by mistake. 17.5 total person hours were spent on this side of the highway. Austin crew mosly pulled spring mustard, while Bruce and Jon worked on the several weeds listed above.

At 3pm the Austin crew left and Jon and Bruce continued clearing all weeds listed above from the west side of the Highway Jon and Bruce worked here from 315pm to 530 (4 total person hours). Jan Shriner arrived at 530 and cleared mostly mustard from alongside Hwy 1 (very difficult work due to compacted road shoulder) and others of the above listed weeds around the site. Jon left at 530 and Jan and Bruce continued until 830pm (5 person hours). Bruce observed, pulled, and bagged grasses near Highway 1 such as ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus), red brome (Bromus madritensis ssp rubens), wild oats (Avena barbata), and rat-tail fescue (Vulpia myuros). Most of these were in mature fruit stage and were pulled and bagged to remove the potential for their seed production in 2006. 10 large trash bags were filled with fruiting bur chervil and annual grasses.

Poison hemlock was bolting but only a few plants were flowering, most of those were pulled but some were left for future weed bashes. Cape ivy observed was in very small patches (approx. the size of one’s hand and up to a few square meters). This low amount of Cape ivy is mostly a result of past efforts focusing on removal of it. Yellow sweet clover was mostly in early bloom but will likely be in fruit during the next weed bash and so will need to be bagged. Cape ivy was no longer flowering on either side of Hwy 1. Bur chervil an invasive exotic, and Apiastrum angustifolium, a native pulled by mistake, were in mostly early fruit and still with many flowers. Spring mustard was mostly in flower with new fruits too young to mature on plants that were uprooted at this time. Summer mustard was mostly in bud. Scarlet pimpernel may be clogging up native habitat here and was mostly in fruit today but not pulled much. Solanum sp., golden yarrow, stinging nettle, Epilobium watsonii(?),were just a few of the natives growing on the site. Bur-chervil had maturing fruits but they were not adhereing to anyone so these were important to bag before fruit started to spread from parent plants. There was much wild celery and, although much of it was pulled by mistake, there should be enough remaining to put out a moderate amount of fruit this year and in the future it will be appreciated and not removed..

New weed species (such as Gnaphalim luteo-album) continue to colonize this site's barren areas so continued straw covering and hand pulling as often as possible is the plan, at least once per month. The good news is that natives continue to grow larger and to germinate on this site along with the non-native weeds and so the prognosis is good that weeding won't be needed much in the near future.

Total volunteer hours = 65

After a hard day of work and preparing for a canoe race for the following day, Jan Shriner volunteered 7 miles south of Carmel River for the three hours preceding darkness. It was steep, full of poison oak, and tiresome, but filled with incredible beauty of landscape and fulfillment of the soul. Photo by Bruce Delgado.

Click on the photo for a closer look!

This site should be revisited asap so the Cape ivy along the eastern perimeter and in the middle of the site can be cleared before the remainder of Cape ivy at this site before native brush obscures it and requires scorched earth brush clearing again.

Cape ivy was no longer blooming on this site but poison hemlock was and much of the hemlock was pulled and piled.

The pile of Cape ivy bagged, then later emptied and left on top of the first ridge behind the barn, starting in late 2005, continues to mostly die off with a small percentage of stems still living and requiring monitoring and turning of this pile.

Total volunteer hours = 7

This well-appreciated article was written by Jamison for the December 2005 issue of Carmel Valley Country Magazine thank you Jamison!

ABOVE YOU SEE JUBATA GRASS PLUMES AND ...
BELOW YOU DON'T!! (thanks to Jon and Amanda!)

Jubata grass photos by Amanda Yantos. Nov. 5, 2005.

Next Jon and Amanda moved to east side of Hwy 1 to remove Cape ivy resprouts below the willows located alongside southern bank of Soberanes Creek between the foot bridge and the barn. This site was initially sprayed by State Parks staff in the Dave Passovoy days approximately in 1999 and then was untreated for a few years until volunteers started manual removal approximately in 2003. This site is huge in labor demand because it is thick with Cape ivy and extends from the footbridge east of the barn to Hwy 1. The goal is to maintain what State Parks sprayed by abating the infestation one area at a time starting from the barn to the footbridge. Total volunteer hours today = 5.

All of the Cape ivy was either bagged or piled with cleared dead other plant materials and left on site. Approximately 8 large trash bags were filled with Cape ivy and left on site along access road to be removed by State Parks staff at a later date.

No Cape ivy was observed west of the access road where on Aug 5 it was hand removed by volunteers (including Ellen Turbow). This was very good news! There was however fairly substantial Cape ivy regrowth within 20 feet of Mr. Chamber’s fence. Almost all that was observed was pulled by roots except a small amount left when weed bash ended at 5pm. Approximately 3 stems of Cape ivy were observed to have unopened flower buds.

Good drinks and snacks were provided by Mike and Ellen Turbow and eaten at Wedding Rock. Thank you Mike and Ellen!

The next steps include return to this and other Cape ivy locations each couple of months until Cape ivy is eradicated. Eradication could be defined in this case as no Cape ivy seen at a particular location for 2 years. There was substantial resprouts observed along the fenceline and inside Mr. Chamber’s fence for which we’ll need access thru his gate on December 4, 2005.

No photos were taken today.

Total volunteer hours = 13