Edgewood. Explorer HERD OF GOATS AT EDGEWOOD?

Transcription

1 FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE Edgewd Explrer June 2002 JUDGES POISED TO PICK EDGEWOOD PHOTOS FOR DISPLAY AT HISTORY MUSEUM Bay Area amateur phtgraphers have the mnth f June t enter their Edgewd phts int Expressins f Edgewd, a juried exhibit at the San Mate Cunty Histry Museum this fall. All qualified entries will be n display, and the 16 entries selected by ur distinguished panel f judges will be framed and hung in the rtunda, where they will be available fr purchase. Time is running ut! All phts must be pstmarked by June 30. Phts currently n display in Museum s rtunda Our judging panel cnsists f famed Bay Area phtgrapher Rbert Buelteman ( highly respected phtgrapher and teacher Kate Jrdahl ( and nted phtgrapher, exhibitr, and cntest judge Carlyn Ramsay. A prtin f the prceeds frm the sale will be dnated t the San Mate Cunty Parks & Recreatin Fundatin and earmarked fr the Edgewd Interpretive Center prject. Entry rules and frms are available at r by calling Vlume 9 Number 2 HERD OF GOATS AT EDGEWOOD? Dr. Stuart Weiss s research int cntrlling nn-native grasses n butterfly habitat at Edgewd. During the week f March 10, 48 gats appeared at Edgewd as part f Grazing is ne f many methds being evaluated under the 2-year grant frm the Natinal Fish and Wildlife Fundatin (NFWF). Other techniques are mechanical mwing and fire (a cntrlled burn f a small plt is scheduled fr June). The gats, seen here cntentedly munching n invasive Italian ryegrass (Llium multiflrum) were supplied by Sycamre Farms, which breeds them fr shw and als makes them available fr vegetatin management. They are Ber gats, riginally frm Suth Africa. ` INSIDE THE EXPLORER A Clser Lk at Western Hund s Tngue... 2 Earth Day at Edgewd... 2 Red-Shuldered Hawk... 3 Ranger Rundup... 4 Adpt-A-Highway Update... 4 Edgewd Flra Available t Members... 5 Field Therapy Offered... 5 Spring Schl Field Trips... 5 Carlmnt High Schl at Edgewd... 7 Membership Dues... 7 Upcming Events... 8

2 Edgewd Explrer Page 2 A CLOSER LOOK AT WESTERN HOUND S TONGUE By Bb Yung This is the nineteenth f a series f articles describing the flwers pictured in ur wildflwer brchure. ed. under 4500 feet elevatin. It is smetimes fund in the Sierra Nevada fthills, but is nt cmmn there. The scientific name f the genus, Cynglssum, cmes frm tw Greek wrds: cyn, meaning dg r hund and glssa, meaning the tngue r language. Bth the scientific and the cmmn names were bestwed because the shape f the leaves is similar t a dg s tngue. Mary Elizabeth Parsns, in her bk The Wild Flwers f Califrnia, gives this descriptin: Amng the first plants t respnd t the quickening influence f the early winter rains, is the hund s-tngue, whse large, pinted leaves begin t push their way abvegrund usually in January. The favrite haunts f this welcme blssm are half-shaded wds, where it rears its tall stalk in almst sle pssessin at this early seasn. Pht by Snja Wilcmer Western Hund s Tngue (Cynglssum grande) is shwn in the brchure Cmmn Native Wildflwers f Edgewd, published jintly by the Santa Clara Valley Chapter f the Califrnia Native Plant Sciety and Friends f Edgewd Natural Preserve. Western Hund s Tngue is a tap-rted perennial plant in the Brage family. It blms in Edgewd in shady wds frm February t April, with a varying height f frm ne ft t thirty inches. Each f its bright blue flwers is abut ½ inch wide and has an inner rw f white teeth. The flwers are fund gruped in a lse, irregularly branching inflrescence. In summer the plant dies back t its heavy undergrund rt. Almst all genera in the Brage family may be txic frm alkalids r accumulated nitrates. Western Hund s Tngue is fund frm British Clumbia t the suth cast ranges f Califrnia Parsns als describes the seed: The distributin f the seed is mst cunningly prvided fr, as the upper surfaces f the nutlets are cvered with tiny barbs, which a magnifying glass reveals t be quite perfect little anchrs, admirably adapted fr catching in the hair f animals. This bur quality f the seed has given the cmmn name f Stickseed t tw related genera in the Brage family: Hackelia and Lappula, usually fund in muntain meadws. ` EARTH DAY AT EDGEWOOD An Earth Day event ccurred at Edgewd n April 27 th, ne week after the traditinal Earth Day weekend, t accmmdate Parks & Recreatin s Earth Day fair at Fld Park n April 20 th. 28 peple shwed up at Edgewd, including several kids. They were taken t the knll abve the bush mallw site alng the Edgewd Trail. There, they remved ver 6,500 Italian thistles and 500 tcalte plants. They vlunteered a ttal f 63 hurs. `

