Scorpion Rock Film Script

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>> SANTA CRUZ ISLAND IS THE LARGEST ISLAND IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, AND SCORPION ROCK IS A RELATIVELY SMALL ISLET JUST OFF SHORE FROM SCORPION ANCHORAGE. EVEN THOUGH SCORPION ROCK IS VERY, VERY SMALL IT HAS HABITAT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT SEABIRD SPECIES.

>> EVEN THOUGH IT'S REALLY ONLY AN HOUR BOAT RIDE AWAY FROM SOME OF THE MOST POPULOUS AREAS IN CALIFORNIA, IT'S CRITICAL HABITAT FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF SPECIES THAT YOU ONLY FIND ON ISLANDS. THESE OFFSHORE ROCKS ON ISLANDS HERE ARE HAVEN FOR SEABIRDS, BUT THEY'RE RUGGED AND BARREN AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT TO ACCESS AND WORK ON. BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THEM AS HABITAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY PLACES WHERE THESE BIRDS CAN NEST IN CALIFORNIA.

WELL, THE MAIN SPECIES THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS SCORPION ROCK PROJECT IS THE CASSIN'S AUKLET. IT'S A SEABIRD THAT SPENDS MOST OF ITS LIFE OUT AT SEA AND COMES TO THESE ROCKS AND ISLANDS, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE HABIT TO BE HERE FOR THEM TO COME AND HAVE CHICKS AND LAY EGGS.

>> BEGINNING AT LEAST A COUPLE HUNDRED YEARS AGO WE HAD--WE SSAW A VERY LARGE INCREASE IN NON-NATIVE VEGETATION, PARTICULARLY ON THE ISLANDS. WE'RE TRYING TO RESTORE SCORPION ROCK TO WHAT WE THINK IT USED TO LOOK LIKE. WE ARE TRYING TO REMOVE THE NON-NATIVES AND REPLACE THOSE WITH OUR NATIVE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE.

>> THEY LOOKED AT HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS. THEY LOOKED AT JOURNALS FROM BOTANISTS AND NATURALISTS WHO TRAVELED HERE, YOU KNOW, EVEN BACK INTO THE 1800S. THEY LOOKED AT HERBARIUM SPECIMENS, AND SO THE PLANT PALATE WAS DESIGNED FROM ALL THAT INFORMATION.

>> WE COLLECTED SEED FOR A YEAR. JUST ON THE MAINLAND SIDE FROM THE ROCK WE COLLECTED SEED. IT WAS ON THE MAINLAND, BECAUSE THERE WAS NONE OF THOSE PLANTS LEFT ON THE ROCK. WE SEWED THEM INSIDE THE SHADE STRUCTURE, GREW THEM OUT IN LITTLE FLATS, AND THEN EVENTUALLY INTO BIGGER POTS AND BIGGER POTS. IT'S ABOUT A YEAR TO YEAR AND A-HALF PROCESS TO GET THESE PLANTS READY TO GO INTO THE GROUND.

THIS IS THE EXTREME RESTORATION. THEY SHOULD MAKE A NEW TV CHANNEL.

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>> ALL THE PLANTS HAVE TO BE SCIFFED ASHORE. THE APPROACH TO THE ROCK IS SORT OF A CRUMBLY, LITTLE RIDGE.

>> AND WE ACTUALLY SET UP A FIRE LINE GOING FROM THE TOP DOWN A LITTLE RIDGE DOWN TO THE COAST, AND THE PLANTS AND ALL THE TOOLS ARE HANDED UP IN THAT FIRE LINE.

WE USE A LARGE VOLUNTEER CORE TO PUT THE PLANTS IN THE GROUND.

IT'S A LOT OF FUN FOR THEM, AND WE GET A LOT DONE OVER THE COURSE OF, YOU KNOW, VERY SHORT TIME.

THIS WEEKEND WE'RE PUTTING IN ABOUT 2,500 PLANTS WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING GIVEN THE REMOTENESS OF THE LOCATION.

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>> THE IDEA IS TO OUTPLANT THEM OUT HERE IN PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME NURTURING THEM AND GETTING THEM ESTABLISHED ON THIS ISLAND SO THAT THEY WILL ULTIMATELY OUTCOMPETE THE INTRODUCED PLANTS.

>> THE CONDITIONS ARE SO HARSH OUT HERE THAT INEVITABLY WE LOSE ABOUT HALF OF EVERYTHING. OUR ONE PLANTING SCHEME IS TO ACTUALLY JUST PLANT AS DENSE AS POSSIBLE AND JUST RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WILL BE HIGH MORTALITY, AND EVENTUALLY HOPEFULLY IT'LL ALL SORT OF REACH AN EQUILIBRIUM. OUR HOPE IS BASICALLY TO RESTORE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF NATIVE PERENNIAL COVER THAT WILL HELP TO START CONTRIBUTING TO THE NATIVE SEED BANK OUT HERE AND BASICALLY SLOW DOWN EROSION, PROVIDE HABITAT FOR THE AUKLETS.

>> TODAY IS LIKE A GARDEN PARTY OR A FESTIVAL WITH ALL OUR LITTLE PINK AND GREEN AND WHITE FLAGS.

>> YOU HAVE TO BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL SHAPE, WILLING TO PULL YOUR WEIGHT AROUND. IT'S NON STOP.

>> IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL VERY GOOD, PHYSICALLY VERY TIRED. BUT AS ONE OF MY FRIENDS RECENTLY SAID A GOOD KIND OF TIRED, YOU KNOW.

>> ONCE YOU'VE DONE YOUR WORK YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU STEP BACK AND LET NATURE HANDLE THE REST.

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>> WHETHER THE BIRDS COME BACK TO NEST DEPENDS A LOT ON FACTORS BEYOND OUR CONTROL; LARGER ISSUES OF GLOBAL WARMING, PREY AVAILABILITY. OCEAN TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON WHETHER THE BIRDS ARE AVAILABLE.

>> YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GIVE THEM THIS ISLAND AND PROTECT THIS ISLAND FOR WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE WHICH IS A PREDATOR FREE ISLAND WITH A BUNCH OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES THAT'S GOING TO ULTIMATELY BENEFIT THE AUKLETS WHEN THEY DECIDE THEIR TIME IS RIGHT AND THEY CAN NEST HERE.

>> FOR ME IT'S JUST INCREDIBLY REWARDING TO BE DOING SOMETHING ON THE GROUND RESTORATION TO BENEFIT THESE SPECIES THAT WERE JUST SO INCREDIBLY IMPACTED BY HUMAN KIND. I ALWAYS SAY I'LL COME BACK FOR MY 90TH BIRTHDAY AND POINT AT THE INDIVIDUAL PLANTS AND KNOW WHICH ONES I PUT IN THE GROUND. WE'LL SEE.

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