Creating Midpen's 27th preserve, new amenities and experiences for La Honda Creek Preserve, a farewell to our outgoing board members, and a Bay Area native flower that smells like wine can all be seen in our first newsletter of 2023!
Nature in Month: Western Leatherwoods
Though it is not yet wildflower season, some beautiful (and rare) flowers will soon be popping up in the preserves. The western leatherwood (Dirca occidentalis) grows sprays of small yellow flowers between January and March. This beautiful shrub is rare and endemic to the Bay Area — it cannot be found anywhere else in the world! Western leatherwoods are so rare because they grow, germinate and disperse very slowly, which limits how quickly populations can recover from losses. This means that this unique plant is particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction.
These flowers are often visited by Anna’s hummingbirds (Calypte anna), native bees, as well as non-native European honeybees (Apis mellifera). It is likely that western leatherwoods are a relic from a much cooler, wetter period in California’s geologic history. Some naturalists have even speculated that the leatherwood’s slow rate of dispersal may be because the shrub’s native pollinator may now be extinct.
If you want see one of these beautiful evolutionary relics in person, check out the Grasshopper Loop Trail at La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. This trail was carefully built so as to not disturb this population of western leatherwoods. But western leatherwoods aren’t the only plant that can add color to your January hikes. Also keep an eye out for other winter-flowering plants such as manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), certain species of trillium and California pipevine (Aristolochia californica) — another rare plant.
Fun fact: Some people think that the yellow buds smell like red wine!
Western Leatherwood (Dirca Occidentalis) at La Honda Creek
SPECIAL FEATURES
Directors Siemens, Hassett Retire
In December, two long-time Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District board members retired after a combined 40 years of service.
Pete Siemens
Director Pete Siemens was first elected in 1994, winning a four candidate race to represent Ward 1, encompassing Cupertino, Lexington Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga. In addition to service on the board, Director Siemens volunteered for several projects, including restoration of the Grant Cabin at Rancho San Antonio and design and replacement of the sound system in the new boardroom. He and his wife Diane also welcomed visitors to the Daniels Nature Center and worked on redesigning a kid’s interactive pond display.
Pete Siemens
Larry Hassett
Director Larry Hassett was first appointed to the Midpen board in 2000 to represent Ward 6, which includes the communities of Atherton, La Honda, Ladera, Loma Mar, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, West Menlo Park and Woodside. Hassett has also been involved with several community organizations, including Achieve, Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, Museum of American Heritage, Leadership Mid-Peninsula, Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, South Skyline Association, South Skyline Volunteer Fire Department, Peninsula Conservation Center, and Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.
This issue of Midpen’s Plug Into Nature enewsletter not only marks the flip of the calendar, but also another new beginning. Since its inception in 2014, this publication has been shepherded by Cydney Bieber, who, among many other assignments, edited and produced nearly 100 issues in all, before her retirement in December. This enewsletter and a host of other digital duties are now being handled by other Midpen public affairs staff, who wish Cydney all the best in her next chapter!
In Case You Missed It: 50 to Forever!
To close out our 50th Anniversary Celebration, a documentary called 50 to Forever: Midpen’s Mission to Preserve Nature and Open Space on the Peninsula featuring Midpen and our close partners Midpen aired on NBC Bay Area on December 24 and 25. The hour-long show explores how ordinary citizens came together to preserve open space, the wildlife that live on these lands and the history of those who came before us, and a look to future in the face of a changing climate. Don’t fret if you missed it or your DVR ran out of room, you can watch it now on Midpen’s YouTube Channel!
PROJECT UPDATES
New Amenities and Experiences Coming to La Honda Creek Preserve
Midpen embraces a Leave No Trace wilderness ethic in its preserves, offering basic amenities that allow visitors to enjoy nature. A few new items to enhance your experience, based on recommendations by the La Honda Public Access Working Group, are coming to the La Honda Creek Preserve in January, including two benches for trail users to rest on while enjoying coastal views, and hitching posts and a mounting block for equestrians. They will be located one mile down the Harrington Creek Trail from the Sears Ranch Road parking area.
Other efforts aimed at sparking wonder and connection for visitors coming to this area in the spring of 2023 are a new interpretive sign and quarterly docent-led hikes that will venture into a currently closed area of the preserve along existing ranch roads.
These new amenities and experiences were recommended by the La Honda Public Access Working Group as part of Midpen's ongoing efforts to expand public access into the central area of the preserve. Learn more atopenspace.org/LHC-access.
In addition, the La Honda Creek Preserve may be expanding. Join Midpen’s board of directors at their hybrid in-person and online public meeting January 25 as they consider approving the purchase of an adjoining 97 acres. This property includes old-growth redwood trees and connects Midpen’s La Honda Creek and El Corte de Madera Creek preserves. Details about the potential purchase, and instructions on how to comment on and/or attend the meeting will be available on January 20 at openspace.org/board-meetings.
Creating Midpen's 27th Open Space Preserve:
Cloverdale Ranch
Cloverdale Ranch is an ecological jewel that rises from the San Mateo County coast through rolling grasslands to the forested slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, supporting a diverse community of native plants and wildlife.It is soon to become Midpen’s 27th public open space preserve.
On December 10, the Midpen board approved the purchase of 5,100 acres of Cloverdale Ranch near Pescadero from our nonprofit partner, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), with the option of purchasing an additional 1,200 acres in 2025. Escrow is expected to close on the first phase of the purchase in spring 2023, allowing Midpen to begin managing the property in alignment with our coastal mission for environmental protection, viable agriculture and ecologically sensitive public access.
To continue our efforts toward our Wildland Fire Resiliency Program goals, work recently took place in December within high fire-risk areas at Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve to maintain a portion of an existing shaded fuel break created in cooperation with CalFire, the South Skyline Fire Safe Council and the Santa Clara County Fire Safe Council.
Work included thinning of trees and removal of low branches and understory plants in forested areas to slow potential fires and keep them on the ground, while retaining enough canopy to maintain shade, reduce rapid regrowth and minimize erosion.
Before and after photos of fuel break work at Charcoal Road.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossings Community Meetings: January 24 and January 31
Midpen staff will host two community meetings (one in-person and one virtual) to provide a status update on the Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossings Project, discuss the background and detailed alternatives, outline the next steps in the project process, and provide opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback. Learn more about the proposed wildlife undercrossing and separate regional multi-use trail overcrossing of Highway 17 near Lexington Reservoir, south of the Town of Los Gatos.
Meetings may be viewed online. Links to the meetings are posted with each agenda. There is also a dial in number to listen by phone. Links are included in the meeting agendas posted online 72 hours before the meeting.
Volunteering anytime is a great thing to do – for yourself and the causes you find meaningful – but there are a couple of reasons why doing so in January is a little extra special. The first is fairly obvious: it’s just a great way to start the new year and stay on track with some of your personal resolutions. The other is increasingly recognized: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (MLK Day), celebrated on the third Monday of the month, not only remembers the birthday of a tireless leader in the civil rights movement, but also honors his lifetime of service as the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, a “day on, not a day off.” This annual celebration of service is designed to carry MLK Jr.’s legacy into the future to help create a world where joining together to create stronger communities can help lead us all along a good path.
Free guided activities lead by volunteer docent naturalists offer a great way to explore a new preserve, learn about the natural environment or join others for outdoor recreation.
Note: Please refer to the guided activity page to check the status of the activity you plan on joining. Some activities may indicate they are cancelled due to recent storm and trail conditions. Thank you for your understanding.
