• FEATURE
• ANNOUNCEMENTS
• INDUSTRY TRENDS
• TRAINING / RESOURCES
• HAPPENINGS IN THE PARK
• NEW PARTNERSHIPS
• POSTCARDS

FEATURE

First Day Hikes: Safely Recreating at California's State Parks 

• Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA): Participants braved freezing temperatures to travel an orienteering course. Hikers were given a compass and a list of controls, each with a distance and direction. At the end of the hike, all were proficient at reading maps, compasses and ended up guiding park staff. Along the hike, they saw several species of fungus, germinating buckeyes and the sheer limestone walls of Cave Valley climbing area.
• Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park (SHP): The participant grand total for the park’s First Day Hike was three! One came for the Monument Hike and two for the Monroe Ridge Hike. The hikes culminated with very happy participants because of our great interpreters, Chloe Gautschi and Judy Huestis, and the individualized attention.
• Calaveras Big Trees State Park (SP): The hike brought participants into the elements, with fresh powder on the park, and 30 people celebrated the new year by snowshoeing a portion of the iconic North Grove. Docent Nancy E. Muleady-Mecham, Ph.D., led the group of all ages on about a mile-long trek and shared how the forest community adapts to the winter. Most of the trail was well traveled, but the group enjoyed an opportunity to navigate through some deep snow. After blazing trail, the group turned back toward the Warming Hut to return snowshoes and enjoy the roaring fire.
• Carpinteria State Beach (SB): The hike kicked-off with all hikers writing their new year’s resolutions on a poster. Most goals were health-oriented, like eating healthier and being more active. One child, however, wrote that their resolution was to drink juice straight from a coconut and that was the group favorite. Interpreter Heidi Ortloff discussed the Chumash tribe and how their Tomol building led to the name Carpinteria. They also stopped at the tar pits and hikers got to handle replica sabretooth teeth and a mastodon tooth. The tide was high, but fortunately there were about 60 harbor seals sunbathing on the small strip of beach and about 30 pelicans.
• La Purísima Mission SHP: This First Day Hike was led by Interpretive Park Aide Randy Moore, and the weather was clear and chilly for the more than 40 hikers. Randy led the group along La Artemisia and Santa Rita Trails, finishing with a spectacular view of La Purísima Mission grounds, Lompoc Valley and Vandenberg Space Force Base. The hike traversed 1.7 miles of soft sand and included a couple of decent hill climbs through the burton mesa chaparral and scrub oak forest.
• Gaviota SP: This First Day Hike was led by State Park Interpreter I Parker Grand on this sunny, crisp morning (30 degrees). A small group of participants (10-15) met at the Beach to Backcountry Trailhead for a hike to the Gaviota Wind Caves. The wind caves hike took participants through the scenic backcountry of the park. Participants encountered beautiful views of the Gaviota Coast and surrounding hills. The wind caves are a natural geological formation carved over time by the wind and salt air. As the day warmed up, more hikers arrived at the trailhead and embarked on their own trip up to the wind caves. 
• Anderson Marsh SHP: At McVicar Trail, the hike was broken up into two groups, depending on pace level. Everyone started out on the Cache Creek Trail, then either took the Anderson Flats Trail back to the main parking lot or took the Marsh Trail or the Ridge Trail, which totaled 3 miles. Former Anderson Marsh SHP ranger, Tom Nixon, attended and happily ran into Winifred (née Anderson) Lea and her family, who came to enjoy the hike. Winnie Lea is the great-granddaughter of John Still Anderson and Sarah Anderson, who purchased and moved to the ranch in 1885. The Anderson descendants lived in the original ranch house until the 1960s, when the ranch was sold.
• Clear Lake SP: The park had nine visitors join in the First Day Hike. They enjoyed wandering along the trail and boardwalk for a mile as lead, Brad Barnwell, spoke on the birds of the area and other wildlife sightings they may have seen along the Kelsey Creek slough.
• Natural Bridges SB: The hike had the highest attendance at a single park, with 95 hikers. On the Monarch Habitat hike, they came upon a herd of deer. A nesting pair of great horned owls were visible in the Monarch Grove. On the day of the walk, it was sunny and nice out, so butterfly clusters were very visible. Because many people wished to join the tide pool habitat walk, we decided to split the group, with an interpreter leading a multistop, more-involved walk, and two docents leading a walk just about the tide pool animals, going quickly out to the pools. There were good viewing conditions due to the extremely low tides.
• The Forest of Nisene Marks SP: The hike had a diverse group of hikers with several docents, locals and first-time visitors. After days of rain, they were extremely lucky to have clear skies to welcome them into the forest. They had many banana slugs dotting their trail and the sound of a full creek was music to their ears. Interpreter I Ashley Wemp shared her knowledge about marine fossils, which populated the walls in the middle of the forest. She also shared her knowledge about banana slugs and some of the trains that long ago carried the logs out of the forest to market. Interpretive Park Aide Paul Karz conveyed themes of survival and renewal, sharing that redwoods as a species are over 240 million years old and that The Forest of Nisene Marks, logged over 100 years ago, has renewed itself to become a healthy second-growth forest today.

