The spring green you see covering the hills hides a dirty secret: A lot of that green comes from non-native grass that will die in the summer and become potential fuel for wildfire. The ranching history of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks includes plants that were brought here to support cattle grazing in the hills. Now that land managers are restoring local habitat for the benefit of wildlife, attention is being turned to the importance of re-introducing native grasses.
On the slopes of West Loma Ridge in OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, a large-scale restoration project is bringing back multiple habitat types to this key watershed area. Grasslands are part of a mosaic of habitats, including coastal sage scrub and riparian areas. Irvine Ranch Conservancy is leading the project on behalf of the county, with funding from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Measure M2 Freeway Environmental Mitigation Program. After extensive site preparation to get rid of the non-native seeds in the soil, the Conservancy conducted planting experiments to determine the best locations for grasslands and other habitat types. Based on this research, grassland habitat species were planted and will continue to thrive with help from community volunteers.
In addition to low-lying areas, grassland was also planted at the top of the slope, near the West Loma trail. Upcoming “Adopt a Grassland” volunteer activities are planned for this easy-access grassland location. In addition to easy hand-weeding near the trail, volunteers will also see many of the birds and wildflowers that call this habitat home. Beautiful chocolate lilies, majestic harriers, meadowlarks and wild hyacinth are all found on the slopes of West Loma.
Adopt a Grassland – West Loma Stewardship activities happen monthly, on Tuesday, April 12; May 10; and June 14. All training and tools will be provided, and the activities are open to volunteers ages 12 and older. Click here for a list of upcoming activities.
(Northern harrier and Western meadowlark photos courtesy of Natural History of Orange County: nathistoc.bio.uci.edu)