In mid-March, Earth Team interns from Antioch and Pittsburg High Schools got outside on a sunny Saturday morning to volunteer at the Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch. Collaborating on this event with Park Rangers from East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD), the overseeing organization, Earth Team interns helped restore 5 acres of land bordering Contra Loma Boulevard. Also running adjacent to the park reservoir and its perimeter nature trails, this plot of land first underwent restoration efforts in the Fall of 2024. Now with the winter and spring rains leading to sunnier weather, seeds and saplings that were planted last year are beginning to show new growth. However, this means that invasive plants, such as thistles and grassy weeds, are also in a surge of growth. The competition for resources between the newly-planted native species and the encroaching invasive species makes the work that Earth Team provided at this event a critical part of the restoration process.
Across their 3-hour volunteer work day, interns split into a number of groups with different responsibilities. For example, one group of interns who were enthusiastic about doing strenuous physical work were assigned to scrape short invasive grasses off a patch of the land in preparation for the planting of a native flower bed.
The rest of the interns divided into small groups and worked together to pull weeds that were popping up all across the area, including many that threatened to invade the protective mulch circles around each native plant. The cooperation in these small groups helped streamline the weeding process, as interns took turns using tools to pull deep weeds and collecting these invasive plants in large bags so that they could not scatter seeds or regrow from the root.
In their efforts to give the new native plants the best chance at permanent re-establishment, Earth Team interns also made sure to realign the blue plant protectors around the base of each tree. They paid particular attention to the oaks and cottonwood trees at the top of the hill where strong winds had left many plant protectors askew or even completely untethered to the ground. With one hour left of work, the Park Rangers gathered all the interns together, teaching them how to properly spread mulch around the native plants in order to cover persistent weeds and prevent them from photosynthesizing by blocking the sun.
Not only did this event get interns out in nature with their hands in the dirt, but it also led them to observe a variety of wildlife present at Contra Loma. Many interns encountered worms and insects as they weeded, and the close presence of white pelicans provided onsite amusement. A few interns who began mulching on the far side of the plot even had a run in with a ground-nesting bird that the Park Rangers believed to be a Western Meadowlark. This bird used a distraction technique where it pretended to be injured in order to lure us humans, as potential predators, away from its nest. After realizing the mulching was in too close proximity to the habitat, the Park Rangers instructed Earth Team to divert their efforts elsewhere to avoid stressing out the poor bird.
Although there is still much work to be done at this site, both Park Rangers and interns voiced their fulfillment with what was achieved in just a few hours. In the future, Earth Team hopes to get interns from Antioch and Pittsburg High Schools back out to Contra Loma to continue the restoration process!
