Fieldwork and Research
Our Field Work and Research Goals:
- to bring people into the Bosque and deepen the local community’s connection with the Rio Grande and its floodplain habitat
- to aid public land managers by removing invasive non-native species and providing data on safe and effective management strategies
- to develop guidelines for the successful reintroduction of Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) and other declining native plants
- to improve habitat and biodiversity in the Bosque
- to assist in the evolution of a new 21st century riparian plant mosaic where native plants will thrive alongside non-natives
- to help Bosque plant communities transition into a future that is predicted to have hotter temperatures, less water, and increased non-native species populations
Our Field Work Includes:
- undertaking baseline documentation of exisiting non-native Ravenna Grass (Saccharum ravennae) and native plants using GPS and photographs
- teaching plant identification so volunteers can regcognize native and non-native species
- training field crew volunteers how to effectively remove Ravenna Grass using shovels and mattocks and to remove seeding stalks
- providing instruction on how to properly plant and reseed natives in appropriate areas
- documenting newly emerging Ravenna Grass and native plant recovery as our work progresses
- maintaining a comprehensive botanical inventory of the area
Our Research Includes:
- experimental removal of non-native invasive Ravenna Grass throughout the site
- GIS tracking of invasive Ravenna population
- experimental replanting of Yerba Mansa and other native plants in different micro-habitats
- experimental reseeding of other native grasses, herbs, and shrubs in open areas of the understory
- long-term monitoring of changes in vegetation over time
Published Articles:
Rivers, Restoration, and Hope for Medicinal Plants Part 2: River Restoration and Emerging Plant Communities, In Plant Healer Quarterly (Fall 2017)
Rivers, Restoration, and Hope for Medicinal Plants Part 1: Understanding Threats to Riparian Ecosystems, In Plant Healer Quarterly (Summer 2017)
Drought, Climate Change, and Medicinal Plants in the Anthropocene, In Plant Healer Quarterly (Spring 2017)
Ecological Herbalism for a Better Understanding of Place and Plant Medicine, In Plant Healer’s Good Medicine Confluence Class Essay Book (2016)
Yerba Mansa and the Rio Grande Bosque, In Plant Healer Quarterly (Summer 2015)
