Volunteer for Stokes Creek Restoration November 10

Date: October 25, 2012
Contact: Kate Kuykendall, 805-370-2343

CALABASAS, Calif. - Lend a hand and donate a plant at Stokes Creek in the Calabasas area on Saturday, November 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The National Park Service, along with the Santa Monica Mountains Fund and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, invite the public to improve habitat for local wildlife by planting native trees and shrubs.

"Riparian corridors such as Stokes Creek only comprise 2 percent of the Santa Monica Mountains, so these areas need to be preserved and supported," said Irina Irvine, restoration ecologist for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). "Our plan is to create a buffer of native plants around the creek, which will keep weeds out and invite wildlife in."

Native plants grown in SMMNRA's nursery will be on hand for a $5 donation to the Santa Monica Mountains Fund. Attendees can choose to plant their own or ask a volunteer to plant it for them. All proceeds from the tax-deductible donations will benefit park-wide restoration projects and education.

Stokes Creek is a tributary of Malibu Creek, which is the largest and most critical watershed in the Santa Monica Mountains. Riparian plant communities are plants in or near water and are often the only refuges for wildlife during and after fires.

All ages and abilities are welcome to participate.The event will take place near the new interagency visitor center at King Gillette Ranch (26876 Mulholland Highway).

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund is a locally based nonprofit committed to supporting the National Park Service and the California State Parks in their missions to provide for resource protection and public enjoyment of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Established in 1988, the Fund is a nonprofit affiliate of the National Park Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and chartered by Congress in 1963 to promote charitable support of America's national parks.For more information, visit www.samofund.org.

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) is a local public agency established in 1985 exercising joint powers of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which is a state agency established by the Legislature, and the Conejo and Rancho Simi Recreation and Park Districts, both of which are local park agencies established by the vote of the people in those communities. For more information, visit www.mrca.ca.gov.

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