Battling Invasive Species Along Bear Creek

by Jessica Calvillo.

Meandering through the twists and turns of the Santa Cruz Mountains is Bear Creek, known for its Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) spawning grounds and diverse native plant species. Stretching from the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve and eventually uniting with the San Lorenzo River in Boulder Creek, this sensitive riparian habitat has been highlighted as under threat by invasive plant life.

Starting in December 2017, our Ecological Concerns Inc. team took on the task of removing some of the Redwood forest's most invasive species: old growth English ivy (Hedera helix), Bigleaf Periwinkle (Vinca major), and French Broom (Genista monspessulana). With acute understanding of the sensitivity of this riparian habitat, the decision was made to approach the situation organically and without herbicides — all removal done entirely by hand.

The creek, once suffocated by these invasive competitors, is now being given the chance to breathe and repopulate with persisting natives and the existing seed bank. As a community, we can do our part by abstaining from planting invasive species and opting for natives suitable to the surrounding ecosystem.