Santa Clara Valley Chapter
We of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of CNPS are blessed with being able to use an enormous amount of public land right in our midst. Perhaps the best way to get an overall picture of these lands is to look at a copy of the splendid map and reference source Peninsula Parklands: A Guide to Outdoor Recreation in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz & San Francisco Counties published by The Trail Center (this site also lists other maps available for local parks). Here we see parklands under the jurisdiction of federal, state, county, city, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District [search for their current URL], and other agencies, each delineated in a different color. The map has descriptions of each land entity, and gives phone numbers for more information. It covers San Francisco and San Mateo counties, and most of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. (The Greenbelt Alliance maintains maps for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties showing "at risk" lands as well as protected lands.)
Not only do we have a large acreage in public ownership, but there also is an enormous range of habitats which in turn support a great diversity of plants (which, after all, is the point for CNPS members) On our public lands you can find a marine habitat with coastal scrub vegetation, coastal redwood forests, grasslands, broadleaf evergreen and Douglas fir forests, freshwater marsh, oak woodlands, serpentine soil conditions, riparian habitats and salt marsh uplands and wetlands along San Francisco Bay. Adjacent to all other habitats is the ubiquitous chaparral, the most common plant community in California. A glance at floras [link to citations only] by Thomas or Munz or other indispensable references will tell you what plants are found in which conditions. There are also plant lists available for a number of local parks.
How to decide where to go, and how long it will take you? The current editions of guide books by Tom Tabor, The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Book, and Betsy Crowder, Jean Rusmore, and Frances Spangle, Peninsula Trails: Outdoor Adventures on the San Francisco Peninsula, and their South Bay Trails: Outdoor Adventures around the Santa Clara Valley will not only tell you about the trails in each area of Peninsula Parklands, but give you some history and descriptions of habitats and scenery, geology and geography. These books, which are available at most local bookstores, also give good instructions on how to reach various public lands, and how long a visit will take.
While we have a wealth of preserves within reach, the pressures on open space and recreational lands are growing rapidly along with the human population. Fortunately, as property becomes available, several agencies are pursuing an active program of acquisition to add to our greenbelt. With the help of all of us more lands with special plant populations will be preserved from development for posterity, and for present-day plant and animal lovers to view carefully. It is to the advantage of all CNPS members to follow governmental action and support public land acquisition whenever possible.
Federal: GGNRA
| Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge [search for their current
URL] | Access USGS - San Francisco Bay &
Delta
State: CA
State Parks
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD)
[search for their current URL]
County: Santa
Clara County Parks | San
Mateo County Parks & Recreation
City: Palo
Alto | Palo
Alto Baylands Preserve | Other Bay
Area cities (ABAG)
Other Agencies & Organizations: The
Bay Trail | Greenbelt
Alliance | Peninsula Open Space
Trust | San Mateo Parks & Recreation
Foundation | Sempervirens Fund
| The Trail Center
