Strawberry Canyon in Cambria just wrapped up its forest health and fuel reduction project.
After seven weeks of work on the 35-acre property, which is owned by Greenspace - the Cambria Land Trust, the project wrapped up last week, removing dead, dying, and diseased trees and invasive plants.
“The forest got opened up. The canopy got opened up. There is so much sun in here, and what we are looking for is regeneration of the trees,” said Karin Argano, Greenspace- The Cambria Land Trust executive director.
Karin Argano, the land trust’s executive director, says wildlife and native plants will benefit from this project.
“Our next step is a habitat restoration plan, and then we are going to write a grazing plan for next year to follow up on keeping the invasive grasses down,” Argano said.
Next week, 12 cameras will be placed throughout Strawberry Canyon as part of Snapshot USA, which is a nationwide project that captures pictures of animals in their natural habitat.
“What happens with this data is its baseline monitoring. We’re trying to figure out across the United States what’s happening with our wildlife,” said Lisa Murphy, Greenspace - The Cambria Land Trust board member.
The cameras will be up for two months. Only wildlife photos, not human photos, will be available for the public. “These cameras are able to take photos day or night. They are motion-triggered, and they have an infrared flash, and they will take a series of photos when they go off,” Murphy said.
This will be the second year cameras will be set up at Strawberry Canyon as part of Snapshot USA. It is a donor-funded project that costs 1,500 dollars and will have three Cuesta interns involved.
“And then next year will be even more exciting for me, seeing a third year after the restoration project to see how the wildlife activity has changed,” Murphy said.
For more information on Greenspace, click here.
