Bringing back So. Cal's Cactus Wren

When wildfires ripped through San Diego and Orange counties in 2003 and 2007, critical habitat for the sensitive coastal Cactus Wren was wiped out. Today, the Los Angeles Times writes about a group of scientists with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy who are trying some unusual methods to help bring the species back to the area.

At first glance, the 6-foot-tall tangle of pipe wrapped in a blanket of barbed wire could be mistaken for a lot of things: a plumbing project gone terribly awry. A robot from a low-budget 1950s sci-fi flick. Maybe a piece of modern art. But a cactus? Scientists experimenting with ways to restore the coastal habitat of a beleaguered bird hope so. In recent weeks they've planted 15 of these homemade, green-painted contraptions on fire-scarred hills throughout Orange County's Irvine Ranch Conservancy to try to entice a declining population of cactus wrens to nest.

The story features photos and video. Very interesting.

By Garrison Frost

September 12, 2008