The Conservancy’s preserves have now been infested by smutgrass (Sporobolus indicus). This is going to be very difficult to get rid of, and maybe impossible. According to Cal-IPS News (Winter 2010), one smutgrass plant can produce 45,000 seeds per year. Our concern is that if allowed to spread on Conservancy preserves, Swainson’s hawk won’t be able access prey in a tall stand of smutgrass. Moreover, our standard method of treatment, livestock grazing, won’t be effective because livestock won’t eat it according to a recent UC-Davis Cooperative Extension paper. We’ll have a tough one with this beast. Any ideas out there?
They’re back!
We are so pleased to see one of the NBHCP’s “Covered Species,” the Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), back on Conservancy property! Going back 15 years, the owl used to be seen frequently on Conservancy mitigation lands. At the time, we documented too-common depredation of them by dogs from nearby residential… Continue Reading They’re back!