The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in Willows is headquarters to the Sacramento National Wildlife Complex. In January, construction was completed on a beautiful new headquarters building and visitor center for the complex. As part of this project, the refuge is working on plans to establish a native plant garden around the new building.
Funding will come from grants and donations arranged by refuge partners, including Altacal Audubon and Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. On May 30, 2024 Jared Geiser, executive director of AltaCal Audubon and Deborah Halfpenny, Neighborhood Habitat Certification program planner for AltaCal Audubon met with refuge project leader Sharon Vaughn, biologist Jennifer Isola and park ranger Nikki Muench to discuss garden planning and potential volunteerism to help in the development and maintenance of the garden. The refuge has developed an inviting landscape plan that includes accessible trails, a dry creek bed for drainage, picnic tables and feeders to bring birds up close for viewing.
The garden will feature plants such as California wild rose, coyote bush, Bolander’s sunflower, California poppy and salt grass. These native plants are adapted to the valley climate and alkaline clay soil of the refuge and will provide habitat for birds such as finches, warblers, sparrows, towhees and kinglets as well as pollinators like Monarch butterflies and native bees. Over the course of the next year, garden soil will be prepared to imp.
