We hope that we have shared our love and connection with nature with them and know that the planet is in good hands. Volunteers used biotechnical slope restoration techniques to stop erosion. This method uses living plant materials, rather than boulders, concrete, or rock-filled gabions, to ensure that no habitat is lost. Volunteers stabled coconut fiber mats along two portions of bank. Willow wattles, created from willows found further upstream, were staked horizontally along the fiber blanket.
Willow roots are excellent at holding the soil in the banks together.
Existing native vegetation lying under the mat was exposed to allow for continued growth and non-native weeds were removed. Native vegetation, including blue wild rye, buckeye, rushes, snowberry, bee plant and valley oak acorns were installed on top of both sides of streambank. Environmental study students from Palo Alto High School contributed 758 volunteer hours during the 1999 - 2000 school year. These students are restoring their own plot located at the former caretaker's cottage site, under the guidance of our education coordinators, Debra Welch and David Houston. In addition, students are video taping the restoration and making a plant guide for use with next year's program.