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Hunt for Wildflowers and Butterflies in Santa Teresa Park by Ronald Horii
At lunchtime, on April 2, 2015, I went for a hike on the Joice Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. I was going to check out the wildflowers and butterflies. This has been a very strange year, weather-wise. It has caused a crazy wildflower season. Last year, the wildflowers were a month late. This year, they seem to be a month early, but the lack of rain has affected them, and it's been causing the grasses to dry out unusually early. Bernal Hill has traditionally been one of the best wildflower trails in the County Parks because the hill is covered with serpentine soil. The wildflowers usually peak in mid-April. Here it was the start of April, so I went up to see what it was like. I also was hoping to see an elusive and rare butterfly. More on that later.
At lunchtime, on April 2, 2015, I went for a hike on the Joice Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. I was going to check out the wildflowers and butterflies. This has been a very strange year, weather-wise. It has caused a crazy wildflower season. Last year, the wildflowers were a month late. This year, they seem to be a month early, but the lack of rain has affected them, and it's been causing the grasses to dry out unusually early. Bernal Hill has traditionally been one of the best wildflower trails in the County Parks because the hill is covered with serpentine soil. The wildflowers usually peak in mid-April. Here it was the start of April, so I went up to see what it was like. I also was hoping to see an elusive and rare butterfly. More on that later.
