Spring 2009 Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center ... · Goes to Shirley Turner For everyone who...
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Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Spring 2009 -1- -1- -1- -1- -1- Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Shirley Turner Goes to Shirley Turner Goes to Shirley Turner Goes to Shirley Turner Goes to Shirley Turner For everyone who knows and loves the Mad- rona Marsh Preserve, Shirley Turner has become legendary. Her associa- tion with the Friends of Madrona Marsh goes back to our inception in the early 1970s and in those 35 plus years she has been deeply involved in almost every facet of our organization. At the January 2009 Annual Meeting of the Friends, we presented Shirley with a Lifetime Achievement Award in an attempt to show our appreciation for all that she has contributed to the success of the Friends and to the preser- vation and restoration of our precious wetland. The more you know about the history of the Marsh and the effort to save it and restore it, the more you know about Shirley’s role in those efforts. Nobody but she knows everything she has done, but the following is a brief sampling: In the early days of the Friends, just after our formation in 1972, the first task was just to familiarize people with this swamp called “Madrona Marsh”–– what it was, where it was located and why it was important that it be saved. And at the same time, FOMM was trying to raise money––primarily for publicity and to start a nest egg with which we hoped to one day buy at least a portion of the marshland–– which at that point was privately owned. ––Bill Arrowsmith Shirley was involved in many of those early efforts––bake sales, rummage sales, food and game booths at the Fourth of July celebration, and others. My first memory of her was at a FOMM annual meeting in the Main Library meeting room. She and a few other women had provided the cookies and goodies for the meeting. When we discovered that our slate was one short of the 12 directors called for in our by-laws, we asked Shirley if she would like to sit on the Board. She accepted … and became, I believe, the longest continuously serving member of the Board of Directors for the Friends, with over 25 years of service. Shirley became involved in many of the activities of the Friends, and for many, many years served as an advocate at Park and Recreation Committee and City Council meetings. Shirley did much more than just attend; her voice and opinion were well-known in those chambers. Within the Friends, Shirley started a newsletter many years B.C. (before computers)––to keep us all aware of what was happening. That precursor to the current Marsh Mailing bore Shirley’s imprint at many levels––as reporter, photographer, editor and mailer, often all in the same issue. Continued . . . Shirley Turner is presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent FOMM annual meeting. (Photo courtesy of Connie Vadheim.)
Transcript of Spring 2009 Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center ... · Goes to Shirley Turner For everyone who...
Spring 2009Spring 2009Spring 2009Spring 2009Spring 2009
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Ma d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e rM a d r o n a M a r s h P r e s e r v e a n d N a t u r e C e n t e r
Lifetime Achievement AwardLifetime Achievement AwardLifetime Achievement AwardLifetime Achievement AwardLifetime Achievement AwardGoes to Shirley TurnerGoes to Shirley TurnerGoes to Shirley TurnerGoes to Shirley TurnerGoes to Shirley Turner
For everyone who knows and loves the Mad-rona Marsh Preserve, Shirley Turner has becomelegendary. Her associa-tion with the Friends ofMadrona Marsh goes backto our inception in theearly 1970s and in those35 plus years she hasbeen deeply involved inalmost every facet of ourorganization. At theJanuary 2009 AnnualMeeting of the Friends, wepresented Shirley with aLifetime AchievementAward in an attempt toshow our appreciation forall that she has contributedto the success of theFriends and to the preser-vation and restoration ofour precious wetland.
The more you knowabout the history of theMarsh and the effort tosave it and restore it, themore you know aboutShirley’s role in those efforts. Nobody but she knowseverything she has done, but the following is a briefsampling:
In the early days of the Friends, just after ourformation in 1972, the first task was just to familiarizepeople with this swamp called “Madrona Marsh”––what it was, where it was located and why it wasimportant that it be saved. And at the same time,FOMM was trying to raise money––primarily forpublicity and to start a nest egg with which we hopedto one day buy at least a portion of the marshland––which at that point was privately owned.
––Bill Arrowsmith
Shirley was involved in many of those earlyefforts––bake sales, rummage sales, food and game
booths at the Fourth ofJuly celebration, andothers. My first memoryof her was at a FOMMannual meeting in theMain Library meetingroom. She and a fewother women hadprovided the cookies andgoodies for the meeting.When we discoveredthat our slate was oneshort of the 12 directorscalled for in our by-laws,we asked Shirley if shewould like to sit on theBoard. She accepted …and became, I believe,the longest continuouslyserving member of theBoard of Directors forthe Friends, with over 25years of service.
Shirley becameinvolved in many of the
activities of the Friends, and for many, many yearsserved as an advocate at Park and RecreationCommittee and City Council meetings. Shirley didmuch more than just attend; her voice and opinionwere well-known in those chambers.
