WEBINAR RECORDING - Challenge at the Edge: Sea Level Rise, Extreme Events and California's Coast with Dr. Gary Griggs

Challenge at the Edge: Sea Level Rise, Extreme Events and California's Coast

with Dr. Gary griggs

free community webinar

Please enjoy this free community webinar recording as we welcome Dr. Gary Griggs for an engaging webinar exploring coastal erosion and timely geology insights affecting the San Mateo Coast. Dr. Griggs will share current science, local observations, and what changing coastal conditions mean for our shoreline communities and habitats. This talk offers a valuable opportunity to better understand the forces shaping our coast and the future of this dynamic landscape.

Dr. Gary Griggs is a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has taught and conducted research on coastal processes, hazards, and sea-level rise for more than five decades. He has authored numerous books and scientific articles, and is widely recognized for his expertise in coastal geology, shoreline erosion, and the impacts of climate change. If you are interested in Dr. Griggs’ work, check out some of his books, interviews and links to his work here…

You can also check out The Geological Evolution of the Santa Cruz / San Mateo Coast - Webinar Recording with Gary Griggs from our 2021 series.

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If you’re able, we invite you to support Coastside Land Trust and help make this work possible. Your donation directly supports these free webinars and community events that connect people to the coast, deepen understanding of the environmental challenges we face, and inspire stewardship for the landscapes we all share.

A Seasonal Glimpse of Wavecrest Open Space... Come Take a Walk and Slow Down

Right now at Wavecrest Open Space it is a pretty magical time to come take a walk and slow down! Spring is shifting toward early summer along the coast, so the landscape is especially alive with color, birds, and coastal movement.

You’re likely to see:

• Coastal wildflowers still hanging on in the grasslands and bluff edges — especially California poppies, seaside daisies, Douglas iris, buttercups, vetch, and patches of lupine in protected spots.

• Thick green coastal grasses beginning to turn golden in sunnier areas.

• Pollinators everywhere right now: native bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and hummingbirds moving through flowering patches.

• Raptors actively hunting over the open fields — red-tailed hawks, white-tailed kites, and kestrels are commonly spotted soaring or hovering above the grasslands. Wavecrest is right along the Pacific Flyway, so bird activity stays high through spring migration.

• Foggy mornings followed by brighter afternoons have been creating that classic dramatic Coastside contrast: silver marine layer, sparkling ocean, and intensely green hillsides.

• Velella velella (“by-the-wind sailors”) washing up recently along the San Mateo coast just below the bluffs.

The cypress “tree tunnel” area is especially lush right now too — very wind-shaped, fragrant, and moody with the marine air. A lot of locals say this is one of the best times of year to walk it before the drier summer browns arrive.

If you go in the next couple of weeks:

• Early morning = best bird activity and softer light

• Late afternoon = clearer ocean views once the marine layer burns back

• Weekdays are still much quieter than weekends

You can come take a walk on the Wavecrest California Coastal trail extension that now offers:

• Expanded Trails: 2.5 miles of new, compacted gravel trails that complete a vital section of the California Coastal Trail, from the Seymour Bridge to Redondo Beach Road.

• Safe Beach Access Stairs and Path: From the blufftops down to Redondo Beach.

• Improved Parking: Gravel parking with restrooms/ drinking water/bike racks/trash

• Wildlife Protection: Reducing erosion and restoring habitats 

• Universal Access: Trails and facilities designed for accessibility year-round, making it safer for families, seniors, and people with mobility challenges.

Coastal Erosion and Geology Talk with Dr. Gary Griggs- Free Community Webinar

Credit: courtesy of Gary Griggs

COastAl Erosion and Geology Talk with Dr. Gary griggs

free community webinar

MAy 16, 2026

10-11am PST

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome Dr. Gary Griggs for an engaging webinar exploring coastal erosion and timely geology insights affecting the San Mateo Coast. Dr. Griggs will share current science, local observations, and what changing coastal conditions mean for our shoreline communities and habitats. This talk offers a valuable opportunity to better understand the forces shaping our coast and the future of this dynamic landscape.

Dr. Gary Griggs is a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has taught and conducted research on coastal processes, hazards, and sea-level rise for more than five decades. He has authored numerous books and scientific articles, and is widely recognized for his expertise in coastal geology, shoreline erosion, and the impacts of climate change. Dr. Griggs also writes the popular “Our Ocean Backyard” column and has been honored as one of California’s Coastal Heroes for his contributions to science and public outreach.

Thank you from the Junior Land Stewards!

Thank you to everyone who donated to support the Junior Land Stewards Program during Coastside Gives. Because of your generosity, we were able to raise $40,592 to support this program—thanks to 116 of you!

Please enjoy this video of a few Junior Land Stewards sharing their thanks and why they love the program.

The Junior Land Stewards wrap up another great year!

