Jean
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Elfin
Forest Activities
by
Jean Wheeler
Saturday
September 6
The
volunteer work party known as the "Weed Warriors" will meet from 9 am
to about noon. Anyone is welcome to join in and help pull obnoxious
invading weeds and work on projects to reduce erosion. Wear comfortable
shoes, long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street
in Los Osos. Ron rewards his warriors with his delicious homemade
cookies as the morning’s labors conclude!
Second Wednesday Walk:
September
10, 10 am – Fall Preview
Join
SWAP docent Vicky Johnsen on a tour of the Elfin Forest to see the Fall
blooms and to spot "early- bird" winter arrivals down in the estuary.
This walk should interest plant lovers and birders alike.
Third Saturday Walk:
September
20, 9:30 a.m. – Sketch Walk
Join
artist and naturalist Barbara Renshaw for a stroll along the Elfin
Forest boardwalk. Take in views of the Morro Bay estuary, oak groves,
expanses of coastal sage scrub and chaparral, and the volcanic Morros
beyond. You’ll stop in the Rose Bowker Oak Grove to enjoy
ancient gnarled Coast live oak trees. Barbara will tell you about the
native plants that you see along the way and will choose a few favorite
places for sketching. No drawing experience is necessary. Bring a pad
of drawing paper, colored pencils or pastels, and some drinking water.
Bring a camera too. You’ll be pleased to discover the artist
hidden inside of you.
Walks
begin on the boardwalk at the end of the 15th Street sand path. Park at
the north end of 15th Street (16th Street for wheelchairs) off Santa
Ysabel in Los Osos. Please park carefully, avoiding driveways and
mailboxes. Wear comfortable shoes, long sleeves and pants to avoid
poison oak and mosquitoes.
Besides
docent-led events, visit the Elfin Forest any day: Experience the quiet
natural beauty of this small wilderness area. Park at the north end of
any street from 11th through 17th streets off Sta. Ysabel in Los Osos,
avoiding driveways and mailboxes.
Coming
Up in the Elfin Forest
California Asters
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As September starts, the Elfin Forest is far more stressed than I have
seen it in the fourteen years I’ve lived here in Los Osos.
Much of this is due to the heavy impact of oak moth caterpillars on our
pygmy oaks added to the effects of the worst drought yet recorded in
our area. Virtually all of the oak trees bordering the northern side of
the boardwalk have hardly a leaf left on them.
Caterpillars
were dropping on threads everywhere under the oaks as long-time savior
of the Elfin Forest Yolanda Waddell and I walked under Rose’s
Grove along the lower, northern side of the boardwalk this evening.
Yolanda reminded me that these oaks have each lived here for hundreds
of years, and we can expect them to survive and produce new leaves when
the rains return, as they have so many times before despite prolonged
droughts and oak moth caterpillar onslaughts.
All
around the boardwalk, a great many smaller shrubs are showing only bare
branches or very desiccated leaves. Yet there are still many shrubs
with vibrant green leaves. Mock heather is particularly outstanding.
These
plants all around the boardwalk are looking very green, some with their
orange flowers already open and most of the other plants showing green
flower buds topping nearly every branch. Most of the ceanothus,
chamise, and California sagebrush shrubs are looking green and healthy.
There are still
 Mourning Dove
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white
flowers on some of the dune buckwheat shrubs, while most are going
through their pink stage aging rapidly into the rust and brown dried
flowers of autumn.
California
asters are showing their white to lavender flowers around yellow
central discs in many places around the boardwalk, although not so
abundantly as usual for this time of year. There are also a number of
berries on California coffeeberry shrubs in small clusters of yellow,
red, and black berries among still green slender leaves a couple of
inches long.
Birds
are still active. I heard California Quail quirking in the underbrush
and Wrentits calling, but as usual unseen hiding deep in the brush. We
can expect migrants passing through or arriving to stay for the winter
soon. Golden-crowned Sparrows will be arriving for the winter, joining
their year-round resident White-crowned Sparrow relatives for the
winter. Say’s Phoebe should arrive this month to spend the
winter. The Black Phoebe is a year-round resident. Ducks will begin to
fill Morro Bay as they arrive from their northern breeding waters for
their winter respite on our warm estuary.
As we
enjoy the abundant and active life displayed by so many plants and
animals adapted to our dry climate and sandy dune soils in this, the
driest year yet officially recorded, let us hope that the drought
breaks early this autumn and that we can enjoy a glorious resurgence of
green leaves and beautiful flowers this winter and next spring.
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