Spring 2008 Spring 2008 Spring 2008 Spring 2008 Spring 2008 -1- -1- -1- -1- -1- The day had been long and its last light was quickly fading into night. Tired, I drove to the Maple Sepulveda Sump—I needed to check the water level after a day of pumping water up to the Preserve. In the half-light of the evening, walking along the uneven gravel road my feet kicked up pebbles. I watched them scatter ahead of me. Actually the pebbles seemed to hop on ahead of me––just like frogs. I began wondering about the frogs ––had the last two years of drought caused them to die off? Would there be any this year? I had only heard a few to date––the chorus I had heard a few days earlier seemed quiet and far away. And I had found so many dead ones over the past six-months that a real amount of worry had built up in me. The water level was fine. I shut down the pump for the night, and headed back along the road toward my car. All of a sudden, an overwhelming number of calls Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center flooded my ears! The frog songs had begun and they were so loud I could no longer hear the cars driving along Sepulveda! Over- come with joy, I started using my cell phone to call people. I just had to share the momen- tous occasion! With the speakerphone turned to full volume, I yelled, “Hey, can you hear that? They’re back – they have sur- vived!” ––T.D. I have received a few calls asking why there has not been a “Month in Review” for several months. To make a long story short, four of the seven Madrona Marsh Staff have suffered a loss or serious illness in their families over the last five months. Nonetheless, showing tremen- dous strength of character and dedication to the Pre- serve, we have run all programs scheduled over those months. Many of them were given by us––the remain- der by the Friends of Madrona Marsh. In many ways the support of a few of the Friends has carried us during this very difficult time. I cannot think of words to express my sincere gratitude to my staff and to the Friends for their selfless assistance and encouragement. Please know you are greatly appreciated…. The programs at Madrona over the past few months have been amazing! The beauty of the spring, the mag- nificence of the water in the lush green wetlands and the Preserve’s growing popularity all have combined to cause a surge in both visitors to the Marsh and attendance in programs. Calls in the Night Calls in the Night Calls in the Night Calls in the Night Calls in the Night The Programs of January and February The Programs of January and February The Programs of January and February The Programs of January and February The Programs of January and February ––Tracy Drake Manager/Naturalist Our Pacific Tree Frog Photo by Jack Ludwick. Into the Wetlands. Photo by Andre, Age 13.
Transcript
Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008Spring 2008
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The day had been long and its last light was quicklyfading into night. Tired, I drove to the Maple SepulvedaSump—I needed to check the water level after a day ofpumping water up to the Preserve. In the half-light ofthe evening, walking along the uneven gravel road myfeet kicked up pebbles. I watched them scatter ahead ofme. Actually the pebbles seemed to hop on ahead ofme––just like frogs. I began wondering about the frogs––had the last two years of drought caused them to dieoff? Would there be any this year? I had only heard afew to date––the chorus I had heard a few days earlierseemed quiet and far away. And I had found so manydead ones over the past six-months that a real amountof worry had built up in me.
The water level was fine. I shut down the pump forthe night, and headed back along the road toward mycar. All of a sudden, an overwhelming number of calls
Mad r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e r
flooded my ears! Thefrog songs had begunand they were so loudI could no longer hearthe cars driving alongSepulveda! Over-come with joy, I startedusing my cell phone tocall people. I just hadto share the momen-tous occasion! Withthe speakerphoneturned to full volume,I yelled, “Hey, can youhear that? They’reback – they have sur-vived!” ––T.D.
I have received a few calls asking why there hasnot been a “Month in Review” for several months. To make
a long story short, four of the seven Madrona Marsh Staffhave suffered a loss or serious illness in their familiesover the last five months. Nonetheless, showing tremen-dous strength of character and dedication to the Pre-serve, we have run all programs scheduled over thosemonths. Many of them were given by us––the remain-der by the Friends of Madrona Marsh. In many ways thesupport of a few of the Friends has carried us during thisvery difficult time. I cannot think of words to express mysincere gratitude to my staff and to the Friends for theirselfless assistance and encouragement. Please knowyou are greatly appreciated….
The programs at Madrona over the past few monthshave been amazing! The beauty of the spring, the mag-nificence of the water in the lush green wetlands and thePreserve’s growing popularity all have combined to causea surge in both visitors to the Marsh and attendance inprograms.
