Join the Coastside Land Trust for an immersive journey through the breathtaking Wavecrest Open Space!

Led by our expert team, this guided tour will take you through the rich history of Wavecrest while introducing you to the diverse flora and fauna of the coastal prairie—including local birds and vibrant spring blooms.

You’ll also have the unique opportunity to participate in a nature journaling session to deepen your connection to this stunning landscape.

Here’s a sneak peek at the day’s activities:

Wavecrest Plant Exploration with Barbara Dye
Exploring the fascinating world of the Wavecrest plants, learning about their history and the crucial role they play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

Wildlife Exploration with Malia DeFelice
Getting up close to the local wildlife, including owls, kites, harriers, and white-crowned sparrows. Who knows what other exciting species we might encounter along the way?

Nature Journaling Activity with Haley Peterson & Kate Dickey
All groups will come together for an interactive nature journaling session. Engage your senses with a sound mapping exercise and reflect on your experience through journaling.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with nature, wildlife, and fellow nature enthusiasts. Reserve your spot today!

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome Timothy Federal of the San Mateo Resource Conservation District to discuss the pressing issues of wildfire management, habitat restoration, and climate resilience on the Coastside. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the historical and current state of fire practices in our region, including how seasonality impacts local ecosystems, and how these practices compare to other areas. Whether you're a longtime resident or new to the area, this webinar will provide valuable insights into the future of our Coastside environment. Learn how we’re all connected to the land, and how we can collectively work toward a more resilient and sustainable future for our community and the ecosystems we rely on.

On the second Saturday of every month, the Habitat Heroes team will work together to remove invasive weeds from our coastal lands. Make a difference in stewarding our open space land. If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to info@coastsidelandtrust.org for more details.

On the second Saturday of every month, the Habitat Heroes team will work together to remove invasive weeds from our coastal lands. Make a difference in stewarding our open space land. If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to info@coastsidelandtrust.org for more details.

CLT Winter Art Show: "Subject, Activity, Place"
Presenting work by Half Moon Bay High School Art Students

Please join us for the First Friday Show Opening and Artists' Reception
Friday, February 7th, 2025, from 4–6 PM
at the Coastside Land Trust Gallery!

We are excited to partner with Half Moon Bay High School art instructor Janelle Bracamonte to showcase pieces by her Art 3 class. She challenged her students to create truly original compositions, guided by three randomly picked components: a subject, an activity, and a place.

The students’ pieces are mixed media, using a combination of at least two of the following: watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, alcohol markers, and ink. The results are pure whimsy!

WHAT’S IN A NAME; PLANT SPECIES EXPLAINED

What does it mean to be a "species" in Castilleja?

PRESENTED BY DR. SARAH JACOBS

Saturday, January 25, 2025

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Have you ever wondered what it means to be a “species”? Or how scientists define the unique plants that thrive along our coast? Join us for a fascinating talk from Dr. Sarah Jacobs, curator in the Botany Department at the California Academy of Sciences, as she explores the world of Castilleja—the vibrant, colorful Paintbrush plants that paint our California coast.

Dr. Jacobs will explain how new species are born in the plant world, and what it takes to understand the biology and ecology of these incredible plants. Plus, she’ll share her insights into the Coastal California Castilleja Complex—a rare and stunning group of perennial species found only along our shoreline.

Whether you’re a lifelong nature lover or new to the world of plants, this talk is a perfect opportunity to connect with the natural beauty around us. Come discover the mysteries of our coastal ecosystems and learn how you can help protect the plants that make our landscape so special.

On the second Saturday of every month, the Habitat Heroes team will work together to remove invasive weeds from our coastal lands. Make a difference in stewarding our open space land. If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to info@coastsidelandtrust.org for more details.

Please come by to see us at the Half Moon Bay Farmers Market. We will be here providing information about programs, events, our land acquisitions, and the upcoming trail extension. Hoping to say hello to our friends and supporters while we are out there.

CArInG Over The Land;

The Coastside Land Trust Monitors and Cares for its Open Space Properties- Presented by Barbara Dye

San mateo county bird alliance - Free Community Webinar

December 12, 2024

7:00 PM

If you missed out on our last “Watching Over the Land” webinar with Barbara Dye - you are in luck! Barbara will be presenting again for the San Mateo County Bird Alliance.

Barbara Dye will speak about the monitoring areas preserved by Coastside Land Trust (CLT), show how much land has already been protected, discuss the challenges of each area, and share the results of the 2024 monitoring of birds, plants, and other wildlife. Barbara Dye is a member of the CLT Stewardship Committee and leads the effort to monitor all of CLT's properties.

This walk will explore our local overwintering raptor population. Wavecrest is the single most important site on the San Mateo Coast for wintering raptors, which can be seen hunting in the property's broad fields. Raptors and other species rely on its expansive grasslands, wetlands, and roosting sites. Wavecrest is the place to see many raptors, including White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned/ Cooper's/ Red- tailed/ Rough-legged Hawks, American Kestrels and Falcons.

