autumn 2005 horizons, muir heritage land trust newsletter

8/3/2019 Autumn 2005 Horizons, Muir Heritage Land Trust Newsletter

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In the early morning, the land liesunder an umbrella of coastal fog. Gray skyoutlines the deep green of oak-laden hills,and the damp coolness brings out thearoma of grass, water and earth. Thesetting evokes the past and future, markinga place beyond the ordinary.

The land has not changed much sinceBernardo Fernandez purchased it in the

early 1860s. It still provides a taste of 19thcentury life and raw landscapes. Fernandezleft his native Portugal at the age of 13 in1843, sailed the world and finally landedin what is now Pinole to begin a newlife. Although he was pr imarily a shippingmerchant, he also raised cattle on hishuge ranch.

Fernandez descendants wanted topreserve the land as a natural legacy fromBernardo. The Muir Heritage Land Trust

was eager to protect the remain-ing 702 acres of the spectacular openspace, and embarked on the largest fund-raising effort it had ever attempted. Fromthat beginning, many forces joined to pro-

tect Fernandez Ranch, and the Land Trustcompleted the purchase of the property in

July. This success brings something invalu-able: a walk on Fernandez Ranch today isnot only an excursion into the past, it isalso a glimpse into the lands secure future.

Now begins the Fernandez RanchAdventurean ambitious set of plans tobring this intriguing land to you and

realize its potential as premier habitat. Thisentails much more than unlocking thebarbed-wire gate. It involves restoration,providing public access, tapping volunteersand much more. It will be an adventurein every sense of the word, said LandTrust Executive Director, Tina Batt.Its an exciting project but will alsorequire a lot of planning and hard work.

The Adventure begins at a wide, flatmeadow that abruptly gives way to the

deeply banked crevasse of

Rodeo Creek. This stream isfed in part by springs on thepropertys hills. Water appearsand disappears on this land,burbling up in springs to feedthe creeks, and vanishing asseasons change. While RodeoCreek in winter flows withsometimes-violent authority,in summer much of it is dry.To escape the heat and thelack of water, creek-dwell-ing frogs find daytime refugein small mammal burrows orother cool hideaways.

A walk along RodeoCreeka riparian corridorreveals dense stands of treeson the banks of loose, sandy

soil. Oaks, California bay, willow, buckeyeand elderberry are among them. Bay treescan live two hundred years or more, andsome of these same trees may have setdown roots here long before Bernardo

A u t u m n 2 0 0 5

InsideExecutive Directors Report

Fresh Aire Affaire Revisited

Access Adventure

Dr. Mary Leolin BowermanRemembered

Stewardship Update

New Website

Fall Hiking Schedule

Become a Volunteer

Planned Giving

Annual Meeting

But in every

walk with Nature

one receives far

more thanhe seeks.

John muir

Fernandez Ranch AdventureBy Sherida Bush

Fernandez Ranch Hillock

Continued on page 3

Stephen JoSeph

m u i r he r i t A g e LA n d t r u s t


2/8

Executive Directors ReportThe following remarks were made at the annual Fresh Aire Affaire on August 20, 2005

Many of you are aware of the fact that we raised the money for the Fernandez Ranchacquisition in less than a year with help from everyone here tonight.

We havent yet reached our full budget amount of $4,500,000 because we have yet to raisethe $500,000 endowment to pay for future management of the property.

In the meantime, were planning and fundraising for the creek restoration, trail and publicaccess improvements including construction of a bridge to cross the creek and a staging area.The Fernandez Ranch has doubled our land holdings and more than doubled our landmanagement responsibilities. How will we meet this challenge? Partnerships.

We could not survive without our partnerships.

