It’s the season of bird breeding again. The weather turns warmer, allowing birds to comfortably nest in the Bay Area. Food is plentiful here for them, and we are tasked with removing evasive plants that aren’t native to the area and can’t be eaten by the birds. I rise up early in the morning to come to the habitat to pull weeds. This winter, California got flooded by a torrential downpour of rain. The trees on the shore’s edge are submerged by water, with their stump hidden below the surface.

My team started our work, removing invasive plants like fennel. It’s roots are intertwined tightly in a complex network. It’s nearly impossible to completely prevent them from regrowing, so we focus on limiting its expansion so that the native foliage has a chance. The fennel looked fresh, so I picked some to take them home and make pies with it. We have it to friends and family, who loved the taste of the pies we made. There are certain foods we love that birds can’t eat.

On the way home, it started hailing, which almost never happens in the bay. We were surprised by the hail. When we got home, we processed the fennel to start making pies. It’s interesting that in the cycle, we eat the fennel while the birds choose other foods to nourish themselves. I hope our efforts will improve the nesting and nutrition of the birds in the bay.