Photograph of Cleopatra Tuday- Biologist from SWCA Environmental Consultants

Bet we got your attention with that title! While CLT didn’t uncover actual old growth redwoods on the Wavecrest blufftops, we did discover a coastal prairie equivalent: a mature "stand" of Danthonia californica, or California oatgrass, a native bunchgrass.

In early January, biologist Cleopatra Tuday (from SWCA Environmental Consultants in Half Moon Bay) joined CLT’s Sara Polgar for a coastal trail project site project—and stumbled upon a 10’x10’ patch of this rare find. Cleo, a self-proclaimed botany nerd, was practically giddy about the discovery. As she put it, “Finding this on the coastal bluffs is like finding an old-growth redwood stand in the coastal mountains. Very old, very precious.”

She explained that you can spot Danthonia by the tripping hazard it presents—these bunch grasses create sharp, impenetrable clumps. Look for circular patches where the blades remain green even in the dry season, with grasses emerging from one central point.

Biologist Cleopatra Tuday (SWCA Environmental Consultants in Half Moon Bay) joined CLT’s Sara Polgar for a coastal trail project site visit in early January and found this 10’x10’ patch. Cleo is a botany nerd and she seemed a bit giddy about the find. As she described it, “finding this on the coastal bluffs here is like finding an old growth redwood stand in the coastal mountains. Very old, very precious.”

Also on the site visit, Sara and Cleo saw many chorus frogs (i.e. Sierran tree frogs) and even spotted their egg masses in a large puddle.