The crunch of fallen leaves, the pop of red poison oak and the scent of matured golden grasses signal fall in the Bay Area. Learn more about the ghoulish glow of the jack-o-lantern mushroom and gear up to explore Purisima Creek Redwoods where all trails are now open. Find out how Midpen is working to improve visitor access for Rancho San Antonio and Windy Hill preserves. Plus, take a deep breath of that brisk autumn air on a docent-naturalist guided hike.
Read this and more in the October edition of Plug Into Nature.
Nature in October: Trick or Treat
As we enter fall and the wind brings a spooky chill, one may wonder; What wicked and maleficent mushrooms lay out in the damp, dark woods? With a pumpkin-like color and deep gills, the western jack-o-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens) is a fascinating fungus.
This spectacular mushroom is bioluminescent, meaning it produces and emits its own light! When night falls, the deep gills of these mushrooms give off a ghostly greenish glow that is strongest at the peak of spore production.
Before and after photos of a damaged section of the Whittemore Gulch Trail in Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve that was repaired by Midpen expert trail-building and maintenance staff. (Craig Beckman/Midpen)
All Purisima Creek Redwoods Trails Open
Purisima Creek Road Parking Area Remains Temporarily Closed
With the reopening of the popular Whittemore Gulch Trail after a 6-month closure due to storm damage, all trails (23 miles!) inPurisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve are now open to hikers only. Trails remain temporarily closed to horseback riders until new repairs have time to settle. Purisima Creek Redwoods was one of the hardest hit preserves due to its steep topography and abundance of springs, creeks and water falls. Midpen’s seasoned trail-building and maintenance crews removed hundreds of downed trees, repaired landslides and made other repairs to make all trails safe and usable.
Midpen generally has multiple active Wildland Fire Resiliency Program vegetation management projects going at any given time, year-round. The importance of this proactive work was underscored on September 12, when a small fire started by a non-injury vehicle accident on Page Mill Road spread through the county right-of-way along the roadside and into Midpen’s Coal Creek Open Space Preserve.
A Midpen water truck (or water tender) was used to aid fire suppression. (Kristin Perry/Midpen)
In August, Santa Clara County entered into a binding agreement with the owners of the Lehigh Cement Plant to permanently end cement production. While the closure of the cement plant, which shares a border with Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, is a promising step forward, eyes now turn toward the future of the quarry and cement plant site.
In September, Midpen provided an update on the shuttle and ride hail aspect of the Rancho San Antonio Multimodal Access Project. The project was initiated to address congestion and parking issues and improve visitor experience at Midpen's most heavily-visited preserve. One of the identified strategies to explore is the feasibility of a shuttle and ride hail program serving the preserve.
How can we make Santa Cruz Mountains' trails a place for you?
Are you an avid explorer of Midpen preserves and the wilderness of the Santa Cruz Mountains? Have you spent time on the thousands of miles of trails in the area over the past year? Or perhaps you haven’t been before but are curious about where to go and what to do in this amazing network of outdoor spaces right in your backyard!
Midpen and other Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Networkpartners who care for these lands are working to understand what would make your experience on Midpen trails and other trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains more enjoyable and welcoming.
This 3-minute survey will let us know if existing trails are meeting your needs. Or if you don’t venture along these trails, you can provide input on what might make you want to visit and explore these special places.
As a thank you for taking the survey, 10 people will win a Midpen swag package with a tote bag, water bottle, and first aid kit, and one lucky winner will win a free weekend getaway at Peninsula Open Space Trust's Audrey Edna Cabin accessed via a beautiful 2-mile hike, or drive-in!
Midpen is continuing a multiyear process to develop a plan for natural resource management and ecologically-sensitive public access at the Hawthorns Area of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, a 79-acre property located within the town of Portola Valley. The new Hawthorns Public Access Working Group will hold its third meeting on Thursday, October 26.
Midpen Board to Consider Agricultural Policy Updates
Join Midpen’s board of directors for a special, in-person public meeting at the Senior Coastsiders building in Half Moon Bay on November 1 at 5 p.m.
When Midpen expanded its boundaries in 2004 to include the San Mateo County Coast, where agricultural roots run deep, we also created a special mission statement specific to our work on the Coastside. This unique mission includes not only protecting and restoring natural lands, but also preserving agricultural lands and encouraging viable agricultural use of land resources.
Staff have been working on the policy updates through a public process that began in 2019. The policy updates consolidate existing board-adopted agricultural policies; provide required clarification, such as Midpen’s role in providing farmworker housing; and provide a decision-making tool for Midpen staff and board that is informed, consistent and effective.
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.
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.
Midpen is looking for qualified ranger candidates who are seeking a challenging and rewarding career. Midpen rangers are generalist rangers who perform a wide variety of functions including engaging the public through interpretation, patrolling Midpen preserves and enforcing regulations to name a few.
Throughout October, Midpen rangers will be hosting informational tables in Midpen preserves speaking directly with visitors about the ranger position.
Join our talented and dynamic team as we work collaboratively toward our vision and put your passion for open space to work! Here are our current job openings:
You can also refer to our website openspace.org/careers for more information about working at Midpen.
Other photo credits: Header: Randolph Weber; Mushroom: (L) Karl Gohl, (R) Debbi Brusco; Quarry: Karl Gohl; Rancho: Karl Gohl; Survey: Karl Gohl; Hawthorns: Marie Lanka/Midpen; Agricultural Policy: Frances Freyberg; Rangers: Jack Gescheidt, Chris Barresi, Leigh Ann Gessner, Midpen.
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