What a great hike at Coyote Hills Regional Park!

Such fun today, thank you very much everyone!  Here are a couple quick links, and I will post more, and photos, later.  Send me your photos if you would like them included!

Poison hemlock, aka "The Bane of Socrates" - http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/conium.html.

On a tastier note, (but still invasive) - wild fennel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennel

The fields while driving into the preserve were covered with black mustard - https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=1144 

We saw a hunting marsh hawk (aka butterbutt) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/id

And plenty of turkey vultures!  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/id

Next hike:  Uvas Creek Canyon!

More soon, thanks for a great day!

Second Hike - Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont California

Hi everyone!  Let's hop across the Bay to Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont California.  It's only 25 minutes from where we had our orientation.  The park website says that the marshes are full of water, and therefore full of wildlife!  I'm sure we'll see a ton of birds.  Plus they have a 3.5 mile paved trail we can hike on even if the weather is deplorable!

http://www.ebparks.org/parks/coyote_hills

Parking fee is $5 a car, another good reason to carpool.  I'm coming from East San Jose, so I will meet you at the Visitor Center at 1 PM on Saturday, January 30th.  If rain forces a cancellation, I will post it here.

By the way, for some amazing pictures, check out the East Bay Regional Park District's photo pool on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/ebparks/pool/.   See you in a couple of weeks!

Notes & Pics from first hike

Hi Everyone, I'm so glad we went out today!  I had a super time with all of you and hope you had a nice time too!

Unfortunately, I now see that you can't post a comment with a picture in it, at least, I don't think you can.  However, if you email me pictures, I will post them.

Here are some things we saw today (click links for more information):

1. Toyon, also called Christmas berry or California Holly.
2. My favorite little buddy, the dusky footed woodrat.  (Ok, well, his nest anyways.)
3. Delicious smelling California sagebrush.
4. Hillside Gooseberry - one of our first flowerers.
5. Extremely cool White Tailed Kite, hovering (kiting!) in search of dinner.
6. And of course, the itchy, the ubiquitous, the cryptic:  Poison Oak!

Please check back in with this park from March to May, when the fields are just carpeted with wildflowers!  You won't regret it!

If you want to help keep this park amazing, volunteer for the Edgewood Weed Warriors!  It's a great group of folks and you will learn a lot while having fun!  More information at: http://www.friendsofedgewood.org/habitat-restoration.

Looking forward to the next!

First Hike - Edgewood Park!

Hi everyone!  I'm looking forward to hiking with you!

Our first hike will be this Saturday, 1/16/16, in the gorgeous woodlands and serpentine prairies of Edgewood Park.  Directions, weather, and much more can be found at: http://www.friendsofedgewood.org/visit.  Or, check out: http://parks.smcgov.org/edgewood-park-natural-preserve.

For those who wish to carpool, meet at the Park and Ride lot at Arastradero and Page Mill Road at 12:30.  NOT the park and ride by El Camino!  If using a GPS or mapping program, this should work: "Park & Ride, Page Mill Road, Los Altos, CA 94022".  I'll be there to help organize carpooling (but won't carpool along because I'm staying in San Mateo after.)  Like we talked about tonight, carpooling is highly recommended, most preserve parking lots are tiny, and waiting for parking is frustrating!

Please bring sturdy shoes, capable of handling mud.  Plenty of drinking water, a snack for yourself, binoculars and field guides if you want them.  Edgewood Park is free of charge.  There is drinking water and bathrooms by the Interpretive Center, which is where we will meet!

As we talked about tonight, ticks and poison oak can be hazards of the natural California environment.

We will hike in anything short of a torrential downpour.  If the hike is canceled, I'll email you all, and post it here as well.

I look forward to hiking with you!  Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns - m.sachs.martin@gmail.com.

Miriam

Orientation!

Peninsula Nature Hikes Winter, 2016 orientation is this upcoming Tuesday at 7 PM, room 205, at Palo Alto Adult School.  I'm looking forward to meeting you!  Please fill out the brief survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QPFVGF9.

If you are returning, there's no need to attend the orientation again, although I'm always happy to see you.  :)

I'm trying something new this quarter - I'd like to plan out all the hikes from the beginning rather than choosing as we go along. So again, please fill out the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QPFVGF9, this will help me plan.

Thanks everyone!