Hikers enjoy the vibrant colors of spring
Senior Park Ranger Chris Crockett gathered with a small group of
dedicated hikers on a damp Saturday morning to explore the
blossoming wild flowers along the trails of Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear
Ranch County Park outside of Gilroy. The focus of Saturday’s hike
was the Serpentine grassland habitat, a very rare ecosystem which,
Crockett explained, represents one percent of all biotic
communities.
Hikers enjoy the vibrant colors of spring
Senior Park Ranger Chris Crockett gathered with a small group of dedicated hikers on a damp Saturday morning to explore the blossoming wild flowers along the trails of Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park outside of Gilroy. The focus of Saturday’s hike was the Serpentine grassland habitat, a very rare ecosystem which, Crockett explained, represents one percent of all biotic communities.
While leading his group along muddy trails, Crockett stopped to explain the varieties of vegetation that are present in the park, both native and non-native. He touched on everything from colorful wildflowers, blossoming trees, seasonal grasses and that pesky poison oak so prevalent in California. Crockett even stopped to pick up a California newt so his visitors could catch a closer glimpse of the tiny creature.
Upon reaching the Serpentine grassland habitat, Crockett pointed out its boundaries, which are defined by flowers unique to the ecosystem. One of these “indicator” flowers, goldfields, blanketed the landscape in yellow patches along with outcroppings of Serpentine, California’s state rock, that comes from below the earth’s crust.
Hikes at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park are led twice a month and cancelled only in heavy rains. Each hike is unique in that the focus is on a different location of the park each time, and rangers visit the areas again in different seasons. The next wildflower walk will start from the Mendoza Ranch entrance at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. For more information on upcoming walks or events, call 408-842-7800.
