Join us this Saturday for "Mammoth in the Artichokes" free webinar...

Mammoth in the Artichokes

Encounter with an Ice Age Landscape in Monterey County and Implication for the First Native Americans
Presented by Mark Hylkema
Free Community Webinar
THIS SATURDAY
 September 13, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Join us this Saturday!
We’re excited to welcome back the always-popular Mark Hylkema for a fascinating presentation on the remains of an Ice Age mammal discovered in our region and the research team that recovered them.

Mark will explore:

• The lives and diets of the first Native Americans

• The massive animals that roamed our area during the Ice Age

• How the Monterey Bay region once looked and the natural history it reveals

If you can’t attend in person, don’t worry—we’ll be recording the presentation, and all registrants will receive a link to watch afterward.

Great Horned Owl in Wavecrest photo- thank you to Steve Maller

Thank you to local birder and photographer, Steve Maller, for this great photo yesterday from Wavecrest Open Space, and the understanding of the hard and difficult work of maintaining our open spaces.

September 8 Wavecrest Coastal Trail Extension Update

Photo Credit: Sara Polgar

Wavecrest Trail Extension Update: Weeks 5–7

As construction moves forward, it feels like we’re not the only ones keeping watch over the new trail. An orb weaver spider recently set up its web nearby, perfectly positioned to take in all the activity. Here’s what the spider (and our crew!) have been seeing these past few weeks:

Week 5
The contractor laid compacted gravel along the trail loop on the south side of the ravine, completing about 4,000 linear feet—roughly one-third of the total trail length.

Week 6
Building on the previous week’s work, the contractor cleaned up along the trail edges and used a mini-excavator to decompact and spread material on the casual trail areas adjacent to the newly constructed trail. This step will help these areas naturally revegetate over time.

Week 7
The contractor excavated much of the remaining trail north of the ravine, moving us closer to connecting the full alignment.

Just like the orb weaver’s web, each piece of this project connects to the next—slowly but surely creating something strong, beautiful, and lasting. Stay tuned for more updates as the Wavecrest Trail Extension takes shape!

Mammoth in the Artichokes; Encounter with an Ice Age Landscape in Monterey County and Implication for the First Native Americans

Mammoth in the Artichokes

Encounter with an Ice Age Landscape in Monterey County and Implication for the First Native Americans
Presented by Mark Hylkema
Free Community Webinar
Saturday, September 13, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Join us next weekend as we welcome back the very popular Mark Hylkema to discuss the remains of an Ice Age mammal found in our region and the research team that investigated and recovered these remains. He’ll connect the lives and diet of the first Native Americans with the huge animals that roamed this area at the time of the Ice Age, and uncover a completely different landscape and a fascinating natural history of the Monterey Bay region.

Volunteer for the First Flush Community Science Program

The San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD) is seeking volunteers for this year’s First Flush water quality monitoring event, the largest annual community science effort of its kind in our region. No experience is necessary!

Each fall, the first significant rains wash months of accumulated pollutants from our streets and landscapes into creeks, storm drains, and the ocean. This moment, known as First Flush, provides a rare chance for scientists and volunteers to understand how these pollutants move through our watershed—and how they impact both people and wildlife.

Volunteers will:

• Collect water samples at designated sites from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay

• Record field data to help track pollutants such as bacteria, metals, suspended solids, and nutrients

• Contribute to long-term data that helps inform science and stewardship of our local waters
  

Training sessions:

• Virtual Training: Wednesday, September 10, 6:30 PM (recorded for later viewing)

• In-person Training: Saturday morning, September 13 (hands-on practice; video also available)

For more background on why this work matters, we invite you to watch our recent Coastside Land Trust webinar, Healthy Waters, Thriving Coast, featuring Kellyx Nelson and Clifton Herrmann of the San Mateo RCD. In this program, they share insights on local water quality, sources of pollution, and how science and community monitoring help protect our coast.

