It may have been enshrined in fog for most of August, but last Saturday, the sun shined on the Pedro Point Headlands! Twenty volunteers watered new plants, weeded an old slide area, pulled french broom, and dug out pampas grass to help restore this amazing place.
When their work was done they met up with 11 other visitors and explored a unique biological reserve of plants on the northern most headland peak and heard from two Bay Area men famous for their work with and knowledge of these native plants. Mike Vasey and Jake Sigg teamed up to lead the hike to the famed coastal prairie land just below and talked about the special plants found there.
Here Nootka reedgrass (Calamagrostis nutkaensis) and California fescue (Festuca californica) flourish there in association with huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) and a number of other berry-bearing shrubs. They discovered an Elegant Rein Orchid (piperia elegans) and marveled at the Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)still blooming and feeding the native insects so long after the last rains have fallen.
As the group ascended up to the Peak, the sun broke through to reveal the bluest ocean below, unbelievable clarity, an amazing white cloud bank in the distance, and truly interesting swirls in the currents out to sea. And suddenly with out anyone speaking the collective thought became "Fog? What FOG? It is a GREAT Day!"
This restoration work is directed by the Pacifica Land Trust, supported by the Pedro Point Community Association, and funded through a CA Coastal Conservancy Grant. The Pacifica Land Trust and California Native Plant Society, Yerba Buena and East Bay Chapters cosponsored the Native Plant Hike.
The next work day will be on Saturday, September 15th in conjunction with Pacifica’s CA Coastal Cleanup Day. Anyone interested in joining the next work day is invited to meet at the Pedro Point Firehouse at 8.45. We will return at 11.30 in time to join the Pacifica Beach Coalition Coastal Cleanup Celebration at Rockaway - Surfers Beach.
For more information please go to www.pedropointheadlands.org or contact Volunteer Coordinator, Lynn Adams at lynn4promos@aol.com
