Sweet Springs Reflections -
2012 Columns
May, 2012 Bidding Adieu
This will be the last of my published reflections on Sweet Springs, although the musings will undoubtedly continue unabated in my head. I've enjoyed writing them down and enjoyed working with the Journal's tireless editor, Judy Sullivan, even more. But I'm afraid it's become too much.
April, 2012 Sweet Springs East MUP Update
There have been some very important developments in our pursuit of a Minor Use Permit (MUP) for Sweet Springs East to implement access improvements and restoration plans in recent weeks.
March, 2012 Owls & Happy Endings
This week I had the incredibly heartwarming experience of releasing a Screech Owl with Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC). I had found it on the road on my way to Sweet Springs a couple of months earlier. It was just a tiny, little ball of feathers, but it was upright, so I knew it was still alive. I stopped and gently scooped it up and drove it straight to the PWC Center in Morro Bay.
February, 2012 Return of the Monarchs
It's been a good year for monarchs at the preserve. We've seen dozens of them fluttering
around the tops of the eucalyptus trees near the ponds in the morning sun. We've
even had a couple of small clusters. Ryan Slack, who is conducting a formal survey
of monarch (Danaus plexippus) activity on both the central and eastern sections of
the preserve, discovered a cluster of about 35 monarchs on one tree and another with
about 50 butterflies. Ryan works with the Monarch Alert Project, a citizen-
January, 2012 Ushering in a New Year
It's a new year and a new beginning! Throughout the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, signs of new life are stirring everywhere. The slender blades of wild hyacinth have pierced the soil in their journey skyward. The cotyledons of sky lupine have unfolded above a blanket of small, celadon green poppies. The tendrils of wild cucumber are starting to unfurl, searching for a branch to climb on.