Calls in the NightCalls in the NightCalls in the NightCalls in the NightCalls in the Night
The Programs of January and FebruaryThe Programs of January and FebruaryThe Programs of January and FebruaryThe Programs of January and FebruaryThe Programs of January and February
––Tracy DrakeManager/Naturalist
Our Pacific Tree FrogPhoto by Jack Ludwick.
Into the Wetlands. Photo by Andre, Age 13.
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The Marsh Mailing is a quarterly newsletterdesigned to provide information about activitiesand upcoming events at or relating to the Mad-rona Marsh Preserve. Contributions are welcomeand may be e-mailed to Diane Gonsalves [email protected] or Bill Arrowsmith,[email protected] or dropped off ormailed to the Nature Center.
Visitors to Madrona Marsh ask many interestingquestions, and we’d like to share some of the betterones, and their answers, with the readers of MarshMailing. Starting with this issue we have begun a newfeature called “Ask Us” (with apologies to the DailyBreeze, whom we blatantly copy). If you have a ques-tion about the preserve or the Nature Center, pleasesend it to us at: P.O. Box 5078, Torrance, CA 90510,or drop it off at the Nature Center.
Question: I was recently on the preserve andnoticed a chicken coop, with a half dozen chickens,right in the center, next to some storage sheds. Whyis there a chicken coop on the Marsh?
Answer: Good question, but first a few back-ground facts:
Fact 1: As you may know, Madrona Marsh typi-cally is covered with anywhere from 5 to 20 acres ofwater in the winter and spring, after the winter rains. This water comes entirely from rainfall, and slowlyevaporates and percolates into the ground until it com-pletely disappears, usually by mid summer. To sum-marize, the Marsh has standing water at least 4 or 5months every year.
Fact 2: Any place you have stagnant water, yourun the risk of having mosquitoes breed. And somemosquitoes carry dangerous diseases, such as WestNile Virus or several forms of encephalitis.
So we have a potentially dangerous situation, ev-ery year, unless something is done to control these mos-quitoes. Here we get help from an agency called LosAngeles County Vector Control. Vectors are any ani-mals, like mosquitoes, which carry contagious dis-
eases. Vector Control could spray chemicals to con-trol the mosquitoes, but the preferred method is a morenatural, and less dangerous, one. As soon as we havepools of standing water on the Marsh, Vector Controlstocks the pools with a tiny fish, about the size of aguppy, called gambusia (gambusia affinis), ormosquitofish. The mosquitofish love to eat the larvaeof the mosquito, as fast as the larvae hatch from eggs;they can eat 100 a day!
That’s great, but what does it have to do withthe chickens? This is where it gets interesting.
Fact 3: Mosquitoes like to bite some birds asmuch as (or more than) they like to bite us humans,and chickens are birds that they love to bite.
But before you feel too sorry for the chickens, con-sider:
Fact 4: Chickens do not become ill from encepha-litis or West Nile Virus, because they are able to formantibodies which protect them from the disease. Thechickens in the coop on the Marsh are called “SentinelChickens”, and they are put there and cared for by theLA Vector Control District personnel, who use the Sen-tinels (lookouts) to be sure the mosquitofish are doingtheir job and that we don’t have any bad, disease-bear-ing mosquitoes in Madrona Marsh.
Once a week personnel come to the Marsh andextract a small amount of blood from the chickens, thentake the blood to a laboratory and examine it under amicroscope to see if it contains any antibodies. If so,they know that we have disease-bearing mosquitoeson the Marsh and they need to take further action: ei-ther additional gambusia or possibly chemical spray-ing. Fortunately, at Madrona Marsh, we have rarelyhad to take such action; the mosquitofish have donetheir job well!
As a footnote: the LA County Vector Control dis-trict stocks areas of standing water with mosquitofishall over the county, not just at Madrona Marsh. In fact,if you have a problem of stagnant water at your home,they will supply mosquitofish free of charge. We arequite fortunate to be protected by this agency, their tinyfish, and the Sentinel Chickens!