Email FirstFlush@sanmateoRCD.org with any questions

Wavecrest Costal Trail Extension Update: August 24

Trail construction is moving forward at Wavecrest. The project team:

• Completed work on the future eastern parking lot with compact gravel, which will serve as the main staging area.

• Cleared about half a mile of the planned trail alignment, starting south of the ravine, using both a masticator and a mower.

• Mowed the rest of the trail alignment north of the ravine to connect with the existing Bird Trail on Coastside Land Trust’s 50-acre property.

• Has been building the new east–west segment along the south side of the ravine with excavators, dump trucks, and gravel.

The trails will remain open during this work. However, visitors may occasionally be asked to wait or take a short detour around active construction areas for safety.

Wavecrest Coastal Access Project Update: Sequencing & Timeline

We’ve received some thoughtful questions from community members about the sequencing of the Wavecrest Coastal Access Project, and we’d like to share more detail about how and when different parts of the project will come together.

The project includes three key components:

1. Trails, parking, and habitat restoration

2. Beach access stairs

3. Restroom

Why Trails and Parking Come First

Construction began this summer with the trails, parking, and restoration work. This first step is essential because safe public access and site preparation must be in place before we can move on to the beach stairs or restroom. This work is scheduled for completion in late October/early November 2025.

Beach Access Stairs: Coming Next

As trail and parking work wraps up, we’ll move directly into constructing the new beach access stairs. The stairs will be built primarily with hand tools, a process that takes time but minimizes environmental impact. The construction will take about five months in total.

• The south set of stairs will be built first and is expected to be open for use roughly three months into construction.

• The north set of stairs will follow and be completed by spring 2026.

Restroom Construction: Timing Matters

The restroom is the final piece of the project, and its construction is guided by both permitting requirements and seasonal conditions. Installing utilities requires trenching with heavy equipment—a task that cannot be done during the wet season. For this reason, the earliest possible start for restroom construction is late spring 2026.

Our Commitment

Unlike “phased” developments that sometimes leave promised amenities unfinished, this project is designed as a complete package of access improvements. Each element—trails, stairs, and restroom—is fully planned and funded, and every piece will be delivered in sequence as conditions allow.

We’re excited to see the project moving forward and grateful to our community for the care and attention you bring to this shared open space.

Protecting Our Raptors!

We are lucky to share our coast — and Wavecrest Open Space — with a rich variety of raptors - including barn owls, red-tailed hawks, white-tailed kites, kestrels, and other raptors that help keep rodent populations in balance. Watching these birds hunt and soar is part of what makes our community special.

Sadly, the use of certain rodenticides (rat poisons) can unintentionally harm these birds. When a raptor eats a poisoned rodent, the toxins can build up in their system, leading to illness or death. We’ve recently seen the heartbreaking impact of this in our area.

How you can help protect raptors at Wavecrest and beyond:

• Avoid second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (look for active ingredients such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, or difenacoum).

• Use safer alternatives:

• Snap traps placed inside secured boxes or areas inaccessible to pets and wildlife.

• Seal holes and gaps in buildings to prevent entry.
  Keep pet food, garbage, and birdseed stored securely.

• Choose pest control companies that commit to raptor-safe methods.

By choosing safer rodent control, we can reduce rodent problems without harming the owls and hawks that help protect our ecosystem naturally.

Learn more about raptor-safe rodent control at  https://raptorsarethesolution.org/

Thank you for helping protect the wildlife we all cherish!!

Photo credit: Tina Mills ( White-tailed kites in Wavecrest Open Space) - Thank you, Tina!

Wavecrest: A Coastal Gem in the Spotlight

Aerial view of the cypress tree tunnel near Poplar Beach cliffs in Half Moon Bay, Calif. SawBear/Getty Images/iStockphoto- (Featured in August SFGATE)

Wavecrest Open Space is one of the Coastside’s most beloved places — where windswept grasslands meet ocean bluffs, raptors soar overhead, and the iconic cypress tree tunnel welcomes walkers year-round.

