Volunteering is Back in Season
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Since reopening our community workdays this fall, we have hosted more than a dozen volunteer events that turned out over 500 people!
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Interns Go Exploring for Insects
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One of the joys of interning at Grassroots Ecology is chasing butterflies through fields!
Read MoreHidden Wildlife is Making a Comeback in Redwood City
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Do you know where you can find over 100 native animal species in downtown Redwood City? Believe it or not, the answer is right downtown!
Read MoreA Win for Local Water Quality
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Down by the creek below Westwind Barn in Los Altos Hills, habitat is flourishing again. In just three years, our staff and volunteers have transformed a creekside area below Westwind’s horse paddocks and stables into a thriving mosaic of native vegetation.
How a Year of Stewardship Changed Local Youth and Lands
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Our Youth Stewards program gives local students the opportunity to safely connect with one another, learn about nature, and make a positive impact in their community. Over the last 14 months, our Youth Stewards had the opportunity to experience and learn about nature in person at a time when most school and summer programs were online.
Read MoreWelcome to our Summer California Climate Actions Corps!
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Meet our three Climate Fellows making a difference this summer
Read MoreWelcome New Board Members!
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We are excited to announce that in the past few months two new Board members have joined our team: Michael Wu and Casey Mullins.
Read MoreFire-Wise Land Stewardship
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It’s officially fire pre-season in California. With our minds on both fire safety and ecosystem health, our staff are working with local parks and open space departments to help them plan their mowing schedules to achieve fuel load reduction goals.
Read MoreRising with the Tides in East Palo Alto
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Sea levels are on the rise all over the globe, including on our local shorelines. Learn about what sea level rise looks like at Cooley Landing and what we are doing to adapt.
Read MoreCommunity Spotlight: Look! Pocket-Sized Butterfly Identification
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Have you been to Byrne Preserve lately? If you have, you may have noticed the many butterflies at the preserve. John Metcalfe, a recent graduate of our California Naturalist program, has created a guide for identifying these important pollinators in a very localized and easy to use way.
Read MoreThinking about Planting?
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Cheyenne is a recent Grassroots Ecology college intern who worked at our Redwood City and East Palo Alto habitat restoration sites. Read her top plants to remove from your yard, as well as her favorite California native plants to include.
Read MoreRestoring our Wetlands for a Changing Climate
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We need marshes now more than ever as we face a changing climate. Marshes provide a buffer between open water and the shore by dissipating wave energy, thus reducing flood risk. They sequester carbon, thus doing their part to reduce the greenhouse effect. And not least of all they provide shelter, forage, and nesting and breeding grounds for birds, mammals, fish and other aquatic life, including many rare and endangered species.
Read More7 Things We Love about Foothills Nature Preserve
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One of the bright spots of 2020 for us was the historic opening of Foothills Nature Preserve to the public (previously called Foothills Park). Since the 1,400 acre preserve’s initial opening in 1965, access was restricted to residents of Palo Alto—until now. As of December 17, this restriction was lifted and the preserve is now open for all to enjoy.
Since Grassroots Ecology has gotten to know the preserve over the past seven years through our habitat restoration efforts, we are excited to share with you our Top 7 List of what makes Foothills Nature Preserve so special— helping you all get ready to enjoy and be stewards of this amazing community space.
Read MoreDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Why Now?
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The racial justice movement––especially its newly annexed crowd of White folks––will have a lot to navigate in the coming months and years. What does it mean to be an ally? To recognize your privilege? What does it look like to take part in building a more just society?
Read MoreMeeting Plants...and Remembering Them
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By regularly walking around our restoration sites at McClellan Ranch Preserve and San Francisquito Creek, I noticed subtle changes of plants as they responded to the dynamic environment that might otherwise go unobserved.
Read MorePrivets and other Pet Peeves
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By Claire Elliott, Senior Ecologist
You may know that Grassroots Ecology’s team has worked for many years to restore habitat in our local parks and preserves. But, did you know we also have projects designed to support nature in our cities? Invasive ornamentals and edibles are a big problem. Three that I am on constant vigil for are Mexican feather grass, Algerian ivy and glossy privet.
Read MoreHow to Stay Rattlesnake Smart this Summer
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By Nikki Hanson, Nursery Manager
Rattlesnakes are very mild-mannered snakes, who go out of their way not to waste a bite on protecting themselves. As long as you give them space and don’t bother them, they will not bother you. As you hike, follow these safety tips to prevent accidentally scaring a rattlesnake.
Read MoreHow to Collaborate with Your Landscape: Creating Fire-Resistant Habitat
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Driving around the Santa Cruz Mountains lately, I have noticed a trend towards denuding the understory, thinning trees, limbing up remaining trees, and chipping everything that can fit through an industrial sized chipper. As a native plant and wildlife lover, it is hard to see such a change in the landscape. But, with a little information, there are some ways to create fire-smart landscapes that retain some of the natural understory, protect property from fire and invasive weeds, and provide for wildlife.
Read MoreAll Creatures, Especially Small
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For many thousands of years before the familiar honeybee arrived, a different and varied set of bees has been hard at work in our local ecosystems. Now more than ever, our native pollinators need our help.
Read MoreCelebrating Paul Heiple: A True “Weed Warrior”
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Paul Heiple is a champion of restoring local ecosystems. For over 20 years, he’s been building a legacy of stewardship by educating others about the natural world. This month, we are celebrating his retirement from Grassroots Ecology.
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