Within the Friends, Shirley started a newslettermany years B.C. (before computers)––to keep us allaware of what was happening. That precursor to thecurrent Marsh Mailing bore Shirley’s imprint at manylevels––as reporter, photographer, editor and mailer,often all in the same issue.
Continued . . .
Shirley Turner is presented with a Lifetime AchievementAward at the recent FOMM annual meeting. (Photo courtesyof Connie Vadheim.)
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In the early 1980s Shirley joined many other‘Marshans’ and members of homeowners associa-tions in collecting signatures for a referendum on thePark Del Amo development proposed for the Marsh.The success of that drive (over 14,000 signatures injust a few weeks) led to a series of negotiationsbetween the coalition of Marsh supporters and thedevelopers, and ultimately to a compromise in whichthe developers obtained slight increases in density onportions of their 160-acre development, but dedicated35 acres for the Madrona Marsh Preserve. (Another8.5 acres was purchased by the City with $1.5 millionwhich had been raised up to that point.)
Shirley continued the process of introducingpeople to Madrona Marsh long after the successfulbattle to preserve it. She continued publishing theFOMM newsletter and became increasingly involvedin what we now call “outreach programs”––taking themessage of the Marsh to scout troops, YM/YWCAgroups, schools and fairs. Her van was always filledwith the posters, pictures and literature she woulduse to introduce another group of children or adults tothe mysterious place called Madrona Marsh.
But Shirley’s van was filled with much more thanher outreach materials, because once we had accessto the Marsh (about 1986) she became involved inwhat she is probably best known for: Restoration!She has spent thousands of hours on the Marsh––working there herself and teaching others how todistinguish between Native Plants and InvasiveWeeds; how to harvest seeds from the natives andgrow seedlings; and how to plant those seedlings onthe Marsh.
She was instrumental in getting our first nativeplant nursery established. And she worked withmany community groups, like Boy/Girl Scouts, EagleScouts and the YM/YWCA to encourage them to getinvolved in restoration projects on the Marsh. AsTracy Drake has said, “There is probably not asquare inch of the Marsh that has not seen Shirley’shand in restoration at some point.”
She and Ruth McConnell organized our very
popular Tyke Hike Program for pre-schoolers andtheir parents, and they led these monthly explora-tions for years, introducing yet another generation tothe wonders of Madrona Marsh.
President Obama has asked us all to worktogether to restore our country. Shirley Turner hasshown us right here in Torrance just how much onededicated person can accomplish.
Shirley, there is no way we can ever give backto you even a fraction of what you have given to theFriends and to the Marsh, but may the LifetimeAchievement Award we presented to you this year bea small reminder that your friends from MadronaMarsh are extremely grateful for all that you havedone. It has been our pleasure to work with you andlearn from you.
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Torrance’s motto is: A Balanced City––bal-anced, that is, among residential, commercial andindustrial uses. We find that’s true even with thedonations for the Preserve. We were recently therecipient of two very generous gifts, one from theindustrial sector and one from the residential.
In January Dow Chemical donated beautifulnew tables for our classroom/presentation room. Thenew tables are narrower and lighter than the old ones— allowing us to seat more attendees for our popularclasses (like Connie Vadheim’s Native Plants) andalso making it easier to rearrange the tables andeven use them outside.
Thank you, Dow Chemical!
In April we received a very generous donationfrom the Riviera Garden Club for two new outsidebenches.
One of these handsome and sturdy bencheswill be placed at the north end of the Native PlantGarden, to allow visitors a moment of quiet reflectionas they gaze out over the beautiful garden, with thePreserve and Palos Verdes hills in the background.
The second bench, located in the southeastcorner of the Preserve, will provide a welcomeresting spot as well as a viewpoint.
Thank you, Riviera Garden Club!
New Gifts for the InsideNew Gifts for the InsideNew Gifts for the InsideNew Gifts for the InsideNew Gifts for the InsideAnd OutsideAnd OutsideAnd OutsideAnd OutsideAnd Outside
Marsh Mailing is a quarterly newsletterdesigned to provide information about activi-ties and upcoming events at or relating to theMadrona Marsh Preserve. Contributions arewelcome and may be e-mailed to DianeGonsalves at [email protected] or BillArrowsmith, [email protected],or dropped off or mailed to the Nature Center.
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from the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the presidentfrom the president
The FOMM Board of Directors
“Sometimes things have to get worse beforethey can get better.” -- Anonymous
As many of you know, about March 20 ManagerTracy Drake had to close public access to the Mad-rona Marsh for a couple of weeks. The closure wasdue to a high level of certain types of bacteria in thewater which could have presented a danger tochildren or to people with weakened immune sys-tems. Tracy closed the Preserve immediately afterthe bacteria were discovered because she (with theFriends’ concurrence) takes no chances with thehealth and safety our visitors, volunteers and staff.The Preserve was reopened only after the source ofcontamination was found and removed and the watertested “clean” for several days.