Our corporate, media, and union sponsors help support events like the Fresh Aire Affaire.Private donors and foundations support the Land Trust so we can undertake acquisitions andrestoration projects like the Fernandez Ranch. Student and Community volunteers are valuablepartners because they donate their time to help with land stewardship activities. Developerspartner with us when they help to fund part of an acquisition or creek restoration as mitigationfor their development. Our public agency partners help fund the capital costs of the acquisitionsand creek restoration. Our Elected officials make sure theres state and federal money for thepublic agencies to give to projects like the Fernandez Ranch.

The only partner missing in this big picture of cooperative land conservation and stewardshipis the general public. Unless we get the majority of the countys residents to support our work,we will not survive the population and development pressures of the next few years.

People like Ed Downer, President of Mechanics Bank understand that. Thats why he and

Chris Truebridge of Shapell Industries, Hermann Welm, Ron Brown of Save Mount Diablo,Bob Doyle and Ted Radke of East Bay Regional Park District, and many others spent four yearson the Contra Costa County Open Space Measure that would have cost the average resident$25/year to buy, restore and steward most of the critical lands left in this County.

In case you didnt know, the State Appeals Court upheld the lower courts decision andaffirmed that the Benefit Assessment mechanism is appropriate for open space acquisitions andthat there is a direct benefit to property owners.

Ed Downer was willing to go before the Board of Supervisors and tell them why he as abusinessman supported a funding measure that would help to preserve the foundation forour quality of life here in Contra Costa County-the land that surrounds and supports ourcommunities and homes-the familiar landscapes, the neighborhood parks, open spaces and creeks,the environmental education and land stewardship programs that engage our children and

community volunteers.Last year, we suffered a narrow defeat, but with the close of the Fernandez acquisition,and ongoing projects, we should declare a victory and move on to greater land conservationchallenges. Thank you all very much.

MHLT Executive Director

In Pra i se of Partnership

2 Mu ir He r i tage Lan d Tru s t HorizonsSTEPHENJOSEPH


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Fernandez did. The size of the residentelderberry trees suggests that they, too, areextremely old. The shady stream banksdisplay a variety of native ferns, such asmaidenhair and wood ferns.

Restoration of a portion of RodeoCreek is a vital step in the Adventure.

This waterway has carved banks in thesandy soil that tower up to 40 feet insome areas. Seasonal fast-flowing watercontinues to erode the unstable creekcorridor, and study is needed to identifythe causes of the dramatic erosion. TheCoastal Conservancy and other sourcescontributed funds to help re-establishstream stability, restore native plants in theriparian area, and enhance and protectthe habitat.

Restoration of the Rodeo Creek

corridor also includes removing debris,such as illegally dumped trash, rustedvehicles and appliances. Once the debrisis removed, immediate fencing is neededto deter future dumping. The debrisis more than unsightly, it is probablycontributing to the creek erosion.

The removal may be a projectfor the East Bay Conservation Corps(EBCC), whose executives recentlyvisited the debris site. EBCC FieldProgram Manager Cesar Avila and

Senior Program Manager AudreyRussano determined that removingthe refuse from the difficult terrainwould be a great educational projectfor their crewmembers. EBCC is anonprofit youth developmentorganization, and crewmembers areworking toward a high school diplomaor GED. The Rodeo Creek work offersunique opportunities for the studentworkers to learn about the history ofthe area, geomorphology (creek

behavior), plant identification, invasivespecies, grazing, and creek restoration.The Land Trust has relied on theorganizations expertise for pastrestoration projects.

While sensitive species most likelylive in the Rodeo Creek corridor now,improved habitat will allow a greaterchance for them to thrive and expandtheir range. Threatened species, such asthe California red-legged frog (Ranaaurora draytonii), the Alameda whipsnake

and the western pond turtle, could beamong them.

The red-legged frog has a uniqueplace in California history. It is not onlyfamous, it was a popular food for pioneersand settlers. This once-abundant animal isthe title character of Mark Twains 1865

story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog ofCalaveras County, but its populationshave been decimated since Twains day.