3 Edgewd Explrer Page 3 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK By Gerge Raiche Mst peple wh visit Edgewd Park lk dwn, because that s where the wildflwers are. I m mre interested in birds, s I tend t lk up. In March f 1999 I happened t see a redshuldered hawk (Bute lineatus) fly verhead with a stick in its muth. I was lucky enugh t see its destinatin: the crtch f the large eucalyptus tree just suth f the Stage Rad parking lt. With its mate, this hawk was building a nest. I ve watched that nest fr the past three years as the hawk pair raised families f nestlings. Yu can see many phts f my bservatins at my web site, I culdn t help but be fascinated by what I saw. Red-shuldered hawks are far mre likely heard than seen at Edgewd. During nesting seasn their lud, repeated key-er, key-er, key-er cry is audible thrughut the lwer valley. Unlike their familiar red-tailed cusins, red-shuldered hawks prefer frested areas and hunt frm lw perches. They are slightly smaller than red-tails, and are far less likely t be seen saring. In flight, the easiest way t distinguish them is by nting the bld black and white barring n the underside f the tail. They tend t keep t the valley, while red-tails dminate the upper grasslands. Very beautiful birds with vivid clring, they blend right in with the ak and eucalyptus fliage f the valley flr and are easy t verlk. Nesting seasn prvides an unusual pprtunity t study their behavir. Birds nly nest during breeding seasn, and nce a successful nest is established mst hawk species tend t reuse it. Edgewd s hawks have maintained the Stage Rad nest fr at least three years, refurbishing winter damage each spring. The nest is cmprised f small sticks, fliage, and adult dwn. Frm the Edgewd Trail, the nest appears t be an almst happenstance accumulatin f eucalyptus debris wedged in a frk f the tree; hwever, this nest has survived fr three years withut significant damage. The nest is several feet in diameter and may weigh ver ne hundred punds, and is large enugh t hld an adult and three full-size nestlings. (Mst birds, including hawks, are full size when they fledge.) When the female is ready t lay eggs the hawks will decrate the nest with fresh green leaves and mss, and line the inside with their wn dwn. The usual number f eggs is three; ne egg is laid per day, s ne egg will hatch per day, 33 days later. Hawk parents must be amng the mst attentive guardians in nature. Frm the time the first egg is laid (fr the Edgewd hawks, arund March 15) t first hatch (April 16) bth parents share incubatin duties. Once hatching starts, hwever, their rles diverge: the female tends the nest and the male hunts fr fd. Nest duties require the female's cntinuus attentin during the first tw weeks. Since the nestlings lack feathers, the mther is the sle surce f prtectin frm rain, sun, and chill. A jay r crw culd easily steal a hatchling, s mm is als primary defender f the nest. She will attack ther birds f prey that wander int the nesting area. The male's rle is equally imprtant: he's feeding the entire nest, including the adult female, and (Cntinued n page 6)

