Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve facts for kids

The Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve is a special place in Gardena, California. It covers about 13.6 acres of land. This preserve is the last piece of what was once a huge wetland called the Dominguez Slough.

Long ago, the Dominguez Slough was a large area of wet marsh and forest. It covered up to 400 acres in the South Bay region. Today, the preserve has 9.4 acres of wetland and 4.2 acres of drier land, called upland.

Wetlands are areas where water stays for a long time. This means only certain plants and animals can live there. The upland areas stay dry except when it rains. Different kinds of plants grow well in these drier spots.

The Dominguez Slough was part of a bigger area called the Dominguez Watershed. Now, 96% of this watershed is covered by buildings and concrete. It's thought that the Tongva people, who lived here first, used canoes to travel around this area. Tongva villages were found across Los Angeles and Orange Counties. They also lived on three southern Channel Islands.

History of the Preserve

The Dominguez Slough started to change in 1918. A drainage canal was built from the Los Angeles River. This was the first step that led to the slough shrinking over time.

Over the next 50 years, much of the slough was filled in. This happened as Los Angeles County grew bigger. In the 1920s, the Dominguez Channel was built. It replaced the natural way the slough drained water. Today, this channel sends water to the Los Angeles Harbor.

In the 1970s, two young people from Gardena noticed many willow trees were being destroyed. They wanted to protect the remaining trees. They reached out to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps agreed the area was a waterway. This gave the wetland federal protection. It stopped more destruction of the wetland and the land around it.

Today, 8 acres of the wetland are still protected by the Corps. All 9.4 wetland acres are also protected by the California Department of Fish and Game. These protections are based on the water flow, soil, and native plants. Laws like the Clean Water Act, updated in 1972, helped protect wetlands. These laws showed how important wetlands are for nature.

Ecology and Wildlife

The preserve is a small wetland surrounded by a busy city. Major roads and shopping centers are on its east and south sides. Homes, senior living places, and a city park are to its north and west.

The Dominguez Watershed now uses storm drains and flood control channels. The preserve's wetlands get water from these storm drains. They also get water from city runoff and rain. Sometimes, too much water from things like car washing can enter the preserve. This might make the preserve more like a willow forest than a natural marsh.

City runoff can bring in extra nutrients. This helps unwanted plants, called invasive species, grow. Water primrose (Ludwigia) is one such plant. It can take up too much water and harm the native willows. Storm drains also bring in trash. Volunteers work hard to clean it up. In return, the preserve's native plants and soil clean the water. This clean water then flows to the Dominguez Channel, then to the Los Angeles Harbor and the Pacific Ocean.

Plant Life

The preserve's 9.4 acres of wetland have three types of plant areas. These include willow forests, freshwater marshes, and transition zones. Three kinds of willows grow naturally here:

• Goodding's black willow (Salix gooddingii)
• Arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis)
• Narrow leaf willow (Salix exigua)

Goodding's black willow provides important shade and homes for animals. The 4.2 acres of upland have native coastal prairie and scrubland plants.

Animal Life

The native plants provide homes for many animals. These include different insects, amphibians like Pacific tree frogs, and reptiles like alligator lizards. The preserve is also a great spot for birds.

Each year, volunteers count birds at the preserve. They usually find about 30 different bird species. While many birds visit, those nesting on the ground face dangers. Raccoons, non-native squirrels, and wild cats can harm nests or kill young birds. These animals can also reduce the number of amphibians and reptiles. However, wild coyotes have recently appeared. They seem to have helped reduce the number of wild cats.

Visiting the Preserve

Today, people mostly visit the upland area around the wetland. There's a path called the Perimeter Trail. It's about 3/4 mile long. From this trail, you can see the upland, wetlands, and wildlife. You can also go to the Overlook Deck and ZigZag Bridge. These spots offer closer views without disturbing the animals. This basic visitor area was built around 2001.

The preserve has been federally protected since the 1970s. For many years, volunteers helped out sometimes. But dedicated care began in 2007. That's when the non-profit group, Friends of Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve, Inc., was formed. This group is run by nine volunteers. The preserve does not have regular funding, so there are no paid staff.

Because of this, the preserve is usually closed to the public. However, it opens for three special events each month:

• Second Sunday Stroll: On the second Sunday of every month, the preserve is open from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Volunteers lead fun activities for both kids and adults.
• Third Saturday Restoration: This event is held from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Volunteers of all ages help remove invasive plants. They also care for newly planted native plants. The group has had great success with some invasive species. For example, students helped remove fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and castor bean (Ricinus communis). These plants were a big problem before 2009. Now, volunteers quickly remove any new growth. They are also working on other invasive plants. Mustard (Brassica sp.) is almost gone from the preserve. Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) are also much less common. However, plants like cheeseweed (Malva parviflora) and English Ivy (Hedera helix) are still a challenge.
• Fourth Saturday Stroll: The preserve is open from 9:00 AM to noon on the fourth Saturday. Visitors can walk around or take a self-guided tour.

All these events are free. Donations are welcome. The goal is to teach people about the preserve's importance. They also learn how it fits into the bigger environment. Everyone can help keep this special wetland healthy.

Images for kids

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  Birds in the Dominguez Slough, photographed in 1913 for the journal The Oölogist for the student of birds, their nests and eggs