ESF Tidal Exchange, Summer 2020

Tidal Exchange newsletter of the elkhorn slough foundation

summer 2020

ONWARD & UPWARD NEW FOUNDATIONS FOR A HISTORIC STRUCTURE

(cover) The Porter Ranch house gets a boost for repairs; (above) situated on the upper Elkhorn Slough not far from ESF’s Outdoor Classroom, Porter Ranch has been a working ranch since the 1800s

Whenever the Elkhorn Slough Foundation has opened its historic Porter Ranch house to the community — as a venue for Arts Habitat open studios, a quick stop before an ESF wildflower walk, or a staging area for a plein air sketching workshop — enthusiastic visitors invariably exclaim, “I had no idea this place was even here!”

In the coming years we hope that will change.

Lately, though, things have been a bit up in the air Earlier this spring, ESF’s Porter Ranch house got a long-awaited boost. Expert contractors raised the 150 year-old building from its foundation and lifted it 7 feet above the ground. Through the years, the foundations of this historic building have been shifting, sinking, and deteriorating. Only by lifting the whole building could we build a new foundation for this historic structure.

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ELKHORN SLOUGH FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Anne Olsen PRESIDENT

Robert Hartmann VICE PRESIDENT

C. Michael Pinto TREASURER

Bruce Welden SECRETARY

Judith Connor PAST PRESIDENT

Gary Bloom Ed Boutonnet Terry Eckhardt Sandy Hale Emmett Linder Kent Marshall Murry Schekman Laura Solorio, MD Tara Trautsch Mark Silberstein

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The mission of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation is to conserve and restore Elkhorn Slough and its watershed.

We see Elkhorn Slough and its watershed protected forever— a working landscape, where people, farming, industry, and nature thrive together. As one of California’s last great coastal wetlands, Elkhorn Slough will remain a wellspring of life and a source of inspiration for generations to come.

PO Box 267, Moss Landing California 95039 TEL: (831) 728-5939 FAX: (831) 728-7031 www.elkhornslough.org

Tidal Exchange Scott Nichols, Editor Printed on recycled pixels © 2020 Elkhorn Slough Foundation

WELLSPRINGS of HISTORY Looking to the Past to Guide the Slough’s Future

Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Andrea Woolfolk is passionate about historical ecology — using historical documents to deepen our understanding of the land and how people have modified it, and to inform today’s strategies to protect the land for future generations. In the story that follows, Andrea offers a glimpse into the history of freshwater springs around the Elkhorn Slough, illustrating how knowing the past can help us plan for the future.

Freshwater springs are places where groundwater finds its way to the surface, often at the base of steep slopes, but sometimes in floodplains or even in tidal wetlands. Springs can be year-round or seasonal, showing up during the rainy season, and create conditions for wetland plants and wildlife like amphibians.

They can be important water sources for streams, lakes, and wildlife, and are important to people, too.

In the past, freshwater springs were abundant in north Monterey county, and people thought they were important enough to map and write about.

Early Spanish-speaking residents of Monterey County called springs “ojos de aqua” and they appeared in many of the earliest maps of the region. In 1836, Simeon Castro described his Bolsa Nueva rancho, one of the largest land grants in the Elkhorn Slough watershed, as including “a lake which lasts all year [the now reclaimed Merritt Lake] with other springs that dry up.”

In 1869, a local newspaper described the uplands of the Elkhorn Slough as “well timbered and watered … having been abundantly provided with perennial Springs of the best water, gushing out from the hillsides, forming myriads of sparkling brooks and rivulets coursing their silvery threads through the valleys in every direction” So, what happened? Historical ecology offers some clues.

In 1925, the Soil Survey noted that local salt marshes included freshwater springs: “Tidal Marsh … this soil occupies areas of saline tidal flats and tidal marsh … small included areas of peaty soil affected by fresh water from springs or

(left to right) A spring fed pond on ESF’s Renteria Ranch property; a map of Rancho Canada de la Carpenteria, near today’s Carneros Creek at Highway 101, shows three springs (“ojos de agua”) feeding short streams, one of which ends in a small farm field; the green areas in this 1898 survey

by A.T. Herrmann represent “sweet water marsh” fed by small freshwater streams or springs.

minor streams would become very valuable for agriculture if they were reclaimed. This soil occupies large saline marshland areas adjacent to Elkhorn and Moro Cojo Sloughs.”

Locals took the advice to reclaim marshy areas influenced by springs, and expanded on earlier efforts to pump groundwater, irrigating increasing numbers of acres for agriculture. Yet intensive pumping can lower groundwater levels and reduce or even eliminate springs, reducing local streamflow, and leaving some plants and animals without habitat.

