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Hello !
January has been quite a busy month for our trail crews and we
especially thank all the dedicated volunteers who have helped. From a successful
MLK Day, to the completion of a long-term project, we have a lot to share with
you. We not only took the time to appreciate the outdoors, but also took the
time to appreciate each other!
The month of February is the shortest month of the year but we
sure won’t be short on volunteer opportunities. Keep reading to learn more
about our accomplishments this past month, and ways to get involved in our
upcoming events.
In This Issue
MLK Day of Service
Stairway to Black Sands Beach
Rancho Biker Volunteers
Photo of the Month
Last Month: MLK Day
of Service
Our annual MLK Day of Service couldn't have been more successful.
Park wide, nearly 900 volunteers came out to help accomplish a variety of tasks,
including invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and trail maintenance.
An astounding 1,570 native plants were planted throughout the day!
At Fort Funston, the trail crew led 20 volunteers in repairs of the
sand ladder leading down to the beach. Nina organized a bucket line to fill in
and level parts of the steps with sand, while others hauled new 50-pound
peelers down to Katie and Rudy’s crew. These peelers replaced rotted ones
buried in the ground. Park visitors and their dogs expressed their appreciation
to volunteers throughout the day!
National Park Service staff member Jill Milestone worked alongside
volunteers in repairing post-and-cable fences running parallel to the trail.
While the purpose of this feature is to keep visitors on the trail and to
prevent erosion, many use it to assist in climbing the steep terrain.
Thank you MLK Day volunteers for getting your hands dirty with the
trail crew, and we hope to see you again soon!
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New Balance volunteers install new peelers at Fort Funston
Photo Credit: Maria Durana |
Stairway to Black Sands Beach
A few months ago a massive mudslide occurred near Upper
Fisherman’s Parking Lot, washing out a large portion of the trail leading
to Black
Sands Beach. After assessing the damage, trail supervisors
decided to put the “Special Ops” crew on this tricky project. The crew worked
quickly to close off the unstable section and reroute a new path.
At the crux of the trail, a stringer staircase was installed, as
well as a hand railing to guide people along the intimidating steps. Some of
the lumber was so heavy that it took eight people to safely carry it.
Upon completion of the staircase, crew members Phil and Jill went
up the hill to fetch a couple buckets of dirt…and perhaps a pail of water. As
of this past January, the trail is officially open to the public.
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Crew installs hand railing leading to Black Sands Beach.
Photo Credit: Nina Wala |
Rancho Biker Volunteers!
On Saturday, January 6 at Rancho Corral de Tierra, a group of 19
volunteers trekked up to the top of the French Trail to work on their local
trails. Many of the volunteers consisted of nearby community members and
frequent users of the trail.
Excited to get working, the group grabbed shovels, McLeods, and
rakes and started moving! The goals of the day were to crown eroded parts of
the trail, dig drains, and most importantly, have a good time. With a
stellar group like this one, we were able to work towards our long-term goal of
keeping the trails maintained.
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Rancho Bikers circle up to discuss the project.
Photo Credit: Winston Ernst |
Photo of the Month
Trail crew intern Phil Welsh suits up to get ready for the storm
bearing down on Rancho Corral de Tierra. Two trail crews teamed up to knock out
some drain digging and fix parts of the trail that were muddy and filled with
water from the prior day full of rain.
In his mouth is an invasive plant called pampas grass. Pampas grass was first introduced to Santa Barbara,
California in 1848 by nursery operators but now has spread all over the state. The
proliferation of pampas grass puts native plants in danger and the animals that
rely on them.
A huge thank you to Phil…who enjoys eating and
chewing on the grass, AKA removing invasive species.
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Phil Welsh
Photo Credit: Jill Milestone |
Thank you for reading this February issue of the Trail Stewardship Newsletter. Stay tuned for more events and opportunities on parksconservancy.org.
All the very best and happy trails,
Katie, Jaclyn, Nina, and Winston
kteschler@parksconservancy.org
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