What can you tell about the flora, fauna, and preserves just by looking down? Join Docent Naturalists Nancy Weintraub, Helena Cohen, and Nick Yatsko for this first hike of a four-season series in which you'll practice your observational skills, remembering to "don't look up". You'll begin by exploring Peters Creek, Jikoji Pond, and the oak forests and grasslands of the Long Ridge Trail. Before descending through the woodlands back to the parking area, you'll stop for a snack and views of the Pescadero Creek watershed at the Wallace Stegner bench. What has fallen from the trees and bushes this winter? What are the signs of the animals roaming the preserves, and what about the little things—the fungi, lichen, and moss? What about signs of people? You'll have an opportunity to see, feel, and hear the undergrowth in a fresh, engaged way as you observe from the ground up.
Meet at Peters Creek Roadside Parking, on the west side of Skyline Boulevard, 3.6 miles north of Highway 9 or 3.3 miles south of Page Mill Road. If you are coming from the north on Skyline Blvd., the pullout is just past Portola Heights Road on the right. From the south, the pullout is near the Palo Alto city limits sign on the right. There is additional parking across Skyline Blvd. at the Grizzly Flat trailhead (Santa Clara County Park).