This month, SFGATE shined a spotlight on Wavecrest as one of the Bay Area’s best hikes you might not know about, exploring its history, wildlife, and the magic that makes this place so special.

Read the full article here: Wavecrest is the best Bay Area hike you’ve never heard of — here’s why

Coastside Land Trust is working to enhance public access and protect sensitive habitats with 2.3 miles of new gravel trails, improved beach access, parking, restrooms, and features for universal accessibility. These updates will keep Wavecrest both welcoming and wild.

Learn more about the Wavecrest Trail Expansion Project, and come visit, explore, and experience the magic for yourself — and to support the ongoing work that keeps this coastal treasure thriving.

Deer Beds from the Sky

Ever wondered what the forest looks like from a laser’s point of view? This image of Smith Forest at Wavecrest was captured using LiDAR—a technology that uses pulses of light to create high-resolution 3D maps of the ground.

We use LiDAR to help monitor our Wavecrest Open Space property, but during a recent scan, something caught our eye. The lighter patches in the grass weren’t random—they’re deer beds, the cozy spots where deer curl up to rest.

It’s a rare and fascinating glimpse into wildlife habits, revealed not by a trail camera, but by lasers from above. Nature’s patterns are everywhere—you just have to know how to look.

Please help support the important work of the Coastside Land Trust and the wildlife that depends upon it.

Wavecrest Coastal Trail Expansion Update – Week 2

This week, the construction team made steady progress on Phase One of the trail and restoration project. Crews finished preparing the main staging area in what will eventually become the eastern parking lot, and test excavation of the trail path was a success! With that green light, the team completed excavation of the designated trail segment connecting and winding between the future parking areas.

Next week crews will begin clearing a new section of the designated trail along the south side of the ravine. This work will be done using a mower or masticator to safely clear vegetation.

Please note: This new trail segment overlaps with an existing casual trail that will be temporarily closed for 2–3 hours, likely on Tuesday morning, August 12. The closure will be clearly marked on site, and we appreciate your patience as we move this project forward with care for the land and safety in mind.

If You Want To learn More?
Check out the webinar recording, in which Coastside Land Trust's COO and Trail Project Manager, Sara Polgar, provides an in-depth overview of the trail improvements—including parking, amenities, beach access, habitat restoration, and erosion control.

Keep Updated...
Projects like this take time, vision, and a deep respect for both land and community—and we’re excited to share this journey with you. We’ll be doing our best to keep the community updated throughout construction. You can follow the progress and learn more on our Wavecrest Trail Updates page

Please help to support this important work—and help preserve, protect, and steward our shared open space:

Stepping Through Time: A Beautiful Day at the Purissima Old Town Site

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Saturday for our Walking Tours of the Purissima Old Town Site—what a wonderful day it was! We were treated to beautiful, filtered sunshine—a classic Coastside blend of warmth and mist—that made the redwoods glow and the native plants pop.

Our wonderful docents (Barbara Lohman, Barbara Dye, Robin Kirby and Robin Arkell) led visitors through the quiet remnants of what was once the bustling town of Purissima. Along the way, we shared stories of the early settlers, glimpsed the old town’s layout, and admired the resilience of the land reclaiming its history.

One of the things that made the tours truly special was the group itself. Attentive, thoughtful, and full of curiosity, participants didn’t just learn—they also taught us. A civil engineer helped illuminate the origin and structure of the old concrete blocks. One guest shared that she lives on Purisima Road and has one of the area’s original oil wells in her yard. Another, whose family has deep roots in the region, offered personal insights that brought the past even more vividly to life.

We love when these tours become a shared exchange of knowledge and memory, connecting neighbors and newcomers alike to this special landscape. The Purissima Old Town Site may be quiet now, but thanks to days like this, its stories continue to grow.

