“Dead” of Summer?
In northern climes, plants and animals curl up and hibernate all winter. In San Diego and other mediterranean-like places, indigenous biota “estivate” during the summer. Both are means of going dormant. In 32nd Street Canyon, slopes that were green and flowering earlier in the year have now curled up and dried. Plants may look dead, but instead they are decreasing exposure to dehydration and “playing dead,” in order to reserve moisture for their roots deep underground. This is an eons-long adaptation to withstand our region’s aridity, only interrupted by rainfall. Estivation in 32nd Street Canyon is most noticeable in our Coastal Sage Scrub “CSS” plant communities.
School District Steps Up
At the C Street entrance to 32nd Street Canyon, the slope is owned by San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). Thanks to SDUSD board member Richard Barrera and extremely accommodating staff, SDUSD has agreed to dispatch Urban Corps to remove woody debris and fire-fuel heavy Acacia cyclops along the sidewalk and school fenceline too. This will occur after the nesting season ends, during the fall.
San Diego firefighters recognize Acacia cyclops as very flammable. This plant’s intrusion is a major threat to native California species, animals and plants alike. We look forward to its departure.
Hore-ific
Another California Invasive Pest Council target species is White Horehound (Marrubium vulgare). A silvery white weed, it seems benign, but once the seed-heads form -- like a thousand tiny claws -- you recognize its gift as a freeloader. Beware! Seeds will follow you anywhere. Horehound has taken over swaths of 32nd Street Canyon, only to dry and die, leaving little opportunity for future greenery. Its abatement will be a challenge. However, thanks to a very few people, -- you know who you are! – we have a jump on this weed for the fall.
32nd Street Canyon is within CalFire's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone . . .
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
. . . as are all houses! Whereas data indicate that dwellings are far more combustible than trees, we canyon-huggers want to do our part. This is the impetus for our “Swapping Fire Fuel for Habitat Pilot.” 32nd Street Canyon Task Force (in concert with our fiscal agent San Diego Coastkeeper) has applied for a “Wildfire Prevention Grant” from CalFire. The grants are very competitive, and we may not be funded. However, once nesting season is over in the fall, we’ll be inviting you to flex your muscles to help remove woody debris and hazardous nonnative trees.
Want to Mend Fences?
If you’ve wondered why the broken fences along C Street haven’t been repaired, you’re not alone. In winter rains of 2024, torrents headed down C Street hit curbed tires and geysered into the canyon, undermining concrete fence footings in two places. We’ve tried Get It Done requests. Please help us out. Use the app to file your own requests to Get It Done!