Events of this type are rare at Madrona, (theonly previous closure was in 2003 and lasted forthree months) but we would prefer them to be non-existent. The silver lining of this cloud is that we maybe closer to that goal because we are lucky in severalrespects. Let me explain.
How did we learn of the contamination? We areextremely fortunate to have two knowledgeable anddedicated experts in biology, Bob Carr and TracyDrake, who carefully monitor the water at severalpoints on the Preserve: monthly during the dryseason, when water is limited to runoff into the sump;but weekly after our first seasonal rains and through-out the wet season. When they discover potentialcontamination, as they did in March, they sendsamples to an outside lab for confirmation and moreextensive analysis.
I will let Tracy and Bob discuss the type andseverity of the bacteria found, perhaps in the next
issue, and will focus here on the apparent source ofthe contamination. Very high bacteria counts werediscovered at Drain #1 in the southwest corner of theMarsh, just north of the Chevron Corner, and thedrain appeared to be clogged. Large quantities offlotsam had backed up and were deposited on theMarsh, inside a fenced area there. (Note that thissame area appeared to be the source of contami-nants in 2003.)
To clear the material clogging Drain #1 requiredprofessionals trained in the removal of biologicallyhazardous waste. We are once again fortunate tohave just such a company right here in Torrance,Ecology Control Industries, or ECI. ECI responded tothe City’s request, armed with the proper gear andequipment to quickly clear and pump out our cloggeddrain as well as the one across the street (near carwash) which is connected, and to remove the hazard-ous deposits. The composition of the removedmaterial leads us to believe that someone intention-ally and illegally used these curbside drains, or catchbasins, as trash depositories. And some of the trashdiscarded there was biologically hazardous waste.
Torrance city authorities are pursuing leads inthis case and we hope they find the culprits. Butperhaps the best prospect for a cure is prevention––which brings us to our third bit of good fortune: Wehave another company, right here in Torrance, whichproduces a special mechanism which fits over catchbasin openings and allows water to flow through butscreens out trash. It folds down to accommodatelarge quantities of storm water but cannot be forcedopen by our nefarious trash dumpers. The companyis American Storm Water (americanstormwater.com)and their product, made of stainless steel, is called aSurf Gate.
American Storm Water has installed, at theirexpense, a Surf Gate at the catch basin next toMadrona Car Wash, as a demonstration for the Cityof Torrance. Please check it out when you drive by.The Board of Directors of the Friends has offeredalso to purchase a gate for the drain adjacent toDrain #1, if a method of keeping it free of debris canbe worked out. Normally street sweeper actionkeeps the Surf Gate clean, but the Drain #1 catchbasin is offset from the street. We may need to add atwo-minute weekly raking to our groundskeeper’sduties.
But there is definite hope that a situation thathas been bad for years is about to improve. Some-times things have to get worse before they can getbetter.
––Bill Arrowsmith
Recent Marsh ClosureRecent Marsh ClosureRecent Marsh ClosureRecent Marsh ClosureRecent Marsh Closure
• Bill Arrowsmith, President• Connie Vadheim, Vice President• Ellen Peterson, Treasurer• Carol Roelen, Recording Secretary• Jeanne Bellemin• Bill Forrest• Mary Garrity• Sarah Noddings• Archie Phillips• Suzan Hubert• Bobbie Snyder
• Bob Shanman
Continues on page 5.
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Shirley’s TurnShirley’s TurnShirley’s TurnShirley’s TurnShirley’s Turn––Shirley Turner
In Memoriam:Ê Angelina A. HodgsonIn Memoriam:Ê Angelina A. HodgsonIn Memoriam:Ê Angelina A. HodgsonIn Memoriam:Ê Angelina A. HodgsonIn Memoriam:Ê Angelina A. HodgsonAngelina was a member since 1982 and loved
to volunteer in our 4th of July food booth.
Mineral MagicMineral MagicMineral MagicMineral MagicMineral MagicSixty-five enthusiastic people were thrilled at
the March Second Sunday Science program onfossils, rocks and minerals presented by ChuckHerzig of El Camino College. They saw gizzardstones of a dinosaur and its footprint in clay. Theylearned the earth‘s core is iron, the mantle is peridot-ite (weathers to a blue clay silicate) the ocean crustis basalt, and the continental crust is granite. Someitems were observed under ultra-violet light, includ-ing credit cards.
After learning all about the many samples hebrought and how to identify them, people formedseveral groups and were given a box of 30 items tosort out into each of three categories. The fivesenses were used. Mr. Herzig received a standingovation at end of the program.
The Friends are very thankful for Chuck’swonderful presentation and his support over manyyears.
