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Inspiring Educators: A CLT Nature Journaling Workshop

The Coastside Land Trust recently facilitated a successful workshop for the staff at El Granada Elementary (EGE) during their professional development day. With 21 enthusiastic participants, the day was a blend of learning, creativity, and connection to nature.

The workshop began with a presentation that highlighted the numerous benefits of outdoor education and nature journaling. Participants learned how these practices not only enhance students' understanding of the natural world but also promote mindfulness, observation skills, and creativity.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many staff members excited to integrate these practices into their classrooms. We’re grateful to EGE for the opportunity and look forward to seeing how they use these new ideas.

The Humble Bumblebee community webinar- This Saturday!

The Humble Bumblebee

Presented by Dr. Sheena Sidhu

THIS SATURDAY - October 26, 2024

10:00 am

Free community webinar

Don't forget to join the Coastside Land Trust this Saturday for a free, enlightening community webinar on October 26 at 10 a.m. Sheena Sidhu, renowned biologist and Stewardship Scientist at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, will take us on a journey into the fascinating world of the humble bumblebee. Discover how these remarkable pollinators are perfectly suited to our coastal climate and essential for our pumpkin fields. We’ll explore their annual cycle, nesting behaviors, and recent conservation efforts at both the state and federal levels. Plus, learn basic bee identification, including how to spot a queen bee. Don’t miss this opportunity to understand and appreciate these vital creatures! Join us and become a bee advocate for our coastal community!

Register Here

Sequoia Audubon Society hosting Barbara Dye in December

CArInG Over The Land;

The Coastside Land Trust Monitors and Cares for its Open Space Properties- Presented by Barbara Dye


Sequoia Audubon Society - Free Community Webinar

December 12, 2024

7:00 PM

If you missed out on our last “Watching Over the Land” webinar with Barbara Dye - you are in luck! Barbara will be presenting again for the Sequoia Audubon Society.

Barbara Dye will speak about the monitoring areas preserved by Coastside Land Trust (CLT), show how much land has already been protected, discuss the challenges of each area, and share the results of the 2024 monitoring of birds, plants, and other wildlife. Barbara Dye is a member of the CLT Stewardship Committee and leads the effort to monitor all of CLT's properties. Before moving to the Coastside, she helped found and was Executive Director of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. There, she led a community effort to create a multi-species conservation plan focused on the California gnatcatcher, raise 5 million dollars to purchase open space, and develop a 2,000-acre nature preserve in Los Angeles County. She is on the Granada Community Services District board and a docent at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.

Register Here

Wavecrest Raptor Walk with San Mateo County Bird Alliance (formerly Sequoia Audubon Society)

Join us as we explore our local overwintering raptor population. Wavecrest Open Space is the single most important site on the San Mateo Coast for wintering raptors, which can be seen hunting in the property's broad fields. Raptors and other species rely on its expansive grasslands, wetlands, and roosting sites. Wavecrest is the place to see many raptors, including White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers, Owls, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned/ Cooper's/ Red- tailed/ Rough-legged Hawks, American Kestrels and Falcons.

We will tour the open space preserve in small groups, each led by a docent from the Sequoia Audubon Society

Cost: $15

Please watch Raptors of Wavecrest with Alvaro Jaramillo to prepare for this walk. It will provide a significant background and education on local raptors.

Photo Credit: Steve Maller and Alvaro Jaramillo

Register here

Quarry Park Fallfest

Fallfest at Quarry Park
This Saturday, October 12
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Join us tomorrow at Quarry Park for Fallfest, including craft activities, food trucks, and performances by Sonoma Bubbleman and Tatsumaki Taiko. This free event will be fun for the whole family! Stop by the Coastside Land Trust table- we would love to connect with you, our Coastside Land Trust friends and families.

QUARRY PARK INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS

Half Moon Bay High School Students Prepare For Their Upcoming Role As JLS Field Guides

The AP Environmental Science and Marine Ecology students from Half Moon Bay High School have been preparing for their roles as field guides for the Junior Land Stewards program. Over the last week they took their first field trips to Wavecrest Open Space, engaging with several experts who shared their knowledge on the area’s rich history, ecological challenges, geology, flora, and avian life. While in the field the students observed a remarkable diversity of bird species, spotting a total of 17 different birds, including stunning American Kestrels!

Through this experience the students not only deepened their understanding of Wavecrest , but are also building the confidence necessary to lead upcoming field trips for the 4th graders.

