Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

The salt seeder bush is an invasive species in North America. Unfortunately salt seeders absorb large amounts of water and deposits salt into the ground. Salt seeder doesnâ€™t really have any benefits for the environment. It competes with other native plants causing the native plants to die off and potentially become extinct. The Sands Draw project that I have been involved with for the past two years is designed to get rid of the salt seeder and reintroduce the native plants back into this specific location. Itâ€™s been so long that were not sure what types of native plants will do well in this area. So we have been planting different types of plants here in preparation of the salt seeder beetle. The salt seeder beetle has been released to try and control the salt seeders.
For the Sands Draw project Iâ€™ve been planting hundreds of trees, cacti, grasses, etc. If we donâ€™t get some trees and shrubbery going this reservoir may no longer exist. The reason is mainly because there are tons of salt seeders but not enough native plants. If there are no trees or shrubbery there will be nothing to slow down the erosion process. Not only have I been helping with planting but I have been helping with getting the plants water. This reservoir is not near civilization so we drive a truck with gallons of water to this site. Arizona is known to have hardly any water so we come to give the plants a drink every couple of months just to help them start.
Before we planted all of the plants we put straw into all of the holes we dug. Straw helps absorb moisture. This will hopefully keep the ground damp enough to keep the plants hydrated. There was also another thing we put into the ground in attempt to let the plants have a drink without someone coming out here to give them water. This was to use a bag of water and plastic pipe. At the top of the pipe we sealed it off. This end will be out of the ground. At the other end it is left open. The bag of water is put inside this tube. When the plants roots spread out it can get into the bag of water and get a drink.
I believe itâ€™s important to take responsibility of what humans have been doing. Many plants and animals are dying from things that their bodies arenâ€™t use to. They donâ€™t have the ability to fight off the diseases that humans can carry from one place to another. Iâ€™m hoping that those more able to survive will continue and pass their genetics to the next generation. I want to see many animals and plants continue on a long time. They shouldnâ€™t perish because of what humans have done. Someday I hope to do this as a career and do intensive research with plants and animals.