Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the MDLT oversees 120,000 acres of the Mojave Desert. They currently manage 60,000 acres, but have protected 120,000 acres since 2006. 60,000 acres have been transferred over to federal partners. Thanks to MDLT for the correction.
March 19th is when spring officially starts, but to be honest I never really pay attention to that. For me spring started today – this morning we sprung forward an hour. I’m not going to get into the daylight savings debate here – but suffice it to say I’m happy that we are getting that extra hour of daylight. There’s a lot things I want to do after work. Scrambling around rocks in the hondo wash, or working on the two-wheeled projects that have been piling up in my garage.
Then there’s the things I need to do. Like weeding. Leading into 2024 the national weather service kept promising a wet winter, and it finally delivered in abundance. Around the hi desert, that means that alongside the plants we are happy to see get that extra precipitation, are a whole host invasive weeds and grasses that sprout up quickly and can squeeze out native plants and weeds (yes, there are beneficial native weeds, too).
A few weekends ago the Mojave Desert Land Trust had an invasive plants training session for those interested in volunteering with the non-profit, or for folks who just wanted an education on what to pull versus what to keep.
After the training I sat down with Mackenzie Nelson – she’s the MDLT’s Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator and has been putting on the training for the last couple years. We talked about how the problem of invasive plants can feel overwhelming – but MDLT is seeing progress with less invasives returning after volunteers and staff get out there and attack an acquisition – yanking mustards and grasses out to allow space for natives to thrive.
READ: Identify the “Good Guys” and the “Bad Guys” with MDLT’s weeding guide
Mackenzie Nelson: “We see less instances of those invasive species in the more remote areas, and we don’t have to go back as often if we do have to do some invasive species removal… we don’t have to go back every single year. We are able to monitor it, but we don’t have to make it a large move to remove all of that.”
Of course some of the 60,000 acres of desert that the MDLT oversees will be remote areas where invasives still do harm, but they don’t see as much proliferation of weeds and plants due to less traffic – both from cars and feet. A problem for highly-trafficked areas like “Section 33” located right off Highway 62 as you drive into Joshua Tree from the west.
Mackenzie Nelson: “Section 33 is kind of a constant project we have on our docket all the time. We are always going out and picking up trash and picking out those invasive mustards. I think it’s just a yearly routine that we have because it is so heavily visited and its adjacent to a really busy highway, schools and residences. It’s just natural that we are going to see more those invasives…”
So it’s Sunday – and maybe you are like me and you have the day off. A great place to start tackling the giant invasive weed problem is right in your yard. Getting down and pulling weeds by the roots is incredibly satisfying, and I’ve seen less mustards return each year, although my backyard has large patches of Red Brome that I’ll probably need to take a hula hoe to make any progress with. But that’s the idea: any progress is good progress, and doing the best you can with what you have is a good way to approach any problem that can feel overwhelming.
Mackenzie Nelson: “I think the best plan of attack is acting as soon as you can… especially this time of year is really crucial. We’re starting to see the winter annuals come up, and that’s a really great time to get out there and start removing them before they go to seed or get too impossibly big that it becomes a chore to remove.”
Mackenzie shared a lot of great training materials from the session – and if you get done weeding your property and feel like tackling some larger lots – you can always volunteer with the Mojave Desert Land Trust. Those resources can be found below:
Invasive Plants and Weed Resources
Get Weeding! https://www.mdlt.org/blog/get-weeding-help-manage-invasive-plants-in-the-mojave
Invasive Plant guide at the Morongo Basin Conservation Association
Volunteer at the Mojave Desert Land Trust: https://www.mdlt.org/volunteer