A heartfelt thank you to our guest speakers: Barbara Dye, who spoke on geology, history, and plant life; Malia DeFelice, who shared insights about local birds and wildlife; and Sara Polgar, who discussed CLT's restoration projects and trail building efforts.

Please donate to support the Junior Land Stewards Program:

Donate Today

Thank You for a Successful California Coastal Cleanup Day

On Saturday, our community came together for the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, and we were grateful for a great turnout of families and community members, from the coast and beyond! Together, we removed more than 105 pounds of debris, including handfuls of confetti found in small beach plants, bottle caps, wrappers, cans, cigarette butts, a disintegrating mattress, and a number of other items littering the beach, bluffs, and parking lots.

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of our Coastside Land Trust board members, staff and volunteers who helped coordinate the day’s activities. A special shoutout goes to the Ritz Carlton, who consistently show up to support our efforts. Their generous contribution of dozens of fresh donuts brought smiles to our hardworking volunteers and fueled our cleanup efforts! Elexis Padron and the team at State Parks also offered support and encouragement. Additionally, it was heartwarming to see many families from the local Sea Crest school join us, showing the importance of community involvement and environmental stewardship from a young age.

Thank you to everyone who participated! Your commitment to keeping our coastline clean is truly inspiring. Let’s continue to work together to protect our beautiful natural spaces for generations to come. Stay tuned for our upcoming events and opportunities to get involved with Coastside Land Trust!

Join Us Tomorrow For The California Coastal Cleanup!


Join us tomorrow for the California Coastal Cleanup Day, from 9:00am- Noon at Venice Beach in Half Moon Bay! This is a meaningful coastal cleanup event shared by communities all along the California coast. Let’s unite here in Half Moon Bay to protect and preserve our beautiful coastline.

Meeting location: Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay

What to bring: Buckets and sun protection

Parking: Free parking permits will be provided at the event.

California Coastal Cleanup Day This Saturday

Don't forget to join the Coastside Land Trust for the California Coastal Cleanup Day, this Saturday from 9:00am- Noon at Venice beach! This is a meaningful coastal cleanup event shared by communities all along the California coast. Let’s unite here in Half Moon Bay to protect and preserve our beautiful coastline.

Meeting location: Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay

What to bring: Buckets and sun protection

Parking: Free parking permits will be provided at the event.

Coastside Land Trust Goes To Market- Join Us!

COASTSIDE LAND TRUST COMMUNITY TABLE AT THE COASTSIDE FARMER’S MARKET

Saturday, September 14, 2024

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Stop by and see us at the Coastside Farmer’s Market this Saturday. Learn more about the Wavecrest Coastal Trail project and all the fantastic opportunities to get involved this fall. Whether you're a nature lover, a community supporter, or just curious about what’s happening in our area, we'd love to chat with you.

Watching Over the Land: The Coastside Land Trust Monitors and Cares for Its Open Space Properties - Webinar Recording

Watching Over the Land: The Coastside Land Trust Monitors and Cares for Its Open Space Properties 

Presented by Barbara Dye

Please enjoy this recording, as the Coastside Land Trust welcomes CLT’s Stewardship Committee member, Barbara Dye, to lead us all on a virtual tour of the Coastside Land Trust’s land, including the trails, flowers, birds and surprising discoveries within these open spaces. She also shares the challenges a small land trust faces in protecting the conservation values of the properties. The goal of this presentation is to share the Coastside from north to south in a new way that we hope will inspire you to explore, protect, and help preserve it. Please reach out for more information on how to get involved in the Coastside Land Trust at info@coastsidelandtrust.org.

Barbara Dye invites us to contribute to the Coastside Land Trust to help develop a strong stewardship fund. Your support will benefit the local community by preserving coastal access, protecting wildlife, and preserving the land for ourselves and our children.

Donate Today

"The land belongs to the future...We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it- for a little while."

- Willa Cather, My Antonia

A Morning of Creativity: Highlights from Our Nature Journaling Workshop

Thank you to everyone who joined the Coastside Land Trust and the Granada Community Service District (GCSD) for an immersive nature journaling workshop last weekend- taught by brilliant naturalist, Elexis Padrón. We were lucky to have a beautiful morning to explore- with a small group of eager participants ready to capture nature in words and pictures- expressing their creativity in their own unique ways. A huge thank you to Elexis for making this such a special event.

Keep an eye out for our next nature journaling adventure—you won’t want to miss it!

Nature Journaling Field Workshop This Sunday!