In the 1980s, longtime Elkhorn Farm manager Bob Bowen told Mark Silberstein that on today’s Elkhorn Slough Reserve “there used to be springs … [there] was a flowing well and that was the supply of freshwater … it was an artesian well … [but then] the streams all dried up.”

Today, few of the springs mapped or described in historical documents survive. The Elkhorn Slough Foundation is working to restore some of the groundwater lost in the last 100 years. By implementing science-based land management practices, ESF has reduced water use on its 4,000 acres of protected lands by as much as 2,000 acre-feet (about 650 million gallons) of water annually — recharging local aquifers that feed these springs. n

Woven Across Time Slated to open at the Reserve Visitor Center this fall, The Cultural Heritage & Historical Ecology of the Elkhorn Slough: Woven Across Time is a new multimedia project incorporating interactive technology, audio recordings, and historical artifacts.

The new exhibit will weave stories from native peoples, early Spaniards, and current neighbors together with recorded ecological changes. It will feature recordings from our recent oral history project, with interviews of local farmers, families, and neighbors. These stories will complement journal entries, news articles, and other historical artifacts dating back to the 1700s.

We hope you will join us this fall to enjoy this new exhibit — as well as an Evenings at the Estuary presentation on historical ecology

by Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Andrea Woolfolk — and deepen your understanding of the connections between natural and human communities.

This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of a grant from California Humanities.

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DIPNETS & DNA Each spring, freshwater ponds appear throughout the Elkhorn Slough watershed. The life that thrives in these ponds borders on magical: otherworldly crustaceans like clam shrimp and fairy shrimp; strange aquatic insects like diving beetles, backswimmers, water boatmen, damselflies; and, of course, various developmental stages of larval salamanders and tadpoles (with or without lungs, legs, and tails, depending on species and timing). Whether hatching from newly laid eggs or awakening from dormant cysts, these fantastic creatures seemingly materialize from nowhere when the seasonal waters bring them to life.

Endangered California tiger-salamanders and Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders, threatened California redlegged frogs, as well as more ubiquitous Sierran tree frogs (also known as Pacific tree frogs or Pacific chorus frogs) are among the amphibians that lay their eggs, singly or in masses, in these ephemeral ponds. One reason native amphibians favor such ponds is because many aquatic predators that might otherwise devour their eggs and larvae — such as fish and non-native bullfrogs— cannot survive in waters that dry up by late summer.

This is also a reason researchers have such a brief window to study these amazing creatures.

Each year around early April, Reserve researchers take advantage of their fleeting opportunity to document the health of some of the watershed’s most endangered species: the amphibians of Elkhorn Slough. Since 1997, Reserve 4

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researchers have donned waders and grabbed dipnets to record the habitat quality, distribution, relative abundance, and diversity of amphibians at approximately 40 sites on Reserve, Foundation, and privately-held lands.

In addition to netting larval forms, Reserve researchers use a variety of methods to monitor amphibians — including daytime surveys to assess pond size and habitat quality, pit trap and coverboard surveys, evening listening surveys to identify sites used by breeding frogs, and nighttime eye-shine surveys to assess adult population size.

This year, shelter-in-place restrictions prompted Reserve researchers to postpone a new monitoring technology they look forward to implementing in coming seasons: environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys. With eDNA surveys, researchers will collect water samples from various pond sites and, from cells shed in that water, can run DNA assays to detect and identify the types of amphibians inhabiting each pond. Their findings will guide scientists and wildlife managers in conserving endangered amphibians and their habitats.

We’re grateful for your contributions to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, which support amphibian monitoring, conserve freshwater wetlands, restore habitat, and reduce erosion to improve water quality. n (clockwise from top left) ESF Stewardship Director Dash Dunkell joins Reserve researchers Susie Fork and Inger Marie Laursen on a dipnetting survey of Vista Pond on ESF’s Sand Hill Farm; Sierran tree frogs were among the amphibians surveyed; gills fringe the heads of endangered California tiger salamander larvae.

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Fortunately, provisions of our shelter-in-place orders allowed work on existing construction projects to ensure the safety and security of the structures under their care. Our contractors have continued to maintain safety and social distance as they poured new foundations and readied the structure to replace old electrical wiring and aging plumbing beneath the house, which had been perched atop piers of crossties. Once the essential work was completed, we lowered the Porter Ranch house to a safe, sound, and stable foundation.

Ultimately, our goal is to revitalize the Porter Ranch house as a hub of community engagement, and there is still much work to do. Situated on the upper slough near Carneros Creek, Porter Ranch is a place where richly diverse habitats, communities, and opportunities converge — and we are eager to deepen these connections.

The history of Porter Ranch mirrors the history of California. In the 1820s, the land was part of a Mexican Land Grant, Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano, held by the family of General Mariano Vallejo. In 1864, a large portion of the rancho was purchased by John Thomas Porter, an ambitious young businessman who arrived for the Gold Rush and was later appointed Monterey Customs officer by President Lincoln.