New “Ask Us” FeatureNew “Ask Us” FeatureNew “Ask Us” FeatureNew “Ask Us” FeatureNew “Ask Us” Feature— Bill Arrowsmith
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from the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the president–Bill Arrowsmith
• Bill Arrowsmith, President• Connie Vadheim, Vice President• Ellen Peterson, Treasurer• Carol Roelen, Recording Secretary• Venora Lee, Corresponding Secretary• Jeanne Bellemin• Bill Forrest• Bobbie Snyder• Sarah Noddings• Eric Carson• Archie Phillips• Mary Garrity
Ex-officio:• Jack Knapp• Maxine Trevethen• Shirley Turner
The FOMM Board of Directors
Our wonderful Nature Center, now seven years old,is an integral part of almost every program and activityat the Marsh, from classes and presentations in theclassroom or laboratory to research projects in thecuration lab. It houses a fabulous Gift Shop run by theFriends of Madrona Marsh, with all profits used for Marshprograms. And the Director and Naturalist for the Pre-serve, Ms. Tracy Drake, has her office and staff here.
But there is one more important area of the center,one that many visitors overlook. And that’s a shame,because the Exhibit Hall is the very essence of the Na-ture Center, as it provides a basic understanding of whatMadrona Marsh is, how it formed and what habitats itcontains. You can visit the Hall first, so you’ll know whatyou’re about to see, or stop in after a walk on the Pre-serve to better understand something you encountered.
The Friends of Madrona Marsh, led by PresidentsVenora Lee and Bart Tendick and working with natural-ist Walt Wright, were instrumental in helping the City ofTorrance plan this excellent interpretive facility.
The Exhibit Hall has always been one of the jew-els of the Center–and it just got even better. The Friendshave completed a project that took over a year to plan,design and im-plement. We nowhave five new dis-play cases for ourtaxidermy, eachwith a dioramamodeling a differenthabitat area and/orseason, and wehave many new ani-mals and birds inour taxidermydisplay. As anadded feature,many of the taxi-dermy animals canbe exchanged forothers, allowing usto refresh the exhibitand add new ani-mals as they be-come available.
We are having a Grand Opening to present thenew display cases and taxidermy to you all on Friday,April 11 at 6:30 p.m. I hope you all can stop by, eitherthat night or soon after.
Display Case Installation: CarlynIverson, left, (Split Rock Studiosartist,) and Fran Arrowsmith, workon Case 4.
I would like to thank all the people who helped tomake this project a great success: Fran Arrowsmith, whoran the project for the Friends and coordinated with ourdesign and fabrication company, Split Rock Studios, andalso with our taxidermist and with the Board; ConnieVadheim, who supplied the excellent photographs whichwere enlarged to make backgrounds for the cases; IgorCarogodin, our prize-winning taxidermist; Split Rock art-ist Carlyn Iverson, whose dioramas are magnificent; RonLibbrecht, who extended his beautiful mural to accom-modate our display case; Tracy Drake, who was sup-portive and helpful with every phase of this project; theCity of Torrance, who paid for our new taxidermy; andmy Board of Directors, who have been very patient andsupportive through a project that was much larger thanany of us realized. Thank you all!
If you have notvisited MadronaMarsh since thewinter rains, pleasemake plans to do so.It is absolutely spec-tacular, with ourshowy seasonalvisitors: Snowy andGreat Egrets, North-ern Shoveler ducks,American Wigeons,Cinnamon Teal,Blue-winged andGreen-winged Teal, Bufflehead ducks–you get theidea. And those are just the water birds.
But do stop by soon. Our water disappears at arate of almost 2 vertical inches per week. Take advan-tage of this beautiful year–we never know when we’reabout to enter another long dry spell!
Pair of Snowy Egrets
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Pelicans Helped to Save Madrona MarshPelicans Helped to Save Madrona MarshPelicans Helped to Save Madrona MarshPelicans Helped to Save Madrona MarshPelicans Helped to Save Madrona Marsh––Bill Arowmith
Greening of the CenterGreening of the CenterGreening of the CenterGreening of the CenterGreening of the CenterThe atrium in the center of the Center––the Mad-
rona Marsh Nature Center that is––is much more at-tractive these days, thanks to a generous donation ofseven mature ficus trees by Ellen Peterson and BillNewell; followed by another generous donation of sevenbrand new plant containers by front desk volunteerClarence Catherman. Thank you all for beautifying ourCenter!