We will tour the open space preserve in small groups, each led by a docent from the San Mateo County Bird Alliance.

Cost: $15

Please watch Raptors of Wavecrest with Alvaro Jaramillo to prepare for this walk. It will provide a significant background and education on local raptors.

Curious about the buzzing world of bumblebees? Join the Coastside Land Trust for a free, enlightening community webinar on October 26 at 10 a.m.

Sheena Sidhu, renowned biologist and Stewardship Scientist at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, will take us on a journey into the fascinating world of the 'Humble Bumble Bee.'

Discover how these remarkable pollinators are perfectly suited for our coastal climate and essential for our pumpkin fields. We’ll explore their annual cycle, nesting behaviors, and recent conservation efforts at both the state and federal levels. Plus, learn basic bee identification, including how to spot a queen bee.

Don’t miss this opportunity to understand and appreciate these vital creatures! Join us and become a bee advocate for our coastal community!

Join Coastside Land Trust and 60,000 other Californians as we come together to clean up our state’s beaches and waterways. Coastside Land Trust’s cleanup site will be Venice Beach in Half Moon Bay.

Meeting location: Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay

What to bring: Gloves, buckets, sturdy shoes, long sleeves, sun protection

While you wait for September, you can do your own Coastal Cleanup! Clean up your neighborhood, parks, and local area anytime. Gather cleanup supplies from home, download the CleanSwell app (to count your trash, and to have your trash counted!), and clean on your own time. Trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up neighborhood trash prevents marine debris.

Stop by and see us at the Farmer’s Market this Saturday. Learn more about the Wavecrest Coastal Trail project and all the fantastic opportunities to get involved this fall. Whether you're a nature lover, a community supporter, or just curious about what’s happening in our area, we'd love to chat with you.

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome CLT’s Stewardship Committee member, Barbara Dye, to lead us all on a virtual tour of the Coastside Land Trust’s land, including the trails, flowers, birds and surprising discoveries within these open spaces. We will talk about the challenges a small land trust faces in protecting the conservation values of the properties. The goal will be to see the Coastside from north to south in a new way that we hope will inspire you to explore, protect, and help preserve.

Join us at the Purissima Old Town Site for one of our small, docent-led tours to learn how one of the oldest Coastside towns disappeared. Enjoy a chance to see lots of native flora and fauna and learn about the history of the people who used to live on this site. The Purissima Old Town Site is located on the corner of Highway 1 and Verde Road, on the way to Elkus Ranch. All ages welcome. Space is limited.

Join us at the Purissima Old Town Site for one of our small, docent-led tours to learn how one of the oldest Coastside towns disappeared. Enjoy a chance to see lots of native flora and fauna and learn about the history of the people who used to live on this site. The Purissima Old Town Site is located on the corner of Highway 1 and Verde Road, on the way to Elkus Ranch. All ages welcome. Space is limited.

Join us on the coastal prairie for a habitat restoration workday at Wavecrest Open Space. Come one, come all. Meet at the Smith Field Ballparks at the end of Wavecrest Road in Half Moon Bay. We hope to see you out there to share in the celebration and stewardship of our coast together. We will have gloves and buckets.  Slap on some sunscreen and see you soon. All ages welcome and encouraged. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

COMPOST ON THE COAST: A SeNSE OF HUMUS

Presented by Doug Millar

Free Community Webinar

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome Doug Millar, Conservation Project Manager for the San Mateo Resource Conservation District. Millar will share some of the basic principles and best practices of composting, as well as his insight into composting for soil health, carbon farm planning, and the work being done to keep our compost local. Millar has 25 years of experience working in this field- including significant work with local TomKat Ranch and the HEAL Project.

Stop by Francis Beach parking lot and check out the Coastal Wildflower Day festival, hosted by California State Parks. The mission of this day is to welcome the spring, celebrate our local wildflowers and the local community restoration efforts, while inspiring stewardship of the diverse ecosystems that support thriving coastal wildflower habitats. CLT will be hosting a nature journaling table with activities, resources, and materials. Come journal with us.

Parking Fee: $10/ Walk or bike in for free!

Join us on the coastal prairie for a habitat restoration workday at Wavecrest Open Space. Come one, come all! Meet at the Smith Field Ballparks at the end of Wavecrest Road in Half Moon Bay. Wear boots, layers, and sun protection. All ages welcome and encouraged. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Perils of a Leeward Shore: The Archaeology, History and Stabilization of the Franklin Point Historic Shipwreck Cemetery at Año Nuevo State Park.