Stay tuned for future tours and events—and if you weren’t able to make it this time, we hope to see you on the trail soon! You can stay connected by signing up for our email list or following us on social media.

Photo credit: Barbara Dye and David Marsland

Mammoth in the Artichokes; Encounter with an Ice Age Landscape in Monterey County and Implication for the First Native Americans

Free Community Webinar
Saturday, September 13, 2025
10:00–11:00 AM

Join us for a wild journey back to the Ice Age with the always-popular Mark Hylkema—Retired Cultural Resources Supervisor and Santa Cruz District Archaeologist with California State Parks. Mark will tell the incredible true story of a Columbian Mammoth discovered in an artichoke field near Castroville. What began as a farming project turned into an extraordinary scientific investigation revealing ancient animals, shifting landscapes, and clues about the first Native Americans in our region.
Don’t miss this fascinating look at a vanished world beneath our feet!
Register at https://www.coastsidelandtrust.org/webinars

Wavecrest Coastal Trail Expansion Update- Phase One of Construction Begins Today!

Last week, our team held a pre-construction kickoff meeting with the City of Half Moon Bay, conducted environmental awareness training led by our project biologist, and completed preconstruction wildlife surveys—checking for nesting birds, woodrat nests, and other important habitat considerations.

Our stewardship team has also been collecting native seed, including the rare Choris’s popcorn flower, bee plant, and soap plant. These seeds will be used to re-wild and restore informal trails across the 50-acre property—helping nature reclaim the areas shaped by years of casual foot traffic.

Today the construction team will begin Phase One: clearing the future parking area, which will serve as the main staging zone (home base) for construction equipment and materials. Our biologist will be on-site again, walking the alignment to ensure all wildlife is protected as work begins. From there, the team will begin construction of the designated gravel trails and parking lots—in tandem with ongoing restoration work throughout the area.

If You Want To learn More?
Check out the webinar recording, in which Coastside Land Trust's COO and Trail Project Manager, Sara Polgar, provides an in-depth overview of the trail improvements—including parking, amenities, beach access, habitat restoration, and erosion control.

Keep Updated...
Projects like this take time, vision, and a deep respect for both land and community—and we’re excited to share this journey with you. We’ll be doing our best to keep the community updated throughout construction. You can follow the progress and learn more on our Wavecrest Trail Updates page

Please help to support this important work—and help preserve, protect, and steward our shared open space:

Just a Few Spots Left! Step Back in Time at the Purissima Old Town Site

A Few Spaces Remain for the Afternoon Purissima Walking Tour

Saturday, August 2, 2025 | 1:00 PM

There is a strong interest in our upcoming Walking Tour of the Purissima Old Town Site again this year—the morning tour is now full, but there are still a few spots available for the 1:00 PM afternoon tour.

If you’ve ever been curious about the quiet traces of history along the Coastside, this is a rare chance to explore one of its most fascinating—and lesser-known—places. Purissima was once a thriving town, now long vanished, its stories tucked away among redwoods and rolling hills.

Led by our knowledgeable docents, this small group tour invites you to:

• Learn about the lives of early residents of Purissima

• Walk the trails of a town that time forgot

• Take in the beauty of native plants and redwood groves

It’s a peaceful, reflective walk through history—open to all ages and backgrounds.

Spots are limited, so we encourage you to reserve soon if you’d like to take part.

Protecting Nesting Birds While Planning for Fire Safety: An Exploration in the Grove - with Sara Polgar and Emil Caluori

Those who have spent time around the Wavecrest Open Space have likely crossed paths—directly or indirectly—with the work of long-time CLT volunteer Emi Calouri. With a birder’s eye and a conservationist’s heart, Emil has been a tireless caretaker of this land- pulling invasive plants and tracking birds. He’s even received our Like a Hawk award for his dedication—and it turns out, that name continues to be fitting.

