Published by the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society A Chapter of the National Audubon Society August/September 2008 Volume 59 No. 7 AUDUBON AT HOME SELECTING NATIVES FOR YOUR WILDLIFE GARDEN by Alan Pollack A good way to start the selection process is to not like much water, so one wouldn’t put thirsty shrubs or know what plant community you reside in and obtain a list perennials under an oak. Then, there are some trees, like of plants that make up that community. (You can do that by the walnut, that are allelopathic: the roots secrete a sub- going to laspilitas.com, search for plant communities by zip stance that inhibits the growth of many plants in the root code, entering your zip code, and click on plant list.) One zone, while some other plants are able to survive. needn’t restrict one’s choices to just that one community, Help is available. Native plant nurseries have Web- as some plants from other communities might also do well. sites: (I’ve already mentioned) laspilitas.com; matilijanurs- For example, though most of Los Angeles is Coastal Sage ery.com; Theodorepayne.org… to name a few. Lacnps.org Scrub, plants from Chaparral, Oak Woodland, and Desert is the Los Angeles California Native Plant Society’s Website. habitats can do well here. There are many books on the subject, but make sure the Know what kind of soil is in your garden. Much of the focus is on Southern California, and not New England or San Fernando Valley has clay soil, but there may be pockets the Pacific Northwest. And finally, there are the people who of sandy soil or loam, or a combination of any of the above. staff the native plant nurseries who can give advice. An easy test: grab a fist full of moistened soil and make a Since it is always unpredictable if a given species ball. If you can’t make a ball at all, there is a lot of sand. If of plant is going to do well in a particular location in your you make a ball and poke your finger into it and it crumbles particular garden, it is monetarily wise to plant only two or readily, the soil is loamy. If the ball stays intact with the hole three at first to see how it does. you poked, it’s mostly clay. Knowing the soil type tells you Stay tuned for planting, care and maintenance of something about the drainage, with sand being the fastest, your native, wildlife garden. clay the slowest, and loam in the middle. One can also dig a hole, fill it with water and see how long it takes for the water to absorb. Sand will not retain water at all and some clay will retain water for hours. Absorption within thirty minutes Alan Pollack, Audubon-at-Home Chair, offers free consul- is considered good drainage. tation/landscape design to help you make your yard wild- Observe the amount of sunlight each part of your life friendly. He also gives a free, PowerPoint slide show/ garden receives: plants needing “full sun” require sun all or lecture to community groups, high school and college most of the day; plants needing “shade” require little or no classes on attracting wildlife to your garden and sustain- sun; and those needing “half-shade” require sun for about able gardening practices. He can be reached at alpat62@ half a day. aol.com or (818) 340-2347 or at www.sfvaudubon.org. If you are adding a plant to an area that is already planted, consider its neighbors. What plants are grow- ing nearby? Are the needs of the new plant the same as Reminder: General Meeting. its neighbors’? For example, an established oak tree does Thursday, September 25. 7:00 p.m. August/September 2008 SFVAS AND DESERT RESTORATION Submitted����� by Linda � ��� Jones, Scholarship � ���� � Chair � The Scholarship Committee chose to support the Stu- dent ���� ����� Conservation Association� ��������� �� ����� ������ this year. One of the students thus����������� ����� supported, Sarah Jane Archer, has written us a note, which follows.��� � ����� ����� The project � ��������� she worked � ����� on � �� involved � ������� � restoring ��� � ������� areas� dam- aged������� ����������� ������������ ��� by off-highway vehicles in �������������������������the Rand Mountains, �which are located������������ � ��� ������������ ������������� ������������ in the Mojave Desert near California City. In an� article* appearing������������������������������������������������������ �� � in a newsletter of the Desert Tortoise Preserve� Com- mittee,� � ���� Ranger �����!