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Stewardship Update

Written by Haley Sutton, Land Stewardship Associate and Kendra Smith, Education & Outreach Coordinator

Magee Trails with The Athenian School

On March 19, nine students from The Athenian School joined staff in Danville to conduct trail work on the Magee Preserve trails.

It was a warm and sunny day, and the group hiked the approximately 1-mile east trail, named Do’-yum’-bel’-le Vista Trail, which honors the name that the Bay Miwok use for Mount Diablo.

Along the way, the group learned about best practices for trail maintenance and cleared some sections of trail that had become overgrown with grasses and other small plants.

The Do’-yum’-bel’-le Vista Trail, which connects to fire roads managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, along with the Art Bonwell Trail, named after one of Save Mount Diablo’s co-founders, will be open for public enjoyment later this year.

A big thank you to the Athenian students and teachers who helped us keep the trail in good shape for future visitors!

Field Trip with Rancho Medanos Junior High

On Friday, March 13, nine students from Rancho Medanos Junior High School came out to our Marsh Creek 7 property for an educational field trip.

They started the day by planting native plants in a new section of pollinator garden on the property, including sages, currants, lupines, and other beneficial species for pollinators and other wildlife.

In just a couple of hours, the students successfully planted more than 70 individual plants! After a well-deserved lunch break, the group hiked up to the ridgeline to enjoy sweeping views of Mount Diablo for a reflective solo experience.

It was a peaceful, relaxing time for everyone, and students shared what they enjoyed about the experience when everyone gathered at the end. Thank you to the Rancho Medanos students for a great day!

Stewards in the Field

Our property stewards gathered at our Marsh Creek 7 property to weed, water, and wrap up planting for the season.

Over the past few years, we’ve planted hundreds of plants in  our pollinator gardens at our Marsh Creek 1 and 7 properties as part of our project funded by a grant awarded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This month, the stewards helped us reach our restoration goal of 1,000 native plantings at the pollinator gardens out there. Thank you, stewards!

Staff also addressed a fallen tree branch that fell into our neighbor’s property at the western boundary of Wright Canyon. Staff got the remainder of the tree to the ground safely and bucked it up into smaller logs for chipping.

Monarchs and Milkweeds

For the second year, Monarch Joint Venture hosted a training for some of their California seasonal Field Technicians at Mount Diablo, which included a day with Save Mount Diablo at Curry Canyon Ranch.

The MJV Field Technicians support the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) by collecting milkweed, flowering plant, and monarch use data throughout the country.

While at Curry Canyon Ranch, the Field Technicians practiced their survey protocols to monitor the California milkweed (Asclepias californica) restoration sites on the property.

California milkweed is a host plant for the distinguished orange and black monarch butterfly, whose populations have experienced serious decline in recent years.

When MJV visited earlier in the month, the milkweed plants observed were still very small, but dozens of plants were recorded.

Since that visit, Save Mount Diablo staff have regularly checked on the milkweed plants, and were excited to find that there are several little monarch caterpillars eating their way around the plants!

Stay tuned for more monarch updates!

Diablo Conservation Experience with Campolindo

On Saturday, March 21, 17 students from Campolindo High School attended a Diablo Conservation Experience field trip at Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve.

As it was a small group, everyone stayed together to begin the day with a nature interpretive hike. It was a lovely spring day at the preserve, the hills starting to sprout wildflowers and the trees filling in with leaves.

At the end of the hike, students participated in the solo experience, an opportunity for them to have quiet, meditative time to connect with nature and themselves.

At the conclusion of their solo, students shared reflections from their experience, showing how even a short amount of time in nature can cause a valuable shift in energy and perspective.

After a picnic lunch, students participated in a stewardship project, clearing the Desert Olive Trail to re-establish the single track and improve tread for trail users.

Armed with McLeods—versatile tools designed for scraping, loosening, and leveling soil—students worked diligently to make the trails safer and easier to follow.

A huge thank you to Campolindo students for their engagement and hard work!

Young Diablo Explorers with San Ramon Christian Academy

On Wednesday, March 11, 36 second-grade students from San Ramon Valley Christian Academy attended a Young Diablo Explorers field trip at Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve.

Students engaged in a nature interpretive hike and the Interconnected Web Story curriculum to learn about the flora, fauna, and natural history of the preserve, sharing enthusiastic observations and ideas and thoughtful questions throughout the field trip.

Thank you to all the students, teachers, and parent chaperones for their positive energy!

Discover Diablo

On Belay – Rock Climbing, March 7.

Participants joined Save Mount Diablo’s Land Programs Director, Sean Burke, for a fun day of climbing at Pinnacles National Park.

The weather was beautiful and clear, perfect conditions for climbing and talking about the natural history, flora and fauna, and geology of the park.

Las Aves de Bay Point, March 21.

Save Mount Diablo’s Senior Land Use Manager, Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, led our second annual Las Aves Walk at Bay Point Regional Shoreline.

This walk was led in both English and Spanish as participants kept eyes and ears open for evidence of shorebirds.

A Virginia rail responded right away to a call, an exciting moment for participants. Throughout the walk, a northern harrier flew around the group, giving everyone a great show.

By the end of the walk, the group saw around 15 species of birds.

Spring Forest Immersion Walk, March 22.

The hills at Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve were beautiful and vibrant green for a lovely forest immersion walk. Participants got to experience the serenity of slowing down and enjoying a calmer pace in nature.

The hike leader guided everyone through meditative activities and provided a picnic of snacks and tea. Everyone also got to see some wildlife, including a deer, coyote, and gopher snake!

Spring Blooms and Birds, March 22.

An adventures outing was had at Chaparral Spring. East Bay Regional Park District Naturalist Kevin Dixon led participants over rolling hills in search of spring wildflowers and native bird species.

Toward the end of the hike, the group got stunning views of Mount Diablo’s peaks.

Explore Brushy Peak Hike, March 28.

Participants got to experience this new Discover Diablo hike in Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, enjoying spectacular views of the Livermore Valley and Diablo Range. It was a lovely day with lots of wildlife sightings, including a coyote and rattlesnake!

Plein Air Painting Hike, March 29.

Participants enjoyed a peaceful morning of painting at Curry Canyon Ranch. The group found a pretty shaded spot along Curry Creek to set up and captured the flowing water and trees in their paintings.