Porter passed the land down to his descendants, and Porter Ranch became the home where Tom and Bernice Porter raised their precocious young daughter, Diane. Today, Diane Porter Cooley recalls riding her horse around the sweeping landscape of the Elkhorn Slough watershed—through coastal prairie and along the shores of the estuary.

Porter family photo courtesy of Diane Porter Cooley

Photo by Inger Marie Laursen

Photo by Inger Marie Laursen

Porter Ranch: Onward & Upward

(clockwise from bottom left) Bernice, Diane, and Tom on horseback at Porter Ranch, where they lived since 1927; the skewed angles of a kitchen window frame illustrate sinking foundations in need of repair; to replace floors and foundations, the historic house was lifted 7 feet into the air; when work is complete and health officials ease restrictions, we hope that Porter Ranch house will serve as a hub for community engagement.

As a testament to their commitment to their land and community, Diane and her family donated Porter Ranch to conservation beginning in the 1970s — permanently protecting more than 300 acres and the historic ranch house.

When health officials relax restrictions and our daily activities settle into more familiar rhythms, we hope to share Porter Ranch with our community — as a staging area for wildflower walks and history talks, as a showcase for local arts and cultural exhibits, and as an educational venue for local students who might not otherwise have opportunities to learn about the rich natural and cultural history in their own neighborhood. n tidal exchange

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1,000 TREES ESF Land Steward Ken Collins (also fondly known as ESF’s “Land Dude”) has a vision. By the end of winter, he plans to plant 1,000 native trees on our protected lands in the Elkhorn Slough watershed — an ambitious goal that supports ESF’s work to restore habitat around Carneros Creek.

“Most people understand that trees absorb carbon from our atmosphere and reduce the greenhouse effect,” says Ken. “Yet trees do so much more. Their leaves filter pollution from the air and their roots clean the water. They provide shade and host a range of birds, insects, and amphibians that use trees at various stages in their life cycles.”

MEMBER PROFILE

Rick Fournier

Rick leads an ESF birding walk (2015), photo by Kiliii Yuyan

(above) A cottonwood stake sprouting new growth takes root in its new home on the upper flood banks of Carneros Creek.

In 1991, Rick Fournier participated in a docent training led by Mark Silberstein. He recalls dropping in for visits at the Elkhorn Slough Foundation trailer in those early days, when ESF comprised two staff members and a desk piled high with papers. “The Foundation has always felt like family,” says Rick, remembering the warmth of his reception each time.

Rick served a stint as a Board Member of the Foundation and led successful efforts to engage business and corporate support.

Rick started and coordinated the original Montery Bay Birding Festival, which then received its funding and administrative support from the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. Initially, he had mixed feelings when the Foundation turned over the reins of the annual birding celebration to run as its own independent nonprofit.

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Planting 1,000 trees is no small feat. Yet already this year, Ken and a crew of dedicated volunteers planted more than 700 trees as part of restoring the Carneros Creek floodplain.

Large scale restoration projects require a lot of planting material — more than the Reserve greenhouse or ESF’s Iniguez native plant nursery could grow from seed or cuttings.

“Our solution was to produce live stakes from willow and black cottonwood trees,” says Ken. “Most of these source trees were under power lines and already being suppressed by PG&E. From each tree, we harvested 3–5 stakes that we could plant, allowing the parent tree to re-sprout from its base.”

For now, we are unable to hold events like the birding walk pictured at left.

Yet thanks to Rick, we have a few tips for birding in a time of social distance.

Exercise regularly Use your daily

walk or other outdoor time as an opportunity to get in a little birding.

Study bird structure

Even when a bird is distant or poorly lit, you can often observe the form and structure of its beak, body, and movement.

“That was around the time ESF became a land trust and shifted its focus to conserving land,” Rick recalls. “I remember feeling disappointed at the time, but it was the best decision the Elkhorn Slough Foundation has ever made. Thanks to that, we now have more than 4,000 acres of habitat protected for birds and wildlife.”

While many regular visitors to the slough recognize Rick as the expert birder leading Reserve “Early Bird” tours and ESF birding walks, Rick has also supported the Foundation’s work by surveying several ESF properties — including Seamist, Catellus, and Elkhorn Highlands Reserve — to document their birds and wildlife.

This year, after 25 years of dedicated volunteer service, Rick has stepped back from leading monthly

Taking advantage of early rains, the team planted 1-3 stakes in 300 holes, approximately meter-deep in the upper banks of the Carneros Creek floodplain. Ken is happy to report he has seen explosive growth.

Planting 1,000 trees is a longterm process that requires planning, preparation, and follow-through. Yet the results promise to be lasting and worthwhile.

