Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center
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THE MADRONA MARSH PRESERVE AND NATURE CENTER MANAGEMENT PLAN MARCH 2005 Prepared by Tracy E. Drake Manager/Naturalist Cover by Dr. Connie Vadheim CITY OF TORRANCE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION Enriching the Community through People, Programs and Partnerships TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................5 Purpose ...........................................................................................................................6 Background ....................................................................................................................6 Setting ............................................................................................................................7 Map of the Madrona Marsh Preserve ............................................................................8 Wildlife habitat use ........................................................................................................9 Habitat loss...................................................................................................................10 Wildlife corridors .........................................................................................................10 Habitat degradation and other problems ......................................................................10 Madrona Marsh Preserve Species with Special Status ................................................12 Special Status Species known to use the Preserve .......................................................12 INVENTORY OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES .................................................................16 Historical inventories ...................................................................................................16 HABITATS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE....................................................17 Terrestrial .....................................................................................................................17 Unvegetated ............................................................................................................17 Upland .....................................................................................................................18 Coastal Canyon .......................................................................................................18 Riparian ...................................................................................................................19 Maintenance area ....................................................................................................19 Freshwater ....................................................................................................................20 Palustrine.................................................................................................................20 Local wildlife corridors................................................................................................21 DEVELOPMENT OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................22 PRESERVE PLANT AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES ................................................................................23 Goal 1: Habitat Management: protect and improve wildlife habitat ...........................24 1.1 Protect existing habitats from degradation ...............................................24 1.2 Allow human use and enjoyment of the Preserve’s natural resources .......24 1.3 Maintain habitat and species diversity .......................................................25 1.4 Protect and enhance critical, rare, and sensitive habitats ...........................28 1.5 Promote and protect existing yet unprotected habitat ................................29 1.6 Maintain the Preserve as a critical wildlife corridor ..................................29 1.7 Promote and enhance plant and wildlife communities through local collection ....................................................................................................30 1.8 Identify, research and refine methods for exotic plant control ..................32 1.9 Enforce existing regulations ......................................................................34 1.10 Educate visitors on ecological reasons for regulations ............................35 Goal 2: Wildlife Populations: protect and enhance wildlife populations ....................37 2.1 Maintain existing Special Status Species areas .........................................37 2.2 Reintroduce species that have become locally extinct ...............................38 2.3 Control free-roaming domestic animals in the Preserve ............................39 2.4 Control non-native animal species .............................................................40 Goal 3: Resource Data: develop and maintain a complete species inventory ...................41 3.1 Develop and complete plant and wildlife resource inventory ...................41 3.2 Identify sensitive biological resources .......................................................42 3.3 Establish and maintain a formal library .....................................................43 Goal 4: Education: provide education using the Preserve resources ...........................44 4.1 Provide plant, wildlife, biological and ecological education for visitors ..44 4.2 Provide plant, wildlife, biology and ecology education for Madrona Marsh Preserve, Public Works and Community Services Staff and volunteers. ..................................................................................................45 4.3 Provide education about the Preserve to City of Torrance (COT) Staff ............................................................................................................46 4.4 Use the Madrona Marsh Preserve for school field trips and educational programs ...................................................................................................47 4.5 Promote biological research on the Preserve .............................................47 Goal 5: Volunteers: promote volunteer involvement in plant and wildlife habitat protection and enhancement ..........................................................................48 5.1 Promote volunteer involvement in restoration ...........................................48 5.2 Integrate environmental education with volunteer efforts .........................50 5.3 Train volunteers as land stewards ..............................................................51 Goal 6: Promote internal education, and consistency with COT and FOMM (Friends Of Madrona Marsh) .........................................................................51 6.1 Provide plant, wildlife, biology and ecology education for City Staff ......51 6.2 Provide plant and wildlife expertise for Preserve non-vegetation projects .......................................................................................................52 6.3 Provide plant and wildlife expertise for Preserve vegetation projects .......52 Goal 7: Governmental Coordination: promote interdepartmental and interagency cooperation to protect and enhance the Madrona Marsh Preserve ecosystem ........................................................................................53 7.1 Provide information on protection of plant and wildlife resources to other COT Departments .............................................................................53 7.2 Develop guidelines regarding plant and wildlife resource on other COT properties....................................................................................................54 7.3 Assist with the COT Street-tree Program, the City’s sumps, the median on Madrona Avenue and Madrona Marsh Preserve management planning......................................................................................................54 7.4 Coordinate with federal and local agencies in Preserve management .......54 Goal 8: Manage the Nature Center to meet community needs ....................................56 8.1 Expand the Nature Center Classroom ........................................................56 8.2 Expand the Nature Center Project Lab ......................................................56 8.3 Expand the Nature Center Curation Lab ....................................................57 8.4 Install a shower in the Nature Center .........................................................57 8.5 Develop the Atrium into a usable program space ......................................57 8.6 Enhance the Exhibit Hall and other exhibit areas ......................................58 Goal 9: Increase the Nature Center staff as funds become available ...........................58 9.1 Add three program coordinator positions ..................................................59 9.2 Add two groundskeeper positions ..............................................................59 9.3 Add an administrative assistant .................................................................59 9.4 Add staffing positions to assist the program coordinators .........................60 IN CLOSING .....................................................................................................................61