Presidio Parks Stewards; Visit 6

In San Fransisco's Presidio, invasive species of plants are taking over. Weeds such as radish and nettles are taking over space that native species need to grow in. Since the weeds grow quicker than the natives, weeds can easily kill the natives before the natives have time to mature. We used pick axes and miniature pick axes to remove invasive species. Scott and I did this visit together. One thing I found interesting was that we had to scrub off our shoes and spray them with alcohol before we worked. This was to prevent the spread of plant pathogens in the already weak ecosystem. By removing weeds, our group created more space for the already planted natives to grow. By adding space the natives will have more access to nutrients and will be more likely to reach maturity. During our lunch break we also learned about plant asters. An aster is a collection of little flowers within one "flower". For example, a sunflower has lots of little flowers in the middle of its one big "flower".