Biodiversity and Restoration

A large portion of our land had previously been degraded from forest to bare sand or grass monoculture. We have been working to restore bare areas to a more natural and biodiverse state. We’ve seen a significant year-to-year increase in life on the property over the past five years.

Restoration Efforts

Here is a minor sampling of our restoration efforts on the property:

  • Intentional planting of native understory plants and wildflowers
  • Actively spreading desired native plants (especially edible ones!)
  • Nurturing desired tree seedlings to restore coverage on the property
  • Removal of invasive plants (vinca minor, cheatgrass, bermuda grass, scotch broom, great mullein)
  • Covering bare soil with pine straw and plant matter
  • Creating brush and rock piles to serve as habitat
  • Thinning thick plant canopies to improve “layering”
  • Leaving standing dead wood in safe locations
  • Leaving wood on the ground to encourage fungal development
  • Letting leaves and other detritus remain on the ground over winter for insect shelter and soil stability.

Recorded Species

These are the species we’ve identified and recorded on the property. There are still many that we have not yet documented! (Also, we’re still building the site and haven’t gotten to this yet).

Plants

Trees

Native

  • Chokecherry (prunus virginiana)
  • Lewis’ Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii)
  • Incense Cedar
  • Sugar Pine
  • Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
  • Ponderosa Pine
  • Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
  • California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)

Cultivated

  • Apple (Golden Delicious, Red Delicious)
  • Cherry (Bing, Queen Anne, Mix)
  • Plum (Satsuma, Santa Rosa)

Birds

These are birds we have identified on our site. Many are migratory and not full-time residents.

  • Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
  • American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
  • American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
  • American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
  • Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
  • Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
  • Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
  • California Quail (Callipepla californica)
  • California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
  • Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
  • Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
  • Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
  • Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
  • Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)
  • Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
  • Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
  • Red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
  • Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)
  • Purple FInch (Haemorhous purpureus)
  • Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
  • Stellar’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
  • Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
  • Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)
  • White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Fungi and Lichens

Wild

  • Chalked Webcaps (Genus Calonarius)
  • Common Fieldcap (Agrocybe pediades)
  • Dead Man’s Foot (Pisolithus tinctorius)
  • Manzanita Hoof Polypore (Phellinus arctostaphyli)
  • Pleated Inkcap (Parasola plicatilis)
  • Slippery Jacks (Suillus pseudobrevipes and others)
  • Splitgill Mushroom (Schizophyllum commune)
  • Sunshine Amanita (Amanita aprica)
  • Wolf Lichen (Letharia vulpina)

Cultivated

  • Oyster (Pleurotus Ostreatus)
  • Shiitake
  • Lion’s Mane

Reptiles

Amphibians
  • American bullfrog
  • Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla)

Arachnids
  • Gem-shaped Orbweaver (Araneus gemma)
  • Pirate Otter Spider (Pirata piraticus)
  • Koch’s Wolf Spider (Alopecosa kochi)
  • Western Forest Scorpion (Uroctonus mordax)
  • Stretch spiders (Genus Tetragnatha)

Insects
  • Desert Stink Beetles (Genus Eleodes, suspected subgenus Blapylis)
  • Grasshoppers
  • North American Jerusalem Crickets (Genus Ammopelmatus)
  • North American Common Water Strider (Aquarius remigis)
  • Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata)
  • Various unidentified Bumble Bees (Genus Bombus)
  • Western Boxelder Bug (Bolsea rubrolineata)
  • Western Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa californica)
  • Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)
  • Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
  • White-spotted Sawyer (Monochamus scutellatus)
  • Various Patches and Allies (Genus Chlosyne)(

    • )

Mammals
  • Grey tree squirrel
  • Ground Squirrel
  • Jackrabbit
  • Moles
  • Raccoons
  • Skunk
  • Voles