����� ������������������" ���#���� ���������� Ed Patrovsky of Bureau of Land Management� ������ �����������#�� ���$�������� ��� ������� ������� �%�� �� Photo by Jill Heaton praised the work of Sarah Jane’s group. “This crew, sponsored by ������&� ��� �������� �������������������$���������������'������� the BLM and the Student Conservation Association,� is com- ���������� � " ���� � (� � ' ������� � �� � )��� � � �� � * ��� posed of college-age volunteers. I have been impressed with *Turtle Tracks, Newsletter of The Desert Tortoise # � ��������� ������������������ � ��� ��+��������� �,����� Preserve Committee, Inc. Summer 2003 23:2 their enthusiasm and work output.” ���������������� ������)*#� ���������������������� ����� ������ ����������������������������! ����������������%�� ��� �������������������������������� ��� ���������������- Dear SFVAS, &������ ��������.�����������������$���������������'�������������������%�����������/001�/12/ Many thanks for supporting the Student Conservation Association. My experience with the Desert Restoration Corps has$� ���34��� taught me a lot about the environment and myself. I have really enjoyed working in the Rand Mountains. The desert is really an amazing place! I was surprised by the beauty and the abundance of wildlife; we saw about 15 # ����� �������������������������������������� ����������� ������ �#���5������������������$������"����� ����� tortoises this year. ������� ��� �������� ����� �������������������� ������������%�� ����� ���������������������������" ���#���� ����� ���������������� ���� �� � 6������ ��7��%�� ������������I am very proud of the restoration work we have ������ done � ���� ������� on the illegal ��� ���������������8����� �� routes. We had a very ���positive� group dy- namic on9:������������������ �� my crew and we got a lot of work done. I learned a lot about desert ecology, outdoor ethics, and even cook- ing! %� �������������������������� �������������� �������������������� �����������;��� �� ������������������������ ���I am excited to go back home to Illinois and share all that I have gained from this internship. Thanks� again for your generosity;����������� ���������� ��������������������%��� ����� ����� it has meant a lot to me. ������������������������������������ ���������������7 Sincerely%� ���5������������ yours, �����������%�������� ����� ��� ����� ��%�� ���� ������������������������������ ���� � ������������ (signed)����������8����� ���� ��� ����������� Sarah Jane Archer ���������������� I am happy<������=��� � ��� ��������� to share another note from a Student Conservation Association intern sponsored by SFVAS. Lava Beds Na- tional Monument is in far northeastern California between Mt. Shasta and Klamath Falls, Oregon. Submitted by Linda %� ��� ��������� ��� ����������������� ���������������� ����������� ����������������������Jones, Scholarship Chair ���34�����* � �)���� . ���� ��#��������������� �������� ������� ������� � �������#����� �� � ���>� � ���3 ����������������������� �� ����� ������ ����������� ����� To my SCA sponsor: Hello! �����������������2 ?����7 Many thanks are due for your sponsorship of my first SCA internship. In my sixteen weeks here at Lava Beds National# ����� ���� ���������������������������������������������������������%�������5���������������� ��* � �)��� Monument, I’ve had experiences I’ll never forget and have developed skills crucial to attaining �a future position within the. ���� ��#���������%+���� ���5����������%+���������������� ���� ������������������������� ����� �� ������ ������� National Park Service. � ��������������������. ���� ��' �����������As an Interpretation Division intern, I’ve helped protect our park’s sometimes fragile resources, assisted thou- sands of visitors, and led local elementary school students through an interactive living history event. Additionally, I’ve explored��� ��%�������� �����$����������������%+����������������������� ��+�������������� ���������������� ������������� ��� miles of caves, hiked each of our Monument’s trails and have spent time getting to know a part� of our country I had never������������� ���������� ��������� ��������������������������� ������� ������������������������������������� �����%+�� visited. � �5����������������� ������������ ����������#�������+���� ���� ���� ������������������������������ �� ���������None of this would have happened without your support. � ��������%�� ����������������In closing, I’d like simply to reiterate my gratitude—thank you!! In just a few days I’ll be moving on to participate in my second.������������������� ���� ���������������������������� SCA internship, this time in Washington state—one more opportunity that might not’ve presented itself without your sponsorship. %�����������%+����������������������� �������� ������@�� ������77��%������� ������ ���%+��� ���������������� ������ ������ Sincerely,���������������������������������������; ����������� ��@����������������������� �����������+�������������������� ������������������������� (signed) Patrick Hall ���������� 2 <������=��' ������? �� August/September 2008 Monthly Field Trip Report by Richard Barth We visited Placerita Canyon (Walker Ranch and Placerita
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