First Day Hiker POV 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Help us welcome our newest team members!

California Simplifies Annual Day-Use Pass Program for CalWORKs Families

Park Advocacy Day 2022

• Use YOUR voice and join us in Sacramento on May 17, 2022 for Park Advocacy Day. Together in Sacramento, we learn how to activate our voices for parks, build relationships with elected officials, and communicate a parks message to state elected officials and policy staff. 

INDUSTRY TRENDS

Evaluating Impact of Volunteers Serving Public Lands  

By: Jeremy Lin, Sierra District  
 
Volunteers fulfill an important role in operating and maintaining public lands and are vital for the healthy function of California State Parks. To better understand the impact of volunteers serving public lands, I conducted a cross-sectional study using surveys of 176 volunteers and 19 volunteer coordinators for California State Parks within the Santa Cruz District from August to October 2019. Survey questions focused on volunteer efforts in resource conservation, visitor services and daily park operations. This academic research study received enthusiastic support from Santa Cruz District Superintendent Chris Spohrer and Interpreter III Elizabeth Hammack.
 
Research findings show that volunteers accomplish agency objectives by facilitating interpretive programs, providing visitor services and performing trail maintenance. In the researchers' analysis, three management implications emerged, revealing characteristics of sustainable volunteer programs: 1) multiple volunteer coordinators per park unit reduces volunteer attrition, 2) recruiting volunteers based on pertinent professional skills maximizes volunteer productivity and 3) reducing volunteer coordinator attrition preserves institutional knowledge and helps retain long-term volunteers. By implementing these strategies, public lands agencies cultivate resilient volunteer programs capable of fulfilling park and staff needs.

The full research study article, “Evaluating the Impact of Volunteers Serving Public Lands,” was published in the May 2021 edition of PARKS: The International Journal of Protected Areas and Conservation.

TRAINING / RESOURCES

Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students Program’s Teacher Symposium at Donner Memorial State Park  

By: Jeremy Lin, Sierra District  

Nine educators from the Northern California region visited Donner Memorial State Park to participate in the passPORTS Teacher Symposium on Saturday, January 29.

The passPORTS project from the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) Program reimagines the traditional field trip to “blend” virtual and in-person access to selected California state parks. Teachers and their students first participate in a virtual video conference visit with a California State Parks interpreter. Next, at a future date, they take an in-person field trip to the park.

During the passPORTS Teacher Symposium last Saturday, the experienced educators spent the day studying the natural and cultural features of the park and developing educational and instructional content to benefit park visitors, teachers and students. They also learned about park history and the North Lake Tahoe region. During the symposium, I led the group of educators on an exciting snowshoe tour to inspire their lesson planning and to discuss the park’s existing interpretive programs.
 
This collaborative effort between State Parks and local county offices of education greatly benefited the park’s interpretive offerings by aligning educational curriculum with Common Core and next generation science standards.

The lesson plans and academic resources designed at this symposium are an important component in engaging the local academic community and providing effective, relevant and influential park experiences.