The Junior Land Stewards Program has wrapped up another fantastic school year, working with all of the fourth-grade students from the Cabrillo Unified School District. We invite you to enjoy this slideshow capturing highlights from their journey—moments of discovery, learning, and meaningful work that reflect a deepening connection to the land.

We extend heartfelt thanks to all who make this program possible. We are especially grateful to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation and the California Coastal Commission for their generous support, alongside the Land Trust Alliance, Robert G. Kirby Foundation, Granada Community Services District, The Tomberg Family Philanthropies, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, California State Parks Native Plant Nursery, Cabrillo Education Fund, and Mavericks Community Foundation. Special thanks to Haley Peterson and Barbara Lohman, who share their passion and dedication with every fourth-grade class and many Half Moon Bay High School science students in the Cabrillo Unified School District. We are also deeply thankful to the many board members, staff, and community supporters who help nurture this vital program.

Help us keep growing and going deeper! Please consider making a donation during Coastside Gives to double your impact!!

Growing Future Stewards of Our Coast

From restoring native habitats to connecting local youth with nearby open spaces, this work is possible because of people like you.

Your support fuels our Junior Land Stewards Program, where students build real scientific skills while developing a lasting connection to the landscapes around them—bringing environmental science to life for our local Cabrillo Unified students.

Together, we can reach more classrooms, inspire more young scientists, and grow the next generation of land stewards who will care for this coast we all share.

Wonders of Wavecrest: Thank You

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday at Wavecrest Open Space. Your curiosity, energy, and thoughtful engagement made it a truly meaningful morning!

Together, we explored the coastal prairie through a scientific and historical lens—looking closely at native plant communities, seasonal blooms, and the birds that rely on this habitat. From raptors and pelicans and songbirds overhead to small details captured in your journals, it was a great reminder that careful observation deepens our understanding of these landscapes. Thank you to our fantastic facilitators!

There are few better ways to bring people together than through a shared interest in the natural world, and yesterday reflected that in the best way!! We’re grateful to be part of such a great community that values both learning and stewardship.

If you feel as grateful for these open spaces that make events like this, and such time in nature possible please consider donating to support the preservation and protection of our shared open space land.

Dear Friends,

Spring is here on the coast, and we have two wonderful ways for you to connect with nature, community, and the beauty of the season this weekend with us.

Wonders of Wavecrest: A Guided Tour
Saturday, April 25, 2026 | 10:00 AM – Noon

Join Coastside Land Trust for an immersive journey through the breathtaking Wavecrest Open Space. Led by our expert team, this guided tour explores the rich history of the landscape while introducing you to the diverse flora and fauna of the coastal prairie—including local birds and vibrant spring blooms.

You’ll also have the chance to take part in a guided nature journaling session to deepen your connection to this remarkable place.

What to expect:

• A welcome and overview of Wavecrest’s history and current projects

• A guided plant exploration, highlighting native species and ecosystems

• Wildlife observation, with opportunities to spot a variety of raptors, songbirds, and shore birds.

• A hands-on nature journaling activity to reflect and engage your senses

Tickets sell out incredibly fast, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience Wavecrest in a meaningful and memorable way.

Coastal Wildflower Day Festival
Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 2 PM

Stop by the Coastal Wildflower Day Festival hosted by California State Parks.

This joyful free community event celebrates spring, local wildflowers, and the restoration efforts that support thriving coastal ecosystems. Coastside Land Trust will be there hosting a table with activities, materials, and inspiration for all ages. Come say hello and celebrate the season with us.

We hope you’ll join us for one—or both—of these special opportunities to explore, learn, and celebrate the coast we all love.

Warmly,
Coastside Land Trust

The Wonders of Wavecrest: A Guided Tour

The Wonders of Wavecrest

A Guided Tour

Saturday, April 25

10am - Noon

Join the Coastside Land Trust for an immersive journey through the breathtaking Wavecrest Open Space- led by our expert team!

This guided tour of the Wavecrest Open Space will take you through the rich history of Wavecrest while introducing you to the diverse flora and fauna of the coastal prairie—including local birds and vibrant spring blooms.

You’ll also have the unique opportunity to participate in a nature journaling session to deepen your connection to this stunning landscape.

Here’s a sneak peek at the day’s activities:

Wavecrest Plant Exploration with Barbara Dye
Explore the fascinating world of Wavecrest’s plants, learning about their history and the crucial role they play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

Wildlife Exploration with Malia DeFelice
Get up close to local wildlife, including a variety of raptors and songbirds. Who knows what exciting species we might encounter along the way?

Nature Journaling Activity with Haley Peterson
All groups will come together for an interactive nature journaling session to deepen their connection to this unique coastal landscape, guided by our Junior Land Stewards Program Manager.

