sign

THE REVEGETATION PROJECT

These historic aerial photos show the drastic effects of oil and ag development on land within the Panorama Vista Preserve since 1937.  Notice the broad swath of vegetation on both sides of the river in the late 1930s and how relatively sparse the same region had become by 1956.  The completion of Isabella Dam in the early 1950s significantly reduced the flow of water in the Kern River and resulted in massive die-off of trees along the river.  Epecially affected were California Sycamores, which under natural circumstances depended upon periodic flooding and very moist soil for seeds to germinate. 


1937 1956




The aim of the Preserve's  Revegetation Project is to reintroduce California native plants into barren areas such as you can see in the 1956  photo above. 

A beginning has been made in the approximate areaReveg area shown within the square in the photo to the right.   The area is divided up into three groves,  the Hampson Grove, the Chevron Grove, and the Patricia Brown Grove. 

As of June 2008, the following numbers and types of trees and shrubs have been planted by volunteer workers in these three  places: 

  • Hampson Grove :  12 valley oak, 6 Interior Live Oak, 6 California Sycamore, and 3 rosa californica (native California rose)
  • Chevron Grove:  94 Cottonwood and 20 red willow
  • Brown Memorial Grove:  59 California sycamore, 10  valley oak, 24 buttonwillow,  7 elderberry,  13 rosa californica,  1 cottonwood and 2 groups of  bladderpod.

All of these come from native California plants on the Preserve property except for the oaks, whose acorns were collected farther east in the Kern River watershed. ;  it is speculated that the oaks were historically present in the Preserve region but were long-since cut down by pioneer farmers, the railroad (which still runs along one edge of the Preserve), and the oil industry.

Volunteers Andy Honig and Steve Hampson collected the seeds, acorns and cuttings.  Honig then propagated them in his back yard.   Planting has been done by Honig, Hampson and other volunteers such as Bill Cooper, Rich O'Neil, Phil Shepard and David Maas;  they have also done the crucial watering except in the Chevron Grove where the company established its own water tank.



THE PLANTING PROCESS:


Planting a Cottonwood.  Linda Cooley and Andy Honig.
July 15, 20007
 Planting

 Lynn McDonald adding water.

The same cottonwood, one year later.
  2008

California Sycamore.  This tree was planted  on July 18, 2006;  by July 28, 2008, it had grown to approximately 6 feet high.

Green planting tubes such as in the upper picture give a sapling protection and serve as a miniature greenhouse. 

A deep hole is dug, lined with a chicken-wire basket to discourage rodents from nibbling the young roots, the plant is inserted and the hole filled in with the tube going on last.  At first the sapling might be only 6 inches high.    Mulch helps conserve moisture.


 Tube and cage

This shows the chicken-wire cage, the growing tube, and a small oak growing inside. 


Sycamore seedlings

Newly germinated sycamore seedlings. 
Tubes

Planting tubes in the Brown Grove.  Bamboo stakes mark each planting site and will help supprt the young tree when it grows above the top of the tube.  Drip lines irrigate the trees.

Seedling in pot

Sycamore seedling four to six months after germination.
Rose

California Rose
 Willow Cutting

Willow Cutting
 Buttonwillow

Buttonwillow

Green line

THE GROVES

2007-2009


 Groves map


THE CHEVRON GROVE




Chevron sign

 This sign is a reminder that the Kern County Land Company (KCL) was once owner of land below (and above) the Panorama Bluffs.  Tenneco took over from KCL, then Arco.  The Preserve was  aquired from Arco which retained minteral rights;  Arco was bought by Texaco, and Texaco later merged with Chevron.


















Chevron was required by California State Fish and Game authorities to plant trees in mitigation of loss of trees elsewhere on its properties.  This photo shows a crew installing a water tank. 

The trees (cottonwoods and willows) that were then planted came from saplings and cuttings cultivated by Preserve volunteers Andy Honig and Steve Hampson.


March 2007






 July 2008
Same water tank, new trees. 

July 2008

Green line


THE PATRICIA BROWN MEMORIAL GROVE:
Oct 2006 

October, 2006


Looking northward, the Brown  Grove lies in the area between the Roberts Laane Extension (see the map above)  and the white fences which surround the River Ranches inholding.   

Land to the left of River Ranches belongs to the Preserve, bordered by the Beardsley Canal (the line of trees in the middle distance.)  A strip of land just to the north of the canal also belongs to the Panorama Vista Preserve. 
July 2008

July 2008

The spots of green visible in the area between the trees and the fence are young California sycamores, valley oaks,  buttonwillows, elderberries, native roses, bladderpod, and cottonwood. 

The sycamores got off to a rough start in the first summer when an infestation of false chinch bugs killed many of them;  they were all replanted and now are thriving.  One of them now meaures approximately 12 feet high. 



March 2007

March 2007

  
              
                                         


Brown Grove

September 2007
July 2008

July 2008
Green line
line


THE HAMPSON GROVE



Hampson Grove Plan
In memory of Steve Hampson, 1950-2007
 Gully before reveg
September 2007
  2008
July 2008
Three small Valley Oaks are now growing in this low area.
Sycamore 2007

Sycamore
  Late Spring 2008
 Sycamore 2008

Same July 2008
 Hampson Grove

Bamboo stakes which mark the locations of the plantings give an idea of the eventual appearance of the Hampson Grove.
 
All of these young trees are currently (August 2008) are being hand watered and are at various stages of growth.  The trees in the background line the banks of the Kern River.


Green line

The Big "Hoe Down, " spring 2008

Weeds love water too and have flourished around the new little trees.  Volunteers attacked the weeds with hoes but also  shovels,  macleods, rakes, bare hands or whatever did the job!   The Hoe Down was a big success-- thanks to the volunteers who rallied to the cause! 


Weeding

Karen Cooley
 Bill Cooper

Bill Cooper and his dog Spanky (an expert hole digger)
 Bill McDonald

Bill McDonald
The Schillings

Dona and Paul Schilling
 Brian Forrest

Brian Forrest and his girls
 David Maas

David Maas
Clyde Golden

Clyde Golden
 Diane Karch

Diane Karch
 Beth Van Voorhees

Beth Kuney



March 23, 2010