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Extra Details
Project Details
RCD Project Tracker Resource Conservation District of Monterey County

CARCD WCB Climate and Wildlife Project: Monterey County

Program
Invertebrate (Insect, Crustacean) Habitat Restoration
Primary RCD
Resource Conservation District of Monterey County
Lead Implementer
Resource Conservation District of Monterey County
Funders
California Wildlife Conservation Board, City of Pacific Grove
Other Organizations
Audubon California , California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, Great Valley Seed Company, Heritage Growers , Monarch Joint Venture, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Project Primary Contact
Emily Zefferman (emily.zefferman@rcdmonterey.org)
Project Stage
Implementation
Duration
2023 - 2027
Direct Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
We are installing pollinator gardens at multiple sites throughout Monterey County: The Marina Library sits just outside census tract 143.02, which is a Low-income Community (LIC), and serves community members of the City of Marina, the majority of whom live in Disadvantaged Community (DAC) or LIC tracts. The Johnson-Canyon landfill education center is located in census tract 148, which is a LIC, and serves Gonzales students and residents who live in DACs. Gonzales Community Garden is in census tract 108.04, a DAC. Santa Rita Creek Park is located in census tract 156.06, a LIC, and surrounded by low-income communities. The Monterey Adult School is in census tract 139, a LIC, and serves adult students from surrounding DACs and LICs. Rancho Cielo in Salinas is an educational campus for at-risk/underserved youth who often come from DACs. We are working with Historically Underserved farmers to maintain and expand hedgerows on their small farms.
Indirect Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
We partner with the Monterey County Cadre workforce development program to bring young adults from low income backgrounds with limited job experience (typically BIPOC) to assist with habitat restoration tasks at multiple project sites, including both on-farm hedgerows and pollinator gardens. Cadre members gain practical knowledge and experience at these sites that will help them in their careers.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Invertebrate (Insect, Crustacean) Habitat Restoration
The RCD of Monterey County is conducting several projects to support monarch butterfly and pollinator habitat in Monterey County. We are supporting five small-scale organic farmers with expanding and maintaining pollinator hedgerows. We have formed collaborations in the cities of Marina, Seaside, Salinas, and Gonzales to create pollinator demonstration gardens. In partnership with the City of Pacific Grove and multiple stakeholders, we intend to develop a habitat management plan for the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary and George Washington Park. We are also working to further goals of our regional working group, the Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance.

Key Accomplishments

  • Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.): 380.00 lf
  • Plants Installed: 2,797
  • Special Status Insect Species Habitat: 0.90 acres
  • Underserved Communities (# of projects): 8

Project Themes

  • Climate Change
  • Education
  • Wildlife/Endangered Species
  • Local Farms
Hedgerow at McGinnis Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023
(Timing: Before) (~4,018 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Hedgerow at McGinnis Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba

Location

Expenditures

Expenditures by Funding Source to Date: $214,973.37
CARCD Climate Habitat Block Gr... (WCB): $214,973

Photos

Hedgerow at Laughin' Gal Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023
(Timing: Before) (~4,876 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Hedgerow at Laughin' Gal Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023 (Timing: Before)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Before planting pollinator plants near Johnson-Canyon landfill
(Timing: Before) (~299 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Before planting pollinator plants near Johnson-Canyon landfill (Timing: Before)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Before pollinator garden establishment at Monterey Adult School
(Timing: Before) (~639 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Before pollinator garden establishment at Monterey Adult School (Timing: Before)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Informational sign describing work to be done at Gonzales Community Garden
(Timing: Before) (~3,544 KB)
Credit: Zoe Curcio
Informational sign describing work to be done at Gonzales Community Garden (Timing: Before)
Credit: Zoe Curcio
Hedgerow at Magana Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023
(Timing: Before) (~4,505 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Hedgerow at Magana Farm prior to RCD maintenance, spring 2023 (Timing: Before)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Sheet mulching to prep a future pollinator garden site in Gonzales, February 2024
(Timing: During) (~3,398 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Sheet mulching to prep a future pollinator garden site in Gonzales, February 2024 (Timing: During)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Expanding a pollinator hedgerow with Master Gardeners at Rancho Cielo Youth Campus in Salinas, summer 2024
(Timing: During) (~4,689 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
Expanding a pollinator hedgerow with Master Gardeners at Rancho Cielo Youth Campus in Salinas, summer 2024 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
Planting a pollinator garden at Marina Library 
(Timing: During) (~701 KB)
Credit: Bruce Delgado
Planting a pollinator garden at Marina Library (Timing: During)
Credit: Bruce Delgado
Planting pollinator plants near Johnson-Canyon landfill, April 2024
(Timing: During) (~553 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Planting pollinator plants near Johnson-Canyon landfill, April 2024 (Timing: During)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Site preparation at Monterey Adult School, January 2025
(Timing: During) (~689 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Site preparation at Monterey Adult School, January 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Installing native plants at Johnson Canyon Landfill garden_February 2025
(Timing: During) (~3,528 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
Installing native plants at Johnson Canyon Landfill garden_February 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
RCDMC staff teaching young adults in Monterey County workforce development program about native plants and healthy soil practices_ April 2025
(Timing: During) (~4,130 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
RCDMC staff teaching young adults in Monterey County workforce development program about native plants and healthy soil practices_ April 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
Gonzales Community Garden_July 2025
(Timing: During) (~1,849 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
Gonzales Community Garden_July 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
Planting demonstration at Gonzales Community Garden_February 2025
(Timing: During) (~4,414 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
Planting demonstration at Gonzales Community Garden_February 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
Installing drip irrigation at Monterey Adult School_March 2025
(Timing: During) (~6,464 KB)
Credit: RCDMC
Installing drip irrigation at Monterey Adult School_March 2025 (Timing: During)
Credit: RCDMC
After planting pollinator plants and mulching near Johnson-Canyon landfill, January 2025
(Timing: After) (~538 KB)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
After planting pollinator plants and mulching near Johnson-Canyon landfill, January 2025 (Timing: After)
Credit: Jasmine Ruvalcaba
Pollinator plants taking off at Marina Library, September 2024
(Timing: After) (~4,380 KB)
Credit: Emily Zefferman
Pollinator plants taking off at Marina Library, September 2024 (Timing: After)
Credit: Emily Zefferman

Project last updated 12/31/2025

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