Habitat Heroes at Strawberry Point

Our April Habitat Heroes workday at Strawberry Point was a success thanks to a truly dedicated team of volunteers and Stewardship Committee members!

Braving challenging weather, this group showed up with energy and determination—removing invasive species like thistle, mustard, and ice plant to protect native coastal plants and habitat. Their hard work made a meaningful impact across the site, including along the new Coastal Trail.

We’re incredibly grateful for the commitment, teamwork, and care each volunteer brought to the day. Thank you for showing up for the land and for this community.

The next Habitat Heroes Workday will take place on May 9, and we look forward to welcoming both returning and new volunteers. If you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out to sara@coastsidelandtrust.org for more details.

Double Your Impact! Coastside Gives Early Giving!

Dear Friends,

We hope this message finds you well and enjoying the beauty of our coast.

As we step into Coastside Gives early giving, we at the Coastside Land Trust invite you to be part of something that nurtures both our land and our community.

For over two decades, our mission has been to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural, scenic, historical, and agricultural treasures of Half Moon Bay and the San Mateo County coast—for today, and for generations to come.

From restoring native habitats to connecting local youth with nearby open spaces, our work thrives because of people like you. And during Coastside Gives, we have a special opportunity to make your generosity go even further. Thanks to a beloved anonymous donor, every gift will be matched, up to $20,000!

Your gift will directly support our Junior Land Stewards Program—bringing environmental science to life for local students through hands-on fieldwork, nature journaling, and inquiry-based exploration. From studying wildflowers and pollinators to identifying birds and participating in real community science, students gain both scientific skills and a meaningful connection to the landscapes around them.

Just as importantly, this program ensures that all students across the Cabrillo Unified School District have access to outdoor learning experiences, regardless of background. We also support teachers with training and resources to carry this learning into their classrooms year-round, and offer high school students the opportunity to grow into leadership roles as field guides—sharing their knowledge with younger students and the broader community.

Your gift helps us reach more classrooms, inspire more young scientists, and cultivate the next generation of land stewards who will care for this coast we all love.

Please consider making a gift today during early giving to help us continue this important work—and double your impact in the process.

We are deeply grateful to the Mavericks Community Foundation for this incredible opportunity to support this vital program and the shared coastal lands that make our work possible—dramatic blufftop views, rolling valleys, rich wetlands, and historic open spaces that inspire, renew, and connect us all. These places are our collective legacy, and an investment in the future we share.

Wavecrest Coastal Trail Extension Update: South Stairs Underway

Exciting progress continues at Wavecrest!

Construction is now actively underway on the beach access stairs on the south side of the ravine, closest to Redondo Beach Road. This marks an important milestone in the Wavecrest Coastal Trail Extension, bringing us one step closer to safe, designated access from the blufftops down to Redondo Beach.

As many of you know, these stairs are a key part of the project—designed to improve coastal access while protecting sensitive habitats and reducing erosion caused by informal trails. Redondo Beach will soon be more accessible for the community to enjoy in a way that supports the long-term health of this special place. Work on the south stairs follows months of trail building, habitat restoration, and preparation work across the site.

We’re grateful for your patience as this work continues, and for the care our community shows in respecting active construction zones.

Celebrating Our Student Artists in the Coastside News

We’re excited to share that the recent Half Moon Bay High School student art show at Coastside Land Trust was featured in the Coastside News!

The article highlights the creativity, talent, and inspiration behind this special exhibition, which brought our community together to celebrate student artists and the natural beauty that surrounds us. Events like these are a powerful reminder of the connection between art, place, and community.

We’re so grateful to the students, teachers, families, and supporters who made this show such a meaningful success.

Please take a moment to read the full feature and relive the celebration:

Wear Your Love for the Coast!

Looking for a way to carry a little piece of the Coastside with you wherever you go? Our Coastside Land Trust Gift Shop just added a fresh line of warm-weather favorites that celebrate the beautiful animals we share our coast with!

From raptors soaring above coastal bluffs to the quiet magic of bats at dusk and the playful mystery of long-tailed weasels, each design reflects the incredible biodiversity of the San Mateo Coast. Even more special—many of these pieces are created by our very own COO and resident artist, Sara Polgar, whose love for local wildlife shines through in every detail.

And the best part? Every purchase gives back. When you shop with us, you’re directly supporting land conservation, stewardship, community education, and our Junior Land Stewards program—helping protect open spaces and inspire the next generation of environmental caretakers.

Whether you’re treating yourself to a new layer or picking out a gift for someone you love, you’re also helping care for the land we all love.

Take a peek and see if you find your new favorite Coastside staple.

RECORDING: The Secret Language of Pacific Chorus Frogs

The Secret Language of Pacific Chorus Frogs

Presented by Dr. Alejandro Vélez Meléndez

Free community webinar recording

Please enjoy this recording, as we welcome Dr. Alejandro Vélez Meléndez, who shares how frogs use sound to communicate, how their environment shapes their calls, and why these tiny voices play such an important role in their social lives. He’ll highlight research projects in sites closeby,  and connect that science to the Pacific chorus frogs right here on our own coast.