Rodeo Creek is a key to theAdventure in another way. The steepbanks of this stream are also a barrier topublic access and to safety vehicles, suchas fire trucks. The Fernandez RanchAdventure public access plan includes abridge across the creek, an essentialelement for opening the area to publicuse. To accommodate visitors, a small

staging area, parking and restrooms arealso planned.

Trails are a large part of theAdventures public access plan. Otherthan wildlife and cattle pathways, no trailsexist to explore the meadows, hills andravines. Two trail projects are proposed

a trail connecting with the 500-mileBay Area Ridge Trail and a loop trailwithin the propertys boundaries. Muchwork goes into planning, permitting andenvironmental review before creation

of a new trail, and a welcome partner inthe project is the Bay Area RidgeTrail Council.

The trails will bring discovery, such asexperiencing a typical summer day on theranch. The sun emerges from the morningclouds and drenches the oak-covered hillsin golden light, leaving the cooler valleysin shadow. The chirp of cricketsprob-ably tree cricketsadds a cheerful daytimesound. Approaching a tree-lined ravine, youmay spook a red-tailed hawk from a perch

20 feet ahead, its wingspan seeming massiveas it takes off with a clatter. Many speciesof raptors call the ranch home, though formore than a century few humans have beenaround to see them.

Special-status raptors have been seenon nearby properties, and the plentifultrees and varied chaparral on FernandezRanch comprise good habitat for them.Among the raptors to look forallCalifornia species of special concernare the golden eagle, Coopers hawk,

mu ir heritAgeLAnd trust

P.O. Box 2452

Martinez, CA 94553

925-228-5460 925-372-5460fax

[email protected]

www.muirheritagelandtrust.org

Staff

Tina Batt

Executive Director

Linus Eukel

Development &Communications Director

Mary Alice Stadum

Executive Associate

Beth Pardieck

Stewardship Associate

Board

of Directors

Mark Wilson

Chair

Ken Fischer

Vice Chair

Sheila Grilli

Secretary

Louis E. Stoddard

Treasurer

Dick Awenius

Peter Colby

Steve PardieckJune Rogers

Marj Ross

Donn Walklet

Bill Weiner

Emeritus

Board Members

Mary Ann Gaebe

Hulet Hornbeck

Hal Olson

Nancy Schaefer

Jack Telfer

Everett Turner

Honorary

Board Member

Jim Cutler

Editor

Linus Eukel

Newsletter

Contributors

Tina Batt

Sherida Bush

Beth Pardieck

Fernandez Ranch Adventure continued from page 1

Mu ir He r i tage Lan d Tru s t Horizons 3


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ferruginous hawk, northern harrier andwhite-tailed kite.

Climbing toward the hills, you willfind the chaparral and scrub areas wherethe Diablo sunflower grows. This nativeplant stands out in more ways than one.It is the only known special-status

species of vegetation on the property,and its large, bright yellow flowers areeasy to spot among surrounding shrubs.As the slopes grow steeper, you will findthick woodlands forming a canopy ofmostly coast live oaks.

Meadows on the property are grass-lands dominated by non-native grasses andinvasive plants. Nevertheless, stalwart beau-ty often prevails. One of the vast meadowsin summer is covered with white daisy-like flowers waving above the brown-gold

grasses. The flower is the Hayfield tarweed,a fragrant native plant much lovelier thanits name implies. Nearby, a wooden corralof indeterminate age slowly disintegratesas lizards lounge on its fallen boards. Onelittle western fence lizard has lost its tail toa would-be predator.

A glance at the ground may catchamazing creatures of the miniature kind,such as a red-haired velvet ant. Thisinsectactually a waspis covered witha golden, red or orange coat of hairs,

giving it a velvety, fur-covered appearance(dont touchfemales dont fly but cangive a painful sting). The unusual creaturecommands attention as it rambles overdirt and grasses.