Airplanes and BirdsAirplanes and BirdsAirplanes and BirdsAirplanes and BirdsAirplanes and BirdsBirder’s World is a bi-monthly magazine that I
enjoy. The April 2009 issue arrived shortly after theUS Airways jet crashed in the Hudson River, due tobirds flying into it. The article “Planes, birds, micro-scopes, and DNA” in that issue is fascinating.Smithsonian scientists do more than investigate bird-aircraft collisions. They push the limits of birdidentification.
Civilian aircraft collide with birds about 35,000times a year, costing the industry $650 millionannually. Military aircraft strike birds 5,000 times ayear. The success of avoiding collision more andmore depends on identifying the species andlocation of a strike so that wildlife managers maymake mitigation plans.
About 10 packages of bird remains are sentevery day from all over the world to the SmithsonianInstitution’s Feather Laboratory located within theNational Museum of Natural History. This is requiredby all military organizations, but volunteers alsosearch for bird fragments and snarge on the planeand runway. Snarge is the bird goo that is wiped offan aircraft that has hit a bird. Stories of manyunusual identifications are reported by these verypersistent scientists. Jennifer A. Lynch, the author,is a biologist managing wildlife hazards at airports.
You can peruse many copies of colorful Birder’sWorld in our library. The Rufous Hummingbird, recordholder for longest hummingbird migration flight, is onthe cover of the April 2009 issue. Bird hot spots,guided bird tours, tips on how to ID birds and birdingequipment are numerous in each issue.
In Guideposts Magazine there was a story of awoman who walked her dog around the small airportrunway near her home when flights were expected.The dog chased birds away––one good kind ofwildlife management.
Long-Time FriendsLong-Time FriendsLong-Time FriendsLong-Time FriendsLong-Time FriendsThank you to everyone for the honor that was
bestowed on me at the Annual Meeting of theFriends, and to Marianne Strehler for the gift of apencil drawing of me, a remarkable likeness, thatstarted the ball rolling. The drawing has been hungbehind the front desk at the Nature Center (see page11).
It was wonderful to see so many of you whohave also contributed so much to the Preserve alongthe way, over the years.
Others I have heard from are Fred and DeloresBraden, now retired travelers. Jane Nishimura hassent my news around the world so we have heardfrom Janie Vaughn, retired, who lives back home inNew Zealand––weeding and watching birds there, asshe did here for three years at the Marsh with us.
Tyke Hike ReportTyke Hike ReportTyke Hike ReportTyke Hike ReportTyke Hike Report––Mary Garrity
January 8, 2009January 8, 2009January 8, 2009January 8, 2009January 8, 2009It was a beautiful California winter morning as
we welcomed 12 tykes for the monthly hike aroundthe Marsh. The previous night’s fog had left littledroplets of dew on the greenery that shimmered inthe morning sun and the recent rains had created asneaky blanket of green as we gazed upon the openspace.
Luke pushed the button to cross the street. Weentered the gate and gathered together to talk a littleabout what we might see. After each tyke chose aphoto (mounted on a Popsicle stick handle) of ananimal, tree, bird or flower we were off.
Beth guided us along and the children weredelighted when they discovered the critter or objectthat matched their Popsicle stick mounted photo. Wespotted the Red-tailed Hawk dismissing the crows. Inrapid order acorns, bug tracks, beetles, lupinesbeginning to bloom and bush sunflowers all wereexcitedly discovered by the tykes.
We all quietly crept near the water where we
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––Ellen Peterson, Treasurer
Donations--$100 or MoreDonations--$100 or MoreDonations--$100 or MoreDonations--$100 or MoreDonations--$100 or More
The Friends of Madrona Marsh would like to say a special “thank you” to the donors below, all of whomgave $100 or more during the past quarter.
12-26-08 Lois and Wesley Medina $10012-29-08 Maxine Trevethen $30012-30-08 Merle and Virginia Gasser $10512-26-08 Sharon Angelos $12012-31-08 Frank and Marilyn Miles $1001-26-09 New Horizons Conservation Club $1001-21-09 Kathleen and Edward Lahey $1501-18-09 Norman and Suzanne George $1502-1-09 Old Torrance Neighborhood Asssoc. $1002-5-09 Sharon Angelos/ITG $120 (Donated $120 in Dec 2008 and
applied for Matching Funds pro-gram at her company, ITG)
2-18-09 Joannie Spring $200 (Joannie creates wonderful calen-dars with photographs of the Marsh.She sold 20 calendars for $15each and gave FOMM $10 foreach calendar.)
2-9-09 Cheryl Martin $1102-20-09 Jane & Richard Nishimura $200 (Donated in honor of Shirley Turner)
saw a pair of Mallards, male and female.Returning to the Nature Center Exhibit Hall, we
viewed in the display cases the specimens of animalsthat are present on the Marsh at this time of year anddecided we had seen quite a few. Beth took thegopher snake out of his cage for the children to feelhis skin.
