1,000 TREES

ESF Land Steward Ken Collins (also fondly known as ESF’s “Land Dude”) has a vision. By the end of winter, he plans to plant 1,000 native trees on our protected lands in the Elkhorn Slough watershed — an ambitious goal that supports ESF’s work to restore habitat around Carneros Creek.

“Most people understand that trees absorb carbon from our atmosphere and reduce the greenhouse effect,” says Ken. “Yet trees do so much more. Their leaves filter pollution from the air and their roots clean the water. They provide shade and host a range of birds, insects, and amphibians that use trees at various stages in their life cycles.”

Acottonwood stake sprouting new growth takes root in its new home on the upper flood banks of Carneros Creek.

Planting 1,000 trees is no small feat. Yet already this year, Ken and a crew of dedicated volunteers planted more than 700 trees as part of restoring the Carneros Creek floodplain. Large scale restoration projects require a lot of planting material — more than the Reserve greenhouse or ESF’s Iniguez native plant nursery could grow from seed or cuttings.

“Our solution was to produce live stakes from willow and black cottonwood trees,” says Ken. “Most of these source trees were under power lines and already being suppressed by PG&E. From each tree, we harvested 3–5 stakes that we could plant, allowing the parent tree to re-sprout from its base.”

Taking advantage of early rains, the team planted 1-3 stakes in 300 holes, approximately meter-deep in the upper banks of the Carneros Creek floodplain. Ken is happy to report he has seen explosive growth.

Planting 1,000 trees is a long-term process that requires planning, preparation, and follow-through. Yet the results promise to be lasting and worthwhile.

You can help us plant 1,000 trees (and more) with your gift to support the land-saving work of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. You can also sign up for email updates through Slough Buzz, to receive news about our conservation efforts, community plantings, and volunteer opportunities in the Elkhorn Slough watershed.