April 6th, 2024, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | Two shifts are available from 9 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 4 pm

Join us for another fun and exciting native grass planting project at the San Marcos Foothills Preserve. We have a lot purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra) seedlings that need to be planted at the preserve, and we need your help. This planting project is part of the ethnobotanical garden at the West Mesa of the preserve, cooperating with members of the Chumash community.

Native grasslands once inhabited millions of acres of California, providing nesting opportunities for birds such as the grasshopper sparrow and the burrowing owl. Now, very little is left. One place where native grassland remains is on the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, which is dominated by purple needlegrass, the tall bunch grasses you see on the mesa. However, it is threatened by invasive grasses from Europe such as ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus) and wild oats (Avena sp.).

Purple needlegrass is California's most widespread native grass. It was named California's State Grass in 2004. Purple needlegrass gets its name from the color of its young seeds. It is a perennial bunchgrass that can grow up to 3 feet tall. It has a deep root system, which makes it drought-adapted and a good plant choice for erosion control. Native purple needle grass is fundamental in habit restoration, and this planting is necessary for the restoration process underway at the preserve.

Annual non-native grasses grow taller, dry out rapidly, and generate considerable thatch that remains on the landscape after dying back. This negatively impacts bird habitat, blocks native plants from growing, and readily spreads fire.

Questions
Please get in touch with our Volunteer coordinator by email at volunteer@cirweb.org or call 805.448.6203