Wildlife Habitat Council - Restoring Greenspaces

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2008 Field Trips

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Field Trip One:

Dow Wetlands Preserve
Situated on the edge of the San Joaquin River Delta, The Dow Chemical Company’s property in Pittsburg, California, encompasses approximately 471 acres of restored wetlands. The site’s diverse range of habitats, including freshwater/brackish tidal marsh, freshwater ponds, open water, mudflats, riparian zones and grasslands provide a great place for wildlife and environmental education. This site was chosen as a Wildlife Habitat Council Signature of Sustainability for being an excellent example of bringing both community and industry together in reusing a corporate site. The site was first WHC certified for Wildlife at Work in 1993 and Corporate Lands for Learning in 2000.

Dow Wetlands Preserve Egret
An egret wades in a marsh at The Dow Chemical Company's Dow Wetlands Preserve.

Activities and restoration efforts are determined by the 30-member employee Wetlands Environmental Team annually, and typically include planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers throughout the property, improving the availability of nesting sites for native and migratory birds and regular wildlife monitoring.

In 2004, the preserve was granted ten thousand bunch grass plugs from Hedgerow Farms. The plugs, including purple needle grass, deer grass, creeping wildrye and California onion grass, were maintained by Antioch High School students and then planted by community members. The plantings will replace areas of the beaver pond that were previously dominated by invasive weedy species. Team members also created a bird forage field, a duck barge and several artificial nesting structures to attract additional birds to the preserve.

Other projects include building a wildlife-viewing platform, road improvements, cleanup programs and enhancing educational and recreational opportunities on-site. Enhancing habitat conditions has remained the team's priority; however Dow has also enjoyed the additional benefit of being recognized by the community as an environmentally responsible neighbor, as a result of the ongoing, successful efforts of the Wetland Environmental Team and numerous community partnerships and programs.

See first-hand the ways encouraging ecological enhancements on a corporate site can benefit both the community and the environment.

Field Trip Two:

Napa Salt Ponds and Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project
See the benefits of ecological restoration on a large scale by visiting two major projects in the San Francisco Bay area. Participants will first visit the Napa Salt Pond restoration project where former Cargill salt evaporation ponds are currently being restored to historical wetlands and tidal marches. At the completion of this project, nearly 10,000 acres of wetlands will be restored to their original state.

California Coastal Conservancy Novato Creek

Novato Creek winds its way to San Pablo Bay. Photo copyright Tom Gandesbery, California Coastal Conservancy.

This would support a range of fish and wildlife species, including endangered and threatened species, improve water quality by restoring former salt ponds into usable habitat, and restore greater ecological balance to the Bay Area overall.

The second part of this trip will visit the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project at the former Hamilton Air Force Base on the San Pablo River. Here, participants will get a near aerial view of the dramatic tidal restoration and other habitat, and hear the processes and barriers in making the project possible. Another large scale project, this base is now being transformed into a successful housing community, recreation area, and wildlife habitat in a joint venture between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California State Coastal Conservancy.