If a sharp sticker penetrates thinsocks, it is painfully obvious the meadowsare blanketed with the pervasive yellowstarthistle. This pesky, invasive plant andother non-natives will require control andremoval where possible.

The Fernandez Ranch Adventure

management plan addresses controllingsuch non-native species, as well as grazingmanagement, maintenance of multi-usepublic access, and ongoing monitoring ofspecial-status species, restored areas, andsensitive habitat. Management goals alsoinclude suggestions for future habitat res-toration and improvement projects. Onesuch project may entail restoringthe stock (cattle) ponds to enhance thehabitat for special-status aquatic plantsand animals.

Aquatic critters such as frogs andturtles arent the only living thingsthat need water. Water and watershedsare the lifeblood of healthy wildlife,vegetation and people. Communityvolunteers will be an integral part ofthe Fernandez Ranch Adventure by

helping with the Rodeo Creekwatershed plan. Volunteers will scourcreeks and surrounding areas collectingthe data needed to develop a watershedplan. The plan will serve as a long-term guide for protecting and improv-ing water quality, said Land TrustStewardship Associate Beth Pardieck.

Fernandez Ranch has a lot of acres tooversee. In fact, the purchase of the ranchhas more than doubled the amount ofproperty the Land Trust actively manages.

An essential part of the Fernandez RanchAdventure is securing the funds neededfor long-term management and improve-ment goals. The Adventures stewardshipendowment will ensure this resource-rich open space is forever the best it canbe for people, plant communities, andwildlife.

The Fernandez Ranch Adventurerestoration, education, public access,management, watershed study and steward-ship endowmentis estimated to require

about $2.6 million. Various agencies andfoundations have committed approximately$441,000 of the needed funds. More than$2 million still needs to be raised.

Augusts Fresh Aire Affaire honoredguest speaker Edward Downer III, thegrandson of one of Pinoles founders,Edward M. Downer. The Fernandez andDowner families were both integral toestablishing West Contra Costa County.At the Affaire, Mr. Downer III spokefrom experience when he said, Great

things accomplished on a local level havea way of expanding and creating a strongsense of community spirit that gainsmomentum over time.

The Fernandez Ranch Adventuredepends on community spirit andmomentum to do even greater things.The heart of the Adventure is to bring

you to this land as a visitor, participant,partnerand for you to know a placethat captures the senses and strengthensthe richness of being alive.

Fernandez Ranch Adventure continued from page 3

4 Mu ir He r i tage Lan d Tru s t Horizons

Fall HikingSchedule

Join us and explore

your local wilderness.

Fradz Rac

Hikes led by Tina Batt

September 24October 29November 19

pacc Mars ad

Warbird Rgial

prsrv

Hike led by Nancy Wenni

November 5

Please call the office toreserve your spot now925-228-5460.

For further informationwww.muirheritagelandtrust.

White-tailed kites,

western fence lizards

and Hayfield tarweed

are among the rich

variety of wildlife

to be found onFernandez Ranch.

The author thanks botanistChristopher Thayer ofSycamore Associates forlending his expertise andContra Costa TimescolumnistGary Bogue for naming theFernandez Ranch Adventureduring a recent visit to thenew acquisition.

TOMG

REER

WILLIAMF

LAxINGTON

CALIFORNIAN

ATIVEPLANTSOCIETy


5/8


Muir HeritageLand Trust LaunchesNew Website

W

ere pleased to announce thelaunch of our new website.

Created entirely in-house,the site includes a new look and feel thatrepresents a way to keep in contact andup to date about Land Trust news andinformation. The site also features helpfulideas about planned giving and sponsor-ship along with online giving and E-newsbulletin options. Well be updating thewebsite frequently so please visit often at:www.muirheritagelandtrust.org.

