Corona Heights Description
Corona Heights is one of the oldest of the habitat restoration projects. Randall Museum staff and local neighborhood activists began removing weeds from the summit grasslands back in the early 1990s. Corona Heights became an official GLS activity of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club shortly thereafter. Since 1999, the project has been led by the Natural Areas Program.
Initially the principal weed targets were large invasives — radish, broom, and fennel. After years of regular removal, these pests are largely under control, and smaller, more difficult-to-handle weeds are our primary concern — plantain, sheep sorrel, oxalis, and ehrharta grass. Here is the management plan.
Over the years, volunteers planted many native grasses and forbs, but the survival rates were feeble at best. The main problem turned out to be trampling and digging by the numerous off-leash dogs that owners allow to roam (illegally by the way) around the summit. These dogs go after the many voles and gophers that live in the grasslands, and there go the new plants. However, during the past four years we’ve begun to place short temporary fences around new plantings, and survival has been well over 50% now.
Corona Heights currently has 65 volunteers who have subscribed to our regular email newsletters and work at this site. They have posted 56 photos and 18 posts to their blog.
Regular Workparty Schedule
- Last Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 12:00
Regular Meeting Location
- Randall Museum -- [Map and Details]
Additional Information
Blog Posts
Here are blog posts about the Corona Heights project — presented 2 at a time in reverse chronological order. Browse to earlier or later posts via the pagination controls below.
May 2008
02 June 2008 - 20:52, Tinman said:
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In surprisingly windy and cold weather, we attacked the European plantain on the western slope and pursued mop-up actions against the remaining radish and broom around the hill.
Here Our Dear Leader leads the Happy Workers in song:
Here is a shot of coast buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium) that was particularly spectacular this week:
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April 2008
27 April 2008 - 08:28, Tinman said:
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March and April have been unusually dry this year, so we watered the new plants in the lower planting area, then headed up the hill on a broom search-and-destroy mission. Due to our constant vigilance, the broom is largely controlled except where it is protected within the poison oak stands, which only a few of us are immune enough to enter. Here we’re sweeping the broom in the amazing area just over the fence on the south slope:
After a couple hours of righteous weed-pulling, we headed on on a wildflower walk led by Tom, here crouching to show a particular feature of one of the flowers. Note the yarrow and mules ears around us:
Here’s a closer look at the mules ears, spectacular right now:
Lupine, widespread on the hill right now:
Blue-eyed grass:
And california poppies:
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