During my upbringing, I never stopped and looked around at my environment. I was too caught up in being a teenager that I never realized the amazing nature around me. I never thought that there was anything special about trees and plants. Trees were just trees right?
Wrong.
I began this blog with a short history of the California Coastal Trail (CCT). Essentially, this project was catalyzed by public interest in coastal conservation. The trail runs long the entirety of the California coastline starting in Del Norte and ending in San Diego right before the US/Mexico boarder. This plant and tree identification study focused on the different species found inside the Wavecrest protected land, in which the CCT runs through.
The California Coastal Trail is an amazing part of Half Moon Bay. From my field research I have identified the Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata), Monterey Cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) and Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules) to be the most dominant trees. Both the Monterey Pine and Cypress are native to this section of California. They can be found along the coastline from Monterey to Santa Rosa, CA.
The most interesting part of my research was learning about the introduction of Eucalyptus. When the Gold Rush began, Australians brought it to the California coastline as a source form wooden infrastructure and railroad tracks. Due to its brittle qualities it was unusable, and left unmanaged. After a bit more surveying I discovered that majority of eucalyptus trees in Half Moon Bay can be found within a 1 mile radius of Railroad Street, which I found incredibly fascinating.
Other notable results from my research was the identification of more than a dozen different species found in the Wavecrest fields. I never imagined that there was anything other than one species of grass and shrubs. With the help of iNaturalist and public informational boards, I discovered that there were a number of different grasses and flowers. (For more information see my post: Costal Northern Californian Trees Pt. 2) Just because a field is green doesn’t mean it’s made up of one type of grass.
This blog project forced me to stop and look around. I have gained a new appreciation for the coastal nature around me. I have found myself telling all my friends about these specific findings when we go on walks (6ft apart w/ masks) along the Coastal Trail. It’s really thrilling to be able to inform others from this small beach town about it’s hidden gems.
Seeing Trees PDX 