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Atmospheric Rivers: Go with the flow

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The increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions in recent years has introduced a new meteorologically-derived vocabulary to the general public. Atmospheric river, polar vortex, and bomb cyclone are just a few of the now familiar phrases.  To commemorate the extraordinary perseverance and good humor exhibited by everyone - mentors, mentees, and trainers - involved through weeks of inconvenience and chaos, Class 44 will henceforth be known as The Atmospheric Rivers . Thanks to Phil Korchek for the great pin design and Linda McMahan for the inspired motto and everyone who made this such a great experience..   Graduation Day May 21, 2023   The NOAA image below represents just one of the 12 atmospheric rivers to pound California in early 2023. Following are some images of their impact on the reserve. The South Plateau trail was closed for weeks. Lace Lichen Trail  Entry road flooded near Info Station  A familiar scene across the reserve...
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Landscape Restoration

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Red circles show areas that volunteers and others have restored since 2016.  Restoration efforts at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve address impacts made by both human and environmental causes to the natural habitat. On March 23, 2023, Katie Spitz and Pat Lovejoy led a tour of restoration sites from the Piney Woods Bluff to the South Short Bluff, Sea Lion Point, and Allen Memorial Grove. Recent heavy rains have spurred the growth of the first Monterey Cypress seedlings to emerge from an area of the grove recently cleared of invasive purple veldtgrass . Volunteers working at Granite Point in May 2022 Katie Spitz Piney Woods Bluff Sea Lion Point Allen Grove area cleared of veldtgrass.  
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Whalers Cabin Museum

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Built as a residence by a group of Chinese fishermen circa 1851, Whalers Cabin is the oldest wood-frame building in Monterey County. Today it serves as a museum for Chinese and other cultural groups that have occupied and exploited Point Lobos. Exhibits include illustrations and artifacts of the Rumsen indigenous people, Portuguese whalers and dairy farmers, workers who quarried granite for building San Francisco, Japanese abalone divers, miners who shipped coal from Coal Chute Point, and land developers who sold lots at Point Lobos City in 1890.  A Whaling Station Museum adjacent to the cabin houses harpoons and equipment used by on-shore whalers who operated from Whalers Cove beginning in 1862.  Whale bones and tri-pots for rendering oil are displayed outside  
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The MINT Van Program

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The MINT (Mobile INTerpretation Station) Van is a GEM electric vehicle stocked with display materials related to the prese rve 's flora and fauna. Docents drive it to locations where they encourage visitors to touch and feel items, including otter  and seal pelts, a pelican wing, and whale bones and baleens. On Sunday, March 26, 2023,  at the Piney Woods Bluff parking area ,  I shadowed Pat Sinclair, who founded the program in 2012.    
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Color in the Tidepools

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  On Friday, March 17, Elaine Gehrmann led a walk to explore the tidepools of Weston Beach. A minus 0.95-foot tide at 2:30 PM yielded a treasure trove of color and wriggling life. When hiking some of the more interesting trails at Point Lobos, to avoid hazardous rocks and tree roots, I typically spend too much of my time looking down at my feet. In the tidepools, that is exactly where you want to focus as there are wonderful things to see. Mossy Chiton Saphire blue underside of a chiton shell plate Lined Chiton Stubby rose anemone Bat star Ochre star  Purple sea urchin condo Red sponge  Bleached coralline algae Turban snail and crab [Rev 3.17.23]
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Amanda Preece Bird Talk

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Nuttalls, Downey, and Hairy Woodpeckers  Amanda Preece, Environmental Advocate for the Monterey Audubon Society described the birds of Point Lobos in the Birds of Monterey County Gallery at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History on February 15, 2023.  These are a few of my favorites. And here they don't take off while you are trying to focus your camera.  Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks California and Western Gulls  Heerman's Gull Brown Pelican  Oyster catcher at Weston Beach (3.17.23)
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Early Season Plant Walk

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  A two-hour walk led by docent Sue Addleman on February 25, 2023, from Piney Woods to the Old Veteran returning via the South Shore Trail yielded about 15 plants in flower (12 are shown below) Blooming is delayed this season due to several weeks of very cold weather following heavy January storms. Snow-capped the Ventana  Wilderness peaks this morning with the snow line close to 2000 feet. The temperature in the reserve was in the upper 40s.  Wood mint (Stachys bullata) Sticky Monkey-flower (Diplacus aurantiacus) Seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus) Pacific pea (Lathyrus vestitus) Lizard-tail ( Eriophyllum  staechadifolium) Seaside painted cup aka Mon terey  paintbrush (Castilleja latifoli) Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) Fremont's star lily (Toxicoscordion fremontii) Coffeeberry (Frangula californica) Blue blossom aka Wild lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) Monterey pine (Pinus radiata)
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