In February I read that the Interior Departmenthas proposed removing the brown pelican from theendangered species list. The claim is that this beauti-ful bird, which was on the very brink of extinction 40years ago, has staged a remarkable comeback and theCalifornia populations now rival, or exceed, historic lev-els. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director H.Dale Hall, these long-lived birdsare “no longer threatened withextinction, either in the foresee-able future or in the long term.”
“How wonderful,” Ithought, my mind immediatelyplaying back highlights of myfavorite ocean shorebird: soar-ing silvery brown squadronssearch for prey, then one byone they plunge with startlingspeed into the surf to fill theirenormous beaks with the smallfish that were almost their un-doing. Can it really be 40 yearsago?
That’s when I realized that not only had it beenthat long, but that in a very special way these gorgeousbirds helped to save Madrona Marsh–though I doubtthere has ever been one here.
You probably know the story of the brown peli-can: it is high on the food chain along the coast, andfeeds on hundreds of small fish much closer to the bot-tom of the chain. In the 1960’s those small fish wereswimming and eating in a bay laced with DDT, for theMontrose Chemical Company, which produced the pes-ticide, dumped tons of toxic waste into county sewerswhich empty off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Whenthe pelicans ate these fish, they got an even more con-centrated dose of DDT–enough to cause the shells oftheir eggs to be so thin that they broke before the chickshatched.
How do you fix a problem like that? (and whatdoes all this have to do with Madrona Marsh?) Well,first we had to stop the dumping of DDT. To do that, wewould have to educate the public as to the nature andseverity of the problem. “We” in this case were envi-ronmentally concerned citizens from many organiza-tions–Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Friends of theEarth, AAUW, LWV and more–who had read about orattended meetings about the pelican’s plight. But wewere a small fraction of the population. Many of us met
each other for the first time in a community effort tospread the word that the DDT pollution of Santa MonicaBay required immediate action. We were ultimately suc-cessful in getting the dumping stopped, but could onlyhope that the pelican would survive and the bay oneday be restored. Now, 40 years later, it appears thatwe can stop holding our collective breath: the brown
pelican is back inforce!
What I also real-ized as I heard thathappy news was thatmany of those earlyconservationists whobonded together tostop the dumping ofDDT were also in agroup which met afew years later, inSeptember 1972, at apublic meeting heldby the City of Tor-rance Park and Rec-reation Department to
see if there was interest in forming a citizens’ group tosave a wetlands area known locally as “MadronaMarsh.” That group included Grace Lear (later to beknown as the “Mother of the Marsh”) Sam Suitt of theSierra Club (and first president of FOMM) Ruth Vogelof LWV, Virginia Hilker, Venora Lee, and many more Ican’t remember. This was a highly motivated group ofenvironmentally aware citizens, who had just recentlyworked together quite successfully to help save thebrown pelican. Maybe they could do it again.
Note: The brown pelican was named a nationalendangered species in 1970, three years before theenactment of the Endangered Species Act. MadronaMarsh Preserve became part of the City of Torrance’sPark System in 1986.
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Garden Party andGarden Party andGarden Party andGarden Party andGarden Party andTeaTeaTeaTeaTea
“The colors of wildflowers, the hint of sage – it’sspring again in the native plant gardens.” – ConnieVadheim
Come and visit our own native plant gardens atMadrona Marsh. Experience strolling the paths, gar-den tours, native plants for sale, and native teas, pluslight refreshments.
WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 2008 – noon to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Madrona Marsh Nature Center 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance
Native plant tours by Tony Baker, Tracy Drake andothers. Call: 310-782-3989 for more information. FREE.
We got a very generous late December donationfrom a family that has donated more than money to theMarsh. Lois Medina called to say that her family’s trustis making a donation of $1000 in the name of her son,Howard Medina, who was an active volunteer at theMarsh. We still have and use a pre-restoration insectcollection Howard put together.
Howard went on to become a biology teacher inSanta Ana and is currently serving as a Captain in theNational Guard. Lois (a former teacher herself) askedthat a portion of the donation be used to refurbish andenhance the display of insect collections at the NatureCenter, including Howard’s. We look forward to doingjust that!
