Fortunately though we have a few private team building service events scheduled in the interim. For more info on private events designed to be fun and meaningful at this very rare habitat area in Ocean Beach call Richard at
619.297.7380 or email richard@sandiegoriver.org.
As mentioned in the last post, our newest core member Mike Nieto, a trained botanist and river mouth enthusiast, made an exciting discovery at the site. He found Saltmarsh Birds beak (Cordylanthus maritimus). This is exciting in that this is a federally listed endangered plant, and quite lovely when in bloom. According to my research this plant is ONLY found in San Diego County along the coast. Here is a picture and some additional info on this really cool plant:
The Saltmarsh Bird's Beak is an annual and lives for one year and then dies. Its leaves are alternate, narrow and up to 1 inch long. They are pointed at the end, and bluish green and hairy. The Saltmarsh Bird's Beak has white flowers that grow on 4 to 12 inch high stems.
It belongs to the Figwort Family and is related to the snapdragon.
This is a very interesting plant because it is semi-parasitic. It uses pickleweed and salt grass to extend its growing season.
The Saltmarsh Bird's Beak only grows in the saltmarshes, just above the high tide line of the coastal chaparral of the San Diego County area, California. It is considered an endangered plant in California and throughout the USA.
(by Whit H. 2000)
On October 24th Mike along with a few of his professional botanist friends as well as River Park volunteer Paul Hormick and SD River Park interns Gordon Tong and Shingo Minato performed a biological inventory of the river mouth site including the coastal dunes, marsh and inter-tidal zones. Mike is in the process of collating the data that was collected with the goal of forming baseline data to monitor the effectiveness of our continued restoration and maintenance activities. We also hope to be able use any info collected to seek further funding to help support operations at the site. Volunteers with an interest in our native ecology or a passion for our last remaining coastal wetlands are encouraged to join us on the 4th Saturday of odd numbered months (Jan, March, May etc.)We plan on doing the inventory twice per year, stay tuned for the next date in Spring. No experience is needed as all training will be done on the job.
Thanks! The Friends of the River Mouth would like to extend our gratitude to Billy Swim of BSA troop 500 for installing several hundred yards of post and rope symbolic fencing at the river mouth site. This was done to give visitors some guidance as to where they should not tread in hopes letting the vegetation recover and regrow. Also our big thanks to Ranger Lisa Wilson of the Mission Bay Rangers for all of her support of our efforts at the site.
For more info on the Friends of the River Mouth please call the San Diego River Park Foundation at 619.297.7380 or email richard@sandiegoriver.org
