IERCD
DISTRICT DIGEST
The sustainable scoop in the Inland Empire!
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Staff Spotlight
Meet Nancy!
Highlights
One year of District Digest!
Welcome to District Digest- the sustainable scoop in the Inland Empire! This release is a special milestone as we celebrate one year since we first began sharing these quarterly updates, stories, and insights with our incredible community. Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of bringing you the latest on our conservation efforts, educational programs, and community initiatives - all while highlighting the dedicated work of our team and partners.
This newsletter is truly a collaborative effort, with contributions from multiple staff members who are passionate about keeping you informed and engaged. Each article and update reflects the collective dedication and experience of our team. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading!
In this edition, we’re excited to share updates on our latest projects, including the launch of our Home Assessment Pilot Program and an incredible opportunity for high school students to win big while learning about California’s agriculture and climate. You’ll also find photos from the field and ways to get involved, like at our upcoming volunteer day and Fall Festival event.
Thank you for being part of our journey this past year. Here’s to many more editions of growth, learning, and connection!
Meet Nancy!
Hi,
I’m Nancy Sappington, Vice President of the IERCD Board of Directors. I’ve been a board member since 2020, and began serving as Vice President in 2022. Trees have always been an important part of my life - from collecting autumn leaves in the second grade to my current professional role. I’m a certified arborist and part-time forester with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), where I help private landowners manage their forests to promote tree health, increase forest productivity, and reduce wildfire risk. Since NRCS shares an office with IERCD, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with many of their staff members. They are quite an impressive and talented group! I am so very proud of each and every one of them as they work tirelessly to help the environment and promote the benefits it provides to the public.
Given my lifelong advocacy work on behalf of trees and the environment, I was very
honored to be appointed as a director to the IERCD board. During my tenure, IERCD has significantly expanded its capacity and developed numerous outreach activities. One of the most rewarding projects has been the development of the Louis Robidoux Parkland and Pecan Grove. Despite the setback of a devastating fire in 2019 that destroyed structures, wildlands, and much of the pecan grove, IERCD and its partners have worked diligently to restore the landscape, build infrastructure, establish a native plant nursery, and create a space that actively engages the community. And that, ultimately, is what our work is all about!
So, whether it’s in the parklands or out in the forest, I’ll see you outside!
--Nancy
Growing Gardens & Minds:
How IERCD Roots Sustainability in Schools
The IERCD's Sustainable Agriculture team proudly supports several community and school gardens throughout our district. One of our standout projects is the school garden at Bryn Mawr Elementary School in Loma Linda. This vibrant garden features five raised beds, potted plants, and a fruit tree, with plans to expand and add even more features in collaboration with IERCD and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Office.
The students at Bryn Mawr Elementary are actively involved in their garden through an after-school garden club. In this program, they take on hands-on responsibilities like watering, weeding, spreading mulch, and planting seeds, gaining valuable experience and knowledge about gardening and sustainability. To support their efforts, IERCD assists by lending tools, sourcing woodchips and compost, and providing a drip irrigation system to ensure the garden stays healthy and thriving year-round.
The progression of Bryn Mawr’s garden from February to August 2024.
School gardens offer numerous benefits that grow far beyond the garden beds. First and foremost, they provide students with a tangible connection to nature and the food they eat. By growing their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, students learn about the entire life cycle of plants—from seed to harvest—and develop a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.
Gardening also serves as a powerful educational tool, bringing classroom lessons to life. Through gardening activities, students can explore subjects like science, math, and environmental studies in a real-world context. These activities promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, as students work together to overcome challenges and ensure the success of their garden.
Additionally, spending time in green spaces improves mental well-being by reducing stress and enhancing focus. School gardens also foster a sense of responsibility, patience, and stewardship, empowering students to become future leaders in sustainability.
We believe that incorporating gardening activities and green spaces into schools is essential for fostering well-rounded, environmentally conscious community members. If your school is interested in starting or revitalizing a garden space, we would love to help! Please reach out to us to see how we can assist with your project.
“School gardens offer numerous benefits that grow far beyond the garden beds.”