HAPPENINGS IN THE PARK

From Hospital to Immigration Museum at Angel Island State Park

By: Casey Dexter-Lee, Bay Area District 

The immigration hospital on Angel Island had not been used since 1946 when the U.S. Army left the island after World War II. However, on Jan. 22, 2022, the hospital building reopened to the public and is now the Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM). The opening event took place 111 years to the day after the first detained immigrants arrived at the site.
 
This day would not have come without the park’s partnership with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF). Through their advocacy the former U.S. immigration site has received approximately $40 million in private and public funds. AIISF has also been part of the planning process, from visioning what the site should become, to the interpretive plans and the content of each interpretive panel for the two buildings open to visitors and the exterior exhibits on the site.

AIISF continues the work of the Angel Island Immigration Station Historical Advisory Committee (AISHAC), who helped save the barracks building from destruction in the early 1970s. Fifty years later, AIISF was able to honor AISHAC members with an Immigrant Heritage Award for their work in preserving this important chapter of U.S. and California history during the opening festivities.

Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the grand opening ceremonies were not open to the public but were streamed live for a virtual audience. To watch the virtual ribbon cutting visit AIISF’s YouTube page, AIIM Ribbon Cutting Virtual Ceremony-YouTube.

AIIM shares stories of historic and contemporary immigration associated with the Pacific Coast through three main exhibits: “In the Shadows,” “Under the Microscope” and “Opening Doors.” Diverse stories, especially those from Asia and the Pacific Islands, can be found in the AIIM. There are additional rooms in the building still being completed with the assistance of AIISF. The new space continues the story visitors learn in the barracks museum, where detained immigrants wrote and carved into the walls of the building, mainly expressing themselves through poetry. AIIM is also dedicated to rotating exhibit space so that more immigration voices and stories can be told, being a gathering space for groups, and will provide opportunities for speakers, art, research and reflection on past and present immigration
 
AIIM is now open Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Barracks Museum is open Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.


To help orient visitors, Angel Island Immigration Museum’s entry room displays exhibit highlights.
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation hosts the Angel Island Immigration Museum virtual exhibit for those unable to visit the island.

Up the Mountain and Down the Mineshaft: A Visit to Empire Mine State Historic Park 

By: Sara Schlussler, Partnerships Division 

On Monday, February 14, Paige Haller of Sierra District invited Partnerships Division staff to Empire Mine State Historic Park (SHP) in Grass Valley, California, for a tour of the grounds and a discussion of the many working parts that come together to make the park what it is today. Attendees included Acting Partnerships Division Chief Matthew Millspaugh, Section Managers Emily Walsh (Cooperating Association and Volunteer in Parks Program [VIPP]) and Robyn Krock (Park Impact Partners Program), and Analysts Rachel Young, Justine Kardad and myself.

A unique highlight of the historic grounds tour was the opportunity to take the interpretive journey down the mine shaft on a mine skip car. Simulating a 600-foot decline over the span of one minute, the experience was certainly a “change of pace” from the day-to-day contract work at headquarters! Another highlight included the “Secret Room,” which featured a scale model of the mine.

After the tour, Partnerships Division staff enjoyed hearing firsthand experiences from staff, VIPP volunteers and the park’s cooperating association, the Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, about partnerships at Empire Mine SHP. The Partnerships Division learned how Sierra District staff encourage open communication, such as scheduling partnership coffee breaks and drop-in hours with park staff.

The Partnerships Division would like to thank State Parks staff Paige Haller, Anessa DeSouza and Mary Moyer; VIPP volunteers George Sanford and Dan McCarthy; and Sierra Gold Parks Foundation Board Member Jesse Locks for this opportunity.

Field visits like this offer the Partnerships Division a firsthand look at how our partners collaborate with the department beyond the text of an annual report, operating plan or partnership agreement.

If you would like to organize a site visit and partnership discussion with the Partnerships Division, please speak with your district liaison or email us at partnerships@parks.ca.gov. 

