Volunteering with the San Lorenzo Estuary Restoration

Story and photos by Jane Mio and CCW staff.

The San Lorenzo Estuary Restoration project brings together dedicated volunteers to remove invasive plants and install natives along the banks of the San Lorenzo River estuary in Santa Cruz. This sensitive habitat provides critical resting and feeding grounds for migrating salmon, steelhead trout, and a variety of shorebirds.

Volunteers remove invasive species like pampas grass, jubata grass, and ice plant, replacing them with native sedges, rushes, and riparian shrubs that stabilize the banks and provide cover for wildlife.