Recently, Sara Polgar (CLT COO) joined Emil on a walk through the eucalyptus grove at Wavecrest. Their mission: to identify the tree that hosts a known red-tailed hawk nest. This is an important step in ensuring that the upcoming fuel reduction and monarch habitat improvement project, led by the San Mateo Resource Conservation District, avoids the nest.

Good news: it looks like the hawk nest is located just north of the CLT property line—outside of the project area, also perched high in one of the largest eucalyptus trees, far above the reach of the work planned. As the project begins this fall, only trees less than 8 inches in diameter will be removed, and the remaining trees will be limbed up to 10 feet to reduce ladder fuels and fire risk. All of the material will be chipped on-site, providing mulch that our Junior Land Stewards and habitat restoration volunteers can use to support ongoing native plant work across the 50-acre preserve.

As they walked the grove, Sara and Emil were treated to an incredible aerial show. Sara Polgar shared that, “Many, many swallows (Tree Swallows, Violet-Green Swallows and Barn Swallows) were swooping all around us hunting for bugs. It was incredible!” 

Emil pointed out fledglings among the mix, and Sara managed to catch a photo of a young Tree Swallow perched on a post.

You can also watch Sara’s video capturing the swallows in action—and catch some of the deep love and passion she holds for Wavecrest Open Space and all who call it home.

Sara and Emil explored deeper into the eucalyptus and the nearby tree tunnel, on the lookout for signs of owl activity. Years ago, Emil recalled, the grove was filled with barn owl pellets under multiple trees—a sure sign of healthy roosting. Though he hadn’t seen many in recent seasons, they were both delighted to discover a few pellets and whitewash markings, hinting that these silent hunters may still call the grove home.

Other sightings from their walk included a junco hopping through the grass, flashes of goldfinches, cooing mourning doves, and—most exciting of all—a red-tailed hawk soaring above them, likely the parent of the fledgling from the very nest we had come to find.

Please help to support this important work—and help preserve, protect, and steward our shared open space

Photo Credit: Sara Polgar

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

Walking Tour of the Purissima Old Town Site

Saturday, August 2, 2025

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. All ages welcome.

Voices of the Open Space-Robin Arkell

Photo by Barbara Dye

Along the wild and windswept edge of Half Moon Bay, where the land opens wide into coastal prairie and sea,  lives a woman whose life’s work has been to spark connection—between students and nature, knowledge and wonder, the present and the future.

Robin Arkell, a recently retired fourth-grade teacher from the Cabrillo Unified School District, spent years guiding young minds not just through multiplication tables and essay writing, but into the wild beauty of the coastal lands they call home. As an enthusiastic participant in Coastside Land Trust’s Junior Land Stewards Program, Robin brought dozens of students into protected open spaces and, in doing so, helped them root themselves more deeply in the land.

Photo by Barbara Dye

“My grandmother used to say, ‘The best way to make money is hang on to what you already have.’ We so often hear of flourishing ecosystems that are whittled away to nothing. Once gone, it is very difficult to reinstate the natural world,” Robin reflects. “Here on the coast, we are so lucky to still have uniquely beautiful spaces where native flora and fauna have lived in balance for thousands of years, and where everyone can visit and enjoy the sky, the sea, and the land.”

Robin speaks with reverence and urgency about the importance of preserving these lands—not just for their ecological value, but for their power to shape lives. In the classroom, she often saw students come alive in unexpected ways once they stepped onto the land.

“The program helps students get in touch with senses not often used in the classroom—like sound and touch—while also supporting academic skills like journaling, making graphs, note-taking, and analyzing,” she explains. “Over the months, they shift from simply answering questions to developing deeper, more moral understanding. They stop, they watch, they listen. They track birds, spot soil critters, or just stand quietly with their mouths open. You can actually see the moment they connect.”

These moments of connection—whether through scavenger hunts, field journaling, or muddy explorations—build something lasting. Her students, she says, “glory in getting dirty,” developing pride in the plants they grow, and a sense of ownership over the land itself. “They, as well as their plants, put down roots. The Coastside belongs to them.”

