Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website! This week we took our learning outdoors to the Big Trees Nursery in Escondido, CA. Ryan Fitch, a Research Associate at the Institute for Conservation Research, told us about the critical work he does conserving San Diego’s native plant life as part of the Institute’s Plant Conservation Division. Through spending time in his open-air classroom and rolling up our sleeves, we were able to gain both an understanding of habitat restoration and experience the satisfaction of helping out ourselves. [caption id="attachment_121219" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] We arrived at the Big Trees Nursery to see hundreds of cacti in front of us, and a shed full of tools beside us. Although we were all eager to get to work, first we needed to learn about the purpose behind what we’d be doing. Having grown up in San Diego, Mr. Fitch is very passionate about saving native wildlife, such as the coastal cactus wren. Sadly, the species’ population has declined to 10% of its original extent due to loss of their coastal sage scrub habitat.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121220" align="aligncenter" width="857"] Mr. Fitch is holding up a photo of a coastal cactus wren’s nest. The birds weave their nests into the thorns of prickly pear cacti, which also provide protection from predators like the Cooper’s Hawk. Scientists have noticed that the birds will not nest in spineless cacti like the Indian Fig Cactus because they lack thorns for holding their nests securely.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121221" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rustin, a volunteer who works with Mr. Fitch, is hosing down a mixture of soil, sand, slow-release fertilizer, and perlite silica. The perlite allows for better drainage in the soil, thus preventing the cacti from rotting. However, it contains silica, which is a lung irritant. By watering it as it’s poured out, the amount of silica particles flying into the air is minimized.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121210" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Mr. Fitch gave us shovels and we officially began our hands-on work mixing up the different soil components. He informed us that the final product should be reminiscent of a smashed up Oreo cookie. With seven people on the job, this was quickly accomplished.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121211" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Next, we loosely scooped the soil into pots. These pots would soon be the temporary homes of the cactus pads. The pads are collected from mature cacti at the Safari Park’s Biodiversity Reserve and Lake Hodges’ habitat restoration site.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121212" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] After we had most of the pots prepared for planting, Mr. Fitch equipped us with gloves, eye protection, and the necessary tools to plant the cactus pads. We soon learned that the prickly pear cactus doesn’t have “prickly” in its name for nothing. While its thorns are beneficial for the coastal cactus wren, they’re not so pleasant for us! Even with gloves, an occasional poke is inevitable. Nevertheless, we were all smiles to be outdoors helping native wildlife.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121213" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The process of planting involves three simple steps. First, we wedged a space in the soil with our hands for the cactus pads to go. In order to prevent the cactus from flopping around in the pots, this hole needed to go down to the very bottom. Secondly, we cautiously picked up the pads with tongs and placed them into the pot. Lastly, we used wooden stakes to pack the soil down and secure the cacti. I was fascinated to learn that the cacti can grow roots wherever they have spines, hence you don’t need to worry about planting the pads upright.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121217" align="aligncenter" width="802"] Along the way, a few cacti seemingly jumped out of their pots. Gianfranco came to the rescue and established a makeshift “cactus clinic”. In this photo, he is intently re-planting the escaped cacti, ensuring they are securely packed in. Thankfully, due to their extremely hardy nature, all of the rogue cacti survived their falls damage-free.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121215" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The cacti were transported to the nursery area where they were organized in groups of fifty, making it easier for Mr. Fitch to track their numbers. Here, they will eventually grow to be 2-3 feet tall and mature enough to be relocated to their permanent homes.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121216" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Lastly, the newly planted pots needed some water. Claire sprayed the cacti with a generous amount, filling them to the brim. Once that water has been consumed or evaporated, they will need to be watered again. However, due to cooler weather, they need much less water in the winter months.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121218" align="aligncenter" width="920"] As our time with Mr. Fitch came to a close, we learned that we had planted over 200 cacti! It was an incredibly rewarding experience to step into his shoes for an afternoon. With his job, he is able to see direct, quantifiable improvements in coastal cactus wren populations as a result from his own contributions. This week, we were lucky enough to share a similar feeling. We got a small taste of how amazing it is to see visible progress in conservation efforts because of our own work.[/caption] Jasmine, Photo Team Winter Session, 2017