Elfin Forest -
2011 and 2010 Columns
December, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
What's Underfoot? Soils! Have you ever heard the term "Baywood Fine Sand?" It's the name of the predominant soil in Los Osos, as well as in the Elfin Forest. It's what you walk on when the pavement ends because all of Los Osos was once a series of sand dunes. Soil scientist Jim Brownell will describe local soils and talk about how important soils are in determining what plants will grow in them.
November, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Stewarding the Land: We've saved a piece of land. Now what do we do with it? Join Robert Hill, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, for a walk and talk about acquiring land and then repairing broken landscapes that have suffered years of abuse. He'll point out several conservation properties that can be seen from the Elfin Forest. Almost all were planned for development in the past. We'll learn about methods and costs of restoring land once it has been bought and gain a greater appreciation of the work of conservation organizations and individuals who work to save land for future generations.
October, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Archaeologist Barry Price will help us to do some time traveling into the pre-
September, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Although we generally see just a few kinds of insects and spiders while walking through
the Elfin Forest, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of different species of arthropods
living in the Forest. Local naturalist Al Normandin will search every nook and cranny
along the boardwalk for the good, bad, and ugly of these creatures, as well as the
pretty late summer butterflies. The importance and ecology of our local insects
will be discussed during the walk. Bring a hand lens or close-
August, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
August is one of the driest months of the year, yet white and yellow flowers dominate the shrubs in the Elfin Forest. Coyote brush has both, the yellow flowers being male and the white ones female. This is the middle of a very long blooming season for them and for the white flowers of the California Sagebrush. California Croton has pale green leaves with small white flowers. Dune Buckwheat flowers start out white, but age to pink and ultimately darken to a rust color.
July, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
IColorful wildflowers are especially abundant in early summer. July is the end of the blooming season for the lovely blues of wooly star along the 15th Street sand path and the blue spikes on the silver dune lupines of Bush Lupine Point. Coastal dudleya has tall pinkish stalks capped with yellow flowers rising far above the low gray rosettes of succulent leaves usually growing under other plants. They are blooming prolifically again this year. Yellow to orange California poppies are still in bloom, as are clumps of golden yarrow. The bright orange of sticky monkey flowers will continue at least well into August. In the drier chaparral at the inner and upper end of the boardwalk, chamise is covered with white flower spikes.
June, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
The lush springtime blooming season may be winding down, but many spring flowers such as yellow poppies and deerweed, golden sticky monkey flowers, red Indian pinks, and blue spikes of silver bush lupine continue to stand out against the green backdrop through June and into July.
May, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Wildflower Walk: Regardless of whether there have been April showers, the Elfin
Forest always has May flowers, because the Forest's hardy native plants are used
to doing without water. Dirk Walters will take us on a delightful tour of almost
everything that's in bloom in the Elfin Forest. There will be bright yellows of
Fiddlenecks, Rush-
April, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Butterflies and Native Plants: In honor of California Native Plant Week, butterfly enthusiast Pat Brown will lead a walk from the point of view of a hungry butterfly. As you tour the Elfin Forest with her, Pat will introduce you to several native plants and talk about the butterflies that sip their nectar and the caterpillars that eat their leaves. Pat has taken many photos of butterflies in all stages of development from eggs to mature butterflies, and will share them along with fascinating butterfly facts.
March, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Equinox Walk: At the start of spring—the spring equinox—day and night are each12 hours long and daylight will outlast night every day for the next six months. This year, spring equinox will be on March 20. Dr. Jean Wheeler has taught thousands of geography students about the relative wanderings of the sun, moon, and earth and what they mean to us in terms of our climates, tides, and to the vegetation and animal life around us. She'll show us how large our seasonal differences in sun angle are and how far south or north of due west to look for sunsets from Bush Lupine Point or Siena's View at various seasons of the year. Join us to celebrate the beginning of Spring!
February, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
For our annual Fungus Foray in the Elfin Forest, intrepid leader and fungophile Dennis Sheridan will take us on an exploration of the Elfin Forest floor for wood bluetts, black elfin saddles, earthstars, golden caps, boletes, poisonous amanitas and many other fascinating fungi. Bring a magnifying lens and, if you have a mystery mushroom in your yard, bring a sample for Dennis to identify. This is not a mushroom collecting walk, as all plants in the Elfin Forest are protected by law. Only a very heavy rain will cancel the walk.
January, 2011 Elfin Forest Activities
Join Evan Albright, an animal track expert, in learning who is "tracking up" the Elfin Forest. Evan will demonstrate how to tell the front feet from the back feet of a raccoon, and what the difference is between coyote tracks and dog tracks. Visitors will learn to look for other signs that a wild resident of the Elfin Forest has passed that way, such as hairs on a fence or "scoot" marks where the animal squeezed through a fence hole. This walk will open up a complex world of the Elfin Forest's inhabitants, one that we would never suspect while walking along the boardwalk.
December, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Geology Walk: Take a journey through time with Jeff Grover, Cuesta College Geology instructor. Jeff will focus on the geologic history of the Morro Bay area from the formation of the ancient morros, or Seven Sisters, to the recent development of the dunes that form the Elfin Forest. He may even give us a glimpse of what the Elfin Forest and Morro Bay will be like in the geologic future. Jeff brings rock samples and draws diagrams of local geologic action. Join us for a lively and informative walk and talk.
November, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Small Wilderness Area Preservation (SWAP) will have a booth at the South Bay Community Center Craft Fair in Los Osos from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come chat with our volunteers, view our informative displays, and perhaps purchase our gorgeous El Moro Elfin Forest 2011 Calendar, which features paintings and drawings by excellent local artists and makes a holiday gift for continued enjoyment all year.
October, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Pre-
September, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
You are invited to the first showing and sale of the 2011 Elfin Forest calendar!
This event will be held from 2-
August, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Insect Walk: Summertime brings out the creepie crawlies that we often overlook.
Local naturalist Al Normandin will search every nook and cranny along the boardwalk
for the Good, Bad, and Ugly of these creatures, as well as the pretty summer butterflies.
The importance and ecology of our local insects will be discussed during the walk.
Bring a hand lens if you have one, or close-
July, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
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, made accessible for all with a recently built boardwalk extension, to enjoy the ancient gnarled coast live oak trees. Barbara will tell you a bit about the native plants that you see along the way.
May, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Wildflower Walk: May flowers in the Elfin Forest, encouraged by our frequent spring
rains, should be abundant this year. Dirk Walters will take us on a delightful tour
of almost every blooming species that can be seen from the boardwalk. There will
be the bright yellows of fiddlenecks, rush-
April, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Third Saturday Walk, 9:30 a.m. -
March 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
The volunteer work party known as the "Weed Warriors" will meet from 9 a.m. to about noon. Anyone is welcome to join in and help pull obnoxious invading weeds and work on projects to reduce erosion. Wear comfortable sturdy shoes, long pants and sleeves, and park at the north end of 15th Street in Los Osos, avoiding driveways and mailboxes
February, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Looking out from Bush Lupine Point or Siena's View, Morro Bay National Estuary is covered with ducks, geese, and other birds, as it normally is in February. They are flying over the water, swimming or sleeping on the water, or diving down under the water after food. Virtually all of our winter visitors are still here, but some will begin leaving before the end of February. March will see a much larger exodus.
January, 2010 Elfin Forest Activities
Animal Tracks: Join Evan Albright, an animal track expert, in learning who is "tracking up" the Elfin Forest. Evan will demonstrate how to tell which are the front feet or back feet of a raccoon, and what the difference is between coyote tracks and dog tracks. Visitors will learn to look for other signs that a wild resident of the Elfin Forest has passed that way, such as hairs on a fence or "scoot" marks where the animal squeezed through a fence hole. This walk will open up a complex world of the Elfin Forest's inhabitants, one that we would never suspect while walking along the boardwalk.