Tidal Marsh Habitat Restoration
Since 2011, we've developed and tested strategies to restore habitat in the transition zones between Bay Area tidal marshes and upland areas to help the marshes adapt to sea level rise. This work has encompassed everything from finding seeds and propagating plant species to re-vegetating marsh transitions zones. Volunteers and corporate groups have helped tend baby plants in our nursery, plant them along the Bay's edge, and weed out unwanted vegetation. So far we've worked on three project sites.
These restored transition zones are dominated by high-quality native vegetation that provide high-tide refuge and cover for endangered species such as the Ridgeway's Rail and salt marsh harvest mouse and protect human communities from flooding. The projects are all on land managed by the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the strategies we are experimenting with are being shared with ecologists throughout the Bay Area to help them design their own tidal marsh restoration projects.
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Pond A6
Our first project was at Pond A6, a 330-acre former salt production pond north of Alviso. In 2010, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project restored Pond A6 to tidal action. The next fall, we spread seeds by airplane over 13 acres of remaining levees to re-vegetate the areas between the Bay and nearby uplands. We've monitored the site to make sure the plants take hold and provide habitat marsh species. |
Bair Island
In 2015, we tilled and weeded the levee at Bair Island in Redwood City, spread seeds by hand and through hydro-seeding, planted plants we grew in our nursery, and added seed in three 5-acre fall phases. Now we monitor and weed the area with volunteers and installed a sign so hikers can take photos with smart phones to add to a time-lapse video to display our progress. |
Pond A17
In 2016 we started a project at Pond A17 in Alviso. We've experimented with using three types of top soil; new tilling and straw mulching soil prep; and direct-seeding and hydro-seeding strategies to test which are most effective. Our staff and volunteers, such as students from San Jose State University, are also tracking native plant development and monitoring for invasive species. |
Habitat Restoration Volunteer Application