We are grateful to the Medina family for their gen-erous donations of time, talent, and now money to helpmake Madrona Marsh an educational success. Wethank Howard also for his service to his country andwish him a safe and productive tour of duty.
January 2008 Earle Caster $100.00January 2008 Paul’s Photo $100.00February 2008 Lois Duncan $100.00February 2008 Norman and
Suzanne George $150.00February 2008 Joan Roach $100.00March 2008 Kathleen and
Edward Lehey $100.00
––Ellen PetersonTreasurer
The Friends of Madrona Marsh would like to saya special ‘Thank You’ to the donors below, all of whomgave us $100 or more in the first quarter of 2008.
$100 or more$100 or more$100 or more$100 or more$100 or more
The foundation held its first fundraiser on Wednes-day, February 6th at the Comedy and Magic Club inHermosa Beach. It was a resounding success! MikeLacey, the owner of the Club, lined up outstanding co-medians and variety acts. A definite good time washad by all (see page 11) and the Club was almost soldout. We also sold some art work and were able to raisejust under $4,000.
The Foundation Board members continue to workdiligently on more fund raising events. Fund raising intoday's economy is a significant challenge. If any ofyou have ideas that you feel would be helpful, pleaselet us know. No matter whether we are a Torrance Cityemployee, Friend of the Marsh, Foundation member ordonor, our common goal is to sustain the beauty of theMarsh. Stay tuned to these pages for the next Foun-dation event.
Marsh Visit Reprised on KCETMarsh Visit Reprised on KCETMarsh Visit Reprised on KCETMarsh Visit Reprised on KCETMarsh Visit Reprised on KCETOn Friday night, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Huell
Howser will show a reprise of his last visit to MadronaMarsh (2003). Be sure to tune in to KCET to see ourcontribution to his “Golden Parks” series. (Note: vid-eos of this visit are also available in the Nature CenterGift Shop.)
Congratulations to FOMM director Archie Phillipson his recent appointment to the Airport Commission. Archie has been interested in aviation for many yearsand has served as a docent for the Western Museumof Flight, which recently relocated to Zamperini Field inTorrance. Archie has also agreed to continue servingon the Board of Directors for the Friends. Welcomeback, Archie! It’s nice to have friends in “high” places!
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(For the very latest on events visit www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com;Also, see Artists’ Corner, page 8.)
Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterSchedule of Events
Thank You, Riviera Elementary!ÊÊThank You, Riviera Elementary!ÊÊThank You, Riviera Elementary!ÊÊThank You, Riviera Elementary!ÊÊThank You, Riviera Elementary!ÊÊWe’d like to send a special thank you to the six
classes of second graders and their teachers fromRiviera Elementary School who were given docent-ledtours of the Marsh in March.
First, because they prepared for their (first!) tripto Madrona Marsh by talking about and studying thehabitat, plants and animals they were likely to see(thanks, teachers!), which always makes the visit moreenjoyable for everyone.
Secondly, because they were very attentive andwell-behaved, which makes it a pleasure to take themon a nature walk.
And finally, because they collected money to showtheir appreciation for the “free” tours given by FOMMdocents: $201!
Super Girl Scout ProjectSuper Girl Scout ProjectSuper Girl Scout ProjectSuper Girl Scout ProjectSuper Girl Scout ProjectIsabella Mistry and Michelle Wong from Girl Scout
Troop 684 raised some $90 recycling bottles and cans.With their hard-earned money in hand, they thought ofMadrona Marsh and the possibility of planting trees.
Two elderberry trees were purchased and the girlsplanted them on the peninsula near the southwest cor-ner of the Marsh on February 2nd. Thanks for thinkingof us, girls!
— Shirley Turner
Artists’ CornerArtists’ CornerArtists’ CornerArtists’ CornerArtists’ CornerWorks of local artists and photographers inspired
by the beauty of the Madrona Marsh are regularly ondisplay at the Nature Center. Everyone is invited toattend each artist’s reception where the artist talks abouthis/her work or gives a demonstration. Snacks andbeverages are included.
Redondo Beach Art Group, Various Artists- Ex-hibit runs through-May 17. Art Fair, Saturday, May 10,12 noon to 4 p.m.
