Apr 212017
 

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumDark Soil Light Wood Saddleback is an Outdoor Classroom wildlife habitat installation at the Laguna Foundation‘s Laguna Environmental Center, or LEC, located at 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, California, 95401. Date: February 23, 2017.  School: Orchard View School, Sebastopol, California.  Teacher: Sunny Galbraith.  Me: Tony McGuigan, from Spore Lore.

Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback (now that’s a name!) hereinafter “Saddleback” installation.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumThe Plan, from 2 months before the project.  Name change was inevitable; the students had not been consulted.  Plan is North View.  Our project, Saddleback, is under East Log and the mounding of soil/rock/plants between the two logs.

In a nutshell, Saddleback is a wildlife habitat installation using a large trunk section to shelter an underground tunnel that leads to a rock outcropping and the surface.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumDark Soil Light Wood Saddleback — The Before.  North east view.  February in Sonoma County means mustard!  Note the swath of vibrant yellow mustard in the lush grass-happy cow pasture beyond the Laguna Environmental Center’s fenceline.  The line of trees on the pasture’s north border is Irwin Creek.

Prep — 3 Months Before Installation

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumSaddleback is a sister habitat to a previous outdoor classroom wildlife habitat installation: Twisted North Mound.  In foreground, a student removes clay soil from under East Log to build the soil mound behind him.  The trench was then filled with woodchips for easy removal when East Log’s habitat is created (beats digging out clay soil!).

Prep — Installation Day — Before Students Arrive

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumTurkey tail fungus on the oak trunk of West Log.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumTurkey Tail fungus.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumMeadow barley (Hordeum brachyantherum) plugs that will be used for the project.  These plugs are leftovers in the Nursery; their survival rate will be poor.  But, some may live to thrive in the habitat.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumA plug of meadow barley.  Note the moss “weed”.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumScraping away woodchips from under the East Log.  See “Prep — 3 Months Before Installation“, above.  Note the earthworm at my fingertips.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumSoil critters thriving in the moist decaying woodchips under (shaded from sun) in the previously made trench.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumScraping away woodchips to preserve their integrity.  We want to keep the soil we move from mixing with the woodchips.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumShading the woodchip pile with landscape cloth to minimize soil microbe/fungus fatality.  The partially broken down woodchips are richly impregnated with decomposers, that is, microbes and fungus and arthropods and gastropods that want to eat the woodchips, thrive in them.  Would be a shame to kill off such biota while installing a habitat.  The opaque landscape cloth will keep harsh sunlight from the woodchip dwellers.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherum

Taking shape.  The trench under East Log is deepened.  Soil in the tub, from the trench, will be added to Saddleback when the meadow barley is planted.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumShopping for something organic, something ALIVE! at the Habitat Resource Pile (an old woodchip pile with buried treasures).  Note the middle stump, adjacent to the eaten out stump in the foreground — it has lived inside a large woodchip for over 3 years, always covered by chips.  Now it is ripe to pick and place in a wildlife habitat.  The stump itself is alive — it is impregnated with Life.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumPrying Middle Stump (think Middle Earth) from the Habitat Garden’s woodchip pile.  Note the dark richness of its bed — Are these woodchips are is this soil?!

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumHabitat it and they will come!  Lots of Life, critters seen and unseen, fungi, stored water and its biome.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumStored in a tub, the precious stump is shaded in a plastic barrel.  The stump’s transfer to the habitat will be in a few hours.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumHarvesting compost from Compost Cricket Corral, as mentioned in my last post, Centipede Tunnel Perch.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumPrep.  Clockwise from foreground: 4-15 gallon pots filled with Nursery-discarded potting soil (free!), West Log, Cold Water Canyon rock slabs (standing and on garden cart), Middle Stump in white plastic shaded bin, plants (behind East Log in shade), black plastic bin of topsoil from East Log trench, tunnel of corrugated perforated habitated (holes cut in for critter entrance/exit) 6″ ABS, palm fronds, black landscape cloth covered mound of woodchips, wheelbarrow (rusty) of compost with an algae covered log, wheelbarrow (blue) of compost.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumA bonus gift!  We have 5 juncus Juncus patens to plant.  Juncus, a reed, loves water; their presence indicates year-round water.

Installation — Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumStudents have arrived and gather woodchips that will be used to finish the project.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumIn goes the tunnel, a custom designed critter tunnel, “Each Exit/Entrance is about 6-8″ long and 2″ wide (2 corrugation trenches).”, as described in Centipede Tunnel Perch.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumDecisions, decisions — it is a school day after all.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumCritter tunnel in place.  Note the spaced cut-outs.  Are you [critter] in or are you out?

