A Neighborhood Nonnative Grass-Pull Event
By Dan Weisz
Nonnative grasses such as buffelgrass, fountain grass, etc. pose a serious risk to Sonoran Desertscrub due to their ability to compete against native vegetation and colonize new areas quickly, forming dense stands that carry wildfire in habitat where fire rarely occurred and never carried. Nonnative grasses can therefore pose a threat to our beautiful common areas rich in mesquite, palo verde, and majestic Saguaros, but also pose a threat to our structures, private property, and home values.
On Saturday morning, February 16, 2019, 15 people representing residents from the Foothills Clusters, Foothills I, Foothills II, the Foothills Townhomes, as well as experienced volunteers from the Coronado Foothills Weedwackers joined together to remove nonnative fountain grass from the Campbell Wash at Ventana Road, part of the Common Area that all four neighborhood HOAs share. An hour and a half later and 35 yard bags filled, Campbell Wash is now free of any known invasive grass infestations.
What an outstanding example of a community coming together to protect our cherished wild spaces that we share and enjoy together. On behalf of the Foothills Master Association. Thank you!
Figure 1. Community volunteers working in Campbell Wash to remove fountain grass.
Figure 2. Community volunteers working in Campbell Wash to remove fountain grass.
Figure 3. Yard bags (35 of them!) filled with fountain grass.
Figure 4. Before
Figure 5. After
Figure 6. Before
Figure 7. After
Figure 8. Before
Figure 9. After
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