Kottinger Creek, Pleasanton CA

Habitats, Ecosystems, and the Natural World

by Britney Cooper

What kinds of things are kept in your house? Why do you need them?

o Elaborate specifically about each thing and what service it provides to us.

What would you do if, one day, some very big, strong, and scary animal came to your

house, destroyed your refrigerator, took away all of your beds, blankets, pillows,

furniture, and money, and told you to find a house somewhere in another city? How

would that make you feel, and do you think it would make getting food, going to school,

getting sleep, and being happy with your family very hard?

o “yes”

This is what has happened to animals all across the world. There are lots and lots of

people on the planet, more than the planet is supposed to support, and we have displaced

animals’ habitats for our homes, supermarkets, highways and shopping centers.

o Take our wonderful class. Each one of us probably has a very, very nice home, or

in animal version, habitat, to live in. Think of all of our homes in this group and

add those together; that’s a lot of space for our homes! Then think of your whole

grade, your whole school, our whole city, and the whole world! There are 8

billion people on the earth, that’s a lot of habitats transformed into human space!

(where do the animals go?)

o We are only one species, or type of animal, that takes up space. But there are

more than 8.7 million types of animals that need homes too, but we have taken

their homes away.

People have started to realize that we need to share our planet with all of the squirrels,

mountain lions, birds, fish, etc. and are working to give them back their homes that have

been destroyed by us.

o Today, we will talk about what a wonderful home Kottinger Creek is for native

animals, and how this habitat came to be here. Kottinger Creek is an example of

this, which we will talk more about soon. But before this, I’d like to invite you

into this natural home, and encourage you to feel how great a home it is for the

local animals and plants.

o Walk through with students. Tell them to quietly observe the natural world with

voices off and feather feet because we are in someone else’s home. No picking up

sticks, no pulling on leaves (remember, that plant is a life), and think about what

you see, hear, and observe. How does it all make you feel?

Kottinger Creek in history

o Where we stand, and this stream we see here, is very, very old. Kottinger creek

has been a natural creek since 11,000 years ago, predating human existence!

Nature carved it as a small tributary stream connecting to bigger streams around

California.

So, as it is today, what did we see? List off.

Kottinger creek restoration project

o Creek was damaged due to agriculture, livestock grazing, logging, and

urbanization or residential development

o Now is a good example of how humans are rebuilding habitats and sharing

resources and land with the natural world. It’s increased access to animals for

mating and has kept them from becoming isolated which is good for their health.

o All of the plants we see here are native. What does that mean? And these native

plants were either here before this creek was restored, or rebuilt, by people, or

have been planted within the last 10 years. Most are very young just like us.

o At one time, though, there many of what is called “invasive” plants here. If native

means naturally growing, what do you think invasive might mean? Invasive is

plants that are not supposed to be growing here, and they are bad for ecosystems

like this one here. Invasive make life hard for native species to live happily

because they make it hard for them to grow, reproduce, find food, and survive.

They have no naturally occurring predators so they grow too much. But all of

these were removed from Kottinger Creek when it was restored, and guess what?

The city of Pleasanton regularly comes back our to this very creek we are

standing in to pull our any intrusive invasive species that come back.

We are going now to walk through this creek and talk about the wildlife we see. We will

quietly observe the native plants, the animals, and brainstorm ways we can continue

taking care of this precious home for the local animals we care about.

Native Plants at Kottinger Creek

Coyote Brush

deer-resistant drought tolerant after maturity, requiring watering once a week until

established, and then about once per month during the first summer seedling growth is poor in the shade whitish flowers are the females; yellowish flowers are the males seeds are whitish on females, which looks like coyote fur The shrub has many stems that arise from clumps near the ground,

forming dense vegetative cover preferred by many small mammals and low nesting birds. nectary sources for most of the predatory wasps, native skippers(small butterflies) and native flies

Being evergreen, this cover is present year-round. fall and winter blooming period, provides an important late-season

nectar source that attracts many bees, butterflies, predatory wasps and other insects — which are in turn food sources for other wildlife.

honey-like fragrance which attracts many butterflies. Grows very well after fires

Western Rosebud

Flowers provide nectar to bees and the young shoots, leaves Seedpods are browsed by goats, and to a limited extent by deer, sheep,

and cattle The striking sweetpea-like flowers appear before the leaves, in small

clusters along the branches. Pollination is by bumble bees (Bombus sp.) and orchard mason bees In gravelly and rocky soils along streams where it is never flooded Plant is drought tolerant, sun-loving, and grows in a wide variety of

soils Grows mostly singly, but sometimes, in sheltered situations, in shrubby

clumps. Highly valued by Native American basket weaver Redbud also re-sprouts vigorously after fires.

California Poppies

Flowering from February to September The petals close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again the

following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather.

Dies completely in colder climates Drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens

California Poppies

Flowering from February to September The petals close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again the

following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather.

Dies completely in colder climates Drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens

Arroyo Willow

Grows in Canyons and valleys, along pond shores, and in marshes and wetlands

Thrives along the edges of streams where it enjoys the moist soil it requires.