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumOld palm fronds, salvaged/harvested from the Habitat Garden Resource Pile, are used to line the tunnel.  Accomplishes: 1) keeps tunnel in place, 2) installs Life-alive! biome to project, 3) provides critters with a moisture laden maze of cavities, and 4) empties the palm frond pile.  Turn trash to treasure!

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumMiddle Stump has a new home.  Saddleback gets an infussion of life.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumAdding more wood for the habitat’s cavern-filled mound.  Also, scraping soil to cover tunnel/palm fronds.

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2017020- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherum28-DSLWS_81-800Moving a rock slab into Saddleback.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumAnd another rock.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumThe goal here is to create a planting mound joined with the plants in the foreground, those meadow barley of Twisted North Mound.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumSoil for the mound.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumIn comes a cavity maker.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumSaddleback’s north side is about to get a rock slab that will create cavities.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumNorth end of Saddleback sealed off with a rock slab.  Middle Stump is really now in Middle Earth!

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumMounding soil.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumAnd the bin of topsoil.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumWoodchips.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumTime to reclaim the woodchips from the start of the project.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumPlanting meadow barley.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumEach meadow barley plug is planted top flush with soil surface.  Then the grasses are lightly surrounded with woodchips, enough to support the grasses but not so much to block sunlight.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumPlanting meadow barley and juncus.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumDark Soil Light Wood Saddleback — The After.

1 Month After Installation

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumA western fence lizard surfaces from within Saddleback.

0- Habitat Landscaper-Instructor for hire — Tony McGuigan — international consulting available — install@sporelore.com , Tony McGuigan, Habitat it!, Spore Lore©, Habitat It And They Will Come, garden, soil, soil microbes, Soil Under My Nails, gardening, gardens, native plants, permaculture, wildlife garden, wildlife habitat installation, environmental education, ecological landscaping, Animal Habitat, garden, ecological, landscaping, wildlife garden, biodiversity, native plants, how to build wildlife habitat, spore lore, sporelore, sporelore.com, outdoor classroom, nonvirtual education, touch the soil!, wildlife habitat workshop, Orchard View School, Sunny Galbraith, Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, environmental conservation,  Stone Farm, Anita Smith, Dark Soil Light Wood Saddleback, Cold Water Canyon rock, woodchip mulch, compost, straw bales, bird perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Cookie Monster Perch, ABS perforated corrugated drainpipe, adobe soil, berm, swale, posthole digger, meadow barley, Hordeum brachyantherumSame lizard back inside and out another exit.  Fun in the sun.

Thank you, as always, to Sunny Galbraith, teacher at Orchard View School, Sebastopol, and her students.  Also, much thanks to the Staff and Board of the Laguna Foundation, particularly the Restoration and Conservation Science Department: Wendy Trowbridge, Director; Brent Reed, Ecological Program Manager; Sarah Gordon, Conservation Science Program Manager; Paul Weber, Restoration Field Supervisor; Asa Voight, Restoration Technician II; Hannah Werdmuller, Restoration Technician; and Julie Skopal, Nursery Manager.

Enjoy your habitat installations.  Habitat it!

Tony

 

Feb 142017
 

Centipede Tunnel Perch -- The BeforeCentipede Tunnel Perch — The Before.  Northwest view.  Previous installations in the Habitat Garden (nearest to farthest): Cookie Monster Perch, Garter Snake Ravine, Log Pile Apartments, Compost Cricket Corral, Big Splash Hotel and Spa, and Salamander French Drain, the last of which is nearly under the willow to the left.

Centipede Tunnel Perch is a wildlife habitat installed near the Habitat Landscaping Resource Center (otherwise known as the “compost” and “log pile”) at the Laguna Foundation‘s Laguna Environmental Center, or LEC, located at 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, California, 95401.  The installation was an outdoor classroom activity.  Date: January 19, 2017.  School: Orchard View School, Sebastopol, California.  Teacher: Sunny Galbraith.  Me: Tony McGuigan, from Spore Lore.

In a nutshell, this wildlife habitat installation is 3 tasks at the Habitat Garden.  The Habitat Garden can be considered the collective of wildlife habitat installations, some of which are listed under the photo, above, and all the natural (organic) materials on hand.  Most of those on-hand materials are the compost and branch/log pile.

1st Task — To get a large mass of wood buried deep into the soil so it will provide moisture to critters months after the rains have gone.

2nd Task — To use the soil dug from the wood’s hole to direct water to the wood.

3rd Task — To plant native sedge to hold the soil bank downstream from Centipede Tunnel Perch.

