Red alder and willow take root in Inverness

Red alder and willow take root in Inverness

Director of Stewardship Jeanne Wirka and Bouverie Preserve Resource Ecologist Sasha Berleman along with 4 Bouverie Preserve Stewards in January planted roughly 25 red alders and an equal number of willow cuttings on ACR’s 2-acre McLaren parcel, completing the tree planting portion of our site restoration plan. The red alder saplings were harvested the same morning from a bog at Martin Griffin Preserve’s Volunteer Canyon and transplanted to the site. These trees are key to the reestablishment of a riparian floodplain forest that will support other native vegetation and bird species. Special thanks to our volunteer corps of Stewards!

MORE ABOUT ACR’S MCLAREN PROPERTY

Near Inverness, close to where the broad tidelands open to the bay, a generous land donation by Helen McLaren presented ACR with a rare opportunity to give back to nature a previously developed section of shoreline.

In addition to restoring habitat values and promoting the natural flow of water through the McLaren property, we are removing the house, a nearby building, the driveway, the layer of fill beneath the building site and all gas, electric, water and septic systems on the property.

Revegetation is expected to enhance the associated fauna of ground and foliage insects and other invertebrates, improving the foraging conditions for wintering and nesting songbirds. In addition, we are targeting the elimination of invasive, herbaceous plant pests such as periwinkle and forget-me-nots.
ACR is excited to expand the protection of the Inverness shoreline by restoring the McLaren property to its natural condition, removing all evidence of human use.

Read more about Helen McLaren’s “Gift to the birds” in ACR’s Bulletin, Spring 2015 issue >