Citizen Science Friday - Caring for Blue Oaks
When hiking through blue oak woodlands like those at Rockville, you may have noticed that most of these characteristic California trees look fairly old, and that there are few to no small, young trees. Regeneration of blue oaks has been a huge challenge at Rockville and in oak woodlands across the state, and as populations age without recruiting new individuals, a distant threat seems to be looming on the horizon. We would like to try caging the few individuals that have germinated on their own and escaped browsing by the cattle and deer. A number of oaks have been identified that are a foot or so tall but have trunk diameters of a few inches, indicating that they have survived repeated browsing for years. We will measure the dimensions of these trees and install cages around them to prevent browsing. We will return annually for a few years, to see if they dramatically grow when freed from herbivory. The fact that they have persisted this long indicates that their root systems are likely fairly robust.
Meet Friday, Nov 9 at 8:30 AM at the East gate of Rockville trails preserve. We will finish by 11:30 AM. Please come with sturdy clothes and shoes, including long pants, as well as a sun protection and water. Gloves and tools will be provided, and no prior experience is necessary. Participants should expect to bend and stand for extended periods of time, and walking will be minimal (1/2 mile or less). Some participants will pound T-posts but not everyone will need to do this. If we finish early and if there is interest, we may also do a short hike.
This event will be limited to 8 people.
RSVP to Ryan by replying to ryan@solanolandtrust.org, or 727-412-3862 (Please note area code is 727, NOT 707). If you RSVP and can't come- please give me a call or text so we don't wait for you. THANKS!