I recently participated in the first all-day meeting of the San Joaquin River Invasive Species Experts Panel at The Nature Conservancy in Sacramento on March 13, 2012. We discussed this exciting new project funded by the San Joaquin River Restoration Project Settlement and run by The Nature Conservancy, River Partners and the San Joaquin River and Parkway Trust. The invasive species project is a 3 year grant that will: establish priorities for 5 target invasive species removal, remove these invasive species from 20 or more locations along the river, revegetate these areas with native species, create local jobs, create internship opportunities for students, and use thorough monitoring to better understand the ecology, phenology, and efficacy of various treatments under differing ecological and physical conditions. The five target species include: Arundo (Arundo donax), scarlet wysteria (Sesbania punicea), salt cedar (Tamarix spp.), perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium), and Chinese Tallow (Sapium sebiferum). On the Panel, I will help guide and develop the monitoring of invasive species removal and revegetation based on my experiments on the Santa Clara River and ecological restoration experience throughout rivers of California. I am thrilled about this new partnership, research opportunities, and opportunities for my students to get involved in restoration ecology on a large complex river system of California.