Interested in a garden at your school? Contact IERCD Agriculture Programs Technician, Autumn Yanez-Jacobo at ayanezjacobo@iercd.org
Safe Communities Start at Home
Introducing IERCD’s New Home Assessment Pilot Program!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Home Assessment Pilot program! This initiative aims to educate landowners within our service area about home hardening and defensible space guidelines, responding to the growing need for outreach and education in these critical areas. Funded by the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program, a grant administered by the Department of Conservation, this project is part of a broader effort to enhance forest and fire resiliency in our region. The grant also helps us strengthen community and workforce capacity, including support for Fire Safe Councils, where IERCD staff actively engage in local meetings to address community concerns.
Our Home Assessment Pilot program is kicking off this month in the community of East Little Mountain, where we already collaborate with the Fire Safe Council on an annual grazing project. Looking ahead, we aim to expand this program to additional communities within our service area to further our educational outreach on home hardening and defensible space.
This program aligns closely with the requirements of California Assembly Bill 3074, which mandates stricter defensible space regulations for properties located in high fire hazard zones. The bill introduces a new “ember-resistant zone” within five feet of structures, requiring property owners to take additional steps to protect their homes from fire risk. Our Home Assessment Pilot program will help residents understand these requirements and provide practical guidance on how to comply, ultimately enhancing the safety and resilience of our communities.
Stay tuned for more updates and information on how you can participate in this important initiative. Together, we can build a more resilient future for our communities!
From CAL FIRE: Preparing your home for wildfire can make a huge difference. Watch what happens to an unprepared home when faced with the threat of wildfire.
From CAL FIRE: Learn more about home hardening in the module below!
Volunteers Needed!
Milkweed Madness
Attention nature lovers and community members! We need your help for a special volunteer day dedicated to supporting our local monarch butterflies. Join us as we collect milkweed seeds from our gardens and transplant baby milkweeds into larger pots at the Louis Robidoux Parkland & Pecan Grove on Saturday, September 14th, from 9AM to 12PM.
This hands-on event is more than just a fun way to get involved in gardening—it’s a crucial opportunity to support the monarch butterfly population in our area. Our nursery is currently bursting at the seams with hundreds of milkweed plants, leading our Nursery Programs Specialist to affectionately declare it a case of “milkweed madness!” These plants are ready to be transplanted and are one step closer to their future home in our Monarch Restoration Garden, where they’ll provide monarchs with the food and habitat they need to thrive. By volunteering, you’ll directly contribute to this important project, ensuring that monarchs have a steady supply of food and safe places to lay their eggs.
Whether you have a green thumb or simply want to make a difference, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved. No experience is needed—just bring your enthusiasm, and we’ll provide the tools and guidance you need to make a meaningful impact.
Don’t miss this chance to dig in, make a difference, and help our monarchs flourish. Join us and be part of something green!
For more information or to register, please contact Crystal Valenzuela at cvalenzuela@iercd.org
Saturday
SEPT 14
9 AM - 12 PM
FREE Community Event!
Fall Festival
Mark your calendars for Saturday October 12th from 1-5 pm, as the Louis Robidoux Parkland and Pecan Grove (LRPPG), hosts its second annual Fall Festival! Located at 5370 Riverview Dr. Jurupa Valley, 92509, this free community event is open for all ages.
Bring your kids to pick a free pumpkin from our pumpkin patch or to let some energy out in our pumpkin shaped jumper! Grown ups and children alike will love the fresh, locally sourced produce, free food, and live entertainment. Catch vibrant performances by KALLI TECPATL and Ballet Folklórico Amor, Cultura, and Tradición.
But that’s not all! Several amazing community organizations will be hosting fun, family-friendly activities that everyone can enjoy. Plus, with the beautiful backdrop of LRPPG’s native gardens and new site improvements, you’ll fall in love with the season!
Gather your friends and family and get together for a free day of fun at the Louis Robidoux Parkland & Pecan Grove.
Words that Win:
The 2024 Speak-Off Competition is Here!
Inland Empire, CA – Calling all high school students across the region! The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) invites you to participate in this year’s Speak-Off, an annual speech competition where 9th - 12th graders address critical natural resource issues. While past Speak-Off contests have been facilitated in-person, this year’s process is a combination of video creation and in-person speech delivery, all responding to the prompt: “What is the role of agriculture in meeting California’s climate goals?”
