Comparing blue oak leaves (right hand) to black oak leaves (left hand). Photo by Alix Soliman. October 26, 2021 By Jackson Brooke, Restoration Manager Some of the most dramatic trees on The Preserve are old oaks, which are found sprinkled on grassy hillsides to create brilliant savannas and clustered together in woodlands, providing habitat for many species. Oak trees are [...]
How winter weather in the U.S. is impacted by El Niño and La Niña. Infographic courtesy of NOAA. October 20, 2021 By Jenna Allred, Senior Manager of Climate Change Adaptation With winter just around the corner, The Santa Lucia Conservancy is planning next year’s land management projects and priorities. As current and future climate conditions control all we do on The [...]
Dr. Christy Wyckoff takes pond surveys and explains the day's catch to a group of onlookers. Photo by Susan Palmer. October 12, 2021 By Dr. Christy Wyckoff, Deputy Director On November 3rd, I will be leaving the Santa Lucia Conservancy to apply all I’ve learned over the last seven and a half years to restore my own plot of land [...]
Polo Field down towards Moore’s Lake overtaken by poison hemlock before treatment in 2020. Photo by Jackson Brooke. October 5, 2021 By Jackson Brooke, Restoration Technician As the Restoration Manager at Santa Lucia Conservancy, my department’s goal is to remove invasive species from 500 acres of grassland on the Santa Lucia Preserve each year. Grasslands are essential to a tremendous [...]
Teri G. submitted this black bear photo to the Conservancy on behalf of Bruce Dormody. It was spotted at neighboring San Clemente Rancho. There was another sighting along Rancho San Carlos Road. While we're having a much quieter bear season compared to last year (when bears were getting into trash cans and gardens), it is important to be mindful that [...]