 I was a recent participant in the Beach Watch training program in connection with the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association and it was an experience I will never forget. I cannot say enough about this program and how fortunate I am to be a part of this team. The devotion of the FMSA training staff was inspirational to say the least and the volunteers who participated were an outstanding wealth of information! I spend so much of my time observing and touring the Mendonoma Coast that when I heard of the Beach Watch program I knew instantly that this would be a great way for me to personally contribute and give back to this special and significant region of the world. The Beach Watch program was an intensive 4 days (with more training to come). It was also a weekend of giving and receiving which is everything my tours with Unbeaten Path represent to me. I am honored and proud to have been part of this training as well as the ongoing efforts to survey, protect, and understand this coast. I have been assigned Walk On Beach and will be surveying this section of the coast on a monthly basis! Click here to learn more about the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association! Below is an excerpt of an article from The Independent Coast Observer (ICO) about the Beach Watch program and was written by Beach Watch volunteer and ICO reporter, Meg Kailikole. Thank you, Meg! Twenty-two local volunteers were the first graduates of the Mendonoma Coast Beach Watch program sponsored by the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association in partnership with the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, completing an intensive four-day training session from Nov. 6 - Nov. 9th. Graduates learned how to conduct a shoreline survey, to properly collect and record data on live and dead birds and marine mammals, as well as document human activity. The data collected by Beach Watch volunteers provides a long tern database of information used by scientists and natural resource managers to study and help manage and protect natural habitats and wildlife … Since 1993 Beach Watch has monitored 150 miles of California Shoreline from Bodega Head through Año Nuevo State Park Reserve in San Mateo County, collecting data on the abundance and distribution of wildlife and human use on 142 beach segments and adjacent waters. According to Kirsten Lindquist of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, the program is expanding from Bodega Head to Manchester Beach in Mendocino County, adding 61 miles and 16 new beach segments to its survey area. …
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For the first time ever in the state of California, Unbeaten Path has partnered with renowned artist, Susan Routledge, and her Barking Rocks Studio & former Millard Sheets estate for a Tour De Force you will never forget! Connecting People to Place, this exclusive tour provides private access to the work of renowned artist, Susan Routledge, and one of the most magnificent sections of the southern Mendocino coastline not normally accessible to the public. Tour with Susan as she takes you through her personal art gallery and working studio, view her custom art demonstration and tour areas of the estate as well as some of the works & collections of Millard Sheets! Please see our media brochure for further details. This is a one-of-kind tour for art, architecture, nature enthusiasts and Millard Sheets fans alike! WOW! Advanced reservations required for group bookings only (6 people min). Contact Unbeaten Path Tours by Telephone: 707 888 6121 or email us directly [email protected] This is a truly moving, powerful and sensational tour. We are very pleased to be working with Susan and her Barking Rocks Studio. A total honor.   Protect the Field Station in Stornetta National MonumentRecently, members of our local Gateway Committee in Point Arena, CA, that works with BLM to provide input and to ensure city involvement in the development and management of our recently dedicated Stornetta California Coastal National Monument, attended the Mendocino Lake College Board of Trustees meeting last Wednesday to represent their view regarding the sale of the Point Arena Field Station to BLM and why this field station should be permanently protected! Their statement can be seen in the editorial sections of our local newspaper and we encourage you to support this measure. Below is the Gateway group's formal statement and opinion regarding the preservation of the Point Arena Field Station. Save the Point Arena Field Station by Preserving it in the California Coastal National Monument We too want to save the Point Arena Field Station and appreciate that it is a unique and valuable resource that should be permanently protected. That’s why it should become part of the California Coastal National Monument, joining the Point Arena –Stornetta Unit as a federally recognized national treasure.
For over two years the sale of the former LORAN station that is now surrounded by the national monument has been discussed with those of us who are partners with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the California Coastal National Monument Point Arena Gateway Group. The buildings at the station are in serious need of repair and the rehabilitation costs are estimated at between one and two million dollars. Mendocino-Lake College District, finding even maintenance expenses in this exposed coastal environment to be a serious drain on its budget, actually initiated the proposed sale to BLM. Everyone agrees that the state-owned tide pools of the station’s cove must remain inaccessible to the public. BLM has offered to protect this area with fencing and signage identifying it as a Special Study Area and closed to the public (as some areas of the Point Arena Unit are currently protected). Furthermore, the college is considering “reserving” access to the tide pools, legally blocking public access under trespass statute. The valuable research and long term studies will be allowed to continue as a condition of the sale. Additionally, several options have been identified that would reserve some of the buildings such as the classroom/lab building and the houses. This would reduce the $1.5 million sale price to some extent, although considering the poor condition of the buildings, they may be more a liability than a value. An appraisal is now underway to take into account these various options. The college has determined that $40 to $50 thousand a year will be necessary to maintain the buildings once they are renovated. Even this expense is considerable for a facility that serves between 11 to 100 district college students a year. We hope that other academic institutions that use the facility will help defray these costs and allow the buildings to be preserved for education, research, field trips and for a full-time caretaker. We would hate to see the college lose this opportunity to save and maintain this facility. The $1.5 million Land and Water Conservation Fund allocation will expire in December of this year. This funding will not come our way again. These funds were secured because of the national monument designation and all the outreach, advocacy and publicity that went into this effort. Furthermore a key decision-maker in the allocation of these funds, who helped make the acquisition of the Point Arena Lands possible, is retiring this year. We urge the Friends of Point Arena Field Station and the College Board of Trustees to work quickly toward closing a sale agreement that would: Save the pristine tide pools; Retain the education and research; Provide funding to restore the necessary structures. Let’s go forward to make this happen – Save the Point Arena Field Station! Leslie Dahlhoff, Point Arena Merita Whatley, Point Arena Lori Hubbart, Point Arena Susan Moon, Point Arena Good Monday to you all and we hope all is well. The Unbeaten Path has been a very busy bee these past weeks. Here are some of the highlights and their details below:
First and foremost, one of our beloved locals, Jeanne Jackson, has released her first book and it is selling like gangBUSTERS! Her book is called "Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year" with incredible photography, interesting "fun facts" about nature in our region and much, much more. It is an incredible compilation of her work with our local paper, the Independent Coast Observer, over the past ten years. This is a great book and a real treasure. Unbeaten Path is glad to have had their review of her book quoted by our local book store Four Eyed Frog Books - Join Four Eyed Frogs this Father's Day, June 14th, 3pm-4pm for a personalized book signing! 