Willow bark or flowers was used to cure a variety of ailments from fevers to itchiness to diarrhea

Insect pollinated Leaves are frequently consumed by insects in early spring Great food sources of insects for birds Lateral branching creates cover and nesting structure for wildlife. Deer, elk, and rabbits browse the stems and foliage Its male catkins are a source of pollen for beneficial insects catkins and buds are food for small game and songbirds in spring Large willows along a stream will benefit fish by increasing food

availability and reducing water temperatures through shade.

Coast Redwood

Especially dependent upon fog for moisture to grow and survive Largest carbon storage systems on the planet Plants growing on redwoods produce food and microhabitats for many

species of animals, including beetles, crickets, earthworms, millipedes, mollusks, arthropods and amphibians

Birds and mammals nest high in the canopy of redwood trees like the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and northern spotted owl

Species of bats nest and roost inside old, hollow redwood trees

Valley Oak

90% of valley oak woodland has been cleared for agriculture and urban development (vineyard development)

tolerate both long term flooding and periods of drought large branch are multiple small stems that during the spring and

summer provide good cover for nesting birds and other wildlife such squirrels and ringtails.

Snags or dead branches of Valley Oaks are used by cavity nesters and

Invasive species

Valley Oak

90% of valley oak woodland has been cleared for agriculture and urban development (vineyard development)

tolerate both long term flooding and periods of drought large branch are multiple small stems that during the spring and

summer provide good cover for nesting birds and other wildlife such squirrels and ringtails.

Snags or dead branches of Valley Oaks are used by cavity nesters and

Wood Strawberry

The fruit was eaten raw and not preserved by California Indian tribes including the Coast Yuki and the Karok

A tea was made from the leaves Wild Strawberries bloom from April to June. Many animals eat strawberry fruits, including Common Crow, Gray

Catbird, sparrows, Wild Turkey, Cedar Waxwing, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird,European Starling, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Virginia Opossum, Striped Skunk, Eastern Chipmunk, Meadow Vole, White-footed Mouse, and Eastern Box Turtle.

Animals that eat strawberry leaves include Eastern Cottontail, White-tailed Deer, nematodes, mites, slugs, stinkbugs, spittlebugs, weevils, and other insects . Wild Strawberry flowers provide nectar and pollen for many insect species, including bees, flies, ants, and butterflies. Some common species which use flowers for food include Honey Bee, Golden Northern Bumble Bee, Eastern Tailed Blue, Cabbage White, and Clouded Sulphur.

The wood strawberry growth we see was not planted during the restoration, it is thought that seeds were brought from upstream further east of the stream and were deposited here. Seeds could have also been brought by animals. How do you think the animals might have brought them here?

Excellent cover for small animals throughout the Spring and Summer. Toads, salamanders, centipedes, spiders, and many insects can crawl and hide

Yellow Star Thistle

Out-competes native grasses and herbs by depleting soil moisture. Sharp spines discourage wildlife and livestock foraging as well as deterring people from using recreational areas.

Spanish Grasses Bricks in the first Spanish missions, made from mud mixed with soil

from around the building site have very few seeds of these introduced weeds. As the missions were built, the brick had ever increasing amounts of seeds of these invasive, aggressive non-native plants

Reintroduction of these plants paired with the restored creek corridor and removal has

invited various insects and animals into the habitat who have now adopted this are as

their home once again.

o What types of wildlife do we see?

o Dragon flies, damsel flies

o Alligator lizard, western fence lizard

o Squirrels

o Robins, crows, red tailed hawk

o Rabbits hunted by barn owls

o Mountain lion came down to investigate food availability in the territory, but left

due to urban development

Creek is an ecosystem service in itself because the plants use it to relocate their seeds,

provides shelter for amphibians

Introduction of invasive species by humans post-restoration

o Release of exotic pets adopted/bought by humans poses a potential risk to the

restorations done at this creek. Exotic pets like bullfrogs, tortoises, etc. have no

natural predators therefore grow quickly and spread diseases to similar native

species. Eat up all of the native animals or plants, and destroy habitats.

o Very important to research animals you want to adopt prior to adopting, because it

may grow bigger than anticipated or may require more money than is available

for your family. If you adopt an exotic pet, you must not release it into the wild, it

needs to stay a pet. Please look into returning the pet back from the seller or find a

new purchaser who will adopt it instead.

“Graveyard” Activity: Sit down, listen to the natural world, observe what’s happening

around us, and think about all of the lives that have been enriched by this restoration

project. What did w hear? What kind of animals did we see? Why is biodiversity

important? Why should we care? Everything is a chain reaction.

How we can do our part as students

o Pick up litter with the supervision of a parent

o Encourage our families to plant native plants in our garden

o Never release exotic pets into the wild

o Start recycling programs in our neighborhood

o Learn more about the natural world as you grow up! Come outside, observe, and

really reconnect with the natural world. We are not as separate from it as it may

seem.