Wigi Wetlands
Restoration 

Redwood Region Audubon Society advocates for the protection of birds and wildlife by supporting local conservation efforts to protect wildlife and their habitat.

 
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Three years ago this field was full of Scotch broom plants taller than you. The bay was hidden from view behind them. Many work days spent using extractigators, shovels, pulaskis and lots of muscle brought the bay back into view.


Dennis pulled the last of the old-growth roots,as well as the huge pampass grass plants, with the help of the mighty machine on Saturday.

Next year we hope you will see a meadow of native wildflowers here!

The excavator takes a big bite of pampass grass.

Saturday, October 22, our wonderful, devoted volunteers pulled new-growth Scotch broom, tackled Himalayan blackberry, and lopped seed heads off of pampass grass.


And while we were busy doing that, Dennis Houghton was using a rented excavator to pull huge clumps of pampass grass; old, big Scotch broom roots; digging up Spartina, and anihilating Mayten and Privet that were trying to overrun an area along the south end of the trail.

Getting to work on the pampass growing on the meadow by the trail and RR tracks.

The excavator is half-hidden by a huge clump of pampass grass by a wetland area. And then...

The mighty jaws pulled it all out. The pile at the right is all that remains of that stand.

 

Join us for our monthly restoration work days!



We provide great tools (ever used an extractigator?), wonderful company, and the opportunity to make a difference for the birds. Join us behind WalMart to help remove invasive plants, pick up garbage, and enjoy the beautiful stretch
 of the trail. Light, packaged refreshments offered. Please bring your own water.

It has been decades since this stretch of the waterfront provided habitat for native birds, plants and animals, and we are working to change that! Wigi Wetlands lies along the Eureka Waterfront Trail behind the Bayshore Mall. Redwood Region Audubon Society, in conjunction with the Humboldt Trail Stewards, is working to create bird-friendly habitat by removing invasive plants and garbage. 

This section of the trail contains dry lands as well as seasonal wetlands, and a salt water marsh. A meadow that was filled with Scotch broom has been a main focus, and there is now just a fringe of the invasive plants left to be removed. River otters were spotted nearby!

Closer to the bay, one area was covered in white sweet clover, completely blocking the view of the bay, and covering a lot of native plants. The clover has been removed, the  bay is visible, and the native plants are flourishing there! Cedar waxwings paid us a visit to enjoy the twinberries we had uncovered.

Our workdays are the 4th Saturday of each month (December 2021 excepted - Merry Christmas!), 9:00 - 11:00. Meet us behind WalMart. We provide awesome tools, great company, and light refreshments.

2022 Workdays:
January 1      January 22        February 26      March 26         April 23       May 28    June 25   July 23
August 27     September 24    October 22       November 26   December 24


Photo shows a BIG Scotch broom plant that was dug out of the meadow by Terry, with her son, Jeremy, holding the trophy.

For information, contact Jeremy Cashen, jeremy.cashen@yahoo.com


Our COVID-19 protocols:
- Current federal, state and local COVID-19 guidelines will be followed at all RRAS activities.
- We are not requiring masks, but are still encourage participants to keep at least 6 feet of personal space from people not in their household/bubble, and expect unvaccinated people to continue to wear masks when 6 feet of space cannot be maintained while enjoying outside activities with RRAS.

 

Our Purpose


The purposes and objectives of this corporation shall be to engage in such educational, scientific, investigative, literary, historical, philanthropic, and charitable pursuits as may be part of the stated purposes of the National Audubon Society, of which this corporation shall function as a Chapter.

Contact Us


Mailing Address:

PO Box 1054 Eureka,

CA 95502

 
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