Invasive plants beware; the Tolowa Dunes Stewards are after trespassers of all kinds in the Tolowa Dunes State Park, including English Ivy, Scotch Broom and English Holly.
Most recently, the stewards were hunting Scotch Broom â a bush native to Europe with distinct, bright yellow flowers. Scotch Broom can grow up to 10 feet tall and individual plants can produce up to 10,000 seeds in a season, meaning it can easily choke out native plants like the Tolowa Coast Wallflower â a short, yellow flower which could be endemic to this region, said Sandra Jelabek, organizer of the Tolowa Dunes Stewards.
Jerabek said removing invasive plants is an opportunity to balance the area, and to correct past mistakes. She cited the 1853 Yontocket Massacre, the killing of hundreds of native Tolowa people at the hands of European settlers.