protecting an endangered species

These days, protecting endangered species seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds given the recent news about the fate of the Endangered Species Act. ​Across the country, far from the where the future of the Act will be determined, we at Sonoma Land Trust have a vested interest in one small — but important! — endangered plant species: the white sedge. White sedge (Carex albida), was previously thought to be extinct until it was identified in 1983 at Pitkin Marsh, an environmentally significant wetland located between Graton and Forestville. The Land Trust owns a portion of this marsh, 27 acres worth, of which is home to the only known population of white sedge.

I and fellow Land Trust staff and volunteers spent a hot summer day weeding through the thick vegetation to count the number of white sedge at the marsh. While this tiny little plant seemed insignificant to me, Trevor George, the property’s stewardship manager, explained why this endangered plant is important to protect:

Heather Ah San was a communications coordinator for Sonoma Land Trust. ​