The Secret Language of Pacific Chorus Frogs free community webinar…

The Secret Language of Pacific Chorus Frogs

Presented by Dr. Alejandro Vélez Meléndez

March 21, 2026

10-11am PST
Free Community Webinar

Don’t forget to join us today as we welcome Dr. Alejandro Vélez Meléndez, who will share how frogs use sound to communicate, how their environment shapes their calls, and why these tiny voices play such an important role in their social lives. He’ll highlight fascinating research projects happening in sites closeby,  and we’ll also connect that science to the Pacific chorus frogs right here on our own coast.

If you register for this event you can join us live, or view it as a webinar recording. A recording link will be sent to all registrants.
View all past webinars HERE. 

Coastside Land Trust 2025 Year in Review

The Coastside Land Trust 2025 Year in Review is a celebration of what our incredible community made possible this past year. Together, we protected cherished open spaces, inspired young environmental stewards, restored vital habitats, and created meaningful opportunities for people to connect with nature across the Coastside. Every milestone reflects the generosity, volunteer spirit, and shared commitment of our supporters and neighbors who care deeply about our shared open spaces. We’re thrilled to share these accomplishments and grateful for everyone who helped make 2025 such an inspiring year for local land and community…

If you would like to support our mission to preserve, protect, and steward our shared open spaces, please donate today. No gift is too small to make an impact.

From Petal to Pistil: 4th Grade Flower Dissections

Something remarkable bloomed in classrooms across the Cabrillo Unified School District this week.

Fourth grade students at all four elementary schools became young scientists as they carefully dissected flowers — petal by petal and part by part — uncovering the extraordinary biology hidden inside every bloom.

This hands-on lesson was months in the making. Since October, students in Coastside Land Trust’s Junior Land Stewards program have helped build pollinator gardens across seven classes, planting nearly 1,000 native plants. Along the way, they’ve studied the many pollinators that sustain our coastal ecosystems — from bees and butterflies to beetles and hummingbirds — and discovered the essential role each plays in helping plants reproduce. The flower dissection was a natural next step: to understand pollination, you first have to understand the flower itself.

During the lab, students removed and examined each part - petals, sepals, stamens, and the central pistil - learning the name and job of every structure. Stamens are the male parts, producing pollen that pollinators carry from flower to flower. The pistil is the female part, with a sticky stigma at the top to catch that pollen and an ovary at the base where fertilization happens. Then students picked up handheld microscopes and entered another world entirely - suddenly, delicate pollen grains, intricate textures, and structures invisible to the naked eye came into sharp focus, transforming a familiar flower into something almost alien and completely fascinating.

Two discoveries stopped students in their tracks. First, that flowers have both male and female parts in a single bloom. Second - and this one really got them - that flowers have eggs. When students opened the ovary and spotted the tiny ovules inside, the connection between pollinators, flowers, seeds, and food suddenly became real and tangible.

During the dissection, students sketched their flowers, labeled each part on a worksheet, and pressed the flower pieces into their nature journals - a personal record of observation and growing scientific knowledge they'll carry with them all year. 

The pollinator garden is growing. So are the scientists who built it.

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.

A Community Celebration of Student Art

Thank you to the many community members who came out to support Coastside Land Trust’s Winter Art Show featuring the talented student artists of Half Moon Bay High School. It was heartwarming to see students proudly sharing their work alongside their families and friends, surrounded by such an encouraging and enthusiastic crowd.

We are especially grateful for the support of district leadership, including the Superintendent, as well as the high school principal and vice principal, whose presence meant so much to the students. We were also thrilled to see so many Coastside Land Trust supporters, board members, and members of the Half Moon Bay History Association come together to celebrate the creativity and dedication of our local youth.

Events like this are a powerful reminder of how deeply our community values the arts, education, and opportunities for young people to shine. Thank you for showing up and making the evening so special.

Thank you Repetto's Nursery and Florist!

Coastside Land Trust is grateful to our wonderful local partner, Repetto’s Nursery & Florist, for donating the beautiful blooms used in this season’s Junior Land Stewards flower dissections.

Because of their generosity, 4th grade students were able to explore plant science hands-on, carefully examining fresh, vibrant flowers while learning how they function. As a beloved third-generation, family-run Coastside business — known for its gorgeous orchids and fresh seasonal flowers, many grown right on-site.

We are so thankful for community businesses like Repetto’s that invest in local education and help connect young people to the natural world. Their donation brought science to life for our Junior Land Stewards and helped nurture the next generation of environmental stewards right here on the Coastside.

Photo credit: Haley Peterson