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| Invasive European grasses and Star Thistles are one foe the Edgewood Warriors fight tooth and nail |
I know it's called a pickup game, when you run
into other basketball players on the courts and have a competitive round. So I
guess I had a pickup walk today.
I was hiking Clarkia and Lower Ridge trail, just appreciating the fact that my knees are back in service, when I
found myself picking up a lone hiker, Diane. She hadn't found her hiking group,
was pretty unfamiliar with the trails (she'd come in via Sunset Gate) and
wanted company.
I ended up docenting (is that a verb?) along
Clarkia, up to Inspiration Heights, down along Lower Ridge trail to the fence
that overlooks the Bluebird meadow and back to Sunset Gate, at which point we
ran into her group
. Discussed and seen along the way...
- Serpentine rock and soil discussion and
challenge of nitrogen dump/non-native plant invasion. Also successes of Weed Warriors
due to just plain hard work plus cunning and analysis
- Why the erosion scars aren't a trail/the
challenges of their trail-like appearance - And yes we ran into two erosion
scar explorers that I had a chat with on Inspiration Heights. Hopefully they did go back
the way I encouraged them to go on the trail. Much discussion with my new hiking pal, over how to
discourage this behavior without being patronizing and actually getting desired
behavior.
- We met Steve and Denora out
rangering and Diane had her birthday photo taken with them. Steve
indicated perhaps more signs indicating erosion scar versus trail may be
forthcoming?
- We enjoyed the beautiful summer colors of
deerweed, tarweed and poison oak. We both think the seedheads we saw in with
the tarweed is yarrow. I keep meaning to look up that pink dry headed looking
flower that's in and around Ridge trail. I think it's a seed head not a bloom.
It reminds me of the sea thrift I saw in Cornwall, just a little bit.
- Told her how she could find the plantdatabase/photos lookup on Friends of Edgewood web pages, as both of us were wondering about that pinky
flower/seed head.
- Told her to come look for the Hair Streak
Butterflies during bloom time for the deerweed. Discussed the importance of the
Bay Area Checkerspot and how it saved the preserve. Diane was glad we weren't
hiking through the golf course this area was, at one point, destined to be.
- Diane wanted to know about animals we see in
the area. Pointed out Western Fence Lizards, mentioned my few views of rattlers
by me and others and where noted ...Much pointing to the area on Serpentine
Loop Trail from Ridge Trail looking down to discuss the scurry zone and
habits of the cottontails. Also discussion of the jackrabbits when they go mad
with testostorone in the springtime and their hare 'ness ( Nice web link on
their being hares and not rabbits here....http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/jackrabbit/).
- Pointed out the frog pond, looking down on it
from Ridge Trail (would be easy to have a talk about water in the preserve at
this point, wouldn't it?)
- We should have asked Denora about the bobcats
when we met up with her and Steve later on, as I know she once said there is
one living in the vicinity of the ranger's house. Durn
- Of course we chatted about cougars. Doesn't
everybody like to know about cougars?
- We talked about the different types of oaks,
and after some quick mental review. I remembered (and I think properly
id'd ) coast live oak (thanks to a hint Alf once gave me), contrasted them with
a description of Valley Oaks, and mentioned the scrub oak. I think that's what
grows on Upper Clarkia, not Leather Oak? Remembered to tell her about the
naturally hybrid ones.
- We talked about the Western Blue Birds
Dianne was very pleased with her one-on-one
docent walk! We found her group back at Sunset Gate and she introduced me all
around and bragged about getting the goods on the preserve. I was lightly
quizzed by a couple of folks in regards to seeing freshly blooming Farewell to
Spring, and I agreed I had seen one too. Was able to respond "Clarkia,
like this trail" when asked what is the real name. So I guess I passed the
test. Good thing that was one I know.
Despite it not being a high bloom time, there's
a lot to talk about out in the chaparral zone