Tree Photo Finalists Reception, June 6, 6:30-8:30p.m.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had mini-MadronaMarshes all over Torrance? At its March 18 meeting,the Torrance City Council was introduced to a promis-ing new program called the Stormwater Basin (Sump)Enhancement Program. In a nutshell, this programwould address a serious problem––high levels of pol-lutants in winter storm water runoff to the ocean––andsave money, BIG money, at the same time. And if “win-win” isn’t good enough for you, how about adding: im-provement of wetland habitats and addition of recre-ation opportunities such as walking trails and even somesoccer fields in the larger sumps. And the cost is esti-mated at $4.5 million, versus $134 million (plus cost ofadditional land) if a single water treatment plant wereconstructed near the coast.
This exciting new idea was presented to Councilby John Jones, Director of Community Services, andJohn Dettle, Public Works Director. It would enhanceexisting sumps, or stormwater basins, to improve theircapacity to treat stormwater before it is released intothe ocean. The initial three sumps targeted for the pro-gram are all in West Torrance: Amie, Henrietta, andEntradero Storm Basins. All three flow into the HerondoStorm Drain, in which winter runoff pollutant levels re-cently exceeded levels allowed by the LA RegionalWater Quality Board. Two other sumps, Bishop Mont-
gomery (a large basin near B.M. High School) andOcean Basin near Sepulveda Blvd. may also be im-proved for better treatment of stormwater and additionof recreational amenities.
Mayor Scotto and several members of the Coun-cil voiced enthusiasm for the new project, and directedJones and Dettle to proceed with it. Please join me inletting your mayor and councilpersons know how ex-cited we all are about the great potential of this pro-gram! It is perhaps the best environmental news inTorrance since the City took ownership of MadronaMarsh in 1986!
P.S. A special word of thanks is in order toMarshan Dale Lincoln, who has worked for years tomake the residents of Torrance aware of the great ex-panse of native habitat that is “hidden” in our drainagebasins. This one is definitely for you, Dale!
More Wetlands for Torrance?More Wetlands for Torrance?More Wetlands for Torrance?More Wetlands for Torrance?More Wetlands for Torrance?
In MemoriamIn MemoriamIn MemoriamIn MemoriamIn MemoriamWe are sorry to report that long-time
Wednesday Weeder Suzie Jakosh has lost herbattle with lung cancer. We are grateful for manyyears of her cheerful company and wonderful res-toration work. Remember her as you gaze at thebeautiful purple bush lupine and bright yellow sun-flowers at the entrance to the Preserve.
––Bill Arrowsmith
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BirdsBirdsBirdsBirdsBirds
Birds, Butterflies andBirds, Butterflies andBirds, Butterflies andBirds, Butterflies andBirds, Butterflies andDragonflies of the PreserveDragonflies of the PreserveDragonflies of the PreserveDragonflies of the PreserveDragonflies of the Preserve
March 2008March 2008March 2008March 2008March 2008This list was compiled by David Moody, Tracy Drake, and Ron Melin.
Common Green-eyed Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
Pacific Forktail
Monarch Western Tiger Swallowtail Umber Skipper
Mourning Cloak Funereal Duskywing Gray Hairstreak
Gulf Fritillary Red Admiral Pygmy Blue
Cabbage White Fiery Skipper
American Wigeon Killdeer Common Raven Chipping SparrowGadwall Black-necked Stilt Tree Swallow Lark SparrowMallard Lesser Yellowlegs Violet-green Swallow Savannah SparrowBlue-winged Teal Western Sandpiper Northern Rough-winged Swallow Fox SparrowCinnamon Teal Long-billed Dowitcher Cliff Swallow Lincoln’s SparrowGreen-winged Teal Wilson’s Snipe Barn Swallow White-crowned SparrowNorthern Shoveler Ring-billed Gull Bushtit Red-winged BlackbirdRing-necked Duck California Gull House Wren Tri-colored BlackbirdBufflehead Western Gull Ruby-crowned Kinglet Western MeadowlarkRuddy Duck Rock Pigeon Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Brewer’s BlackbirdPied-billed Grebe Mourning Dove Hermit Thrush Great-tailed GrackleGreat Egret White-throated Swift Northern Mockingbird Brown-headed CowbirdGreat Blue Heron Anna’s Hummingbird European Starling Bullock’s OrioleSnowy Egret Rufous Hummingbird Cedar Waxwing House FinchGreen Heron Allen’s Hummingbird Orange-crowned Warbler Lesser GoldfinchBlack-crowned Night-Heron Downy Woodpecker Yellow-rumped Warbler American GoldfinchCooper’s Hawk Northern Flicker Black-throated Gray Warbler House SparrowRed-shouldered Hawk Black Phoebe Townsend’s Warbler Orange BishopRed-tailed Hawk Say’s Phoebe Common YellowthroatAmerican Kestrel Western Kingbird Wilson’s Warbler BOLD = BreedingAmerican Coot Western Scrub-Jay Spotted Towhee Italics = rare speciesBlack-bellied Plover American Crow California Towhee to Madrona
