​land STEWARDSHIP work days, beach clean ups AND INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL Projects

Below is an article about our work to manage the non-native invasive plants that are affecting the biodiversity of the Trinidad coast. The Land Trust also hosts volunteer land stewardship work days that include roadside trash pick-up and beach clean-up events, trail improvements, trail construction, brush clearing and more.  Stay tuned for future events: sign up for our emailed event notices or 'Sign Up Here' to pick your volunteer preference. Event details are listed on our website calendar and facebook.  
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The view of Pilot Point, on the right, and Camel Rock from TCLT's Moonstone Beach Easement
As part of the Land Trust's mission to preserve the natural beauty and biodiversity of our property holdings, we hold work days to remove invasive plants, primarily the dreaded English Ivy (Hedera helix), Andean Jubata Grass (Cortaderia jubata) and Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius); contrary to common usage, it is primarily Jubata Grass in our area that is the problem, not Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana).

​The Land Trust has long been aware of the problem of invasive plants and has documented the presence of these species on our land holdings as part of its "property monitoring obligations. Left unchecked, these invasive plants out-compete our native plants and trees, greatly reducing species diversity - including insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. In March of 2011 the Trust passed a resolution committing to stopping the spread of and eventually to eradicate non-native plant species from its land holdings. In recent years we have worked primarily on our three largest holdings: 1) Pilot Point, the headland at the north end of Moonstone Beach; 2) Baker Beach; and 3) Houda Point.
Volunteers are usually treated with fruit and granola bars in the morning and vegetarian chili, corn bread, and drinks for lunch. Everyone works hard and has a great time. These efforts are just the beginning in what the Trust hopes will become a sustained program to control and eradicate non-native plants from our land holdings and live up to our duty to preserve the natural habitat on them. We urge all of you to come and help out on our future events!

Property Highlight: Pilot Point is a property dedicated to the conservation of native flora and fauna and is a research area for the Humboldt State University. The property is primarily forested with Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, red alder, and Ceonothus. Its southern slopes are home to the mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa humboldtiana), a rodent unrelated to the true beaver. As a vegetarian that dines on fleshy herbs and shoots of young trees, the mountain beaver's status in the Trinidad area is seriously threatened by invasive plants such as English ivy and Andean Pampas/Jubata grass.