Your monthly update from SPAWN
August Newsletter
As summer progresses, SPAWN's on-the-ground work to rebuild, preserve, and protect creekside habitat in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed — the most important habitat for the recovery of critically endangered coho salmon — is kicking into high gear! With multiple restoration projects in progress, we're lucky to have extra help from our incredible interns, volunteers and even new equipment during the dog days of summer. To our many supporters in the Bay Area and across California, we hope you and yours are staying safe during wildfire season.
Court Rejects Attempt to Delay Roy's Pools Project
On July 31 a Marin County judge denied the San Geronimo Heritage Alliance’s latest attempt to suspend, delay or repeal SPAWN's community restoration project to remove the highest priority fish barrier in central California. The Superior Court of California for the County of Marin’s decision to deny the group’s request to temporarily remove already-issued restoration permits for the project allows us to continue the Roy’s Pools Fish Passage and Floodplain Restoration Project to create and restore approximately five acres of creek habitat this summer with the construction of 0.25-mile long floodplain corridors along the former San Geronimo golf course property in San Geronimo — one of the most important watersheds left for endangered coho salmon. "We’re excited to continue working with local community members, partners, students and agencies to complete this long-awaited project," said Preston Brown, SPAWN's director of watershed conservation.
Say "Hello" to SPAWN's New Watering Trailer!
SPAWN is excited to introduce a new member to our team: a new water trailer! Our new water trailer holds 525 gallons and can be towed by our truck. The trailer will be a major help in getting water to the thousands of trees and plants growing at our recent restoration sites throughout the Laguintas Creek Watershed, including the new trees such as willows, redwoods, and other plants growing at the Roy's Pools Fish Passage Restoration project site. Instead of what normally takes a few people with buckets to water trees, one person can now water many more trees in a fraction of the time. We're excited to put it to use! We want to give a special thanks to Ron Davis of Forest Knolls for teaching SPAWN staff and interns the proper techniques for towing and backing up the trailer. We are also looking for qualified volunteers who have experience towing a small trailer to help water our restoration sites in the coming months. If you are interested please contact Preston Brown by email at [email protected].
Eagle Scout Leads Invasive Plant Removal Project
Eagle Scout troop 76 recently joined us to help out with habitat restoration at our Tocaloma floodplain project site 2. Scout Grisha Driscoll organized and led a two-day event so that a small group of volunteers could work in a safe and socially-distanced way each day as they removed invasive plants over an approximately one-acre area. The troop met and exceeded the project goal of removing all invasive plants, including Himalayan blackberries, hemlock, periwinkle, wild mustard, and others from the downstream end of the project area. We want to thank Grisha and the rest of Troop 76 for all of their hard work. They made a big impact on the site and their work will greatly reduce the amount of invasive plants we'll need to remove from the site for years to come! Eagle Scout Troop 76 has assisted SPAWN with several projects over the past few years and we always enjoy working with this skillful and dynamic group of young people.
Show Support for SPAWN as a Sustaining Member!
As summer progresses, SPAWN’s on-the-ground work to rebuild, preserve, and protect creekside habitat in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed — the most important habitat for the recovery of critically endangered coho salmon — is kicking into high gear! That's why we hope you will consider supporting our critical local work as a monthly donor. Monthly giving is an easy and convenient way to support our year-round restoration efforts, and folks can choose a donation amount that best fits their budgets. Donations from sustaining members endure, providing funding we can count on throughout the year — this is especially critical during these challenging economic times. Please consider becoming a sustaining member of SPAWN if you're able to give a little bit every month!
Volunteer Spotlight: Annika Abbott
Annika Abbott joined the SPAWN team as an intern through the TEAM program at Tamiscal High School during her junior year in January 2018 and continued interning with us during the past school year. During her time as an intern Annika has assisted with all aspects of our restoration projects including designing revegetation plans for sections of our Tocaloma restoration site, planting out particular sections, working in the native plant nursery, gathering data on smolt outmigration, and helping to prepare for our upcoming restoration project at the former San Geronimo golf course. We are so grateful for all of the work that Annika has done during her time as an intern and volunteer with SPAWN. She is intelligent, hard-working and enthusiastic, and it is a joy to work with her. Please click here to learn more about Annika, who will soon begin her freshman year of college at Colorado State University and plans to major in watershed science!
What's Blooming? Pearly Everlasting
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) is a drought-tolerant and deer-tolerant perennial which is native to much of North America. It is commonly found throughout Marin County, California and grows in a variety of plant communities including coastal scrub, chaparral, grassland, oak woodland, and mixed forest. The silvery foliage grows 1-3 feet tall and the pearl-shaped white flowers add beauty to any garden. Pearly everlasting flowers are commonly used in dried floral arrangements. This is a low maintenance plant, and was commonly planted in cottage gardens in West Marin because it was so versatile and required so little care. It does best in full sun on the coast and partial shade inland and needs summer water only until established. Pearly everlasting is an aster family plant and the flowers attract a variety of pollinators. It is a host plant for American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) and the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies.
Senate Passes Bill to Protect Sharks, Sea Turtles, Whales, Dolphins from Drift Gillnets
We are one step closer to banning driftnets in the United States! The Senate unanimously passed the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act, a bipartisan bill to phase out harmful large mesh drift gillnets utilized in the federal waters off the coast of California, the only place the nets are still used in the United States. Large mesh driftnets, which are more than a mile long, are left in the ocean overnight to catch swordfish and thresher sharks. Other marine species including whales, dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, fish, and sharks can also become entangled in the large mesh nets, injuring or killing them. Most of these animals, referred to as bycatch, are then discarded. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives. Please click here to urge your representatives to support this critical legislation to protect our oceans!
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