Thanks to a long history of open space protection in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, many beautiful rural coastal vistas have been saved from development. Recently, 170 land managers from these counties, representing private, governmental, and nonprofit organizations, gathered at the Coastal San Mateo Stewardship Conference in Half Moon Bay to learn more about the challenges they collectively encounter in managing and restoring these lands. They discussed how to manage invasive plants, control erosion, and utilize the counties’ limited water resources. The group came to the consensus that caring for these protected areas through land stewardship remains as important as land acquisition and that participants need to continue working together to develop an effective stewardship strategy. To learn more about the topics covered or the organizations represented at the Coastal Conference, contact Marilyn Smulyan at (415) 648-4062.
One of the conference’s cosponsors, the Committee for Green Foothills, celebrates 40 years of open space advocacy and education in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties this year. The Committee’s anniversary celebration, which takes place at Ridge Winery on Sunday, September 8, will begin with a docent-led hike along Monte Bello Ridge and end with dinner and an auction. To learn more about the Committee’s history and its anniversary celebration, call (650) 968-7243 or visit www.greenfoothills.org.
