Mori Point Bustles with Activity: Join the Fun

Hi friends of Mori Point,

Though the heavy machinery work has been completed at Mori Point for a few months now, the park is still bustling with activity. The Site Stewardship Program has been hard at work harnessing the skills and energy of hundreds of volunteers to help restore the landscape. And the Site Stewardship Program is working to restore the areas around our new ponds by planting wetland species along the banks with help from the following groups: Oceana High School, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School, Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders, Teens on Trails, Downtown High School, City College of San Francisco, Nueva School, Ben Wilson Center, Stanbridge Academy, Westborough Middle School, GGNRA Big Year volunteers, the SF Zoo Crew,  and the Animal Resource Center interns.

All these busy hands have successfully planted the nearly 900 blue rushes that were salvaged during construction and are still working toward putting a few more thousand nursery-raised plants into the ground. So far, we’ve planted over 2,200 plants (including 3 species of rushes, spikerushes, and wetland groundcover plants like potentilla). The next round of planting will include upland species such as blackberry, bee plant, and coyote brush. There’s plenty more work to be done and if you’d like to help, get more details at PARK STEWARDS. (And to find out more about local Pacifica events, stay tuned right here to PACIFICA RIPTIDE.)

Recent rains were the first real test for our new ponds and trail-side drainages —and they passed with flying colors! Each pond quickly filled, leaving beautiful ponds varying in depth from four to six feet. Also, the drainage swale created beside Old Mori Road successfully channeled rain water away from the trail and adjacent homes toward the ponds. 

Many of the newly planted rushes bordering the northern and middle ponds are now partly under water – which is a good thing as far as the frogs are concerned! Many of these underwater plants are already supporting chorus frog eggs, which will turn into tadpoles—one of the San Francisco garter snakes preferred food sources. We’ve also begun monitoring the new ponds for red-legged frog eggs and hope to see quite a few egg masses as the season progresses. Other regular pond visitors have included a bufflehead duck, an American coot, black phoebes, and several hawks.  We anticipate visits from even more wildlife as the pond-side plants continue filling in.

Check out the above photos from recent work days to see all the fun. All the trails are open, so I encourage you to stop by and see the sights yourself! Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Susie Bennett
Project Implementation and Monitoring Coordinator
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
cell: 415-683-8459

PARKS CONSERVANCY

Comments

[Bob Thompson]

What the heck are you doing to the mountain at Mori Point?
I understand the ponds, but these cuts in the mountain make it look like you are getting ready for row housing.

I live just north, between the mountain and the golf course.

When I am playing golf at Sharp Park, the new look is awful.

I thought your efforts were to preserve the area.

Please let me know how this is helping.

I wish I had a before-anD-after picture.
I am sure I can find one.
Are these trails for Mack trucks?

Thank You
Bob Thompson