The Mechanics BankOveraa ConstructionConocoPhillipsTesoro Corporation

East Bay Regional Park DistrictNational Park Service

NECA-IBEWShapell HomesParsons CorporationShell Oil Products USTelfer Oil

ChevronEdwards & McCaslinPlumbers & Steamfitters

Local Union No. 159Union Bank of CaliforniaBlanding Boyer & Rockwell, LLP

Contra Costa TimesDiablo MagazineEast Bay Business Times

ChappelletDaily GraphicsHolland America, Inc.

Juanita Hagberg

For a complete listing of Fresh Aire Affairesponsors, including a listing of silentauction donors and helpful business links,please visit our website.

Fresh Aire AffaireRaises $80,000Thank you to the Outreach Committee, June Rogers, Chair and all of our Fresh AireAffaire sponsors, donors, volunteers and members for their magnificent support in raising

funds and awareness for the Muir Heritage Land Trust. Our annual event was a great

success because of you!

Revelers at the

Fresh Aire Affaire

Fresh Aire Affaire speakers,Edward M. Downer III (lef

Mark Wilson, Board Chair

(center), and Assemblyman

Joseph Camciamilla (right)

DENISSHEA


6/8

Stewardship Update

6 Mu ir He r i tage Lan d Tru s t Horizons

By Beth Pardieck, Stewardship Associate

As the Land Trust works to purchase and preserve open space, responsible stewardship of properties we alreadyown and manage is equally important. The goals of the MHLT Stewardship Program are to protect, restore

and enhance each propertys natural ecosystem and resource values, and preserve, in perpetuity, each propertys

open space values, scenic beauty and diverse habitats.z High school students learn about habitat restorationfrom Steve Andrews, UC Berkeley Environmental SciencesTeaching Program Coordinator.

On July, 20 students participated in construction of brushand rock piles to create habitat on Sky Ranch for birds,snakes and lizards.

This field day is part of a larger habitat restorationproject in which students will continue to be involved.It was organized with the help of Carla Koop of theContra Costa Resource Conservation District.

zBoy Scout Troop #165 poses in front of their newlyinstalled bench on the Gustin Ranch.

Jacob Miller designed and built a beautiful bench for hisEagle Scout project. It overlooks stunning views of theCarquinez Strait, Fernandez Ranch and, on a clear day, the

Sierras. This hardworking troop also helped us with acleanup project on Dutra Ranch. Our thanks to Jacob andall those from Troop #165!

zThe entrances to Sky Ranch and Dutra Ranch are looking good thanks to improved signs, a kioskand the help of some great Stewardship volunteers. Linda and Wes Rippee built and installed frames forour existing entrance signs, which make them look like new. Bob Aston refurbished and improved theoriginal Sky Ranch kiosk to better display our maps and brochures. Its a nice improvement. Thanks verymuch to Linda, Wes and Bob!

zSky Ranch will soon have a new trail thanks to Stewardship Volunteer Joe Stadum. Joe is organizingthe East Bay Trail Dogs, a local Girl Scout Troop and several other volunteers to design and build a newloop trail that winds through several different habitats and unexplored parts of Sky Ranch. To help withthis trail project, please call Beth Pardieck, 925-228-5460.zNow that we have closed escrow on Fernandez Ranch, the task of stewardship begins. This propertyis not yet open for public access because we have fencing, cleanup and restoration work to complete inorder to make the area safe. In the meantime, the Land Trust will be offering docent led hikes for thosewho are interested in exploring. Please join us on October 29th or November 19th to see this beautifulproperty. For information and sign-up please call the office at 925-228-5460.

JAMESMILLER

CARLAKOOP


7/8


In Memory:Dr. Mary Leolin Bowerman

Dr. Mary Leolin Bowerman(Born 1/25/1908 Toronto, Canada

Died 8/21/2005 Lafayette,California). Dr. Bowerman was a residentof Pasadena as a teenager, of Berkeley andthe Bay Area beginning in 1928 and ofLafayette since 1954.