Even beyond the classroom, Robin knows firsthand the healing presence of these spaces. That familiar feeling—rounding the last bend on Highway 92 and catching the first flash of ocean—is as powerful to her as it is to longtime locals and first-time visitors alike.

“Your shoulders relax, your breath slows, and beauty strikes you—the raptors on the wires, the color of the fields, the quiet rhythm of the sea. Just like my students, adults who walk the Coastal Trail connect with nature at a gut level. Watching seals, spotting hummingbirds, seeing native plants in bloom—it becomes inexpressibly dear to you. You understand why it must be preserved.”

Photo Credit: Andrea Laue

As she looks toward the future, Robin’s hope is that we don’t take these coastal treasures for granted. That we “hang on to what we already have,” so generations to come can continue to learn from and fall in love with the land.

Since her retirement, Robin has joined the Coastside Land Trust Stewardship Committee and dedicates many hours to caring for our shared open spaces. She continues to expand her legacy in the care and protection of nature here on the coast.  A true voice of the coast, her presence and impact echoes through the wide-open spaces of our coastside. 

Please donate to help preserve and protect our coastal open spaces

Signs of Summer on the Coastside: A Land Trust Naturalist’s View

Summer arrives quietly on the San Mateo Coast—on cool morning fog and coastal breezes. It slips in on the marine layer and reveals itself in subtle, beautiful ways. Summer “fog drip” sustains the coast’s green resilience, nourishing coyote brush, species like bush lupine, and redwoods. Plants like sticky monkeyflower draw moisture from the mist, thriving without rain for many months. 

A Floral Shift
Coastal buckwheat bursts into pink and rust-colored bloom, spreading across the bluffs. Gumplant’s resinous yellow flowers feed native bees and butterflies like the Mylitta crescent. Seaside daisy and yarrow persist in patches, drawing native insects through long summer days. These blooms thrive in the salt and wind. Check out the Amazing Plants of Coastal San Mateo County webinar with Toni Corelli to learn more about our local coastal plants. 

Photo Credit: Beau

Birdlife and Shorelines
Wavecrest is alive with bird activity in summer. Red-tailed hawks and white-tailed kites hover above the grasslands, while brown pelicans glide along the horizon. On the beach, western snowy plovers nest in fragile hollows. In the scrub, migratory Wilson’s warblers flash yellow as they forage. Resident Anna’s hummingbirds buzz between blooms, while the occasional migratory rufous hummingbird lingers. Enjoy Alvaro Jarmillo’s Introduction to Fogbelt Birding

Coastal Orb-Weavers
At dawn or dusk, orb-weaving spiders (like Araneus diadematus) spin intricate webs between coyote brush and along trail edges. Their webs catch the morning fog, glistening briefly before drying in the sun. In summer, their numbers increase as prey (like flies and moths) become more abundant. Check out the Coastside Bugs webinar with Dr. Stephanie Dole to learn more about our local coastal bugs. 

Slow Down and Take Care
Summer invites us to walk slowly, notice more, and connect deeply with the living coast. As you explore trails and open spaces preserved by Coastside Land Trust, take time to notice summer’s signs—and let’s all help protect what makes this place special. 

Please donate to help preserve and protect our coastal open spaces

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

We asked you to cast your vote for the MOST LEGENDARY GOAT from our six magnificent contenders in the ultimate G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) showdown, and we have tallied the results!

Drumroll please…

JOY takes the crown!!!

This brown-and-white bundle of happiness trotted straight into our hearts—and yours. With that beaming goat smile and unstoppable charm, Joy has officially earned the title of 2025’s Most Legendary Goat!

Help us keep the tradition going strong! Please consider donating to support the return of goats to the Railroad Right of Way next year.

** Thank you to Chloe Standez, a recent local high school graduate, for capturing such great photos of the goat contestants! **