Dragonflies and DamselfliesDragonflies and DamselfliesDragonflies and DamselfliesDragonflies and DamselfliesDragonflies and Damselflies
South Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant Corner
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––Dr. Connie Vadheim, CSUDH
Gardening with Native PlantsGardening with Native PlantsGardening with Native PlantsGardening with Native PlantsGardening with Native PlantsLearn how to include native plants in your
garden. Our popular series, “Out of the Wilds and intoYour Garden,” features the wonderful plants native tothe South Bay area.
Connie Vadheim (CSU Dominguez Hills) andTracy Drake teach you how to select, plant and man-age your native plants. Talks are on the first Saturdayof each month (10 a.m. to noon) and repeat the follow-ing Tuesday (6:30-8 p.m.). When possible, talks includea walk in the native plant gardens.
Spring is a wonderful season on the Preserve andin our gardens. The winter rains have stimulated seedsto germinate and dormant shrubs to re-leaf. Nativebulbs and corms, dormant for many months, send uptheir leaves and flower stalks. No wonder South Bayresidents have always welcomed spring as a time ofbeauty and renewal!
The Southern California coastal areas were oncehome to coastal prairies and shrublands. These com-munities featured plant species limited to our area, aswell as grasses and bulbs with more widespread distri-butions. Our local prairies featured a unique combina-tion of grasses, shrubs, bulbs/corms and annual wild-flowers. After a good winter, the coastal prairie pro-duced flowers of every hue–from delicate yellows tovibrant pinks and purples. Some of the most charmingflowers–like Wild Hyacinth–come from bulbs or corms.
Bulbs and corms are underground storage andreproductive organs. Plants like Wild Hyacinth growand bloom in the spring, storing food in their bulbs/cormsand setting seeds. They disappear completely in thedry summer months, only to reappear next spring.
Wild Hyacinth produces clusters of small, blue-purple bell-shaped flowers in early spring. The flow-ers are a favorite of Skipper butterflies. The flowers, aswell as the corms, are edible and were an importantfood source for Native Californians. The corms areeaten raw or baked–and baked corms can be groundto produce a sweet ‘flour’.
Native bulbs/corms take little space and can beplanted around native grasses, shrubs and perennials–and also in pots. If you have gophers/squirrels youmay need to plant bulbs/corms in baskets made ofchickenwire. Bulbs and corms should be dug up everytwo to three years. You can replant the larger bulbs–orgive them away to other grateful gardeners.
Learn more about local native plants at our “Outof the Wilds and into Your Garden” series on the firstSaturday of each month (see below). Plant InformationSheets and Plant Lists are also available at the NatureCenter.
Native bulbs and corms are easy to grow fromseed or bulb/corm (it will take about three years forplants from seed to flower). Plants need adequate waterduring winter and early spring. When leaves stop grow-ing you should begin watering less, which will stimu-late flowering. Once flowering is over, water only oc-casionally. Bulbs and corms need very dry summersoils or they will become diseased.
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A GoodA GoodA GoodA GoodA Good
Time WasTime WasTime WasTime WasTime Was
Had ByHad ByHad ByHad ByHad By
All . . . All . . . All . . . All . . . All . . .
The Comedy andMagic Club inHermosa Beachwas the scene of“Laughter for theEnvironment,” apresentation tobenefit theMadrona MarshFoundation. Onehundred percent of the ticketprice was donated to theFoundation––and, everyonehad a very good time!
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