06-10-16 Field Note

06-10-16 Field Note

June 10, 2016

Jeff Clarke shares the field crew's adventures with living pond islands, fescue transplants, tree exclosures, and their longtime nemesis, houndstoungue.

Fescue transplants, pond islands, tree exclosures, sainfoin, flowers

The willow stems put on significant growth over the last few weeks. We should have a willow forest filled with birds in a few years. Next year we will fill the rest of the exclosure with 3,000 more willows!

Last week we transplanted fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass from the experimental garden into the feed lot. Before we planted the grasses, we weeded kochia and mustard to prevent damage to grasses and forbs that were drilled here this spring.

Early this spring, we seeded thick patches of sunflower, California poppy and Rocky Mountain bee plant near the entrance. The poppies bloomed first. Patches of bee plant and sunflower continue to grow and will flower soon.

Last week we removed several plastic exclosures from ponderosa pines and replaced them with larger, “permanent” metal exclosures. This will give the trees room to grow and prevent additional ungulate browse.

We canvassed the main roads in the boondocks and killed mullein and houndstongue. This year we hit the plants before they produced seeds. This saved time because we didn’t have to collect seeds before killing plants. Houndstongue near the river started to form seeds this week.