It was good to be back at Malibu Creek State Park for the first time since January. We had so many people show up for the monthly Welcome Walk that we had to split into two groups; I helped Dave lead 26 Boy Scouts on a two hour hike. The Park is looking so good after all the winter rain. Spring is off to a great start!
Several of the coast live oaks along High Road in Malibu Creek State Park broke and toppled in the recent storms. I hung out with one of them for a while this afternoon, enjoying its glowing heart.
#1 question asked at the Visitor Center (usually preceded by “WHOA!”): “Is it real?”
#2 and #3 questions: “How do you get to the M*A*S*H site / Rock Pool?”
Occasionally I don’t know the answer to a question, which sends me off to do research. Right now I’m learning about trapdoor spiders because of a visitor query. More on that to come …
I returned to my favourite MCSP trail for the first time in about six months. I wanted to see how it was handling all the rain, and the answer is .. beautifully! The many tributaries are gushing, the mosses are glowing neon, and the manzanitas are blanketing the woodland floor in white blossoms.
When I pulled into the Park yesterday, I saw a new-to-me flycatcher snaring insects on the wing. The flight pattern drew my attention; if the kingbird hadn’t been actively hunting I might not have noticed it. So pretty, with its lemon yellow underbelly and white chin!
The prickly pear’s in fruit.
There’s a big century-plus old pump at the Park that spent much of its life being flooded by the creek. It’s now been moved to higher ground, and some of the guys are working on sprucing it up, chipping away at decades of rust.
Twenty 7-12 year olds (and their parents) now know the difference between a valley oak and a coast live oak, though hopefully that’s not the only thing they gained from our time together 🌿💚
hashiworks 