This year’s competition is more exciting than ever, where participants can win up to $1,520 through placing in local, regional, and state-level contests. The competition kicks off at the local level, where IERCD invites students living within their service area to submit a 3-5 minute recorded video responding to the prompt no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, September 27th. A panel of conservation experts will review the entries and select the top 3 contestants, who will then move on to an in-person competition on Thursday, October 16th. Here, the winners will be announced, and the first-place speaker will be awarded $1,000 and move on to the regional contest. This next part of the competition will be held virtually on October 30th and offers an additional $200 prize.
The regional winner will advance to the state contest, held in person on December 12th at the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts' Annual Conference in Sacramento. IERCD will cover all travel expenses for the regional winner and their chaperone to attend, giving them the unique opportunity to immerse themselves among conservation professionals and compete against other top students from across the state. The top three students at the state level will take home additional cash prizes.
If you know a talented teen with a passion for the environment, this is an incredible opportunity for them to shine! Encourage them to apply and make their voice heard. Not only will they learn more about California’s agriculture and climate goals, but they’ll also be offering real solutions that Resource Conservation Districts can put into action.
For more details and to submit your video, visit www.iercd.org/speak-off. Don’t miss your chance to speak up and stand out!
The Process:
Submit a 3-5 minute video responding to this year’s prompt.
Receive a $20 gift card just for entering!
If your video is in the top 3, compete in-person for cash prizes!
1st place wins $1,000
2nd place wins $500
3rd place wins $250
The first place winner at the local level moves on to the regional contest, where they can
win $200 plus an all-expenses-paid trip to Sacramento!
The regional winner will compete with other students from across the state in Sacramento.
1st place wins $300
2nd place wins $200
3rd place wins $100
Photos from the Field:
Lemon Lilies
The hot summer months are a great time to escape to the local mountains and explore. If you're hiking near a montane stream or meadow in the San Bernardino or San Gabriel mountains, above about 4,000 feet in elevation, keep an eye out for the striking lemon lily (Lilium parryi). This native flower is impossibly large and bright yellow! You might even smell it before you see it, as lilies are known for their strong fragrance. The lemon lily is considered rare, with their native range being limited to only perennially wet places within a few mountain ranges in southern California and Arizona. Even if the cool mountain air weren’t reason enough to visit, the sight of these huge, bright petals glimmering in the shade makes a trip to the mountains well worth it!
determine how to treat invasive plants?
“When determining the best course of action, IERCD takes into account a range of factors beyond the invasive species itself.”
Above: Before and after photos of Arundo removals
Below: Mechanical removals of Arundo using a chainsaw
IERCD uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to effectively manage and remove invasive plant species. IPM is an environmentally conscious strategy that combines various management techniques to control pests, including invasive plants, while minimizing the impact on the environment, human health, and non-target organisms. The goal of IPM is to achieve sustainable and effective pest control with the least possible harm to the ecosystem. We utilize a variety of treatment techniques that include manual, mechanical, cultural, and chemical strategies. Each of these methods is carefully selected and applied based on the specific life history, growth patterns, and ecological context of the target invasive species.
When determining the best course of action, IERCD takes into account a range of factors beyond the invasive species itself. These include considerations for local wildlife, water quality, rare plants, and other sensitive natural resources that could be impacted by the treatment. This holistic approach ensures that our methods are not only effective in controlling the invasive species but also minimize harm to the surrounding ecosystem.
While we prioritize non-chemical methods whenever possible, there are situations where the use of herbicides is necessary to effectively manage certain invasive species. For example, some plants, particularly those with extensive and resilient root systems, are nearly impossible to control without the use of herbicides. Giant reed (Arundo donax), a highly invasive species, is one such example. Arundo’s deep-rooted and aggressive growth pattern makes it extremely difficult to manage using only manual or mechanical methods.
In these cases, the standard treatment typically involves the removal of all above-ground plant stalks, followed by a careful, targeted application of a dilute herbicide directly to the cut stalks. This method minimizes the amount of herbicide used and ensures it directly targets the root system, reducing the potential for environmental impact.
However, even with herbicide application, managing Arundo and similar species often requires persistence. Multiple treatments over several years may be necessary to fully control the invasive species. This need for repeated applications highlights the importance of long-term monitoring and follow-up in our invasive plant management strategies.
IERCD’s approach is grounded in the principle of using the least invasive and most effective method possible, prioritizing the protection of the broader ecosystem. By integrating a variety of treatment techniques and considering the unique characteristics of each invasive species and its environment, we strive to achieve sustainable and lasting control of invasive plants.
How does IERCD....
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