Over three dozen people armed with digging bars and trash bags worked to defend the silent saguaro sentinels of the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 29. They filled more than 160 trash bags with buffelgrass, an invasive non-native grass. The project area was in the vicinity of the Tohono O'odham fruit harvest camp, an area where the present day Tohono O'odham continue to gather saguaro fruit just as their ancestors did.
Buffelgrass is a serious threat to the Sonoran desert because it spreads aggressively by seed, forming dense stands that choke out native desert plants. It also creates a fire hazard, threatening homes, lives, and the desert plant species that are not adapted to fire. “Fighting buffelgrass is essential to preserving the beauty and identity of the Sonoran desert, held dear by Tucson residents and the estimated 3.5 million visitors who visit the park each year,” said Sarah Craighead, Superintendent of Saguaro National Park.
Thirty-two volunteers from community and local organizations including the Arizona Native Plant Society, Friends of Saguaro National Park, and the Sonoron Desert Weedwackers joined staff members from the National Parks Conservation Association, Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department, and Saguaro National Park in the event. Volunteers traveled from as far away as Phoenix to participate.
The buffelgrass removal efforts focused on pulling plants by hand, a technique that can be used any time of year. Herbicide control is also an effective way to kill buffelgrass, but the plant must be mostly green for the herbicide to work, and this is usually during and immediately after the summer monsoon rains. During most of the year, pulling is the only way to control buffelgrass, however it is very labor intensive. “People stepping forward to help is essential in the fight against buffelgrass,” said David Nimkin, Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), while bagging some buffelgrass.
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance our public lands. The day's effort was one of eight projects across the country sponsored by NPCA, which helped coordinate the event, recruit volunteers, and provided food and drink for the volunteers.
The battle to keep buffelgrass out of native Sonoran Desert landscapes will be a long-term endeavor. To learn how you can help, visit these websites:
http://www.nps.gov/sagu
http://www.buffelgrass.org
http://wwwpaztcn.wr.usgs.gov/buffelgrass/
Contact: Dana Backer, Restoration Ecologist
Phone: (520) 733-5179 |
