Join Us for our 3rd Annual 150 mph Hike at The Sonoma Raceway

Posted March 11, 2018

Filed under Events, Fundraising, Hiking, Seasons, Spring, Stewardship

We’re Now Full! Thank You For Your Support!

Join us on May 12 at the Sonoma Raceway for a very unique opportunity to tour remote stretches of the hills and valleys around Sonoma Raceway’s 1,600-acre property and help support a good cause to boot!

This 3 OR 5 mile hike (your choice), will raise funds to support the Sonoma Overlook Trail Maintenance, Restoration, Recreation and Education Programs run by the Sonoma Overlook Trail Stewards, an all-volunteer group that monitors and performs maintenance on Overlook Trail.

Hikes will be guided by Overlook Trail docents and Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway’s President and General Manager. Winding along the hillsides to the west of the main raceway facility we will cover open space that is not normally accessible to the general public.

The walking is easy and suitable for all ages. The route meanders through native grasslands and is timed to coincide with our Spring wildflower bloom. You may even encounter some “Wooly Weeders and their Spring lambs in action! Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a catered lunch including wine or soft drinks.

Date/Time: Saturday, May 12, 2018 – 10 a.m.-1 p.m
Cost: $50 Non-refundable, Tax Deductible Donation

Includes:

Docent Led Hike
Lovely picnic lunch catered by Levy Restaurants
Highly-acclaimed Bedrock Wines
Non alcoholic drinks
Jaw Dropping Views!

This event is limited to 75 people. Last year this hike sold out, so register early!

Time for Vigilance

Posted February 20, 2018

Filed under Insects, Plant Life, Poison Oak, Reptiles, Seasons, Snakes, Spring, Ticks, Wildlife

In Northern California, despite the current cold snap, we have essentially entered Spring. This means several things. Plants like poison oak are flourishing, sending tendrils out to conquer new areas. We are presently trying to cut this back from the trail.

Soon we will also need to watch out for ticks, which are particularly bad early in the season, from March to mid-May. Ticks can carry Lyme disease, so it’s important to prevent the little buggers from biting you. Wear long pants and inspect yourself after your hike. If you do get bitten, then watch the bite carefully for signs of Lyme disease, as early treatment by a medical professional is essential. Thankfully, we have the Western Fence Lizard to help us out, since when a tick bites that lizard an enzyme is transferred to the tick that cures the Lyme disease. This has led to a much lower incidence of Lyme disease than in other areas without this helpful lizard. So be kind to the Western Fence Lizard! They are already scurrying across our trails.

Another hazard to watch out for is rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes emerge from hibernation in the Spring when the days become warm enough for cold-blooded reptiles. I’ve already seen the Western Fence Lizard scurrying across the trail, which means snakes will not be far behind. However, this recent cold snap has sent them to ground. But rattlesnakes are typically around from March to September, so we are entering the time when they will be coming out of hibernation in the lowlands and making their way to their higher hunting grounds. Since they will be on the move, most of my sightings of rattlesnakes tend to happen in the Spring.

So stay alert and safe out there!

The Removal Season Has Begun

Posted February 4, 2018

Filed under Invasive Species, Italian Thistle, Land Maintenance, Plant Life, Poison Oak, Spring, Stewardship, Yellow Star Thistle

Each Spring we enter “removal season” on the Overlook and Montini properties. We begin with cutting back poison oak from the trail, as the runners begin encroaching as early as early February. So I was out today doing just that (see photo).

It was encouraging, though, as it seemed evident that previous years of cutting back the poison oak was reaping dividends. I was able to cover the bulk of the Overlook trail in one two-hour session.

After poison oak we will be on the lookout for Purple Thistle, as this non-native has been a scourge along the trail. We just started tackling this in earnest last year, so this year it will likely still be bad.

Following the Purple Thistle the Yellow Star Thistle will be coming in, by early March. That will likely keep us busy until early August. However, progress is being made on all these fronts and each year it becomes easier and easier, and some major patches are essentially already gone.

Once we get all these species under control, there are others we will need to tackle. Scotch Broom, for example, is one, although it isn’t as big a problem at the moment as the thistles.

If you want to help with this work, let me know! It basically takes a contractor bag (which I can supply you with) and gloves, although I frequently pull the Yellow Star Thistle gloveless.

We’re Done for the Season

Posted August 4, 2017

Filed under Invasive Species, Spring, Stewardship, Summer

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that we have been fighting a multi-year fight against invasive weeds. One of them that is both prevalent and absolutely ready to take over every meadow it encounters is the Yellow Star Thistle (YST). We have been working to eradicate it from the Overlook (for at least the last five years) and the Montini (for at least the last three) properties.

As of today, I can report that this year’s campaign is over, and we have triumphed. Last year we found three additional areas that we had not previously been pulling. This year we found an additional one. We cleared them all.

But better than that, we saw this year that areas we had been pulling for several years were now either clear or nearly so. So each year it gets easier and easier to fight it. It has now been reduced so far that basically one person working from May thru July can control it. And subsequent years will be even easier.

I don’t mean to denigrate the threat. Even the new meadow that was discovered this year on the Overlook property meant an additional 8 1/2 bags (see photo, which isn’t all of it) of YST was dragged off the property. But we are seriously seeing progress, and that is worth noting.

But we are also expanding our scope. This year we started tackling the Italian Thistle, which in this wet year had become rampant along the trail. We focused on the trail, and largely removed it, but it also exists in a lot of places off-trail. It remains a challenge. On the Montini property it is so prevalent that it seems unassailable. This is depressing, especially when you know that it will only get worse.

But if you feel inspired by this post, let me know. You won’t be called upon until next May. I have large contractor’s debris bags to hold the spiny plants, and can give advice on how to pull them without serious danger. The only other thing you might need is a glove. And we can make it a group outing that might even have food and/or drink involved.

But be forewarned — if you start on this path, it can easily lead to an obsession. I know this for a fact.

Signs of Spring

Posted April 4, 2017

Filed under Flowers, Fundraising, Plant Life, Seasons, Spring, Stewardship, Trail Maintenance

Spring is definitely in full swing. Wildflowers such as lupine and California poppies are in profusion, as are the butterflies that frequent the also prevalent Blue dicks (like the Swallowtail pictured).

The trail is mostly no longer muddy (until the next rain, at least), so now is a great time to get out and enjoy the warmth and the wildlife. Just keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes, as they have already been sighted on the trail. Other wildlife to look for include squirrels, deer, lizards, and wide variety of birds, from Red-Tailed Hawks to Red-Shafted Flickers to Great Horned Owls (all of which have been sighted from the trails).

Another sign of spring is, well, a sign. We just replaced the sign at the top of the trail that describes a little of the history of the area and names some of the surrounding sights viewable from the upper meadow. On the Overlook Trail, costs such as these are borne by the volunteer Stewards of the Overlook Trail group, which
collaborates with the Sonoma Ecology Center that serves as our fiscal agent. But anything that costs money to maintain or upgrade the trail and property requires us to raise money through events, donations, etc. If you feel so moved, please click on our “Donate Now!” link in the righthand column. Or, come to our next event at the Sonoma Raceway.