4 Edgewd Explrer Page 4 RANGER ROUNDUP By Shawn Witaschek There have been a lt f changes at Edgewd Park since the last Ranger Rundup. Rangers Susy Byd and Ric Munds have bth transferred t ther parks. Ric has gne t Crystal Springs Trail and Susy has gne t Pescader Park. We wish them well with their new assignments and thank them fr all the hard wrk and cmmitment they have demnstrated while here at Edgewd. Ric and Susy have been replaced by me, Ranger II Shawn Witaschek, and Ranger II Katie Beltran. We are very excited t wrk tgether here at Edgewd. We hpe t use teamwrk within the ranger staff and with the many grups and individuals wh care abut the park t make Edgewd better than ever. We have already met many vlunteers and friends f the park and are lking frward t meeting the remainder. Many thanks t the dcents that have helped Katie and me becme mre familiar with the flra f Edgewd Park. Katie and I each bring a unique set f skills and experiences t the park. I was brn and raised in the SF Bay Area. After fur years in the army with a tur f duty in Germany I returned t Califrnia t attend cllege. I graduated frm Humbldt State University with a BS in Envirnmental Bilgy. I wrked as a park aide summers while in cllege, and after cllege wrked at Genentech as a bichemical technician. I started my ranger career at Cyte Pint Park and just transferred here after three years at Juniper Serra Park. I m very excited t be here at Edgewd where I will, hpefully, stay fr a lng while. Katie Beltran is a 4 th generatin native f the Bay Area. After attending Saint Ignatius Cllege Prep. in SF she went n t UC Davis where she earned BS degrees in bth Envirnmental Plicy & Planning and Psychlgy. While attending cllege she wrked as a park aide fr five seasns, primarily at San Pedr Valley Park. Prir t being hired as a full-time park ranger, ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY UPDATE Nine rad warrirs shwed up n April 6 t grm I-280 alng the brder f Edgewd Park. On this day, the jb f remving radside trash was made pleasant by the lvely spring weather and the abundant wildflwers. Walking thrugh knee-high grass, we came acrss the usual cmplement f flwering plants alng the serpentine embankments: pppies, tidy tips, wl s clver, and blue-eyed grass. Our grup cnsisted f Brian Cle, Dn Hyl, Billy James, Bill and Kathy Krbhlz, Ulla Petersn, Susan Russell, Maggie Mah, and Katherine Greene. In under 3 hurs we cllected 17 bags f garbage and fund a hubcap, a chimney cap, a $1 bill, a live snake, and a bunch f Western fence lizards. If yu have an interest in jining ur great grup please cntact Ken Seydel. We will see that yu are safety trained and equipped with yur very wn Picker, hard hat, gggles, glves, and bright range vest. ` Katie interned with bth the Senir Parks Planner and the Vlunteer Crdinatr. As a park ranger she has been assigned t Cyte Pint, Huddart and San Brun Muntain Parks. Katie feels bth thrilled and lucky t nw be wrking at Edgewd Park and Natural Preserve. Katie and I have been busy with prjects. New signs have been put in place thrughut the park. These include replacement f ld signs and the additin f sme new signs. We will cntinue t upgrade signs in the cming weeks. We hpe that these signs will increase public awareness and safety as well as enhance the park s appearance. The plantings at ersin site #2 n Ridgeview trail have been watered during dry spells t help ensure they get ff t a gd start. Katie and vlunteers did a great jb rebuilding a retaining wall and adjacent trail segment n Edgewd trail abve the day camp area. The trail patrl ffice has been cleaned, refurbished and updated. `

5 Edgewd Explrer Page 5 LIMITED SUPPLY OF NEW EDGEWOOD FLORA AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS The first editin f Tni Crelli s Flwering Plants f Edgewd Natural Preserve is nearly sld ut. A limited number f the 360-page fully-illustrated bk, which sells fr $25, is still available as a free premium fr new members at the $25 level (r higher) r renewing members at the $100 level (r higher). T begin r renew yur membership, cmplete the rder frm n page 7. ` FIELD THERAPY OFFERED By Bill Krbhlz Yu can call it habitat restratin, r yu can call it extic pest plant remval, r yu can just call it plain ld weeding. Whichever term yu prefer, what it amunts t is therapy. The dictinary defines therapy as a pwer r quality f healing. Clearly, remving weeds heals the affected habitats. It als can be a surce f emtinal healing fr thse wh d it: it makes yu feel as thugh yu ve dne smething gd. In shrt, it is satisfying. If yu d like t give and receive a little therapy, try jining Ken Himes and his crew f weed warrirs fr a cuple f hurs any Wednesday afternn at 5:30 p.m. thrugh Octber 23 r Friday at 8:30 a.m. thrughut the year. Or plan t jin us fr a special Saturday mrning sessin n June 22, July 20, r August 3. Satisfactin guaranteed. Fr details n times and meeting places, cnsult weeding_2002.htm, r call Ken at (650) Help heal Edgewd and yurself. ` SPRING SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS By Carl Hankermeyer Spring wildflwers were at their best this year fr schl grups, scut and brwnie trps visiting Edgewd. Sherri Osaka s hmeschlers braved the rain and ne tick bite, but therwise enjyed their uting in March. The German-American Schl sent their first and secnd grade classes fr a first and reprtedly memrable experience with Edgewd s natural cmmunities. All f Highlands Elementary third grade classes explred the Sylvan Lp trail in mid-april. Here are sme excerpts frm Pat Oren s accunt f ne f thse trips. The kids were pretty gd and let me stay in frnt f them 90-95% f the time. They seemed t be wrried abut attacks by spiders, snakes, and flying squirrels (!), and they may have let me lead just s I wuld be attacked first. Our grup gt lucky we sptted in the bushes the biggest fence lizard I ve seen in my life, maybe 9 inches lng! We als saw banana slugs, which were a hit, t. And the kids were happy t find sme flwers they knew: buttercup, paintbrush, Indian warrir. I shwed them the last giant trillium, blue dicks, blue-eyed grass, yerba buena (talked abut tea), miner s lettuce (talked abut salad), hund s tngue (talked abut burrs and animal transprt f seeds), aks (Native Americans eating acrns, leaching), Califrnia sagebrush (Native Americans used it as a purificatin incense befre hunting), bay leaves (in spaghetti sauce), maidenhair fern (basketry), and gldback fern. When we gt back, the kids ran arund in the picnic area t let ff steam. Overall, a gd experience fr them and fr me, I judge. Yu see what fun it can be t lead field trips fr children. Many thanks g t ur great schls utreach team: Jhn Allen, Barbara Erny, Herb Fischgrund, Dick Gehrer, Paul Heiple, Pat Lisin, Pat Oren, Jan Simpsn, and Rbert Strde. They have ffered wnderful supprt t the prgram. If yu think this might be a way t use yur talents t inspire children abut envirnmental stewardship, please cntact me. We certainly d need mre dcents! `

