California Coast Volunteers Fight Invasive Grass by Hand

Some of California's rarest coastal ecosystems are disappearing under an unwelcome guest from Europe, but a growing army of volunteers is fighting back armed with nothing but their hands and determination.

The Redwood Parks Conservancy and California State Parks are recruiting people to help restore coastal dunes along the far North Coast. Their target is European beachgrass, an invasive species that locks down naturally shifting sands and chokes out native plants that need open dunes to survive.

The invasive grass might not sound threatening, but it's steadily converting one of California's most distinctive habitats into a monoculture where nothing else can grow. Native species that evolved to thrive in shifting coastal sands simply can't compete when the beachgrass takes over.

The solution is surprisingly low-tech. Pulling the invasive grass by hand remains one of the most effective ways to stop its spread and give native plants a chance to reclaim their territory.

The next big volunteer day happens Sunday, September 20 at Big Dune in Tolowa Dunes State Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers meet at the Lake Earl Wildlife Area building in Crescent City, then take an easy one mile walk to the work site.

The events welcome all ages, require no special skills, and cost nothing to join. Minors just need a guardian along for the adventure.

The Bright Side

Volunteers don't just get the satisfaction of saving rare habitat. Everyone who shows up earns a free day-use pass to Sue-meg State Park, and the Conservancy even offers free rides from Crescent City on a first-come basis for those who need transportation.

Four hours of outdoor work on one of California's wildest coastlines, tangible conservation impact, and a state park pass to boot. Not a bad trade for a Sunday morning spent making a real difference in one of the state's most threatened ecosystems.

Sometimes saving the world really is as simple as pulling weeds together.