You can help us plant 1,000 trees (and more) with your gift to support the land-saving work of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. You can also sign up for email updates through Slough Buzz, to receive news about our conservation efforts, community plantings, and volunteer opportunities in the Elkhorn Slough watershed. n

Listen up Quiet your mind and tune

your ears to the songs and calls of our resident and migratory birds.

Hit the books Take advantage of

time at home to study field guides and birding websites.

Enjoy! Whether watching your

backyard bird feeder or the open skies, stay curious, awaken your sense of wonder, and have fun birding!

Early Bird tours to spend time with family and travel to birding hotspots, among other pursuits. Rick is also finding ways to enjoy birding in a time of “social distance.”

Rick remains an active Reserve docent and Foundation volunteer, and we are deeply grateful for his dedication and commitment to birding and the Elkhorn Slough. We wish him happy birding, and hope he will always regard himself as we do — an esteemed member of the Elkhorn Slough family. n

Farmers Jesus Calvillo (left) and Javier Zamora (right) deliver organic produce grown on ESF-protected lands to Hall School Food Service Coordinator Connie Norris for a program that feeds 500 people two meals daily

SLOUGH VIEW

Healthy Lands, Helping Hands Mark Silberstein, ESF Executive Director

We’ve been wondering how to connect the work we do to the crisis at hand. I firmly believe that our work is slow-motion health care. Without healthy environments, we know our earth tenure will be shortened. At the same time, during a pandemic, we depend on fast-motion health care for our survival and the survival and health of global human communities.

I was approached by a donor who asked if we could link these elements. Thinking globally, acting locally. He put up $5,000 and challenged us to double that. We thought about the farmers working on lands protected by our efforts who were impacted by reduction in demand for crops. We also thought about the kids from Hall School in Las Lomas, who no longer were able to visit the land across from their school and gather under the spreading oak that shades ESF’s Carneros Creek Outdoor Classroom.

We thought about their families impacted by the sudden loss of jobs and income. Las Lomas is designated a “Disadvantaged Community” and has many low-income and vulnerable families.

The link is Hall District Elementary School, a hub for families with school-age children. We have partnered with two of the farmers who cultivate protected land just across the road from the school. We’ve used the contributed funds to buy fresh organic produce from the farmers who deliver it to the school where it is distributed with the meals. Since mid-March, the program has provided two meals, five days a week to about 500 people at Hall District Elementary. Protecting fields, farms, natural lands, waterways and groundwater is health care. Delivering healthy food to the families of the students we have bonded with is a good link between the slow-motion version of our work and the real-time needs right now. n tidal exchange

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Elkhorn Slough Foundation P.O. Box 267 Moss Landing, CA 95039

elkhornslough.org/donate

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Threats to the environment don’t rest while we’re sheltered in place. That’s why our stewardship team is hard at work in the field during this crisis (while strictly adhering to CDC guidelines), restoring native habitat throughout the watershed, and preparing for a wildfire season that CAL FIRE expects will be especially challenging.

Now, more than ever, we need your support. If you’re able, please consider supporting this vital restoration work, our ongoing operations, and our partnership with local farmers to provide fresh produce to the students and families of Hall District Elementary School.

o Yes! I’d like to make a special gift today to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. o Make mine monthly! I’d like to become a monthly member through Sustaining the Slough.

We hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy throughout the crisis, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Elkhorn Slough when we reopen. Thank you! (above) Elkhorn Slough panorama by Edmund Lowe Photography; (below) Southern sea otter, photo by Penny Palmer

Elkhorn Slough Reserve is closed to the public in compliance with shelter-in-place orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Our normal hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm. We hope you’ll join us for a visit or an event when health officials deem it safe to reopen. For more information and updates, visit elkhornslough.org.

Check out these events happening LIVE on the Reserve’s Facebook page (facebook.com/elkhornsloughreserve):

First Sat. each month, 1pm | Weaving Yesterdays Explore the rich tapestry of history from Elkhorn Slough’s storied past.

LIVE on the Reserve Facebook page. (@elkhornsloughreserve)

Saturday, May 30, 1pm | Under the Microscope Investigate the microscopic creatures inhabiting the mudflats LIVE on the Reserve Facebook page.

June 6–14 | Invasive Species Action Week Be a habitat hero and remove invasive species! Crafts, videos, and more!

Follow the Elkhorn Slough Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for photos, updates, and video. It’s the next best thing to being here!

GOING the DISTANCE Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or a student (of any age) — the Reserve has compiled a slew of fun and fascinating digital resources for at-home learners.

Monitor sea otters on the OtterCam, take a virtual field trip with a naturalist, or make science crafts with stuff you have at home! It’s all happening at elkhornslough.org!

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