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CNPS Little Uvas Open Space Preserve Hike, 4/16/22 by Ronald Horii
On 4/16/22, I helped with a hike in Little Uvas Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill, owned by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA). I first got to see the preserve on 10/28/14 during a docent preview, right after the OSA bought it. It was called the Melchor Ranch back then, after the previous owners. (http://www.stpfriends.org/Melchor/MelchorRanch.html). I've been there many times since, sometimes leading private hikes. (http://www.rhorii.com/#Melchor). The preserve covers 285 acres, and it's not regularly open to the public yet, but it's almost like a ready-made park. It has big flat fields by the entrance for parking and wide hard-packed service roads that go around 5 scenic spring-fed ponds. It backs up to densely forested hills that are part of the property. It has serpentine soil that supports native plant species, including some rare and endangered ones. The trails go around low, rolling hills, so the hiking is easy. This is an ideal place for a spring native wildflower hike for the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter (https://www.cnps-scv.org/). This was the description of the event: "Join us at Little Uvas Open Space Preserve (LUOSP) for a couple of hours of botanical exploration in a preserve normally closed to the public. Special access for this hike has been granted by the Open Space Authority. Located in the Southern Santa Cruz Mountains, LUOSP consists primarily of serpentine hardwoods and grasslands. It includes grey pine and oak woodlands among five small spring-fed ponds. We expect to find chia (Salvia columbariae), broomrape (Aphyllon sp.), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), serpentine leptosiphon (Leptosiphon ambiguus), owl’s clover (Castilleja sp.), Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla) and many more spring wildflowers.
Bring binoculars, hand lens, snacks, lunch, and water. Wear sturdy boots and sun protection as we will be on open rocky fire roads of very gradual ascents in intermittent shade." Thanks to Judy Fenerty for proposing the hike and organizing it, with help from other CNPS members. Unfortunately, Judy couldn't make it to the hike. On the morning of the event, rain was predicted. We were considering cancelling it, but the amount of rain predicted was fairly light. It was also supposed to clear up and be sunny by mid-day. We took a chance and held it anyway for anyone who was willing to show up. Almost half the people who signed up did come eventually. While they had to endure the light rain at the start, it turned out to be a nice day. Since I knew the preserve very well, I led the hike. I had help from fellow Friends of Santa Teresa Park members. New OSA docent Youngmee Kim let visitors in the gate. Former OSA docent Joan Murphy signed in the visitors. She's led bat-viewing events here before (https://tinyurl.com/2p9f93e6). County Parks docent and experienced hiker Sam Drake acted as a sweep. We saw lots of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. There were plant experts, including CNPS-SCV past President Vivian Neou, who were able to identify them. I took pictures of parts of the hike. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures of the first part of the hike. It was too hard to take pictures in the rain, trying to keep my lens and camera dry, while leading and talking at the same time. I tried to keep a steady pace to make sure we experienced the wide variety of habitats in the preserve and the kinds of plants they support. We didn't have enough time to do a thorough plant survey, but those who want to do it, can request special access from the Open Space Authority and come back.
On 4/16/22, I helped with a hike in Little Uvas Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill, owned by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA). I first got to see the preserve on 10/28/14 during a docent preview, right after the OSA bought it. It was called the Melchor Ranch back then, after the previous owners. (http://www.stpfriends.org/Melchor/MelchorRanch.html). I've been there many times since, sometimes leading private hikes. (http://www.rhorii.com/#Melchor). The preserve covers 285 acres, and it's not regularly open to the public yet, but it's almost like a ready-made park. It has big flat fields by the entrance for parking and wide hard-packed service roads that go around 5 scenic spring-fed ponds. It backs up to densely forested hills that are part of the property. It has serpentine soil that supports native plant species, including some rare and endangered ones. The trails go around low, rolling hills, so the hiking is easy. This is an ideal place for a spring native wildflower hike for the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter (https://www.cnps-scv.org/). This was the description of the event: "Join us at Little Uvas Open Space Preserve (LUOSP) for a couple of hours of botanical exploration in a preserve normally closed to the public. Special access for this hike has been granted by the Open Space Authority. Located in the Southern Santa Cruz Mountains, LUOSP consists primarily of serpentine hardwoods and grasslands. It includes grey pine and oak woodlands among five small spring-fed ponds. We expect to find chia (Salvia columbariae), broomrape (Aphyllon sp.), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), serpentine leptosiphon (Leptosiphon ambiguus), owl’s clover (Castilleja sp.), Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla) and many more spring wildflowers.
Bring binoculars, hand lens, snacks, lunch, and water. Wear sturdy boots and sun protection as we will be on open rocky fire roads of very gradual ascents in intermittent shade." Thanks to Judy Fenerty for proposing the hike and organizing it, with help from other CNPS members. Unfortunately, Judy couldn't make it to the hike. On the morning of the event, rain was predicted. We were considering cancelling it, but the amount of rain predicted was fairly light. It was also supposed to clear up and be sunny by mid-day. We took a chance and held it anyway for anyone who was willing to show up. Almost half the people who signed up did come eventually. While they had to endure the light rain at the start, it turned out to be a nice day. Since I knew the preserve very well, I led the hike. I had help from fellow Friends of Santa Teresa Park members. New OSA docent Youngmee Kim let visitors in the gate. Former OSA docent Joan Murphy signed in the visitors. She's led bat-viewing events here before (https://tinyurl.com/2p9f93e6). County Parks docent and experienced hiker Sam Drake acted as a sweep. We saw lots of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. There were plant experts, including CNPS-SCV past President Vivian Neou, who were able to identify them. I took pictures of parts of the hike. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures of the first part of the hike. It was too hard to take pictures in the rain, trying to keep my lens and camera dry, while leading and talking at the same time. I tried to keep a steady pace to make sure we experienced the wide variety of habitats in the preserve and the kinds of plants they support. We didn't have enough time to do a thorough plant survey, but those who want to do it, can request special access from the Open Space Authority and come back.
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