Inside this issue: Three rare species discovered in Midpen's coastal preserves. Plus, read about how to use Midpen's new Trail Explorer tool to narrow in on your next outing, how Midpen is helping both turtles and newts in our area and 'tis the season to restore an old Christmas tree farm site in Bear Creek Redwoods. Read about these and plan your next docent-naturalist led winter outing!

There are three ways to enjoy our quarterly newsletter: scroll down for highlights, read online or download a pdf.

Left to Right: Clustered tarweed (Deinandra fasciculata), pappose tarplant (Centromadia parryi ssp. parryi) and hayfield tarweed subspecies (Hemizonia congesta ssp. lutescens). (Lewis Reed/Midpen)

On a recent expedition, Midpen botanist and rangeland ecologist Lewis Reed stumbled across a tarweed he did not recognize. This find would lead him to discover not one, but three locally rare native plants, some not seen in the region for more than 100 years.

Tarplants earn their name from the aromatic resins they produce that help protect them from being eaten by wildlife and livestock alike. These small-seeded wildflowers are often dwarfed by nonnative grasses that dominate our coastal grasslands. Midpen's conservation grazing program can help moderate that competition and provide crucial floral resources for pollinating insects in the heat of late summer and fall, when many other flowering plants are done blooming.

Are you looking for a flat trail with partial sunlight that you can explore with your dog (on a leash, of course)? What about a shady stroll with a gentle slope? Or perhaps, you are interested in biking on a narrow trail with full sun exposure. Either way, Midpen has the tool for you!

Midpen's award-winning Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team took thousands of collected data points and turned them into a user-friendly web-based app called Trail Explorer. The interactive online tool allows visitors to filter up to 10 different trail criteria and identify specific Midpen trails that meet their desired experience.

La Honda Creek Preserve’s Grasshopper Loop Trail Seasonally Reopens to Dogs On-Leash December 15

Opened in 2022, this 1.3-mile easy-access loop trail provides seasonal on-leash dog access from mid-December through July in order to balance ecologically sensitive public access, environmental protection and active conservation grazing in the preserve. The trail is open year-round for hiking.

Midpen General Manager, Ana María Ruiz

Our lives literally depend on a safe and sustainable food supply. Unfortunately, local farmers and ranchers face increasing challenges in producing our local food sources: urban growth, high land values, climate change and extreme weather, dwindling water supplies and economic pressures. Sustainable agriculture not only provides an essential function for people, this land use also plays a critical role in protecting our surrounding natural environment and maintaining lands in open space

Last month, after nearly five years of policy development and community outreach work, the Midpen board of directors adopted a new, Agricultural Policy to govern agricultural land use and management across all of Midpen’s preserves, carefully balancing the values of natural resource protection and agriculture sustainability.

PROJECT UPDATES

Located on a closed portion of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, is a former 12-acre Christmas tree farm. The overgrown and densely packed commercially bred Douglas fir trees, which are genetically distinct from local native Douglas firs, have replaced the area’s natural biodiversity.

Midpen is working to restore the natural environment to more natural conditions by removing most of the planted former Christmas trees and invasive species. The ultimate long-term goal is to transform the area back into a native oak woodland featuring species like coast live oak, California black oak, tanoak, redwood and Pacific madrone.

Among all of California’s incredible biodiversity, there is just one native freshwater turtle: the western pond turtle. Unfortunately, their population is dwindling as a result of habitat loss, impacts from invasive species, a shell fungal pathogen and other threats, prompting a new recommendation that their status be elevated to a federally threatened species.

These turtles, though becoming rare, are abundant in the aptly named Turtle Ponds in Midpen’s La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve. This fact drove our recent work to engineer and rebuild the berm and spillway on the larger of this pair of human-made ponds, ensuring they remain viable habitat for western pond turtles and a host of other native wildlife.

Midpen and our partners are working on solutions to help newts safely migrate from their dry season habitats in the woodlands and chaparral of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve down to the Lexington Reservoir and creeks near the Town of Los Gatos.

The project team recently narrowed down the wildlife crossing for the newts to two viable options featuring elevated sections of roadway coupled with wildlife passage under the road.