After the Mendocino Wildflower Show this weekend I was inspired to hike the redwood forest to look for some of my favorite forest dwelling wildflowers and plants. Today we feature the Trail Plant (also called Pathfinder Plant), or Adenocaulon bicolor. When their dark green, triangular leaves are disturbed or turned over their bright, white under-leaf is displayed and one can easily follow the trail of another passing through the woods or mark their own way with it's leaves. How cool is that?? The trail plant is a perennial that regenerates each year, forming what appears to be a low hovering mat of leaves in the shadowed areas under trees and along fallen logs or trails. Their big leaves allow moisture to collect under them along the forest floor and duff which helps to decompose organic matter. In addition to their leaves, there is a single slender stem that shoots up to about three feet tall that extends out to tiny white flowers that make their appearance from June to September. The tiny fruit that grows at the end of the stem have tiny hairs that cling to pant legs to be transported through the forests.
The Spring weather has been PERFECT to make for a memorable and incredible tour this Memorial Day Weekend. Our Stornetta Tour offers a very peaceful and special area where one can reflect on the honor and sacrifice of those that served to protect us. Please see our Stornetta Tour details below. In addition to a memorable tour there are many things to do in our local area this weekend. Here are some of our top picks for things this to do during the holiday weekend: Saturday
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AND, OF COURSE … wonderful walk in nature with a knowledgable guide that can show you all the best spots for a memorable and ever lasting experience! Book your Stornetta Tour TODAY with the Unbeaten Path.
YOU, TOO! Can be a part of our highly valued customer testimonials. Take a tour and see for yourself! Visit our Hiking Tours Page for more testimonials! STORNETTA LANDS TOUR (voted a top destination to visit in the world by New Your Times!) Located just north of Bowling Ball Beach and the town of Point Arena in Mendocino County, Stornetta is a very special place abundant in significant natural resources, including important wildlife habitats, several riparian corridors, extensive wetlands, cypress groves, meadows and sand dunes. WOW! The coastal cliffs and sea stacks (as shown in picture below) make for great photography and breathtaking views! View seals, whales, sea birds and more! A wonderful and protected environment we are very fortunate visit! See our Hiking Tours page to view more details about this very special hiking tour! Get your boots on because this is a must see! Today I celebrate our dearest love of a pug, Mr. Knuckles - my little harlequin eyes! He will have lived a mere 9 years and 3 months but his life was mighty. We will help this loving lunk of a pug pass to the heavens today and I am and will be forever grateful to the Gods that brought this incredible creature into our life. He was always happy, devoted, giving of hugs, a worry wort and always so loving. I thank you, Knuckles, from the bottom of my heart for always taking the time to show dinner guests a pair of my undergarments that you snatched from the laundry bin - always sure to remind me never to be too proud! You helped me be REAL! We will miss your kisses, hugs and the way you would mouth our hands when we came home after a long day… your mouth hugs will forever be missed. Thank you for protecting your sister, Bubble. She always did look up to you. Our sadness is selfish because you gave us so much happiness. All we can give you in return is our loving embrace while you pass peacefully in our arms.  Today, on the day of the Boston marathon - this post goes out to our wonderful tour guests this past Friday! Such a great couple, such a great time and so nice to talk about Boston - we are all transplants out here and the first thing they said to me when we met was "this reminds us of New England" and I totally understood what they meant. To me, living here is like home but notched up on the dramatic scenery scale. It was such a pleasure to talk with them and share information about this magical place I now call home. Thank you Cindy and Tom and we hope you return soon. Truly! 
No seed ever sees the flower - Zen saying The diversity of flora species found within Salt Point in northern Sonoma County is truly unparalleled and so is our Wildflower Tour! You definitely do not want to forget your camera for this one! We discuss the specific flora species, take you to the best places for photo opportunities as well as give you background on the history, geology and little known facts of this fantastic place! Remember, the photos below can be taken by you as well! We are now coming into wildflower season (through early June) so book a wildflower tour today before it's too late! Don't miss out on this incredible beauty because it is not meant to be wasted!  Our tours encompass the best of both worlds from the beautiful northern Sonoma coast into the natural raw beauty of the southern Mendocino coast. Who could ask for a better playground? Each day is different and wonderful! From Salt Point, Sonoma, to Point Arena, Mendocino, we offer an experience that adds a brighter, bigger and more meaningful perspective to your visit! 2014 has been very special so far. So much has been growing and happening with Unbeaten Path and we are excited to be a part of the Visit Mendocino visitors directory. Currently, we are working with a number of Mendocino Inns and hotels and have recently been linked on the Fensalden Inn website! Thank you, Fensalden Inn & Molli, for partnering with us and listing us as an area attraction! We look forward to receiving your guests and appreciate your friendship!  Stornetta California National Monument, Point Arena, Mendocino. |
AuthorMadge Malone in her blogging zone! Categories
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