13 Jan Direct-seeding and Volunteering in the Presidio

Hello again!

I can’t believe it, but it’s already the end of my first month here with GGNRA’s SF team. In my last blog post, I wrote about how new everything was and how excited I was to learn about the conservation practices in the Presidio. Since then, I’ve helped with removing invasive species, helped with our weekly and biweekly volunteer programs, and started familiarizing myself with the native and rare plants at our worksites. So far, I can easily recognize the fluffy white seeds of the coyote brush, the petite dark green leaves of the mock heather, the fuzzy silvery leaves of the Chamisso bush lupine, and the small spiny leaves of the coast live oak. Four species down, dozens more to learn! 

Another plant that I’m trying to understand better is the San Francisco Lessingia. A rare and endangered wildflower, the Lessingia is a native plant found mostly in inland dune areas around the Presidio. GGNRA’s SF team has been monitoring the Lessingia every year and working towards expanding its current range. One of the tasks that will come up more often as we enter the rainy season is seeding and planting. After it had rained a good bit, our team direct-seeded Lessingia at one of our worksites this month, in hopes of it taking root in a new area. Before we direct-seeded, one of our volunteer programs helped clear the area of the invasive ice plant. We really rely on our volunteer programs to help us achieve our goals, since without them it’d be difficult to do everything with just our small crew. Even though the volunteers weren’t there with us when we were direct-seeding Lessingia (hopefully in the future months after more rain!), it was hard not to think of them as we moved through the areas that they had helped to clear out. 

So if you’re ever in the bay area and want to volunteer with us, feel free to register using this site!

See you next time,

Ana