Habitat restoration typically involves planting native plants, but a recent project in the Jurupa Hills required ripping them out.
Last month community members came together to restore habitat for endangered species in the Jurupa Hills, in the cities of Fontana and Jurupa Valley. The tasks involved collecting seeds from California buckwheat shrubs and subsequently removing them from the ground. Although curious onlookers might think the method was destructive, land managers assure the project will benefit endangered species.
The project was a collaboration between Rivers & Lands Conservancy, Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority, and Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District. All entities hold and manage conservation lands directly adjacent to each other, on either side of the shared line of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Rivers & Lands Conservancy holds the Jurupa Hills Conservation Easement in Fontana, and Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority manages the Teledyne Preserve in Jurupa Valley in conjunction with RivCo Parks. Both conservation areas, about 41-acres, host the endangered Delhi sands flower-loving fly and the endangered California gnatcatcher…