Nurture Bommer – Nature Garden: Irvine Ranch Conservancy Volunteer Invasive Plant Removal

Help nurture Bommer Canyon. Support is essential to keeping the Irvine Open Space Preserve looking healthy by weeding and removing a variety of invasive plants in Bommer Canyon Nature Garden. We will survey and remove mustard, fennel, Italian thistle, milk thistle, and a whole host of priority invasives found around native shrubs to enhance and restore native habitat. If you love gardening, this is an excellent way to give back.

Once this year’s crop of plants dies it may go to seed. We try to remove the plant before this happens and before any seed production/dispersals for survival. Removing the seed’s bodies from the ecosystem (or preventing the production by pulling before plants go to seed) is how we can stop it from propagating. We continue to treat this area and we are working to keep it clear so that the native habitat can thrive. We do not want it to come back and remaining vigilant is necessary.

We will be walking through and working on uneven terrain and will use various tools to extract and treat the area. Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, use sun protection and be ready for some serious searching and vigorous work, depending on how many weeds we find we will be hiking and hauling our seeds back to the staging area. Activity will involve bending, stooping, kneeling, and pulling, and lifting, and we will be off-trail.

Adhere to inclement weather (including rain, trail conditions and Red Flag Warning) policies. We will contact you if your patrol is cancelled for Fire Watch.

All IRC volunteers must be in IRC uniform (with proper landowner identification/patch), including your badge(s).

Before leaving your home to report for the activity, fill your water bottle, bring everything you need out on the trail. Please do not come to the activity if you are feeling unwell.