Redwood Parks Conservancy Seeks Volunteers for March Coastal Habitat Restoration

Three more volunteer habitat restoration events remain on Redwood Parks Conservancy's March calendar, giving Humboldt County residents hands-on chances to pull invasive species from some of the North Coast's most ecologically fragile parks before the month ends.

The Conservancy, working in partnership with California State Parks North Coast Redwoods District, organized a series of free restoration days spanning parks from the remote Lost Coast to the lagoons and prairies of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. The series targets European beachgrass choking coastal dunes, English ivy spreading through beach habitat, and encroaching vegetation that suppresses native western azaleas.

This Saturday, March 14, volunteers gather at the corner of Anderson Lane and Stagecoach Road in Trinidad at 9 a.m. to clear English ivy from Trinidad State Beach. The shift runs until noon. A week later, on Saturday, March 21, the focus shifts south to Humboldt Lagoons State Park, where a crew will spend 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. removing invasive plants from around the western azalea stands at the Stagecoach Hill Azalea Trailhead off Kane Road and Big Lagoon Ranch Road. Parking at that trailhead is limited, and organizers specifically ask participants to carpool.

Regional outlets also reported a Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park event on Sunday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with volunteers meeting in front of the visitor center and parking in the day-use lot or along Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway rather than in the visitor center lot. That date does not appear in the Redwood Parks Conservancy's official press release schedule, so anyone planning to attend should confirm with the Conservancy before heading out.

Earlier in the series, a Big Dune session at Tolowa Dunes State Park targeted European beachgrass, with volunteers meeting at the Lake Earl Wildlife Area building at 2591 Old Mill Road in Crescent City. That worksite sits roughly a mile's hike from the parking area, a detail the Conservancy flagged in its materials to help volunteers plan accordingly.

All events are free and open to participants of all ages; minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Everyone who shows up should bring sturdy shoes, a hat, and enough drinking water for moderate physical activity in coastal conditions. As a thank-you, the Conservancy is providing each volunteer a free day-use pass to Sue-meg State Park.

Because some regional media outlets reported slightly different dates for several events compared to the Conservancy's official schedule, anyone planning to attend should verify times directly with Redwood Parks Conservancy or California State Parks North Coast Redwoods District before heading to a trailhead.