Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve
Creek Rehabilitation Project

The Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve is a 4,200 acre property owned by the California Department of Fish and Game. In 2002 CDA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Fish and Game to manage the property for outdoor youth activities. Programs at the reserve include outdoor recreation programs on how to manage for all species found on the reserve, as well as hunting and fishing events, and hands-on activities. The programs provide youth with a learning experience that they will take with them through life.

In 2007 Matt Hamman, our newest CDA board member, was awarded a grant of over $127,000 from the Wildlife Conservation Board to rehabilitate and revegetate over one-half mile of the Canada de los Osos Creek. This section of the stream had been eroded away, with vertical banks 10 to 12 feet high and a complete absence of vegetation. The project included sloping the banks to a 2:1 slope, and planting over 600 trees and shrubs. This will provide new habitat for wildlife found on the reserve, including deer, turkeys, quail, songbirds, and other upland species.

With local contractors, volunteers from Santa Teresa High School, local college students, 4-H club from Hollister, scout troops, and CDA volunteers provided labor to plant the trees and shrubs, as well as 25,000 native grass plugs. A big thanks to everyone who worked on this project. For more information go to our CDA website, to the CDA conservation partnership.

Sloping creek banks to 2:1.	Making wire baskets to protect the plants from deer and pigs for the next three years.
Santa Teresa High School students, 4-H club, and Boy Scouts planting trees and shrubs.	Santa Teresa High School students planting native grass plugs.
Hydroseeding banks with native grass seeds for stabilization.