 

Prep — 3 Days Before Installation

left is Santa Barbara sedge; right is Italian ryegrass Northeast corner of concrete slab behind the Nursery.  Right: Garter Snake Ravine habitat with “weeds”, mostly the alien (non-native) Italian rye grass, an annual (per the local farmer, Stuart).  Left: Log Pile Apartments and Compost Critter Corral habitats and Santa Barbara sedge (Carex barbarae).  The students will be sheet mulching over the weeds and planting Santa Barbara sedge to cover both sides of the slab’s corner.

straw used to guarantee moistureA pile of old straw is moved away to dig the deep hole for the habitat.  Ultimately, a perch-like long piece of tree trunk will stand upright in the hole.  The deeper the hole, the more stable the vertical post/pole will be.  Also, the deeper the hole, the shorter (off the ground) the pole becomes.  Grandiose towering structure VERSUS safety — always a hard weighing between the two!  Note the old straw was left there to break down AND to keep the adobe clay soil moist, for digging such a hole.  Wet/moisturize the dry, hard adobe clay soil one day and dig into soft, pliable adobe the next day.

A further note about digging here.  The digging is horrendous at this site — all the more reason to be digging here.  We will be unearthing the nearby road crew’s dumping of asphalt road grading, circa 1950’s, including many book-sized slabs of asphalt.  That “worthless” soil will be our new treasure in creating a berm of soil to direct rainfall to the habitat.

photo ops are take a breather breaksA shovel head deep into the center of the Earth.  Note the straw bale far right and the little berm of hole soil between the straw and the hole.  That berm will help keep rainwater (we are expecting rain on installation day) away from the area.  The installation area will be slippery enough without a running creek!

 Prep — 2 Days Before Installation

wet dayCentipede Tunnel Perch’s perch has arrived, complete with safety cone hat.

Ridge Lake, Middle Lake, Hole Lake -- free camping all crittersLate morning rain.  Perfect time to start work.  Tomorrow, this new wildlife habitat will be installed by Orchard View students.  Note this microcosm canyon.  Our intention here is to capture as much water as possible and store it for as long as possible, so that amphibians would thrive here.  (If amphibians can thrive, most other critter groups will have a fair chance of survival, too.)  So, the adobe canyon, once a road crew dump, has become an adobe-lined, wood-filled water basin with outlet.

Regarding the habitat’s water outlet (mentioned in last paragraph), it is the height of the Santa Barbara sedge thicket, downstream from Centipede Tunnel Perch, that determines how far and wide Habitat Garden Pond becomes.  Alas, a lake is born, on each good rain.  As rainwater sits in the Lake, submerged wood will saturate that rainwater and store it. (Habitat Garden Adobe Canyon if you must have a name.)

water headed to Habitat Garden PondWater!  Precious stuff.  So, rather than allow this road runoff rainwater to escape into the field downstream, through the double gate, a small soil berm will direct the rainwater to the Habitat Garden, to then be drained behind the Nursery and flow into the field.  Either way, berm or not, the downhill field will get the water.  With berm keeps the gate area dryer and brings water to the Habitat Garden.

 Prep — Installation Day — Before Students

custome posthole digger -- Thanks Jim!Installation Day.  The soil is saturated with very little water in the hole.  Perfect!  I like easier digging.  Note the black ABS tape on the posthole digger’s handles at 3-feet and 6-feet.  The hole will be dug to the 6-feet mark.

who cleans out the barrel?Preparing to dig.  Note that the wheelbarrow is lined with straw to cleanly dump the wet adobe soil harvested from the hole.  The metal digging bar will straddle across the sides of the wheelbarrow and provide a knock-off edge for clearing out the posthole digger clams.  Posthole digger in foreground (clams are at collecting end).

stingy mucky wet heavy mud!Muck removal on a bright shiny day.  Note that the wood, blue-painted metal trench shovel (top) has its curve parallel with the curve of the posthole digger clam (below).  The shovel will be flipped to clean the posthole digger’s right side, maintaining curve-curve parallel position.  Note digging bar for banging the mud loose.

Run! giant centipedeDry Run photo op.  Sizing the ABS 6″ corrugated perforated drainpipe Tunnel in the habitat.

do not forget extra battery!Using a Milwaukee HACKZALL® to cut the plastic corrugated perforated pipe to install Exit/Entrance’s in the tunnel.  Centipede Tunnel Perch includes tenancy options for critters using it.  Eat, stay, have a family here, at least take a drink of water (meets the 4 elements of Habitat), then you can enter or leave through the many Exit/Entrance’s.  Each Exit/Entrance is about 6-8″ long and 2″ wide (2 corrugation trenches).  Note my boots are pinning the drainpipe up against the table’s leg posts.

keep doing the same thingHalfway done installing Exit/Entrance’s on this side of the pipe.  The pipe will then be flipped over so that Exit/Entrance’s can be cut into that side, position alternating with the first side’s Exit/Entrance’s.  Note the sawblade’s angle to ensure that both long sawcuts will meet.

