Lots of fun hikes and events planned for 2016
Published in the February 3-16, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mike Monroe
Mike Monroe
The El Niño rainstorms have brought life back to our parched hillsides and I can imagine a springtime filled with wildflowers bursting through the green grasses. During the months of February and March, I plan to stroll the Martin Murphy Loop Trail at Harvey Bear Ranch County Park every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Feb. 28 through March 20.
The flat paved trail is about two miles in length, so your shoes will not cake up with the muddy clay that seems to immediately add fives pounds each to our boots when we are out on the trails. Heavy rain will cancel the walk. But if it is not too blustery, bring your rain jacket and umbrella, and we will enjoy the aroma of the moisture in the soil and the sweet cleanliness of the air. The parking area for Bear Ranch is located at the eastern end of San Martin Avenue just before road joins New Avenue. The walks will last about an hour and our conversations will range from cattle ranching to oak trees.
Beginning in April, I will begin my volunteer docent programs for 2016 in association with Santa Clara County Parks at Anderson Lake, Coyote and Mt. Madonna. The times and descriptions for each Hike with Mike will be published in every issue of Morgan Hill Life.
During the past few years of writing articles about South County, and taking groups out to explore the places I have described in this paper, it has been my good fortune to make the acquaintance of so many knowledgeable people with all kinds of interesting stories. When we gather to begin a walk, I introduce myself as a person who really enjoys where he lives. My goal is learn much more about the natural history of our area — the geology, the plants, the animals and the people of the past who have called this place home. It’s an effort to continue sinking my roots into the earth because it makes me feel more alive.
My introduction includes the organizations I am involved with including county parks, the historical societies of Gilroy and Morgan Hill, the Sempervirens Fund, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Santa Cruz County Land Trust, the Sierra Club, the Pine Ridge Association, Santa Cruz County Museum of Natural History, the Committee for Green Foothills, California State Parks, the Long Marine Lab, and Elkhorn Slough/Dept. of Fish and Game. It is a two-way street — I support these groups and in turn they support me with learning opportunities and more people to converse with about anything and everything.
At the outset of our walks, I try to mute my enthusiasm to a degree so that questions and stories from all the attendees can be welcomed and shared. There are two points, though, that I make every effort to express: first, with each visit to one of our parks, open spaces or historical properties there is always something new to observe, something that sparks our curiosity no matter how many times we have been a visitor. And, secondly, observation is more than just seeing — all of our senses are involved. Slow down and give yourself the opportunity to interpret your observations in terms of your own experiences and the underlying science.
There are couple of other endeavors that I am looking forward to being a participant. These programs are free and open to all. Every Friday at the Morgan Hill Historical Society’s Villa Mira Monte property, an informal group gets together to talk about local history and current events. The MHHS has recently launched a new “Conversation Series” or “History at the House” every third Saturday morning running from February through June.
In January, our first guest was Beth Wyman, who is the dean of Morgan Hill historians. Questions and comments follow the presentations and are always encouraged so that everyone can feel engaged in the conversation.
Please e-mail me at [email protected] if would like any information about upcoming programs.
One event for sure I’m planning to attend is a film screening and discussion by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band on Saturday March 12 sponsored by the Gilroy Historical Society. The Amah Mutsun recently partnered with the Sempervirens Fund to help in the management of a Native American village site along the San Mateo coast. This event begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Gilroy Library. Keep on sauntering!
Mike Monroe is a business owner and naturalist. He is a docent for Santa Clara County Parks.
