Nature walks give us a lens into what thrived in our area before our communities were built. Unfortunately, with the construction of new homes and city centers, many native species were taken out, and invasive species have replaced them.
While many national and state parks have regulations on plant removal, one influencer offered tips on how to stop invasive species in your surrounding areas.
Jessie Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest) shared a video on TikTok showing how to remove invasive species while on your next hike.
@sacramentofoodforest Every time I see a invasive plant in California I remove it. Invasive mustard is taking over California and the west coast. You can find mustard in the old growth redwood forest stealing water for native flora , and in the valley where mustard takes over millions of acres that used to be native grasslands. Invasive black mustard first arrived in California during colonization when the Spanish missionaries brought it as a food crop. But it has now taken over the state. Where like invasive eucalyptus trees mustard makes wildfires burn hotter and become more deadly. Classic example of how invasive species effect our local environment in devastating ways. But we can change that. Today we are going to try and help prevent the extinction of native wildflowers like the endangered hibiscus. We are removing invasive mustard and snapping the tap roots to make sure this plant never regrows. Then guerrilla gardening endangered native plants to help them claim their land back. Saving a endangered species from extinction is easy when people actually try. Guerrilla garden restoration. #invasivespecies #invasive #plants #endangeredspecies #nativeplants #habitat #restoration #water #california #river #ecosystem #invasiveplants #mustard #blackmustard #endangered #hibiscus #conservation #roots #nativehabitatproject #climateaction #gardening101 #waterislife #pampasgrass #nativeplanttok #delta ♬ Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar
"Everytime I see an invasive plant in California, I remove it," Jessie wrote in the caption. "Invasive black mustard first arrived in California during colonization when the Spanish missionaries brought it as a food crop. But it has now taken over the state."
In the video, he shows himself ripping up the plant all the way down to its root system and snapping the root to ensure it does not regrow. He went on to explain that mustard is stealing water from native flora and has already taken over millions of acres of native grassland along the West Coast.
When the native ecology of an area is threatened by outside sources, everything can be thrown out of balance — from the pollinator populations to the local food sources. However, invasive species are not just a threat to the health of native plants and animals; they also make wildfires burn hotter and become more deadly.
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While one person cannot remove all of the native species in their state, there is a way to start small with your own backyard. If you rewild your yard to install a native plant yard, you will attract pollinators as well as save both time and money on your maintenance. While pollinators might seem small and insignificant, they are mighty and necessary, and protect our food supply.
The response to Jessie's video was overall thankful for this tip, but some expressed sadness about how pervasive mustard had become in California.
"Mustard is invasive? It's literally everywhere! That makes me sad," one commenter wrote.
"Our hills are covered in them," another shared.
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"I just planted all kinds of poppies, lupine, and phacelia in my yard. Plant native!" a third celebrated.
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