Towhee Terrace Takes FLIGHT at Debs

If you take a stroll down Flores Trail to Los Nogales Nursery, you will spot a small patch of blue flags along the hillside to your left.

And much like the rest of our restoration sites, the flags indicate that this location is one of our newest sites.

Named Towhee Terrace, what’s special about this quaint area, however, is that it was independently established by our second-year FLIGHT interns. From measuring soil quality to researching what types of native plants would best support the local ecosystem, everything about the terrace was drafted and planned by them.

FLIGHT is the acronym of our flagship workforce development program, designed to nurture future environmental leaders in community and conservation. This year, we were blessed to have three of our interns return for a second year, leading to the first-ever second-year FLIGHT interns! With a whole year’s worth of experience under their belt, the interns were tasked with coming up with an independent project that would serve as the culmination of their time here with us.

This project would then become what is now known as Towhee Terrace.

We’ve taken a moment to interview the interns about Towhee Terrace and what this site means to them and their time here at the Audubon Center at Debs Park.

Q: What was the rationale behind the plants you chose?

Interns: We wanted to choose plants that would restore life and biodiversity to an area that had previously struggled to support vegetation, because of the dominance of Eucalyptus trees nearby. We researched what species could survive in the terrace conditions, while also adding color, structure, and ecological value. Another major goal was to highlight native plants that are often overlooked, even by people familiar with California native flora. As a result, we selected uncommon but resilient native species, so that the terrace could become both a habitat and an educational space.

The first step was to identify which species could thrive in a partially-shaded and elevated terrace landscape. Additionally, we studied the soil’s drainage conditions to determine which native plants would be most successful long-term.

With the help of Audubon Center at Debs Park staff, we referenced the mature size of each plant and it helped us envision the future structure of the terrace, allowing us to plan for a balanced, layered habitat that could continue growing over time.

Q: What bird species were you hoping to target with your new restoration site?

Interns: We had hoped to attract a variety of native birds and pollinators that would benefit from seeds, berries, nectar, and insect populations supported by these plants. The selected plants would also provide shelter, nesting opportunities, and protective cover, helping create a more complete and functional habitat.

Many of the selected plants were chosen to support the same wildlife as the adjacent restoration site called Monarch Alley. This included Western Monarch butterflies, Allen’s Hummingbirds, and birds such as the Spotted Towhee, thus the name.

Q: How did you plan out your site? What resources did you use and what prior knowledge?

Interns: First, we studied the environmental conditions already present on the terrace, especially the difficult soil and shade conditions created by the Eucalyptus trees. We were fortunate to have the Audubon Center at Debs Park’s Facility Volunteer, Merrill, help establish the terrace divisions, which gave us a clear structure for planning and organizing the space.

We cleared the area of dense weeds until only soil remained. From there, we researched native species that could tolerate the site conditions while still contributing the specific ecological value that we were looking for. We used native plant resources like CalScape and the habitat restoration principles and knowledge that the Audubon Center at Debs Park staff shared to guide our decisions.

As returning interns, our prior experience with California native plants and restoration projects also helped shape the layout. We planned for larger plants to be placed toward the upper rows of the terrace while more shade-tolerant species were positioned in the middle and lower sections. This arrangement allowed the plants to coexist successfully while maximizing biodiversity, ecological function, and long-term sustainability.

Q: How did your time at the center help?

Interns: Our time at the Audubon Center at Debs Park deepened our understanding of restoration work and the importance of biodiversity in urban ecosystems. Between the three of us, we had worked on multiple restoration sites for hundreds of hours throughout our two years here, and we were able to apply lessons and observations from previous projects to this independent one.

Being able to observe the landscape directly gave us a clearer understanding of what the terrace needed and how people interact with the space. The center also emphasized the importance of restoring native habitats with intentionality. Working in that environment helped connect classroom and research knowledge to real-world ecological restoration, while showing how even small projects could contribute meaningfully to larger conservation efforts.

Q: What were some challenges you faced?

Interns: One of the biggest challenges was working in an area heavily impacted by Eucalyptus trees, which created difficult growing conditions because of shade, competition for water, and poor soil quality. We wanted to select species that could survive long-term with limited maintenance, while still remaining cohesive with the surrounding habitat. We also wanted plants that were visually engaging for educational purposes. It was difficult to balance all of these values and it required careful planning, research, and collaboration.

This was also our first project where we were fully independent. This meant we had to take initiative and be proactive without depending on Audubon staff for direction. We faced logistical challenges, but we also had a stronger sense of responsibility as we made decisions as a group.

Q: And most importantly, how do you feel about your project? What story comes to mind when you reflect on the project?

Interns: As a collective group we’d like to give thanks to the Audubon Center at Debs Park team for allowing us 2nd years an opportunity to branch out from our usual duties and dive deeper into what it means to be a community naturalist and conservationist. The project felt meaningful because it transformed a neglected and empty space into one filled with purpose, diversity, and life, almost like a microcosm of the larger work that we do.

The terrace tells a story of restoration, that ecosystems can recover when care, research, and intention are put into them. It also represents connection: between plants and wildlife, between education and conservation, and between people and the natural environment around them.

All of which are things we’ve learned from working together at the Audubon Center at Debs Park.