Paul, a very educated young insect experttaught us the difference between the harlequin bugand the milkweed bug. A future for him in entomol-ogy lies ahead.
Two moms remained and lunched on theoutdoor benches. One mom is planning to create anative plant garden at her home and vowed to returnso that she may walk through our native garden andpen the names of the plants.
February 5, 2009February 5, 2009February 5, 2009February 5, 2009February 5, 2009Ominous cloudy skies with a promise of rain
appeared but the tyke hike proceeded. What fun aswe gathered and Beth guided us to discover theducks. We were silent (HA!) so as to not disturb theMallards as they swam and dived for lunch.
Miles escaped his stroller and ran off on anadventure of his own liking. Mom swiftly retrieved
him and all was orderly once again. We discovered afew flitting birds but our noses were disturbed by thesweet, wonderful aroma of some flora we could notidentify.
Oh, those tykes are a fun group!
March 5, 2009March 5, 2009March 5, 2009March 5, 2009March 5, 2009Although the Marsh was closed we gathered
together all of the tykes: Moms walking, strollersstrolling and toddlers toddling, we set off along Plazadel Amo, peering though the fence at the bloominglupines and leafing out sycamores. Stop, stop,stopping to peer on the sidewalk at anything thetykes found interesting. As we rounded the cornerand walked along Madrona we spotted “hundreds ofducks” as one tyke reported.
Returning, Beth suggested the tykes pickdandelions whereupon entering the Nature Centerthese delicacies were fed to the tortoises.
Moms interested in planting a native gardenwere given information and a tour of our garden.
Simply coloring, cavorting and discovering wasa grand morning for the children. Beth’s “beetlepicking” and “snake handling” is an invaluable joy ofdiscovery for the children.
Thanks, Beth!––Mary Garrity
Continued from page 4.
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Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterMadrona Marsh Preserve and Nature CenterSchedule of Events*
April –July 2009
*All activities and classes meet at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center, located at 3201 Plazadel Amo (between Maple and Madrona) on the north side of the street. For the very latest onevents visit www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com. **See Artists Corner, page 9.
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8:30 am-Tour de’ Torrance10 am-12 n-Weeders4-6 pm-Environ-mental Interpretation
10 am-Tyke Hike
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2-4 pm-Second SundayScience- SpringMigration/JessMorton
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8:45 am-12 n-H. S. Service8:45 am-12 noon-Habitat Restoration
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8 am-Bird Walk/Bob Shanman10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders7:15-9 pm-FOMM Board Meeting10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders
2-4 pm-Second SundayScience-DinosaurHunt
10 am- Nature Walk 10 am-12 n-Weeders
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4-6 pm-Environ-mental Interpretation.6:30-8:30 pm- “Clay& Hummingbirds”/Dr.Connie Vadheim
6:30-8:30-ArtistReception forClayton Fogel**
1-3 pm-”KillYour Lawn”
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*All activities and classes meet at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center, located at 3201 Plazadel Amo (between Maple and Madrona) on the north side of the street. For the very latest onevents visit www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com. **See Artists Corner, page 9.
Brought to you byFriends of Madrona Marsh
Nature Center (310) 782-3989Gift Shop (310) 320-8255
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8:45 am- 12 n- Hab. Restor.8:45 am-12 n-Student Service10 am-12 n- Out of the Wilds,Intothe Garden-/Dr. Connie Vadheim
8:45 am - 12 noon-Habitat Restoration8:45 am-12 n-Student Service7:30-9:30 pm-Night Hike
10 a.m.-Tyke Hike
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2 - 4 pm-SecondSunday Science-“Bats!” Come seea live bat
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6:30-8:30 pm-TelescopeWorkshop
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8:45 am-12 n-H. S. Service8:45 am- 12 n-Hab. Restor.10 am-12 n-Out of the Wild &Into Your Garden/ Vadheim
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8 am-Bird Walk/Bob Shanman10 am-12 n-Weeders10 am-12 n-Junior Naturalist7:15-9 pm-FOMM Board Meeting
10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders7 pm-Audubon meets
8:30 am-Tour de’ Torrance10 am-12 n-Weeders
10 am-Tyke Hike
10 am-12 n-Weeders10 am-12 n-Junior Nauralist
10 am-12 n-Weeders10 am-12 n-Junior Naturalist
2-4 pm-Second SundayScience-“Butterflies”
10 a.m-Nature Walk
10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders10 am-12 n-Junior Naturalist
8:45 am-12 noon-Habitat Restoration8:45 am-12 n-H. S.Learning10 am- 12 n-AnnualButterfly Count Class
Butterfly Count-ALL DAY!8:45 am-12 n-H. S. Service8:45 am-12 noon-Habitat Restoration
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9 am-Morningson the Marsh10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders
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8:45 am- 12 noon-Habitat Restoration8:45 am-12 n-H. S. Service10 am- Nature Walk2-4 pm-Are We Alone?
