The Ridge Trail Cruz will be held Saturday, Sept 29. The Cruz is the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s second annual trail event for hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians, beginning at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve.

The "Cruz" features a long section of the Ridge Trail, highlighting the fact that 300 miles of the projected 550-mile trail are already open for use. It also encourages community members to enjoy this recreational amenity by providing a fully supported and organized day on the trail. As part of the program again this year, a family hike suitable for children will be featured, and families are enthusiastically encouraged to attend.

Hikers may choose to go on a 12-mile hike, or up to 24 miles. A bus will shuttle hikers south to a Santa Clara County Park or the District’s Saratoga Gap Preserve so they can hike north on the return. There are two mountain bike options in District preserves for participants. Equestrians are welcome. Rest stops, water, lunch, snacks, a detailed map, and outing leaders are provided, plus bus transportation for hikers.

The fee is $40. Attendance is limited and advance registration is required.  Start time depends on the activity selected.  By joining the optional CruzAthon, participants can raise funds through pledges and receive special gifts.  Event proceeds will benefit the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s efforts to complete the proposed 550-mile trail.

Registration is open to the public at www.ridgetrail.org

The Bay Area Ridge Trail, when completed, will be a 550-mile trail encircling the San Francisco Bay along the ridge tops, and open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts of all types. The Council has dedicated over 300 miles of trail, which is permanently protected for public enjoyment.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is the nonprofit organization that plans, acquires, builds, maintains, and promotes the Ridge Trail. www.ridgetrail.org <

The Council welcomes volunteers to work at rest stops along the route on the day of the event, or to assist with other preparations. Please contact Joel Gartland, the Council’s Volunteer Coordinator at (415) 561-2595 or [email protected].

Ocean enthusiasts and members of the public are invited to attend an upcoming general interest meeting of the Surfrider Foundation San Mateo County Chapter. 

Straw Hat Pizza, 549 Oceana Boulevard, Pacifica, CA 94044
Monday, September 24, 2007, 7:30 pm

Marine biologist Bob Breen, a member of the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group appointed by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to assist in the second phase of implementing the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA).

San Mateo County Chapter general interest meetings are a place to hear from remarkable speakers on interesting or hot topics in a comfortable setting. Attendees will meet like-minded individuals, contribute to the discussion, and learn more about the issues and challenges that face our coast and ocean. 

At this meeting, attendees will learn how to become involved in the MLPA Initiative, upcoming San Mateo County chapter activities, volunteer opportunities and community events, as well as the role of the chapter to safeguard and enhance the quality of surfriding environments and public access to such areas, and to educate the public regarding the importance of the oceans’ waves as recreational resources and the need to preserve surfriding sites for future generations.

This year was again a great success due to the wonderful enthusiasm of all the people who turned up to participate.

Here are some images from the California Coastal Clean Up Day event at Montara State Beach and Grey Whale Cove.

42 Volunteers (many kids as well which was great) turned up on Saturday from all over the Bay Area, some even came from as far as the East Bay, to help collect over 600 lbs of trash from Montara Beach, the bluffs, Grey Whale Cove and the roadside along Highway One.

Along with the usual collection of plastic bottles, bags and hundreds of cigarette butts and a sofa the most unusual item found was a Smith & Wesson .40 shell casing from a hand gun, creepy.

Kevin Stokes
MontaraBeach.com

Do you ever worry about ocean pollution? Here is a great opportunity to do something about it! Each year, the first rain event of the season washes urban pollutants off of the streets and into storm drains, eventually entering the Monterey Bay and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries.

We need your help to collect water samples from storm drain outfalls in Half Moon Bay and El Granada during the first major rain of the season. No experience is necessary. We need many volunteers to collect water samples (day or night)!

Join us for the training in Half Moon Bay on Sunday, September 23 from 1 to 4pm. During the training, volunteers will be informed about common urban pollutants, and how to collect samples and use monitoring equipment. For more information or to participate, contact Christy Walker at (650) 712-8948.

Christy Walker
Education Specialist
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Saturday, Coastsiders can can drop off electronic waste anytime Saturday at the Coastside Farmer’s Market at Shoreline Station from 8:30am to 2pm, or one hour after the market closes.

They will accept all home electronic devices, TV’s, VCR’s, stereo equipment—but the focus is on computer equipment. Most people don’t know they can recycle all those advertising CD’s, old floppies, TV remotes, charger packs for phones they don’t have anymore—the electro-junk that fills their drawers and garages. Do you have old fax machines, printers or scanners lying around they don’t quite know what to do with? Here is your chance to make some space in the kitchen drawer for the can openers—or on your desk for photos of Spot and Rex.

This is a terrific service to the community that you should take advantage of. If you miss this event, you should also know that the Goodwill station near the Linda Mar shopping center in Pacifica also takes electronics for recycling.

The Board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District will consider adopting the District’s revised Good Neighbor Policy [info page and pdf link] at a public meeting on September 26, 2007 in Los Altos.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007
7:30 p.m.
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos, CA 94022

According to MROSD’s press release:

The District’s current Good Neighbor Policy was adopted by the Board of Directors in October 1988 and amended in August 1996. The revised Policy was drafted with the extensive help of local communities. It covers a variety of topics, including the protection of privacy on adjoining private lands, public involvement in policy development and the use and management decision-making process, and natural resource management issues, such as controlling invasive, non-native species.

Yesterday morning I walked from the Poplar Ave parking lot to the big ravine a half mile south where the steps are planned to be built, and was surprised to see many dozens of Black Shouldered Kites [photo], easily 70 either sitting in groups of a dozen to three dozen (I’ve never seen this before with this species), while four or five other species of hawks also flew about or rested in the area: Northern harriers, Red tails, Red shouldered, Sharp shinned hawks and kestrels were all on display.

Well worth your time to see this amazing occurrence that may not last long—there can’t possibly be enough game to sustain the numbers for any time at all. Take a good pair of binocs.

Ken King
Half Moon Bay