Novato Baylands Stewards at the Hamilton Wetlands

Teamwork makes the weed-work more fun! NBS staff, volunteers, and project partner WRA-LR have been busy removing non-native plants from the wetlands. Non-native plants, such as perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)—the plant we’re removing in this photo—can form dense colonies and outcompete native plants, thus decreasing an ecosystem’s value for people and wildlife alike. We work hard to keep such plants in check so that the wetlands can be a high quality habitat!

“Coming here is like therapy.”
-Quote from Barbara, who has been volunteering at the Novato Baylands for over 10 years! We are so thankful for and appreciative of our volunteer community—we couldn’t do our important work of restoring wetland habitat without them!

In these photos, volunteers Barbara, Carolyn, Kathy, David, Janine, and Mathilde transplant saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), which will be outplanted to the site in the fall.

Happy Earth Day! We here at NBS are celebrating our efforts in restoring wetlands along the San Pablo Bay. We are constantly in awe of the beauty and bounty that the Earth provides us. This year’s Earth Day theme, “Invest In Our Planet,” is a good reminder to continue pushing ourselves to create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

We are very thankful for some much needed rain today! But if the gloom is getting you down, let these bright California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) cheer you up! We grow California poppies as part of our demonstration garden, which shows how a beautiful, drought-tolerant habitat composed of native plants is possible in residential and urban areas! We have also planted poppies in upland areas of our restoration site, as they support wildlife including birds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

We had a lovely time hosting students from San Domenico School yesterday as part of their Spring Discovery Week! Over the course of the visit, we covered the importance of wetlands, discussed the site’s history and ongoing restoration efforts, learned to identify native and non-native plants, and participated in stewardship by transplanting salt grass (Distichlis spicata)! We were so inspired by the students’ engagement and eagerness to learn. Thank you, Vanessa Miller-Sims, for arranging this visit with us and for letting us share your photos from the day!

Getting inspired? Contact us at [email protected] to learn how you can get involved!

NBS volunteers are keeping busy! Yesterday we planted two native species: Winecup Clarkia (Clarkia purpurea) and Tarweed (Madia sp.) along the levee abutting the North Seasonal Wetlands as part of our continued effort to restore native habitat.

1. Lee prepares a hole for planting more Tarweed.
2. Linda places a flag to mark newly planted Tarweed. This way, we can easily spot the location of the plants to water them and check how they’re doing.
3. John removes non-native grasses in preparation for planting.
4. Bill gathers up more Winecup Clarkia to plant.

Thank you, volunteers! We couldn’t restore habitat without you. Contact [email protected] to learn how you can get involved!

NBS was thrilled to host a tour for members of the California Native Plant Society on March 5. We covered the site’s history and our ongoing restoration goals. Of course, we also talked about the numerous native plants growing here!

Many thanks to our volunteer Stacey, who helped arrange the tour, and Alycia, NBS Intern who helped lead the tour! Immense gratitude also goes out to Nancy and David, volunteers for 8+ years who shared their memories with the group. Photos thanks to Susan Schlosser, the field trip coordinator for Marin’s CNPS chapter.

1. Alycia shares information about propagating and caring for plants at the nursery. Alkali Heath (Frankenia salina) grows in the foreground.
2. Alycia and Stacey describe our seed cleaning and storage system.
3. Nancy shares stories about cleaning seeds and hand broadcasting them out at the site.
4. Alycia and Stacey point out some of the plants we introduced to the site, notably the huge swath of Pickleweed (Salicornia pacifica) to the right of the frame!

Last but not least, thanks to all who attended! If you’re interested in arranging a group tour, please reach out to [email protected] for more information!

We were thrilled to have our project partners from the Coastal Conservancy out with us at the site last week to discuss restoration milestones and future plans. Here, NBS Executive Director Christina McWhorter points out some of the native species we planted in the winter of 2020.

While we might not always directly observe animals, we often encounter signs of their presence. This serves as a reassurance that many animals are relying on the site for food and shelter. What animal signs have you seen recently at the Novato Baylands?

Grindelia stricta are displaying their sunny blooms at the Novato Baylands! Known by the common names Oregon Gumweed and Coastal Gumweed, this native perennial herb is an important host plant for moths and butterflies. This is one of many plants we’ve been propagating at our nursery and planting out at our restoration site!

Happy World Wetlands Day! The United Nations established February 2 as a day of international celebration of the world’s wetlands. Nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have been lost or degraded, so it’s important to protect them, now more than ever! Wetlands are vital ecosystems, providing wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, recreational opportunities, and more. That’s why we’re so passionate about our restoration work at the Novato Baylands!