A brand new retaining wall covering an entire 40-foot hillside created from materials found in Otis Johnson Wilderness Park is one of the restoration efforts that will be visible at workdays scheduled for the next two Saturdays.
Mendocino Transition Towns” “10 Days, 10+ Ways to Reverse Climate Change, Beginning on 10-10-10,” offers a day for planting native species in the park on Saturday, Oct. 16. Volunteers will meet at 1 p.m. at the Laurel Street entrance of the wilderness in the heart of Fort Bragg, for an event organized by Helene Chalfin of Jughandle Creek Nature Center. A public workday is also scheduled to start at noon on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Putting together a variety of grant money, the city is replacing two bridges, a failed retaining wall, reducing erosion, removing invasive species and replanting native species.
A dozen of Waste Management”s largest dumpsters have been filled to the rim with mostly invasive English ivy by inmates from Parlin Fork Conservation Camp. Having escaped from someone”s garden long ago, ivy has strangled native species out and was the predominant life form in the park four years ago, when the city efforts to remove invasives started. (As caretaker of the park, this reporter has been part of the effort.)
After the English ivy the second most pervasive invasive species are blackberries from South America, which are also being removed. Due to a lack of sunlight, the blackberries produce mostly inedible fruit but create areas barren of all other plant lives. Inmates last year removed a hillside composed entirely of blackberries.
Last month, Teri Jo Barber of the city”s planning department directed the inmates on creating a second hillside erosion prevention structure using only forest materials, primarily an invasive tree, blackwood Acacia. Acacia was introduced from yet a third continent, Australia, and their dense stands can muscle out even redwood trees.
The trail closure area, located near the Cedar Street end of the park, was designed with bioengineering principles using native organic log and brush materials from acacias.
The basic design elements are cross-slope protection and filtration, Barber explains.
“In each step” there is a set of logs placed horizontally cross slope and anchored into position with construction stakes and wire in a stair-step fashion. Brush from the acacia was used to fill voids between and beneath the logs. The idea is that each of the cross-slope log structures and their brush will slow storm water runoff coming down that trail from polluting the stream below with dirt and instead collect sediment suspended in that runoff behind each log structure,” Barber said.
The impressive “structure” closes a steep trail very popular with the public and a key spot for graffiti and vandalism. The trail went nearly straight down to the creek below, creating severe erosion in the winter. Erosion from the two unnamed creeks in the park ends up in Pudding Creek.
Eventually, the big trees will become steps and the trail can be used without creating severe erosion.
Akeff Construction won a city contract last month to replace the collapsed wooden retaining wall and plans to start work as soon as possible. The failure of the wall has muddied up the main trail into the seven-acre park, located at the eastern end of Laurel Street.
The damage invasive species can do has been proven thousands of time in history, from Dutch Elm Disease wiping out America”s elm trees, to invasive pike minnows devouring thousands of baby salmon at a time.
Charles Cresson Wood of Transition Towns says both removing invasives and planting natives can help with climate change in the long run.
“Climate change is altering both temperature and precipitation levels. This in turn opens up new opportunities for invasive species,” he said.
“In some instances, the rapid expansion of invasive species can lead to the extinction of native species. Keeping invasives in check thus helps to maintain biodiversity, which makes the environment more able to withstand climate change,” Wood said.
Barber also hopes local woodworkers will want freshly cut acacia logs, which are free with prior arrangements. Contact Barber at 961-2823 ext. 119 or email tbarber@fortbragg.com.
Otis Johnson Park was purchased with money from the widow of Otis Johnson, a member of the Johnson timber family who helped found Fort Bragg. The land was donated on the condition it be kept wild.
The seven acres of forest start at the back of Fort Bragg Middle School and continue into timberland along the Skunk Train tracks. The native forest consists of big redwoods, towering bishop pines, some fir and hickory trees, along with alder in riparian areas.
10 days, 10+ ways to reverse climate change
Mendocino Coast Transition Towns has organized 10 days” worth of activities that promote a sustainable and resilient community. Events began Oct. 10 and continue daily through Oct. 19. The schedule includes:
– Oct. 14, “The Future of Food” film examining the dangers of industrial agriculture, 7 p.m. at Matheson Arts Center, Mendocino High School, $5 donation.
– Oct. 15, The impact of “Corporate Personhood” on climate change, a presentation by Tom Wodetzki, Alliance for Democracy. Also, view political art show: “Bandits, Pirates & Outlaws,” 7 p.m., Lost Coast Culture Machine gallery, 190 E. Elm St., Fort Bragg.
– Oct. 16, Native plant restoration in Fort Bragg”s Otis Johnson Park, 1 to 4 p.m. Meet at Laurel Street entrance.
– Oct. 17, Judy Harwood, Mendo Futures, talks about Ukiah”s woody biomass plant, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Caspar Community Center.- Oct. 17, learn about home water catchment, conservation and natural filtration systems, 3 to 5 p.m., 16460 Buttonwillow Ln., Fort Bragg (off Boice Lane, east of Highway 1. Limited space, RSVP with Bruce Broderick 964-7856.
– Oct. 18, Bike education event with the Bike Collective, time and location TBD.
– Oct. 19, “Zero gas … Peak Oil, Climate Change & Kicking the Petroleum Habit,” 7:30 p.m. Mendocino Rec Center, presenter: Charles Cresson Wood.
For details and maps, visit www.transtionmendocinocoast.org, email sarah.bodnar@gmail.com or call 964-1660.
