IMountains Restoration Trust

Ibhalwe nguSuanne Klahorst

Impilo iyenzeka nje. "Akuzange kube wuhlelo lwami oluhle ukuba ngummeli weSanta Monica Mountains, kodwa into eyodwa eyaholela kokunye," kusho uJo Kitz, umqondisi-jikelele weMountains Restoration Trust (MRT). Ukuhamba ngezinyawo kwakhe kwasebuntwaneni eduze kweNtaba iHood kumenza akhululeke ezintabeni. Lapho esekhulile, wahlangana nezingane ezesaba izimbungulu nezinto zasendle futhi zaqaphela ukuthi injabulo emvelweni yayinganikezwa. Esebenza njengomhlahlandlela we-California Native Plant Society kanye ne-Sierra Club, wachuma njengomfundisi wangaphandle kubahlali basedolobheni, “Bangibonga njengokungathi bebeye ephathini emnandi kunawo wonke owake wakhona!”

Ngaphansi kwesigodi se-oki e-Malibu Creek State Park e-Santa Monica Mountains, u-Kitz waba nenhlanhla! umzuzwana njengoba ebona indawo ezungezile engenazo lezi zihlahla ezinkulu. “Ama-oki asesigodini ake ayizihlahla zendabuko ezibaluleke kakhulu neziningi ezindaweni ezisogwini oluseningizimu kuya eSifundazweni saseLos Angeles. Zaqedwa izifiki zakuqala ezazizivunela amapulazi, uphethiloli nezingodo.” Indawo yokushuthela yochungechunge lwe-TV "MASH," ipaki ibisele abambalwa kuphela. Wathatha ukugwetshwa kwakhe waqonda kunsumpa wepaki. Ngokushesha wayesetshala izihlahla ezindaweni ezazigunyazwe ngaphambilini. Kwakubonakala kulula ngokwanele ekuqaleni.

Amavolontiya ahlanganisa amashubhu ezihlahla namakheji ocingo ukuze avikele izithombo ezincane kuma-gopher nakwezinye iziphequluli.

Ukufunda Ukuqala Kancane

USuzanne Goode, usosayensi omkhulu wezemvelo e-Angeles District of State Parks, uchaze uKitz “njengowesifazane onolaka ongayeki, oqhubeka enakekela futhi eqhubeka enza kanjalo.” Sisodwa isihlahla esasinda eqenjini lakhe lokuqala lezihlahla ezigayiwe. Manje njengoba uKitz etshala ama-acorn, ulahlekelwa yingcosana nje, “Lapho etshala izihlahla ezingamalitha angu-5 ngafunda ngokushesha ukuthi lapho ukhipha izihlahla ebhodweni, izimpande kufanele zigawulwe noma zihlale zinemingcele.” Kodwa akukho lutho olungavimba izimpande zama-acorns ekufuneni amanzi. Eziyingini eziyi-13 ze-ecosystem ezitshalwe ngoFebhuwari, ezinezihlahla ezinhlanu kuya kweziyisishiyagalombili indilinga ngayinye, zimbili kuphela izihlahla ezihlulekile ukuphumelela. “Badinga ukuchelelwa okuncane kakhulu uma sebekhule ngokwemvelo. Ukunisela ngokweqile kuyinto embi kakhulu ongayenza,” kuchaza uKitz, “izimpande zifika phezulu, futhi uma zoma ngaphandle kwezinyawo zazo emanzini, ziyafa.”

Kweminye iminyaka uye watshala wabe esenisela kancane izinyanga ezinhlanu. Nokho, phakathi nesomiso sakamuva, kuye kwadingeka amanzi engeziwe ukuze izithombo zidlule ngenkathi eyomile. Utshani benqwaba bomdabu buhlinzeka ngesembozo sangaphansi. Izingwejeje nezinyamazane zibubula utshani uma kuncane okunye okutholakalayo, kodwa uma utshani bumila enkathini yemvula buyosinda kulezi zingqinamba.

Ukusebenzisa Amathuluzi Afanele Kusiza Izihlahla Zichume

I-oki yenkundla yekamu ye-MRT ithuthukisa ukubuka kusuka efasiteleni lehhovisi le-Goode's park. “Ama-oki akhula ngokushesha kunalokho abantu abakuqaphelayo,” kusho yena. Ngamamitha angu-25, isihlahla esincane side ngokwanele ukuba sisebenze njenge-perch yoklebe. Iminyaka engamashumi amabili, uGoode ugunyaze izindawo zokutshala ze-MRT, ezihlanza kuqala ngama-archeologists epaki ukuze izinto zobuciko zaseMelika zaseMelika zihlale zingaphazanyiswa.