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5:30-6:30 pm-MMF Board Meeting
10 am-12 n-HabitatRestoration-Weeders10 am-12 n-Jr. Naturalist
10 am-12 n-Weeders
8:30 am-Tour de’ Torrance
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6:30-8:30 pm-Out ofthe Wilds & Into YourGarden/ Dr. Vadheim
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1-3 pm-Photography &Poetry Workshop
6:30-8:30 pm-TelescopeWorkshop
6:30-8:30 pm-TelescopeWorkshop
6:30-8:30 pm-TelescopeWorkshop
6:30-8:30 pm-TelescopeWorkshop
6:30-8:30pm-ArtistReception forStephen D.West
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The Moth MysteryThe Moth MysteryThe Moth MysteryThe Moth MysteryThe Moth Mystery—Emile Fiesler
While standing before a wall of chest-highGarland Chrysanthemums, mixed with Wild Radish, Iwas delighted to see a small colorful moth brieflyvisiting a Radish (Raphanus sativus) flower in broaddaylight. It only allowed a few quick photos before itflew out of sight.
This photo showed enough detail to identify itas the native Flower Moth (Schinia pulchripennis)taken in the Spring of 2008 at the Madrona MarshPreserve.
It turns out that the only food plant recorded forSchinia pulchripennis is the beautiful Purple Owl'sClover (Castilleja exserta) which, even though itsflowers resemble clover flowers, is in the samegenus as the Indian Paintbrush.
The photo atleft shows a PurpleOwl's Clover foundin the SantaMonica Mountains.
Schinia spe-cies are strongflyers, and henceare theoreticallycapable of travelingdistances.
Many speciesof Schinia however,are rarely observedaway from theimmediate vicinityof their host plant,
on which their caterpillar larvae feed. Reliablesources report that Castilleja exserta belongs to thishomebound group.
Mysteriously, there have been no Purple Owl'sClover, nor any other Paintbrushes, recorded from
Emile is a former FOMM Board Member and an expertobserver of nature.
the Preserve. Given that the Preserve is only about 44acres in size, and that the striking Purple Owl's Cloverflowers are hard to miss, the question is: where did themoths come from?
There have only been a couple of historicalrecordings of Purple Owl's Clover in the South Bay:from Gardena in 1917, which was 92 years ago whenmost of the area was not paved over yet; and onerecord from San Pedro from 1998.
The San Pedro site is more than 3.5 miles of solidurbanized area away, as the crow–that is, the mothflies––if it would follow an unlikely straight “bee-line.”
This Spring, Tracy and I, while crossing thePreserve, were surprised to see quite a few mothsfrolicking ahead of us. They also turned out to beSchinia pulchripennis; see photo below.
It's quite amazing how different their color ap-pears, depending on the angle of incident light, as theylook more beige when photographed dorsally.
In conclusion, the 2008 sighting could have beena stray, perhaps blown in by a southeasterly wind;although the wind almost always blows from thenorthwest in this part of the country.
Now that we encountered a whole flock, themystery of their origin grows:
1. Did they, the whole flock, cross more than 3.5miles of town ('wing-in-wing'); in other words, do theyfollow a common migration route, or
2. Is there an undiscovered bouquet of PurpleOwl's Clover near the Preserve, perhaps in a (nativeplant) garden? This is not very likely, as Purple Owl'sClover is a hemiparasite, obtaining some of its nutri-ents from the roots of other plants, and might not findsuitable hosts nearby; or
3. Are there more host plants for Schiniapulchripennis than currently documented?
Clues toward solving this mystery are muchappreciated.
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Artists CornerArtists CornerArtists CornerArtists CornerArtists CornerWorks of local artists and photographers inspired
by the beauty of the Madrona Marsh are regularly ondisplay at the Nature Center. Everyone is invited toattend each artist’s reception where the artist talks abouthis/her work or gives a demonstration. Snacks and bev-erages are included.
Through April 24 - Jennifer Siegel, “Paintingsof the Marsh,” an Exhibit of Paintings.
April 28-June 12 - Clayton Fogel, Photogra-phy of the Marsh, a Photography Exhibit. Artist’s Re-ception, May 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
June 16-July 31 - Stephen D. West, Impressionsof the Marsh IV, An Exhibit of Paintings. Artist’s Re-ception, Friday, June 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
At their March 2009 meeting the Board ofDirectors of the Madrona Marsh Foundation electedMs. Jill Klausen as President, replacing Dr. JackLudwick, who has served in that capacity since theinception of the organization in 2006.
