Field season is in full swing at Eastern Sierra Land Trust that means we’ve been getting outdoors and giving back to our protected lands, and we need your help! By lending a hand with our important restoration work, you will help preserve crucial wildlife habitat and return native plants to our fire-damaged landscapes in Swall Meadows.
Native plants in Swall Meadows are showing promising regrowth (and beautiful blooms, such as the Indian Paintbrush shown in this recent picture). But we need to act now to make sure invasive weeds don’t choke them out! Join us this summer, and your hard work will make a positive impact on this beautiful landscape for many years to come. Photo © Abbey Blair.
In the month ahead, ESLT’sRestoration & Education Coordinators / AmeriCorps members, Abbey Blair and Sara Kokkelenberg,will be hostingrestoration workdays in Swall Meadows each Wednesday to pull invasive weeds such as Russian thistle, Bull thistle, Cheatgrass, and Knapweed. We’ve teamed up with the Invasive Weed Advisory Committee (IWAC), a hardworking group created by Swall residents and organized by former ESLT Executive Director Karen Ferrell-Ingram in response to concerns about rapid weed growth in the areas affected by the Round Fire. Much of the area’s native vegetation was destroyed during this devastating fire, and now invasive weeds are beginningto move in and take over. Cheatgrass and Russian thistle are also highly flammable, increasing the risk and potential intensity – of future fires.
We currently have several workdays scheduled:
- Wednesday, July 1: Swall Meadows (7-9am)
- Thursday, July 2: Naylon conservation easement in Swall Meadows (8-10am)
- Wednesday, July 8: Swall Meadows (7-9am)
- Wednesday, July 15: Swall Meadows (7-9am)
- Wednesday, July 22: Swall Meadows (7-9am)
Last year, ESLT’s staff and volunteers did a fantastic job pulling invasive plants such as Bull thistle from the area around the Benton Ponds.
We will continue our work in Swall Meadows through August, and will also be traveling out to Conway Ranch in the months ahead to clear debris and pull invasive weeds. You can keep up-to-date on futurevolunteer opportunities by following us on Facebook.
If you are available to lend a hand, we would love for you to join us! Please contact Abbey at (760) 873-4554 or . All participants should wear sturdy closed-toed shoes and long pants, and are strongly encouraged to bring water, sunscreen, gloves, and a hat. Carpools from Bishop will be available – let us know if you’re interested!
If none of our workdays will fit with your schedule but you’d still like to help in the months to come, please contact usand we will make sure you are on our restoration work volunteer list for future opportunities.
We cannot do this work alone. The success of our restoration efforts relies on the time and energy given by our generous volunteers to support the future of our stunning landscapes. Thank you to all our hardworking volunteers of projects past, and to all of you who will consider lending a hand in the months ahead!
[…] Sara’s AmeriCorps term with ESLT ended in September, and she now plans to take a few months off to travel – but she won’t be gone for long. She is delighted to return to Bishop this spring and continue her work with ESLT as our Stewardship Coordinator. She looks forward to advancing several projects that she participated in during her AmeriCorps service, including an ambitious plan to build habitat for the native Owens Speckled Dace at ESLT’s Benton Hot Springs Ranch Conservation Easement, as well as ongoing restoration work in the Round Fire burn area. […]