UGoode unemizwa exubile mayelana nezihlangu zezihlahla ezidingekayo, ezifakwe amanetha ukuze izinyoni nezibankwa zingavaleleki ngaphakathi. “Ukuvikela izihlahla emoyeni akuzivumeli ukuthi zakhe izicubu zezitshalo eziqinile ezizidingayo ukuze ziphile, ngakho kufanele zivikelwe iminyaka eminingana.” Uvumile ukuthi izihlahla zasezindaweni zokukhempa zidinga izihlangu ukuze zivikele izihlahla ezincane ezilwaneni ezichitha ukhula ngezikhathi ezithile. “Mina ngokwami, ngincamela ukutshala i-acorn futhi ngiyiyeke izimele,” kusho uGoode, otshale inala emsebenzini wakhe.

I-whacker iyithuluzi elibalulekile lokukhulisa izihlahla ezincane. “Ngesikhathi siqala besingacabangi ukuthi sidinga umuntu osafufusa. Sasinephutha kakhulu, ukhula lwamila!” kusho uKitz, okhuthaza izitshalo ezihlala iminyaka eminingi njengengxenye yemithi yokubulala ukhula. Abomdabu njenge-reeping rye, ukhula olumpofu kanye ne-equestrian ragweed bagcina ukhaphethi oluhlaza ezungeze izihlahla ngisho nasehlobo elomile lapho yonke indawo iyigolide. Utshala ukhula ekwindla ukuze ahlume kabusha ngonyaka olandelayo. Ngokusika ibhulashi elomisiwe, izikhova nezimpungushe zingasusa ama-gopher ahluphayo angazibhubhisa kalula. Yonke i-acorn ivalwe ekhejini lentambo evikela i-gopher.

I-bucket brigade inikeza ama-acorns kanye nezitshalo ezizungezile ngesiqalo esinamandla.

Ukudala Umuzwa Wendawo Ngokusebenzisana

“Ngeke ucabange ukuthi mangaki amaphutha angenziwa ngenkathi kumbiwa umgodi futhi kufakwe i-acorn,” kusho uKitz, ongakwazanga ukutshala kabusha iMalibu Creek State Park ngaphandle kosizo oluningi. Abalingani bakhe bokuqala kwakuyintsha esengozini evela e-Outward Bound Los Angeles. Amaqembu entsha atshala izihlahla asebenza iminyaka emihlanu, kodwa lapho uxhaso luphela u-Kitz wafuna umlingani omusha owayengaqhubeka ngokuzimela. Lokhu kwamnika isikhathi seminye iminako yakhe, ukutholwa komhlaba ukuze kunwetshwe futhi kuxhunywe imizila nezindawo zokuhlala zaseSanta Monica Mountain.

U-Cody Chappel, Umxhumanisi Wokubuyiselwa Kwentaba we-TreePeople, enye inhlangano yasemadolobheni engenzi nzuzo yamahlathi e-Los Angeles, unguchwepheshe wakhe wamanje wokulawula ikhwalithi ye-acorn. Uvikela ikusasa lomuthi ngamavolontiya ambalwa ashisekayo angakwazi ukuchitha amahora amathathu kuphela ukuze afunde ngokunakekelwa nokunakekelwa kwe-acorn. I-Chappel iqoqa ama-acorn ashintshiwe epaki futhi awacwilise ebhakedeni. Amasinki ayatshalwa, okuntantayo awakwenzi, ngoba umoya ukhombisa ukulimala kwezinambuzane. Ukhuluma ngezintaba ngokuthi "amaphaphu e-LA, umthombo womoya."

I-Chappel isingatha imicimbi yokutshala ye-MRT ngezikhathi ezithile, ithinta izinkulungwane zamalungu kanye nebhodi labaqondisi eligcwele osaziwayo abadonsa uxhaso kubaxhasi abakhulu i-Disney ne-Boeing.

Indawo eyintandokazi kaKitz kuleli paki kulezi zinsuku iwumthambeka obheke empumalanga, lapho i-oki encane ngolunye usuku izogqugquzela izindaba "zendawo" nemicabango. Izizwe zamaChumash zake zaqoqa ama-acorn lapha ukuze zenze amakhowe emigodini yokugaya yaleli paki. Izindaba zemigodi yokugaya azinangqondo ngaphandle kwama-oki. U-Kitz wacabanga ukuthi uzobabuyisela emuva, futhi ngokwenza kanjalo wathola indawo yakhe e-Santa Monica Mountains.