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California budget cuts impact yellow starthistle control
The project was funded by the state Department of Food and Agriculture as part of its weed control budget totaling $2.7 million in 2011. That money was cut from the 2011-2012 state budget cycle. Local and federal grants that kept the program going will run out next month. A $314,000 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy was denied because the group failed to meet the application requirements, the article said.
These developments may give starthistle a bigger hold on California wildland. The roots of the nuisance weed grow as much as six feet deep to find moisture.
"It would be as if these areas are experiencing drought because of the amount of water it uses," said Joe DiTomaso, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. DiTomaso is a leading expert on starthistle.
The Leading Edge Project started about a decade ago with a mapping effort to find out just how much of the state was infested with starthistle, and where it was spreading, said Wendy West, the project's coordinator and a University of California Cooperative Extension program representative based in Placerville.
"It felt like such a losing battle that we really needed to prioritize what we could do and how we could be successful," West said.
"I've personally pulled plants at 7,000 feet in Alpine County," West said. "It may not move quite as fast, but yellow star thistle is a really good example of a plant that can adapt to new locations easily."
Rub-a-Dub-Dub
Ever seen honey bees engaging in washboarding? It's a behavior so named because they look as if they're scrubbing clothes on a washboard or...
Honey bees engaging in washboarding behavior with "rocking" or up-and-down movements. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Foragers flying back to the hive as their sisters engage in washboarding activity on the wall, or what Susan Cobey calls "sweeping the front porch." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What We Need: A Better Bee
Varroa mites, those pesky little parasites that suck the blood out of honey bees and spread multiple viruses, are now found throughout the world,...
The lifespan of this mite-infested drone will be short. The brownish-orange "bumps" are varroa mites. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of varroa mite on drone pupa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Secret Life of Flowers
Flowers are like fireworks, except that we rarely get to see the action. Snapdragons, Asiatic Lilies, Daffodils, Roses, Fuchsia and more, unfold, unfurl, uncoil in front of our eyes so slowly that we rarely see this aspect of their beauty. So here, someone has given us the chance. I’ve tried for quite a while to come up with something more to say but sometimes a picture really does speak 1000 words. The Russian (????? ??????) translates to “Living Color”. Follow this to watch a really beautiful display of nature’s fireworks!
Multi-county partnerships saving county and University funds
Four counties contributed funds to the partnership: Amador County, $134,000; Calaveras County, $148,000; Tuolumne County, $144,000; and El Dorado County, $270,000. The 2011-2012 budget also included $590,000 in grants, $450,000 in federal and state funding and $110,000 in fundraising and indirect county funding, Oneto reported to the Board.
In all, UCCE Central Sierra ended the year with a budget of $3.025 million. The complete 2011-2012 Annual Report is available online (pdf).