Tunnel with Exit and Entrance openningsThe Tunnel is ready for installation.  Exit/Entrance’s cut-outs collected in center.

critters in, critters outView THROUGH the Tunnel to the concrete slab below.

Installation Day — The Students Are Here!

harvesting soil to make a bermRemoval of the adobe berm inside the installation zone.  This soil will be the foundation for the road runoff berm.

love the moss on the Cold Water Canyon fieldstoneWeeding the soil bank before sheet mulching.  Weeds are dropped in place to keep the topsoil nutrients/microbes on site.

transplanting sedge to hold a bank of soilThriving on a damp winter day.  This outdoor classroom rocks!  Takes a Village to support outdoor classrooms.

dig deeper!  dig deeper!Progress of the hole.  A lower platform has been stomped around the perch’s hole.  That’s adobe!  Note the rain workgear: mud boots and work-friendly rainsuit.

plants on top of sheet mulchingYour job (Yellow Slicker) is to stand here.  And teacher Sunny did it so well while students pried Santa Barbara sedge plants from their pots.  The sedge clumps were evenly spaced on the cardboard sheet mulching.  Loose soil fill over the cardboard and between the plants will secure the plants in place on the bank.

Hey down there!   Send up some lunch.Perch has been dropped into its hole.  Note the ropes hanging on Perch.  A triad of ropes was used to upright the tall, heavy tree trunk.  One more rope was used to spin Perch after it vertically rested in the hole.

Square Dancing in Habitat GardenStudents secure/stuff/wedge one end of Centipede Tunnel alongside Perch in the hole.

Looks good to me!Inspection.  And good news — Centipede Tunnel Perch passes.  Note that the left end of Tunnel goes into the hole for Perch, toward moisture.  The other end of Tunnel opens to ground level, under a log pile (or wood causeways if you are a cricket) where food (smaller critters) are plentiful.

aiming for mud bootsStudent stands on Tunnel while it is buried with old straw.

Outdoor Classroom in actionForeground: Finishing touches for sedge transplanting — loose soil to fill in thin spots.

Background: Entire old straw pile is thrown at the base of Perch.

Haircuts 50 CentsTrimming the sedge = twist and cut with pruning shears.  The sedge leaves are used for mulch between the newly transplanted sedge bundles.  Do plants have a feedback system such that dead leaves in the soil trigger growth?  Always questions!

Digging Bar and Sledge CrewStudents installing a temporary soil bank retaining wall.  Short branches horizontal, saved-from-the-wood-bin stakes vertical.  By the time these flimsy materials rot, like next year, the sedge bank will be glad to eat it up, glad to be nourished by the decaying wood.  AND, most of that decay process will be from our Decomposer friends.  Habitat it!

Garter Snake Ravine likes the company.  Cookie Monster Perch might not.Sedge Corners.  Note the tempory retaining wall of mulch material (little sticks, stakes, woodchips, soil).  Perch is the blonde piece of wood on the far right of the tower of perches.

<<< This Way WaterCentipede Tunnel Perch — The After.  Note far right, the pooled water stopped from going to the gate by the new berm.

"Where's the Party?", asks Froggy.  Hop, hop, and a few more.  Wonder if my froggy friends will be at Habitat Garden Lake tonight?

movin' hayFarmer Stuart moving hay for Stone Farm‘s plow horses.

Irwin Creek flooded (in distance)Sedge Corners lookin’ good!

Water -- Slow it.  Spread it.  Sink it.Centipede Tunnel Perch lookin’ good!

 

Time to call it an Outdoor Classroom Wildlife Habitat Installation Day!  Time to give up the habitat to the critters.  Time to go home, watch the receding Laguna de Santa Rosa leave the oak meadows along its banks.

Thank you, as always, to Sunny Galbraith, teacher at Orchard View School, Sebastopol, and her students.  Also, much thanks to the Staff and Board of the Laguna Foundation, particularly the Restoration and Conservation Science Department: Wendy Trowbridge, Director; Brent Reed, Ecological Program Manager; and Paul Weber, Restoration Field Supervisor, and Julie Skopal, Nursery Manager.

Thank you to Aaron Nunez, the then Ecological Project Manager.  Aaron has left the Laguna Foundation’s employment and is currently working elsewhere.  Yay for Aaron!  We teachers, students, and critters all appreciated his work while at the Laguna Foundation.

Enjoy your habitat installations.  Habitat it!

Tony