20 years ago the Overlook Trail Stewards launched the trail. As you can see they are resting after some pretty hard work! Through the years the stewards have been tirelessly making the Overlook Trail enjoyable to hike by maintaining it, providing signage and raising money for essential trail projects. Continue reading
I’ve spent several days scanning the Overlook Trail and Montini Preserve properties for the invasive Yellow starthistle (YST). Although it’s still early in its season, it’s clear that it has essentially been eradicated from these two properties. I will still be looking for it this season and next, but I’ve pulled so little so far it seems nearly pointless. After over a decade of fighting this scourge, I expected to be able to celebrate this major accomplishment.
But I can’t.
America needs more volunteers; not just our trail systems are at risk. Volunteerism is declining as Americans spend more time at home and less time engaging with their communities. If only they knew: acts of service reduce stress and promote positive, relaxed feelings by releasing glorious waves of dopamine. Less stress = less stroke, heart disease, depression, anxiety and general illness.
Sonoma Overlook Trail, May 8, 2024
Words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch…the five classic Love Languages.
Lizards have their own seduction style. Redefining the term “love bite,” lizard courtship is known to include the male clenching his desired tightly behind the neck, for hours or even days, until she becomes ready to mate.
Sonoma Overlook Trail lizards are no exception; if you come upon a pair thusly engaged, please leave them undisturbed! The female will emerge from the ritual unharmed.
We Overlook Stewards revere lizards for their own sake as well as for a particular aspect of their role in the eco system that contributes to the protection of humans. Our local breeds of lizards, including the western fence lizard and the northern alligator lizard shown here, eat ticks and also contain a protein that kills the spirochetes in the guts of Lyme infected ticks. So if an infected tick bites one of these lizards, it’s cured of its Lyme Disease. This doesn’t preclude the need to take caution in regards to ticks, but it’s one more reason to appreciate our little friends on the trail.
Sonoma Overlook Trail • Montini Open Space Preserve 