The California Conservation Corps showed how it works for the local environment by removing invasive species, this time from Malibu Creek State Park. In a TikTok video, the CCC (@caconservationcorps) explained some of its organization's rationale, such as reducing fire fuel.
The crew searches for and removes invasive species that cause harm by sucking nutrients from the soil and destroying native plants. In this case, the team removed poison hemlock — a highly toxic plant when ingested — as well as mustard plants, of which several species, such as black mustard, wild mustard, and Sahara mustard, exist in the state.
@caconservationcorps Reducing fire fuel and clearing out pesky invasive plants can be a dirty job at Malibu Creek State Park. For our #CCCLosAngeles Corpsmembers, a little grass on their goggles is well worth it if they're making a positive difference. #CCCparks #californiaconservationcorps ♬ original sound - California Conservation Corps
These species threaten the ecosystem and can be a pain for homeowners to remove, especially if they have rhizomes — deep creeping lateral roots in which the tiniest bit left behind can resprout a new plant. Such species like creeping bellflower and Japanese knotweed grow quickly and can spread by seed when people walk on them or when birds eat and defecate them back out.
Selectively removing harmful plants also aids in fire prevention. One crew member mentioned cutting down some overgrown grass since "once it dries out, it can become like fuel for the fire." Forest fire prevention is vital as these events have become more common because of extended droughts related to human-caused global warming. The recent devastating Los Angeles fires razed 37,000 acres, per NBC News.
By protecting the environment, the California Conservation Corps helps people enjoy nature safely and have a more secure food chain. After all, native plants are home and food to pollinators that continuously fertilize them and offer a safe space to breed and protect future baby pollinators.
Homeowners who follow the video's example can enjoy the presence of these friendly creatures, reduced expenses from conserving water, stronger plants with deeper roots, and better home value from the aesthetics of a blooming lawn. Rewilding the lawn with native plants can breed biodiversity that includes flowers, trees, ground cover like wild ginger, and grasses like buffalo grass.
The comments praised the protective work of the crew. "Hardwork, low pay, miserable conditions. The c's are a fantastic organization, especially for young adults who don't know what they want to do," said one. Another person proclaimed: "Love to see it! Thank you for the hard work and dedication!"
A former member reminisced: "I was part of the St. Louis Obispo crew! Hard work, but the greatest memories of my life!"
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