PRESENTED BY Mark Hylkema

FREE COMMUNITY WEBINAR

SATURDAY, March 2, 2024

10:00AM

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome acclaimed archaeologist, Mark Hylkema to share the fascinating history the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Franklin Point. Hylkema has shared the following abstract for this talk:

On the evening of January 17th, 1865, while the American Civil War was still reaching towards a conclusion, the crew of the clipper ship Sir John Franklin found themselves enveloped in thick fog as they approached the Port of San Francisco.  However, tragedy would intervene, just as it had for the ship’s namesake- a reference to the ill-fated arctic explorers of the Franklin Expedition, for the ship and crew were destined to wreck just as they had.  Compounding this tragedy, two other sailing ships would wreck in just a few more years with a significant loss of life.  Many of the victims were buried on the small, windswept headland now known as Franklin Point.  Ultimately, these three shipwrecks spurred the installation of Pigeon Point Lighthouse.  This presentation will review aspects of San Mateo County maritime history and describe the archaeology, history, and stabilization of the Franklin Point Historic Shipwreck Cemetery.

Mark Hylkema (retired) was the Supervisor of the Cultural Resources Program for 32 Park units within the Santa Cruz District of California State Park, and is a Registered Professional Archaeologist.  With 44 years of professional experience in California archaeology, he has worked on archaeological projects throughout the state.  His primary research emphasis and publications are focused on ancestral Native American cultures of the San Francisco Bay area, and early Spanish Colonial Period history.  Mark is also an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, and has taught anthropology, archaeology, and Native American Studies courses at Santa Clara University, University of California at Santa Cruz, De Anza College, Ohlone College and Cabrillo College.  Mark was President of the Society for California Archaeology (search scahome.org) during the 2015/2016 term and has contributed a great deal to the regional archaeological literature.

Join us in a celebration and reception to honor the Half Moon Bay High School art students, as they showcase their stunning landscape artworks. For more information reach out to info@coastsidelandtrust.org.

MIGRATING FISH OF COASTAL SAN MATEO COUNTY

PRESENTED BY AMY KAESER AND JARRAD FISHER

OF THE SAN MATEO RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

FREE COMMUNITY WEBINAR

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2024

10:00AM

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome Amy Kaeser and Jarrad Fisher of the San Mateo Resource Conservation District to present about the anadromous (migrating) fish of our coastal waters. They will be sharing the incredible life of these fish and their journey from river to ocean and back. They will also talk about what’s happening locally to make sure they thrive- from removing migration barriers to monitoring and improving habitat.

MIGRATING FISH OF COASTAL SAN MATEO COUNTY

PRESENTED BY AMY KAESER AND JARRAD FISHER

OF THE SAN MATEO RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

FREE COMMUNITY WEBINAR

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2024

10:00AM

Join the Coastside Land Trust as we welcome Amy Kaeser and Jarrad Fisher of the San Mateo Resource Conservation District to present about the anadromous (migrating) fish of our coastal waters. They will be sharing the incredible life of these fish and their journey from river to ocean and back. They will also talk about what’s happening locally to make sure they thrive- from removing migration barriers to monitoring and improving habitat. 

THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF THE COAST

WITH DR. RAYNA BELL

FREE COMMUNITY WEBINAR

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2023

10:00AM

The Coastside Land Trust welcomes Dr. Rayna Bell to explore the evolution, ecology, and conservation of local reptiles and amphibians. Dr. Bell is an evolutionary biologist and curator of Herpetology at California Academy of Sciences. Her current research is dedicated to the study and conservation of biological diversity.

Do you want to connect with nature and learn how to observe the world around you in a more intentional way? In partnership with Granada Community Service District, the Coastside Land Trust is offering two nature journaling workshops taught by naturalist, Elexis Padron. Elexis will teach how to slow down, observe one’s natural environment and translate those observations into a beautiful nature journal. This will incorporate writing, drawing, numbers, measurements, painting and even poetry. This is a free intergenerational activity, and all are welcome. All supplies will be provided. Sign up now. Space is limited.

 Workshop #1 – Classroom work at GCSD Meeting Room, Monday, October 2, 2023, 10:00 am-Noon

Workshop #2 – Fieldwork, meet at Quarry Park parking lot, Sunday, October 8, 2023, 10:00am-Noon

Photo credit: John Muir Laws

Do you want to connect with nature and learn how to observe the world around you in a more intentional way? In partnership with Granada Community Service District, the Coastside Land Trust is offering two nature journaling workshops taught by naturalist, Elexis Padron. Elexis will teach how to slow down, observe one’s natural environment and translate those observations into a beautiful nature journal. This will incorporate writing, drawing, numbers, measurements, painting and even poetry. This is a free intergenerational activity, and all are welcome. All supplies will be provided. Sign up now. Space is limited. To register contact leah@coastsidelandtrust.org

 Workshop #1 – Classroom work at GCSD Meeting Room, Monday, October 2, 2023, 10:00 am-Noon

Workshop #2 – Fieldwork, meet at Quarry Park parking lot, Sunday, October 8, 2023, 10:00am-Noon