In the fall, Midpen began removing approximately 150 eucalyptus trees on a 2.5-acre site in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve near Lexington Reservoir, beginning work to transform a landscape that was significantly altered by people back to a native forest.
“Eucalyptus is referred to as California’s largest weed,” explained Midpen Forest Ecologist Arianna Camponuri, who is overseeing the restoration project. “These trees are challenging for land managers. They create so much leaf and bark litter, coating forest floors and inhibiting undergrowth plants. On top of that, they exude chemicals into the soils that make it harder for other native species to grow, reducing valuable natural biodiversity.”
Eucalyptus trees were originally introduced from Australia during the Gold Rush in part to meet lumber needs, though they make for poor lumber. Eucalyptus trees were also planted as agricultural wind breaks and as ornamental trees. This restoration project is fully grant-funded by the State of California’s Wildlife Conservation Board to support Midpen’s Wildland Fire Resiliency Program goal of ecologically sensitive vegetation management. The work was conducted during a narrow window to be protective of nesting birds and roosting bats.
As crews removed the towering eucalyptus trees, several of the logs were installed along the hillside to help stabilize the land and reduce erosion while the native plants take root. The work to fully restore the land to a more natural ecosystem will take place over many years. Eucalyptus can regrow rapidly from stumps or fallen branches.
“It’s a bit like whack-a-mole,” Camponuri explained. “There will be saplings and young eucalyptus trees trying to reestablish themselves in places we just removed them, which is why we will return in the following years to continue caring for this forest.“