JRBP('O'O) March 2024 Newsletter
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Pile burning at Jasper Ridge, March 4-8, 2024
A fuel reduction project at Jasper Ridge - 'Ootchamin 'Ooyakma will improve wildfire resilience in and around the preserve and will serve as a living lab for new research (see below) and an opportunity to build a long-term plan towards broadcast and cultural burns. The pile burn plan was developed by Jasper Ridge staff, Stanford main-campus colleagues, and consulting forester, with support from local fire agencies (CAL FIRE and Woodside Fire Protection District). More information here Jasper Ridge is Bringing Good Fire Back to the Land - Prescribed Burning and here Pile burning will reintroduce good fire to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.
Updates on trails:
Trail 2 closed in the restricted areas. We have placed chains and signage at the closure points. Please respect the closure and avoid the areas until further notice.
Conference: The Duality of Environmental Justice
Professor Rodolfo Dirzo is hosting a conference with the theme The Duality of Environmental Justice. We explore how environmental justice scholarship is needed to create just, ethical, and resilient solutions for sustainability for the world’s most challenging social-environmental problems. To sign up please visit this website: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/events/duality-environmental-justice
Celebrations!
Stanford biologist Rodolfo Dirzo receives Frontiers of Knowledge Award for research on the extinction of species and populations. Read the news by Stanford here.
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RESEARCH
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New Research
Dr. Hugh Henry from the University of Western Ontario and collaborators have begun an investigation on the legacy effects on soil carbon, carbon quality, and soil microbial community composition following a 25-year-old study on the response of California grasslands to environmental factors changing globally.
Dr. Nona Chiariello is leading restoration efforts of the western leatherwood (Dirca occidentalis), a rare California native shrub endemic to the Bay area, including planting seedlings at JRBP (’O’O) and other Stanford lands.
New research associated with burn piles project
Lydia Villa, a graduate student in Prof. Chris Field’s lab and recipient of the Philippe Cohen Graduate Fellowship, will evaluate the effects of pile burning on belowground seed viability and will monitor revegetation within burn piles.
Dr. Alandra Lopez, a postdoctoral scholar working with Prof. Scott Fendorf, and collaborators are investigating the biogeochemical response of chaparral and oak woodland ecosystems to prescribed fires.
Jessica Yu, a graduate student in Prof. Michael Wara’s lab, and collaborators will quantify and characterize particulate matter in the smoke derived from prescribed fires, with the ultimate goal of developing a standardized smoke monitoring protocol.
Dr. Amaury Payelleville, a postdoctoral scholar working with Prof. Tad Fukami, will investigate the effect of prescribed burns on the diversity and abundance of nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
AyoOluwateso Coker, a graduate student in Prof. Scott Fendorf’s lab and recipient of the A.W. Mellon Foundation student research grant, is measuring the effect of the prescribed burns on nutrient and metal concentrations in the watershed, as a function of distance from the burns.
Adrian Wackett, a graduate student in Prof. Jane Willenbring’s lab, is studying alterations to soil geomorphology in response to prescribed fires and interpreting past soil erosion using isotopes.
Publications:
Congratulations to Drs. Kate Lagerstrom, Nick Scales, and Liz Hadly on publishing a new research project titled "Impressive pan-genomic diversity of E. coli from a wild animal community near urban development reflects human impacts".
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EDUCATION
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Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) hosted ~200 Environmental Science AP high school students that braved the rain to visit the preserve this winter. Students collected turbidity data from Searsville Lake and San Francisquito Creek for an ongoing study to compare upstream and downstream data over time. These are some of our most rewarding groups to host! A huge thanks to docents who volunteered their time with these students: Klaus Porzig, Cheryl Gold Shaffer, Catherine Magill, Mary Bernstein, Joyce Friedrichs, Vivian Neou, Claire Elliot, Jerry Hearn, Jonathan Segal, Helen Quinn, Dan Quinn, and Dawn Neisser.
JRBP('O'O) hosted the annual Environmental Justice Working Group retreat in February, read more about their work and their growth at Stanford University. They are hosting an EJ film festival and a submission of EJ storytelling work.
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STEWARDSHIP
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The Oakmead Herbarium crew removed 5,000+ individuals of french broom with more than 20 cumulative volunteer hours via hand pulling or weed wrench! Thank you to the crew of Teal, Dawn, John, Adriana, Perry, Diane, Rebecca, Mary, Paul and Alice!
Jasper Ridge staff has been working hard on preparations for a successful pile burn March 4-8, 2024 with support from our main campus partners, Woodside Fire Protection District, CAL FIRE, and contracted Burn Boss. During pile burning activities next week, please avoid driving to Mapache and Goya gates. The limited parking in those areas is reserved for the pile burn and fire crews.
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From Jasper Ridge: Jasper Ridge is Bringing Good Fire Back to the Land - Prescribed Burning
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From Stanford University: Pile burning will reintroduce good fire to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
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GRACIAS! THANK YOU!
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Thanks to our docents that helped lead tours in February of 2024: Mary Bernstein, Zander Opperman, Diego Perez, Paul Heiple, Katharina Stromeyer, Jerry Hearn, Klaus Porzig, Joyce Friedrichs, Claire Elliott, Jonathan Segal, Jeff Schwegman, Jane Moss, Kelly Benitez, Bohdan Kamets, Dan Quinn, Cheryl Gold, Vivian Neou
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PICTURE OF THE MONTH
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Signage that will be posted around JRBP('O'O) announcing next week's pile burn project in our southern border (March 4-8, 2024). Please avoid driving to the Mapache and Goya gates area. The limited parking is reserved for the pile burn and firefighting crews.