On an early November morning, Saved By Nature founder Richard Tejada warmly welcomed the group of 30 hikers who began to slowly gather at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. They had come from Oakland, Sunnyvale and across the Bay Area to hike with Saved By Nature and one another.  

Tejada founded Saved By Nature with clear intentions; to make space for residents to connect with their local landscape, their community and their own well-being by sharing food, a love of nature and company in public open spaces.

Helping Light the Night at Half Moon Bay Parade

To ring in the holiday season, Midpen participated in Half Moon Bay's annual Lighted Parade as part of the Coastside Nights of Lights events. Midpen Rangers, administrative staff and board members joined to celebrate with the community. Staff drove Midpen's first official ranger vehicle, a 1974 Volkswagen Thing decked out in lights. Midpen wishes you a happy and peaceful season!

PUBLIC MEETING UPDATES

On Wednesday, December 13, the Midpen board of directors will review three alignment options for the future multiuse trail in Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. In response to ongoing public interest, staff has slowed the project down to further refine alignment options, which will be presented to the board for consideration at this special meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. at Midpen's Administrative Office in Los Altos.

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.

• Tue, Dec 12: Planning and Natural Resources Committee Meeting
• Wed, Dec 13: Board of Directors
• Sat, Dec 16: Hawthorns Area Public Access Working Group Meeting

Public comments are welcome at all Midpen board meetings. You can speak for up to three minutes in-person, via Zoom or provide written comments for the board to read. Either way, get started by submitting a public comment form.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Docent Naturalist-Guided Activities

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.

• Fri, Dec 8 Untold Story of Oaks at Russian Ridge Preserve 

• Sat, Dec 9 A Cold War Sentinel on Mt. Umunhum at Sierra Azul Preserve  

• Mon, Dec 11 Ramble at Rancho at Rancho San Antonio Preserve 

• Wed, Dec 13 Signs of Winter at Pulgas Ridge Preserve 

• Wed, Dec 13 Scenic Aerobic Hike at Long Ridge Preserve 

• Sat, Dec 16 What’s in a Name? Woods Trail Trees at Sierra Azul Preserve 

• Sat, Dec 16 Listening to the Trees at Skyline Ridge Preserve 

• Sun, Dec 17 Fleas Navidad at Pulgas Ridge Preserve*

• Mon, Dec 18 Water Wonders at Monte Bello Preserve 

• Sat, Dec 23 Escape the Holiday Madness at Picchetti Ranch Preserve 

• Sat, Dec 23 Geocaching Hike at Los Trancos Preserve* 

• Mon, Dec 25 A Road Less Traveled at Skyline Ridge Preserve 

• Wed, Dec 27 Morning Meander: Salt Marsh to Bay at Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Area 

• Thurs, Dec 28 Trail Trek Thursday at Fremont Older Preserve 

• Tue, Jan 2 Water Wonders at Picchetti Ranch Preserve
• Wed, Jan 3 Explorer Hike: New Year's Resolution at El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve
• Sat, Jan 6 Amazing Banana Slugs at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve
• Sun, Jan 7 Fault Lines and Hippies at Los Trancos Preserve
• Mon, Jan 8 Qi Gong in the Winter at Windy Hill Preserve

CAREERS AT MIDPEN

Do you want to work outdoors while protecting essential natural resources? Have you thought about giving back to your community and helping folks connect with nature? Do you dream of donning the iconic ranger hat?

Midpen rangers are generalist rangers who perform a wide variety of functions, including engaging the public through interpretation, patrolling Midpen preserves and enforcing regulations.

Join our talented and dynamic team as we work collaboratively toward our vision and put your passion for open space to work!  

• Ranger Recruit/Ranger
• Seasonal Open Space Technician

You can also visit our website openspace.org/careers for more information about working at Midpen. 

Other photo credits: Header: Izzy Klugman; Tarweeds: Lewis Reed/Midpen; Grasshopper Loop: Hima Tammineni/Midpen; Agricultural Policy: Frances Freyberg; Tree Farm: Frances Freyberg; Pond Life: Matt Sharp Chaney/Midpen; Newts: Jason Saleh; Saved By Nature: Sherilyn Reinhart/Midpen; Parade: Kori Skinner/Midpen; Multiuse: Doug McConnell; Rangers: Jack Gescheidt, Chris Barresi, Leigh Ann Gessner, Midpen staff.