Inside this issue: Take a sneak peek at our newest preserve, Cloverdale Ranch. Discover the two rare species making a surprising appearance at Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, how Midpen grants help foster future careers in environmental science and sign up for one of several eco-friendly activities available this summer.
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Cloverdale Ranch
Newest Midpen preserve protects natural and working lands
Cloverdale Ranch has a rich agricultural history that continues today (Teddy Miller/POST)
This summer, Midpen is celebrating the initial purchase of lands that will become Midpen’s 27th open space preserve: Cloverdale Ranch, a unique ecological and agricultural jewel on the San Mateo County Coastside near the rural town of Pescadero.
The lands, first protected by our nonprofit partner Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), contain large, intact coastal grasslands, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in North America.
While Wilbur’s Watch is currently the only public trail in Cloverdale Ranch Preserve, plans for docent-led access are underway. Until then, the preserve is accessible from a small parking area off Highway 1, where an out-and-back trail gently climbs for about a mile through coastal scrub to a lookout with interpretive signs and panoramic coastal views.
Sunnier skies help Midpen crews make progress on storm damage repairs
With sunnier days and warmer temperatures ahead of us, some may be apt to forget about the series of strong winter storms that struck the Bay Area in late 2022 and early 2023. At Midpen, the after-effects of these impactful storms remain, with many preserves and trails sustaining significant damage. Cleanup and repair efforts to safely reopen trails in many locations will continue through the summer and, in the hardest-hit areas, into the fall and spring/summer of 2024. Scientists attribute the intensity of storms like these to our changing climate.
Overall, the winter storms caused more than $7.5 million in damages to Midpen preserves and we have applied for FEMA funding to cover a portion of the costs. We have also adjusted our budget and work plan for the coming fiscal year, reassigning staff from prior planned projects to focus on the extensive and unanticipated repair work to reestablish key trail connections and reopen roads for patrol, maintenance, and emergency response.
Surprising discoveries prompt new research efforts
The excitement was palpable recently as a group of UC Santa Cruz researchers and Midpen biologists gathered in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve before dawn. All hopes were focused on finding an elusive giant in the ecological community: the Santa Cruz kangaroo rat (Dipodomys venustus venustus).
Although small in stature, and neither a kangaroo nor a rat, these rodents are more closely related to chipmunks and are a keystone species due to their outsized effects on other plants and animals in their ecosystem. Kangaroo rats prefer sandy soil where they can easily burrow and bury seeds for a future meal, particularly from manzanita plants. The seeds are then protected in this fire-prone environment, and those that are not eaten help the plants regenerate.
On May 24, the Midpen board of directors adjourned their regular meeting in honor and memory of former director Pete Siemens, who passed away in April. Pete had an extraordinary career, which included working as a rocket scientist and as a representative of more than 30 years for Ward 1 (Cupertino, Lexington Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga and the surrounding area) on the Midpen board.
Hands-On Learning
Midpen grant introduces students to science outdoors
Despite the early hour and chill in the air, a group of San José State University (SJSU) students ventured bright-eyed into an area of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve dominated by nonnative, invasive eucalyptus trees. Dubbed the “bird group,” this crew kept a keen eye and ear out for flapping wings and high-pitched chirps. What birds live in this eucalyptus forest? How are their populations different from those of nearby native habitats? The bird group sought answers to these questions to fulfill the field research component of their environmental restoration course.
This outdoor education program began when SJSU Assistant Professor Metha Klock noticed a distinct lack of hands-on habitat restoration experiences available to students at the university. Though she wanted her students to have opportunities to conduct fieldwork, Klock found that SJSU did not possess the infrastructure necessary to provide them with easy access to nearby natural areas, including local Midpen public open space preserves.
New Equipment Builds Capacity for Increased Wildland Fire Resiliency Work
Proactively improving the resiliency of open space lands to potential wildland fires is physically challenging and demanding work requiring many hands and the right tools. For several years, Midpen has been expanding our capacity to perform more year-round ecologically sensitive vegetation management projects in our preserves.
Partnerships with other organizations, like the San Jose Conservation Corps and local FireSafe Councils, augment the hiring of additional staff. In addition, a $1.08 million State Coastal Conservancy grant is helping to fund several aspects of Midpen’s Wildland Fire Resiliency Program, including the purchase of new equipment.
