It took the work crew less than two hours to pull 900 weeds and fill the holes with 700 plugs of California Brome, a native grass which is a host plant for endangered species of insects that are important to the health of the ecosystem. One of these species is the beautiful Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly which was extirpated from Hornby in the early 1990’s due to park degradation. Eight-hundred of their larvae were reintroduced in March of 2020 after years of preparation. Native plants provide food and habitat that are essential to the survival of these insects, so after 5 years of weeding and planting the bluff’s meadows, butterflies were again flitting about Helliwell this past May.

Taking part in this project is an integral component of the NHC’s mandate to actively educate the public on the workings of nature. Visitors to the park can do their part to help heal the ecosystem by staying on the marked pathways and keeping dogs leashed to minimize damage to sensitive plants and insects.

Volunteers practiced covid-19 safety protocols while planting.