California Native Plants Society: Dawn Patrol

micahhall79
Dec 9, 2022
2 min read

VAN NUYS, CA - The California Native Plant Society is an invasive plant removal organization. A program from CNPS called "Dawn Patrol," meets at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve to remove invasive species. Dawn Patrol meets on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 6:30 to 9:30 in the morning.

Photo Credit: Micah Hall

George Waddell has volunteered for CNPS for seven years and is active in Dawn Patrol. "Invasive plants come from other parts of the world and because of that, there are no insects and pests for these plants. That's one of the reasons why they grow so well."

The group removed a lot of bull thistles during the habitat restoration. A bull thistle is an invasive species in California. The plant is Native to most of Europe, Asia and North Africa.

Birds at the reserve rely on Native Plants to attract more insects. They use these insects to feed their young. Dawn Patrol came across insects such as a grasshopper and a praying mantis during the cleanup.

Some common birds seen at the Basin include the long-billed shorebird, Canadian goose, osprey, sparrows, and the list goes on.

Anne Abramson, a CNPS volunteer, has been a part of the organization for ten years. Abramson is also involved in with Dawn Patrol, and she feels that their efforts very rewarding. "It's very refreshing to be out here. It feels good to see the area when it is all done and clean."

Removing invasive plants is not an easy task to complete. The team puts in effort for three hours twice a week. Recs and parks assist by providing trash bags and then collecting them when they are full. Full trash bags are then thrown into a landfill.

"More people means fewer weeds, and that means greater success for our Native plants and animals. So, we really need as many people as possible," says Waddell.

The California Native Plant Society has two ongoing programs. This includes Dawn Patrol, and the Saturday Weeders.