 

Opening of Gam Saan Trail 金山徑 to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park  

Ice Plant Removal Effort at Mendocino Headlands State Park  

By: Amelia Schall, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District   
 
Forestry Aides Jacob Casey and Louis Reynolds, volunteer Winnie Pitrone, District Volunteer Coordinator Amelia Schall and Forestry Aide Antonio Maestas shoveling, raking and hauling piles of pulled-up ice plant to the road to be hauled away by Heavy Equipment Operator Mike Drake. Not pictured: Forestry Aide Marlene Padilla. Photo from Carrie Durkee, volunteer at Mendocino Headlands State Park.

In January 2021, California State Parks Volunteer Carrie Durkee noticed the invasion of ice plant at Mendocino Headlands State Park and decided to do something about it. Shortly thereafter, long-term volunteers Winnie Pitrone and Andy Mackey signed up to join the effort. Eventually they named themselves HEART, Headlands Eradication and Restoration Team. They have met weekly ever since, removing invasive plant species from specified areas approved by Senior Specialist Environmental Scientist Terra Fuller.

On Wednesday, March 2, a group of four members of HEART, including Carrie Durkee, the Natural Resources Vegetation Crew, Forestry Aide Taylor Groves, Heavy Equipment Operator Mike Drake, and myself met at the Mendocino Headlands in the morning with a plan. Mike brought the dump truck and the backhoe. We used tarps and wheelbarrows to move all of the ice plant to the road for Mike to scoop and dump into the dump truck and to be composted offsite.

We worked until late in the afternoon and completed our mission. Three dump truckloads full of ice plant were removed from the Mendocino Headlands, just in time for the upcoming whale festival that weekend. It was a great collaboration and a wonderful success.


Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District Volunteer Coordinator Amelia Schall dragging a load of ice plant to the road to be picked up and hauled away. Photo from Carrie Durkee, volunteer at Mendocino Headlands State Park.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve Trail and Visitor Experience Renovation

By: Rene Hamlin, Partnerships Division 

The relationship between California State Parks and Save the Redwoods League has been rooted in the preservation of California’s prized redwood forests for over a century. This partnership continues to grow as the partners work together to enhance park visitors’ experience.
 
Continuing our long-standing partnership, State Parks staff are working with Save the Redwoods League to improve access to and reduce impacts on the ancient stands of coast redwoods at Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve in the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District. The reserve is a gem that might be overlooked by visitors due to its secluded location. However, for those who make the journey they’ll see it is by far one of the most impressive stands of old-growth redwoods, including three of the tallest known trees in all of Mendocino County. 

On July 15, 2021, State Parks staff was joined by Save the Redwoods League at the reserve to review plans for a multimillion-dollar project that includes a 2-mile trail reroute that will give a whole new perspective of the grove from the toe of the slope, along with new picnic areas, increased parking and new interpretive panels. In acknowledging the tremendous support for the project from Save the Redwoods League, Senior Park and Recreation Specialist Bill Maslach stated, “If ‘partnerships’ is in the DNA of State Parks, we can decode the building blocks of this department to reveal that it’s one of the four basic components: the State Parks mission, our capacity for partnerships—particularly with Save the Redwoods League, a spirit of conservation and public engagement. These are our institutional instructions for success. Without them, we can’t evolve.

• T.N.G. Motorsports Guide Service - Folsom Lake State Recreation Area began its new five-year concession contract with T.N.G. Motorsports Guide Service to operate a guided fishing tour service.
   
• Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority – Operating Agreement for the operation of Mount San Jacinto State Park Aerial Tramway and designated portions of Mount San Jacinto State Park (Renewal).  California State Parks and Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority renewed the operating agreement for a 25 year term (4/1/22 through 3/31/47).
   
• City of Pacifica – Operating Agreement for Operation of Pacifica State Beach (renewal) California State Parks and the City of Pacifica renewed the Operating Agreement for a 25 year term (through 1/31/47) for the operation of Pacifica State Beach.
   
• Prelado de los Tesoros de la Purisima renewed Cooperating Association Agreement to support La Purísima Mission State Historic Park
   
• Torrey Pines Docent Society renewed Cooperating Association Agreement to support Torrey Pines State Nature Perserve 
   
• Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association renewed its Cooperating Association Agreement to support Clear Lake State Park. 
   
• Town of Shasta Interpretive Association renewed its Cooperating Association Agreement to support Shasta State Historic Park.

POSTCARDS

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