Category: Habitat Restoration

Take the $5 a month Pledge!

Dear BTN Supporters, (Volunteers, Members, Advisory Council, Board, Donors), We NEED YOU! Without your financial support mpo007, this could be the final year of Back to Natives Restoration. Have you volunteered with Back to Natives? Interned? Served on the Board of Directors or Advisory Council? Back to Natives Needs YOU! Funding is tight, and we have projects that need staff to lead and train volunteers to perform…

Help prevent the mowing of our native plant reserve

What is about a mile from the Pacific Ocean, less than a ½ mile from San Juan Creek, and along Del Obispo Drive in Dana Point? That’s right! It is Back to Natives’ very own Native Plant Reserve – and it’s in jeopardy! First, a bit of background on the reserve… The Native Plant Reserve is 2.5 acres of undeveloped land that was donated from the Kato family in December of 2015. “We are extremely grateful to have received such an amazing and openly generous gift, and we look forward to being…

Farewell Fountain Grass

by Cassandra Winston, ENC Communications Intern The rainy season is upon us, and the aftermath is perfect for some weed pulling. Saturday January 14th, Back to Natives and roughly 20 volunteers took part in a habitat restoration effort at Santiago Creek. Santiago Creek is overpopulated with Pennisetum setaceum, also known as fountain grass, and this grass is not native to Orange County.  Back to Natives’ Board President Mark Sugars explains in depth, how this effects the ecosystem below: Biodiversity is crucial for our environment, and to…

Saving the Earth, one Habitat at a Time

By Andrew Soto, BTN Communications Intern According to the latest news from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, California’s drought is not likely to ease any time soon. “La Niña is favored to develop during the Northern Hemisphere summer 2016, with about a 75% chance of La Nina during the fall and winter 2016-17”. La Niña and El Niño are recurring and fluctuating weather patterns in the tropical region of the Pacific Ocean. These warming phases (El Niño) and cooling phases (La Niña) have an enormous impact on weather systems that…

BTN Receives Donation of Land!

Back to Natives just received a donation of land! The 2.5 acres of land along Del Obispo Drive in Dana Point are about a mile from the Pacific Ocean, less than a ½ mile from San Juan Creek, and less than 2 miles from the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area. It is undeveloped and will remain so to provide habitat for birds and butterflies. Check out more photos HERE. Wild open spaces like this, while small, provide way stations for wildlife like birds and butterflies in urban Orange…