We thank Jack for the fine work he has donegetting our sister organization on its feet and con-gratulate Jill on her new official role. Jill, who ismanager of a local business development company,has been a very active board member the last twoyears.
George Walker will continue as Board Secretaryand Lucia Johnson will assume the post of Trea-surer. President Klausen also welcomed two newboard members at the March meeting: Matthew Yu,an estate planning attorney, and Kerry TownsendJacob, President of the Townsend Communicationspublic relations firm.
The Foundation Board has scheduled an all-daysession for Strategic Plan Development in May, andhas invited members of the FOMM Board to partici-pate. We wish the new Foundation Board a fruitfuland successful term!
Madrona Marsh FoundationMadrona Marsh FoundationMadrona Marsh FoundationMadrona Marsh FoundationMadrona Marsh FoundationElects New OfficersElects New OfficersElects New OfficersElects New OfficersElects New Officers
Display your art at Madrona Marsh. Amateursare welcome. Submit your portfolio at the NatureCenter, 3201 Plaza del Amo. For more information,call 310-782-3989.
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All VolunteerAll VolunteerAll VolunteerAll VolunteerAll VolunteerPositions FilledPositions FilledPositions FilledPositions FilledPositions Filled
Efforts to recruit volunteers for Friends pro-grams and activities have been so successful that wehave no volunteer opportunities left. Currently filledpositions include: Front Desk Managers, Gift ShopOperators, Restoration Specialists (weekly and week-end), Assistants for Tyke Hikes, Docents and TourGuides. Sorry. New applicants will be put on a listfor future openings.
Not! Just an April 1 musing . . . . But what didyou think? “How wonderful! Now they won’t botherme to do it!” OR “How terrible! Now I can’t be part ofthe fantastic success story of Madrona Marsh!”
Actually, although FOMM has a membership ofnearly 600, a relatively small number of people areinvolved in our activities, perhaps twenty or thirtyoutside the current Board of Directors, Front Deskand Gift Shop Volunteers and Weekly Weeders.
For example, the goodies served at the AnnualMeeting are supplied by the twelve members of theBoard itself. Much of this is our fault–it’s easier tocook and bring the brownies ourselves than to calland cajole a dozen members. Also we realize thatmany of you are just too busy, too young, too old orotherwise just not interested in helping with theFriends programs and activities. And that’s fine.
But wouldn’t it be terrible if there were noopportunities to help restore our beautiful wetlands orto learn of its wonders and show them to others? Think about it.
If you’d like to find out about any of the opportu-nities above—or ask about new ones, please call theNature Center at 310-782-3989 or use the member-ship application on page 12 to tell us of your inter-ests. Quickly! Before they’re all gone!
Membership Chairman Cliff Heise wouldlike to ask all members of the Friends to send inyour dues for 2009, if you have not already doneso. Remitting your dues before Cliff has to sendout a reminder notice saves the Friends 44 centsfor each mailing—over $200 total if too many ofus forget.
Check the top of the mailing label on thisnewsletter to see if you are paid up.
And thanks to all of you who have alreadysent in your 2009 membership dues!
A Spring ReminderA Spring ReminderA Spring ReminderA Spring ReminderA Spring Reminder
South Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant CornerSouth Bay Native Plant Corner
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––Dr. Connie Vadheim, CSUDH
Dune (Island) WallflowerErysimum insulare ssp. suffrutescens
Some of our native perennials are late winter/early spring bloomers. In general, these plantsbecome entirely dormant during the hot dry months ofsummer and fall. They grow quickly with the fallrains, bloom quickly, then begin the dormant cycleagain. These plants often provide an importantspring food source for native bees, early butterfliesand even for hummingbirds. A good example of sucha perennial is our local Dune Wallflower, Erysimuminsulare ssp. suffrutescens.
Dune Wallflower grows on sand dunes and inthe coastal strand/prairie and coastal sage scrubplant communities of Southern California fromMorrow Bay to Los Angeles County. You have likelyseen it in the upland areas of the Preserve, where itsblooms coincide with the spring rains. The plantsare 2-3 feet tall and about as wide. The uprightstems are slightly curved, with narrow gray-greenleaves arranged uniformly along the stems. Theplants provide a welcome patch of green in thewinter/spring landscape––or in your home garden.
Dune Wallflower is a member of the MustardFamily (Brassicaceae). Its flower parts are in sets offour, which is typical for the family. The flowers are abright golden yellow––a welcome spot of gold at thistime of year. The stems can be literally covered with
blooms, making this a showy addition to the homegarden. The fruit is a long pod that splits open toreveal many tiny seeds. The plant is short-lived(several years) but in many gardens––and in thewild ––the plant will reseed itself naturally on baresoil.