6 Edgewd Explrer Page 6 (Cntinued frm page 3) the success f the nest depends cmpletely n his luck and skill. The nestlings' weight must duble, n average, every eight days t reach the adult weigh f apprximately ne pund at fledging, 35 days after hatch. (At that rate, an eight pund human baby wuld weigh 128 punds in 36 days.) That grwth rate requires a steady stream f reptiles and small rdents. Apprximately nce per hur the male leaves prey at the nest. The female tears the prey apart and feeds it directly t the nestlings, which beg with a whistling cry. Mm seems t try t distribute fd equally amng the nestlings. Hwever, if fd were scarce, the strngest (i.e., ldest) nestling wuld be fed first. By their third week the nestlings shw new feathering and mbility. Their feathers allw them better thermal cntrl, s mm can spend less time at the nest--and mre time hunting. Mst f the nestlings time is spent sleeping r grming their rapidly grwing feathers. They appear far mre alert t sunds and mtin and can fllw mvement utside the nest (fr example, walkers n nearby trails). This is a time f dramatic transfrmatin. At such rapid grwth rates, small differences in age here, just tw days shw acutely. By week fur, mst feathers are in and the nestlings are strng enugh fr sme exercise. They can walk purpsefully arund the nest and feed themselves frm delivered prey. They als practice fr fledging by grasping the nest with their feet and flapping their nest-spanning wings. They ve gt mst f their flight feathers nw and aside frm sme bits f dwn they finally lk like true birds f prey. This is the plumage they will retain until they achieve sexual maturity next year. Even as adults, males and females lk identical. The Edgewd nestlings begin fledging n May 21, abut 35 days after hatch. The first flight is mstly a hp t ne f the branches supprting the nest. After a few minutes the fledgling hawk hps back t the nest. The yunger nestlings appear fascinated by this. Subsequent hps are mre ambitius, and by the fllwing day the fledgling really des fly t an verhead branch. The first few times the fledgling appears t nearly fall ut f the tree. Its grasping skills are strng enugh t cmpensate fr pr landing technique; as it gets strnger and mre efficient, its ability t stick landings imprves greatly. Each nestling fllws this pattern in hatch rder, and after a week f practice the fledglings can fly the yards t nearby trees. Fr me, this is a bittersweet time: I m thrilled t see my babies take their first substantial flights, but I knw that my ability t mnitr their prgress will greatly decline. As much as I try t stay detached, after six weeks f intensive bservatin I can t help but feel like a surrgate parent t the nest. (Cntinued n page 7)