This Sunday, August 18

9:00 am- Noon

Do you want to connect with nature and learn how to observe the world around you in a more intentional way? In partnership with Coastside Land Trust, Granada Community Service District (GCSD) is offering an immersive nature journaling workshop taught by naturalist, Elexis Padrón. Elexis will teach how to slow down, observe one’s natural environment and translate those observations into a beautiful nature journal. This will incorporate writing, drawing, numbers, measurements, painting and even poetry. This is a free intergenerational activity, and all are welcome. All supplies will be provided. Sliding scale fee - suggested $10.00-$35.00. Sign up now, space is limited.

Register Here

A Garden Saved: Community Members Join Forces to Protect the EGE Junior Land Stewards Garden

On Sunday, August 11th, a dedicated team of volunteers came together to rescue the Junior Land Steward's habitat garden at El Granada Elementary School. With construction threatening the plants that 4th graders had nurtured from seed over the past three years, swift action was needed. Volunteers worked together to transplant these precious plants into pots, where they will be cared for until they can be replanted in a new location once the rains arrive.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our volunteers and to Blue Sky Landscaping for supplying the pots. Special thanks to Barbara Dye, Roger Anchartechahar, Jesse Dwyer, Mike W., Breanna LaFontaine, Julie Ron, Lauren Williamson, Elexis Padrón, and Molly Stone for their hard work and enthusiasm. We not only accomplished our goal but also enjoyed a bit of whale watching along the way.

The Ultimate G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) Goat Showdown!

Time to vote for the most legendary goat from our six magnificent contenders. Feast your eyes on their epic pics and choose the ultimate GOAT

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Thanks for a hoof -stomping good time at yesterday's "Running of the goats"

A hearty thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday morning for the annual "running of the goats"! It was a hoof-stomping success, with an enthusiastic crowd cheering our caprine athletes every step of the way. Seeing young families and our beloved Half Moon Bay locals come together for this quirky tradition warmed our hearts—it's what makes our community so special!

If you captured some unforgettable moments on camera, we'd love to see them! Send your best goat-tographs to kate@coastsidelandtrust.org, and who knows, your snapshot might just steal the show.

Speaking of stealing the show- keep your eyes peeled this week for an exciting opportunity to vote for your favorite furry friend. Yes, you heard right—the goats are vying for your affection (and perhaps a few extra treats)!

Please consider donating to help us fundraise to have these goats on the Railroad Right of Way again next year!

Donate to support next year's goat run

Stay tuned for updates and remember, in a world where chaos can reign supreme, there's always a moment of sheer joy when goats take center stage.

"Running of the Goats"- Tomorrow morning!! Saturday, June 22 @ 8:30 am

Photo credit: Doreen Maller

"Running of the Goats"
Tomorrow morning
Saturday, June 22
8:30 am

Join us tomorrow morning at the corner of Railroad Ave and Poplar Street in Half Moon Bay for the "running of the goats". This goat run down Poplar Street into the Railroad right-of-way is one of Half Moon Bay's magical annual events, cherished by children of all ages. There's something enchanting about the click of hooves on pavement, the lively energy of the hungry herd, and the irresistible fuzziness of these adorable animals. Here at the Coastside Land Trust, we eagerly anticipate this annual goat run, and the Star Creek Land Stewards have just given us the 8:30 launch time. So we are marking our calendars and will see you there.

This large herd comes from Star Creek Land Stewards and works with the Coastside Land Trust and the City of Half Moon Bay as part of a planned grazing project. These goats are effective at eating fire fuel, aerating the soil, fertilizing the ground, and encouraging the growth of native plant species. This results in a reduction in wildfire danger, improved soil fertility, and an increase in the diversity of native perennial grasses. This process is also good for overall ecosystem health, as it doesn't require petroleum products or chemicals of any kind.

Join the Coastside Land Trust on a Walking Tour of the Purissima Old Town Site

Walking Tour of the Purissima Old Town Site

Saturday, July 13, 2024

10:00 AM and 1:00 PM

Step into the past with a visit to the Purissima Old Town Site in historic Half Moon Bay. Join us for one of our small 2 hour, docent-led tours and uncover the mysteries of one of the oldest Coastside towns that disappeared. You will learn about the lives of the people who once inhabited this historic site while experiencing the beauty of the native flora and fauna. You will explore a bit about it all as you follow the trails through the redwoods- tucked away from the beaten path. Reserve your spot today.

Register AND LEARN MORE