A botanist for seventy-five years, shereceived her Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley.Her doctoral advisor was famed Californiabotanist Willis Linn Jepson; she was his lastsurviving student. Beginning in 1930, herbotanical research pre-dated the creationof Mt. Diablo State Park and became abasis for preservation there. She expandedher 1936 doctorate into The FloweringPlants and Ferns of Mount Diablo, California;Their Distribution and Association into PlantCommunities, The Gillick Press, 1944. In

2002 the book was updated and repub-lished by Bowerman and Barbara Ertter,Curator of Western North American Floraat the U.C. Berkeleys Jepson Herbarium.Her other area of expertise was the flora ofsouthern British Columbia.

She received many awards for herpreservation efforts including a Stateof California Golden Bear Award,JohnMuir Memorial Associations John MuirConservation Award(1980), the Chevron

Times Mirror Magazine National ConservationAward(1996), Contra Costa CountyWomen of Achievement Hall of Fame Award(1998), Diablo Magazines Threads of HopeVolunteer Award for Lifetime Achievement(2000), and the Daughters of the AmericanRevolutions National Conservation Medal.She was the subject of interviews, newsarticles, and editorials including in photog-

rapher Galen Rowells book Bay Area Wild,1997. She was recognized in the Sept. 9,1998 Congressional Record.

Miss Bowerman was a major donor tothe Audubon Canyon Ranch, CaliforniaNative Plant Society, Jepson Herbarium,Muir Heritage Land Trust, NatureConservancy, Save Mount Diablo, SierraClub, University of California and manyother environmental and botanicalorganizations.

Access Adventure

The Muir Heritage Land Trustand John Muirs great grandsonMichael Muir have teamed-up

to provide overland wilderness access topeople with disabilities. Access Adventureparticipants have the unique opportunity toenjoy stunning views of scenic natural areaswhile traveling on wheelchair accessible,horse drawn carriages. Our first event onDutra Ranch was a wonderful success.

To participate, volunteer or learnmore about Access Adventure pleasecontact the office or visit our website at:www.muirheritagelandtrust.org

Michael Muir (above)

Carriage drive on

Dutra Ranch (right).

Become aVolunteerVolunteers provide a

tremendous benefit to

the Muir Heritage LandTrust. You can contributeto the preservation ofour communitys naturalheritage by lendinga helping hand in oneor more of the following

areas:

Outdoor and StewardshipProjects

Indoor and Office Project

Communications andDevelopment Projects

Outreach Event Projects

To learn more about howyou can volunteer, call usat 925-228-5460.

PAULGARBER

SCO

TTHEIN

PR

OVIDEDByBOBDOyLE

ANDSAVEMT.DIABLO


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O.Box2452,MartinezCA94553

DDRESSSERVICEREQUESTED

NonprofitOrg

U.S.Postage

PAID

Martinez,CA

PermitNo.189

Save the DateMHLT 2005 Annual Meeting

The Muir Heritage Land Trust is pleased to announce that its2005 Annual Meeting will be held:

Thursday, November 107:30-9:00 pm

Orinda Community Center, 26 Orinda Way

Speakers will include: Naturalist Gary Bogue, Horseman Michael Muir,and MHLT Executive Director Tina Batt

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.Please call the Land Trust office at 925-228-5460,

to reserve a space by November 4.

For further information and directions

visit us online at: www.muirheritagelandtrust.org.

We look forward to seeing you there.

PlannedGivingWith your support, theMuir Heritage Land Trust hbeen fulfilling its promise preserve our communitysnatural heritage since 198

One important way you cacontinue to help provide a

solid foundation for oursustained conservation effis through the donation ofplanned gift. Giving to theMuir Heritage Land Trust iany way has an enormouspositive impact on the lifeour community. As the Mu

Heritage Land Trust continto reach out to the future w

hope you will consider thebenfits of planned giving.Contact our DevelopmentDirector, Linus Eukel at:925-228-5460 for moreinformation.

autumn 2005 horizons, muir heritage land trust newsletter

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