7 Edgewd Explrer Page 7 (Cntinued frm page 6) Fr anther week r tw the fledglings will cntinue t sleep and feed at the nest. This is the last perid during which they ll be easy t see; nce they learn t freeze n their perches, they becme nearly invisible in the fliage. They re nt capable f hunting yet and will depend n their parents fr fd fr many mre weeks. The nest will be the center f a cnstantly expanding circle f explratin and experience as the fledglings learn necessary life skills. They ll tend t stick tgether and will call t each ther, and their parents, as they mve arund the valley s trees. But by fall the family will disperse t unknwn destinatins. If all ges well the fledglings may live 15 years, and the adults will return t Edgewd next spring. ` MEMBERSHIP DUES New r renewing members may clip and cmplete this sectin t pay tax-deductible annual membership dues. Please send yur check payable t Friends f Edgewd Natural Preserve t the return address n the back f this panel. Renewing members can determine their membership expiratin date by checking the fur -digit cde t the right f their name n their mailing label. Fr example, if the cde is 06/2001, membership runs thrugh June Questins, call Bb Yung. Name Address City State Zip Hme Telephne Wrk Telephne CARLMONT HIGH SCHOOL OFFERS COMMUNITY SERVICE AT EDGEWOOD By Bill Krbhlz 25 bilgy students frm Carlmnt High Schl arrived at Edgewd n May 18 th t help remve weeds, as part f the Cmmunity Service prgram set up by Parks and Recreatin Vlunteer Crdinatr Nick Ramirez. The students, mstly freshmen and sphmres, remved 30 bags f nn-native thistles frm the mw site suth f the service rad. Afterwards, they were treated t an educatinal nature walk led by Ken Himes (wh else?). A secnd planned visit n May 19 th was rained ut, but they ll be cming back n June 2nd t try again. ` $15 Basic Membership (includes newsletter) $25 Family Membership (newsletter) $7 Student/Retired Membership (newsletter) $50 Supprting Membership (newsletter, Edgewd Checklist f Plants, and Edgewd pht greeting cards (bxed set)) $100 Benefactr Membership (abve premiums plus Tni Crelli s 360-page fullyillustrated Flwering Plants f Edgewd Natural Preserve while available) $250 Patrn Membership (abve premiums I am enclsing a gift f. Please send cpies f the Edgewd Checklist f Plants ($3), cpies f the 28 -minute vide Saving Edgewd Park ($15), cpies f Flwering Plants f Edgewd Natural Preserve ($25). Includes tax, S&H. I wuld like t participate in the fllwing: Dcent prgram Weed management Trail patrl Schl utreach Publicatins Habitat restratin

8 Edgewd Explrer Page 8 UPCOMING EVENTS June 1 st - June 30 th, EXPRESSIONS OF EDGEWOOD PHOTO SUBMITTAL. Enter yur favrite pht taken at Edgewd fr display in the San Mate Cunty Histry Museum. See article n page 1 fr details. Saturdays and Sundays thrugh June 16 th, WILDFLOWER WALKS. Meet at the Old Stage Day Camp and jin a trained dcent fr a 3 -hur walk t bserve the late-spring wildflwers. Last Sunday f Every Mnth, SUNDAY BIRD WALK. Meet Audubn Sciety dcent Lee Franks at the Day Camp kisk at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, August 3 rd, ADOPT-A- HIGHWAY CLEANUP DAY. Meet at the Park & Ride at 8:30 a.m. Call Ken Seydel fr mre infrmatin r t arrange fr safety training and t get yur very wn trash picker. Friday, August 9 th - Sunday August 18 th, SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR. Cme t the San Mate Cunty Exp Center and enjy the fun at this annual event fr the whle family. Thursday, September 19 th - Tuesday, December 31 st, EXPRESSIONS OF EDGEWOOD EXHIBIT. Visit the San Mate Cunty Histry Museum t view and purchase phtgraphs taken at Edgewd n exhibit at the museum. The Edgewd Explrer is published fur times yearly by the Friends f Edgewd Natural Preserve, a nnprfit rganizatin dedicated t preserving Edgewd fr the human, plant, and animal generatins t cme. The newsletter is prduced by Kathy and Bill Krbhlz with assistance frm Laverne Rabinwitz and cntributins frm many Friends. Fr mre infrmatin abut the Friends f Edgewd, visit ur web site at mail us at PO Bx 3422, Redwd City, CA , call r fax tll-free at (866) GO-EDGEWOOD, r inf@friendsfedgewd.rg. Friends f Edgewd Natural Preserve PO Bx 3422 Redwd City, CA NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 179 REDWOOD CITY, CA Submit yur favrite pht by June 30 t Expressins f Edgewd and see it n display at the San Mate Cunty Histry Museum. Preserving Edgewd fr the Human, Plant, and Animal Generatins t Cme