To date, Midpen has purchased a new remotely controlled mower and a new chipper. This mower is used to perform work in steep areas together with careful biological surveys to avoid sensitive plants, wildlife or nest sites. The chipper helps increase the pace of work by quickly processing large stacks of brush and limbs. Staff continue to test out the latest equipment, seeking the best tools for making Midpen’s vegetation management work more efficient, effective and protective of the natural environment.
Midpen Seeking Candidates for Public Access Working Group for New Area of Windy Hill
Midpen is looking for Interested Area Representatives to join the Hawthorns Public Access Working Group. Working group members will collaborate with Midpen staff, District Ward Stakeholders, and elected official liaisons on a plan to introduce ecologically sensitive public access to the Hawthorns Area of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, a 79-acre property located within the Town of Portola Valley, in a manner consistent with Midpen vision and goals.
The Working Group will help evaluate the following public access components:
Parking area and driveway location(s)
Trailhead location(s) and internal trail system
Trail connections with surrounding Town trails and pathways
Construction Starting this Summer on New Bear Creek Redwoods Trails
Despite the preserve being closed due to storm damage, construction crews will begin working on a series of trails in the northeast area of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve in June. Once complete, trail visitors will wind through a mixture of coastal oak woodlands, second-growth redwoods, and California grasslands and traverse several creeks on newly constructed bridges capable of supporting horses, bikes, and emergency vehicles.
The project will not only add opportunities to explore the preserve but also increase the land's ecological health. There will be improved drainage capabilities with a replaced culvert, landslide repairs caused by this year's storms and improved creek channels after replacing the creek bed and removing debris.
Sandwiched between Bear Creek Road, Highway 17 and the Alma Cultural Landscape, this preserve segment is referred to as the Phase 2 Area. The Phase 2 Area will be the site of multiple projects in the coming years outlined in the 2017 Preserve Plan, a long-term use and management plan for the preserve.
This area of the preserve will include a multiuse trail accessible to equestrians, cyclists and hikers. However, the final alignment of this trail is still being determined after the initial alignment was deemed infeasible due to topographic constraints, existing structures and resources. Additional elements include capital improvements to Bear Creek Stables and a trail connection to Lexington Reservoir County Park.
Construction is scheduled to last through the end of 2023. During construction, access permits will not be issued to this area for public safety.
PUBLIC MEETING UPDATES
Meetings may be viewed online. 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.
Looking for Participants and Volunteers for the Geocaching Program
Have you heard of geocaching? It’s a high-tech treasure-hunting activity where the goal is to locate outdoor hidden containers called geocaches. Participants use a GPS-enabled device, such as a smartphone, and coordinates that are posted online through a geocaching app. The best part is that players of all ages, levels of physical fitness and tech-savviness can enjoy this activity as a way to explore the world around them and share their experiences online with the geocaching community.
Since 2011, Midpen has hosted its own series of caches called the Preserve Circuit Geo-Challenge, created to encourage technology-minded youth and their families to spend time in nature together.
The public is always welcome to try out geocaching in Midpen preserves, which are free to enter and open daily. Midpen is also seeking experienced geocachers interested in volunteering as cache stewards to help maintain our current caches, find replacement hiding spots for archived caches and help us continue growing the program.
Join the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition for a ride to Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
The Bay Area is fortunate to have such convenient access to stunning natural areas, but getting there can be stressful as we navigate busy highways and search for parking. Leave those stressors behind as you pedal your way to Fremont Older Open Space Preserve on June 24. Silicon Valley Bike Coalition (SVBC) guides will demonstrate a safe and efficient route to this popular preserve, pedaling along trails, bike lanes, and surface streets.
Participants will meet at the Saratoga REI at 9:30 a.m., and bike to Fremont Older (about a 30-minute ride), where they are welcome to enjoy a brief hike/walk to Seven Springs Trail. Meanwhile, bikes will be safely guarded by an SVBC staff member or volunteer at the trailhead. Folks are encouraged to join the hike but can also explore the preserve at their leisure!
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 environmentally sensitive outdoor recreation.
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