In late spring, California’s grasslands begin their annual transformation from lush spring-green into the golden hues of summer. If you look carefully, you might see hundreds of showy pink, rose, red, and purple blooms scattered like jewels amidst the tall grasses in the drying-out landscape. These flowers are Clarkia, named after Captain William Clark of...
On May 14, the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission unanimously approved an innovative 40-unit affordable housing project for senior farmworkers in Half Moon Bay’s downtown business district, at 555 Kelly Avenue. Green Foothills has advocated in support of this project, which is an important step in addressing the dire need for farmworker housing in a...
Former Congressman, environmental champion, and former Green Foothills board member, Paul N. “Pete” McCloskey, died on May 8 at age 96. Pete served on the Board of Green Foothills in 1963, and was a Green Foothills Nature’s Inspiration Honoree in 2010. Pete McCloskey was one of the most principled people that I have ever known....
Did you know that San Mateo County Parks are home to 138 rare, threatened, and endangered species? County Parks natural resource managers are responsible for ensuring that these species continue to survive in the face of climate change, which is bringing hotter, drier seasons, increased fire risk, greater extremes in precipitation patterns, and rising seas....
After years of effort, the rural farmworker community of Pescadero will get safe drinking water for its local school and a solution for its flooded-out fire station. In December, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved an amendment to the county’s Local Coastal Plan that will allow the 50-year old Pescadero Fire Station to be relocated...
January 23, 2024 marked the anniversary of the tragic mass shooting of seven farmworkers at two farms in the Half Moon Bay area, which focused public attention on the disgraceful living conditions for many farmworkers. A year later, while there is still much to do, we are heartened by the significant progress that’s been made...
Half Moon Bay’s efforts to ban e-bikes on the Coastal Trail may be thwarted by a new state law. But there is a possible solution that will be a win-win for everyone involved: redesigning the Coastal Trail to include both paved surfaces for bikes and e-bikes, and unpaved surfaces for pedestrians. This would increase safety,...
California’s coastal bluffs, cliffs, and iconic beaches face a perilous future, as rising seas and hammering waves, fueled by climate change, are causing increased rates of shoreline erosion. Many beaches have been impacted by shoreline “protection” structures such as sea walls, revetments and rip-rap (boulders) that were installed in hopes of protecting coastal development. Ironically,...
Coastal wetlands are too valuable to lose. They filter our water, help protect coastal communities from floods and sea level rise, and preserve biodiversity. That is why Green Foothills speaks up for protection of wetlands and the wildlife that depends on them whenever development is proposed that may encroach into required buffer zones. Wetlands...
If you are seeking an experience of quiet contemplation of nature, there’s no better place than a grove of coast redwoods. If you are lucky enough to find one that is off the beaten path, the first thing you might notice is that you seem to be treading more softly and lightly, as your footsteps...
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