Tidal Exchange
Another Piece o� the P��le
from Ridgeline to Tideline
Executive Director Mark Silberstein looks across the slough from a sandstone bluff atop the 107-acre Sand Hill Farm, the latest piece of property conserved by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. The panoramic view extends from the hillside over the slough to the Pacific horizon, revealing the rich patchwork of habitats ESF is working to protect. Below the ridgeline, a tangle of manzanita yields to brushy coastal scrub; rows of strawberries sweeten on sunny south-facing slopes across from shaded oak woodlands; native wildflowers peek out from coastal grasslands that seem to float above the water’s edge; and, at the cosmic center of it all, the estuary winds through tidal marsh and mudflats on its way to the sea. On a clear day, you can see forever — perhaps into the future. “Sand Hill Farm is a key piece of the conservation puzzle here, linking the 1,700-acre Elkhorn Slough Reserve with a 3-mile corridor of conserved land in the Elkhorn Highlands. By restoring native habitat and creating a sustainable organic farm, we can protect wildlife, wetlands and water quality in the estuary,” says Mark. ESF is 80% of the way toward completing the $2 million effort to Continued on page 6
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Protecting Sand Hill Farm
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