Native Plant Restoration Project

Native prairies and grasslands are susceptible to many pressures from agriculture to urban development, herbicides and pesticides, recreational activity, the encroachment of trees and invasive species such as the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit.

We are working to remove noxious weeds and restore native plant species at the north end of Swan Lake, in part to bring back the Taylor Checkerspot Butterfly and other species that once thrived here. In the fall of 2009 we planted our first micro-habitat plot, also known as the rabbit salad bar, as a test to see how much competition these plants would receive from the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit.

We planted these natives:

-Camas

-Sea Blush

-Indian Paintbrush

We were particularly successful with Plectritis congesta, or Sea Blush. We discovered the rabbits would not eat this pretty, pink annual that grows with ease in our watershed. We will be ordering seeds to plant additional Sea Blush and hope that nearby residents will join us in planting it to help the Checkerspot Butterfly recover.