Dune Wallflower, as its name implies, growswell in sandy soils. I’ve also had good luck with it inclay soils, as long as it’s not overwatered in summer.‘Wallflower’ refers to the propensity of EuropeanErysimums to grow along warm dry walls. DuneWallflower likes full sun, although it does fine in lightshade. It has low water needs and can survive withlittle or no summer water. It needs no fertilizer.
It is easy to start Dune Wallflower from seed.Collect seedpods when they are nearly dry. Drythem in paper bags in a cool, dry place––they willsplit open naturally, releasing the seeds. You cansprinkle the seeds out and rake them in lightly withthe first rains. Or plant them in pots in fall, thenplant them out in the garden in spring.
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Learn more about local native plants at our“Out of the Wilds and into Your Garden” series onthe first Saturday of each month. Plant InformationSheets and Plant Lists are also available at theNature Center.
Gift Shop Hits Milestone!Gift Shop Hits Milestone!Gift Shop Hits Milestone!Gift Shop Hits Milestone!Gift Shop Hits Milestone!Congratulations to Madrona Marsh Gift Shop
Manager Linda Brown and her dedicated staff ofvolunteers! At the April meeting of the FOMM Boardof Directors, Linda presented FOMM with a check for$7000––thus completing repayment of the $25,000startup stake the Friends provided eight years agowhen the Gift Shop opened.
This is a remarkable feat, given that markups inthe shop are kept low in order to make the finebooks, artwork, clothing, jewelry, nature toys andother gifts sold in the shop affordable for our visitors––no price gouging. Thus, it has taken eight years ofhard work by Linda and her loyal assistants to “payoff the mortgage.”
As you may know, all profits from gift shop salesare to be used to support Madrona Marsh programsand projects. And now that Linda has “burned themortgage,” we will begin to see those profits.
Thank you, Linda and Gift Shop Staffers, for ajob well done!
The annual meeting of the Friends of MadronaMarsh was held on January 25, 2009 at the NatureCenter meeting room and was quite well attended.We elected four Directors––returning incumbentsEllen Peterson, Bill Forrest and Bill Arrowsmith to theBoard, along with newcomer Suzan Hubert, who hasactively participated in board meetings for severalmonths.
Preserve Manager and Naturalist Tracy Drakepresented an excellent Power Point presentationshowing the extent of Preserve programs andactivities as well as beautiful pictures of the flora andfauna of Madrona Marsh.
The guest speaker was David Sundstrom fromthe South Coast Chapter of the California NativePlant Society. Mr. Sundstrom spoke quite knowl-edgeably about the Dominguez Gap WetlandsMultiuse Project in Long Beach, and illustrated hislecture with pictures of this beautiful 50-acre riparianhabitat––before, during, and after its recent restora-tion. He showed us the many uses for the wetland––from flood protection and ground water recharge torecreation and education.
Of particular interest to our audience were his
experiences revegetating the area completely withCalifornia Native Plants. Especially appreciated werethe details David gave on site preparation, plantselection and the many “lessons learned.” We lookforward to watching this nearby wetlands projectgrow and mature.
For many who attended this year’s annualmeeting, the highlight was the long-overdue recogni-tion of one of our premier members: Shirley Turner.Shirley’s contributions are so numerous and cover somany years (see article, page 1) that she trulydeserves dozens of awards, but we tried to expressour appreciation with just one Lifetime AchievementAward. The Award reads: “Presented to ShirleyTurner / Lifetime Achievement Award / In Appreciationfor Over 35 Years / of Stewardship and Outreach / InSupport of Madrona Marsh / 2009.
In addition to the award, a beautiful coloredportrait of Shirley was presented to her by longtimeMarsh supporter and local artist Marianne Strehler.The portrait is currently hanging in a place of honor atthe Nature Center, just above the reception desk. Besure to stop in and see it.
We can never thank you enough, Shirley, for thethousands of hours you have devoted to the restora-tion and stewardship of Madrona Marsh and tobringing the story and appreciation of the Preserveand its plants and animals to thousands of childrenand adults. Thank you for all that you do.
––Bill Arrowsmith
FOMM 2009 Annual Meeting ReportFOMM 2009 Annual Meeting ReportFOMM 2009 Annual Meeting ReportFOMM 2009 Annual Meeting ReportFOMM 2009 Annual Meeting Report
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Local artist Marianne Strehler, right, presents her coloredportrait to Shirley Turner in honor of Shirley’s longtimesupport of the Marsh. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Drake.)
Membership ApplicationWe appreciate your support. Thank you!
Annual Membership: _____New _____Renewal
Individual _____$10 Family______$20 Youth (under 18)/Senior (over 65)_____$5
Patron _____$35 Club/Organization _____$50 Business/Industry_____$100
Amount Enclosed_____
Please send your donation or offer of services to:
Friends of Madrona Marsh, P.O. Box 5078, Torrance, CA 90510
FOMM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Your donations are tax free within the law.
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