Over these last couple of weeks, all of our Junior Land Stewards from each of the Cabrillo elementary schools got to spend a day caring for their garden plots and the land around them with energy, teamwork, and curiosity. Together, the students cleared away piles of invasive plants—bristly oxtongue, wild radish, field mustard, English plantain, Bermuda grass, and curly dock. This simple but important work gives their future pollinator gardens a better chance to thrive. By removing these plants before they go to seed, the students also help protect the surrounding landscape from further spread over the winter.
To build on their restoration work, the Junior Stewards carefully sheet mulched their garden plots—layering cardboard and mulch to protect the soil and help prevent new weeds from sprouting.
After their stewardship efforts, Half Moon Bay High School field guides led the students in a naturalist scavenger hunt, encouraging them to slow down and look closely. The 4th graders searched for birds of prey, native and invasive plants, and signs of wildlife preparing for the cooler months ahead. They recorded their discoveries in nature journals, beginning a practice of observation that will grow each time they visit these open spaces through the changing seasons.
All elementary schools in the Cabrillo Unified School District take part in the Junior Land Stewards Program, totaling 188 fourth graders who are learning what it means to care for the coastside—one small act at a time.
Highlights from the day included:
Watching a Cooper’s Hawk catch a rodent
Spotting the first mushrooms of the season
Welcoming the first migrating monarchs
Observing overwintering raptors such as White-tailed Kites and Northern Harriers
Noticing how previous Junior Land Stewards’ pollinator gardens continue to flourish
We’re grateful to the students, teachers, and field guides who make this program possible. Their collective efforts remind us that stewardship begins with connection—learning to notice, care for, and celebrate the living world right here in our community.
Thank you to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Cabrillo Unified School District, Granada Community Service District, and everyone who contributed during Coastside Gives for their generous support of this program.
If you would like to help this program continue to grow, please consider making a donation to support the Junior Land Stewards and the ongoing protection and stewardship of our precious open spaces.