Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

#6: Restoration stewardship volunteers tackle invasive plant species

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Invasive plant species removal is nothing if not a gigantic task—which is where a whole lot of good, old-fashioned, hands-on restoration stewardship comes in. In 2011 volunteers came out of the woodwork to help tackle the problem of invasive plant species (as well as tree-watering and garbage pick-up)—from participants in the Outdoor Experiences program to the official Mono Lake Volunteers to a group of staff from the Reno Patagonia store to spontaneous local and visiting family volunteers and Mono Lake Committee members … stewardship is alive in the Mono Basin!

Over the course of the summer and fall volunteers put in many hours of hard work removing a large area of sweet clover near Old Marina, re-seeding the area, and collecting native seeds for future planting. Next time you walk to the shore or along the boardwalk at Old Marina keep your eyes out for the emerging native vegetation!

A crew from the Patagonia store in Reno pulled many pounds of invasive plants at Old Marina. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
Mono Lake Committee Defense Trust members, board, and staff re-seed along the Old Marina boardwalk. Photo courtesy of Roger de Freitas.
Mono Lake Committee board member Vireo Gaines collecting native seeds at Old Marina. Photo Courtesy of Roger de Freitas.