BLM” width=”1000″ height=”667″> Coast Dairies property in Santa Cruz County. Cows still graze on the wide flat first marine terrace. Photo: BLM

The Grasses that Feed the Cows

In the late 1700s Spanish missionaries caused significant changes to the California landscape by introducing European plants and animals. Grazing lands were created by burning on lowland slopes to support large numbers of cattle, horse and sheep.

Prior to European settlement, grasses in the Monterey Bay area were primarily perennial bunch grasses such as purple needlegrass. Patches of native grasses can still be found, especially on rougher terrain that is inaccessible to grazing and cultivation. These grasses, though able to recover from a burn, do not tolerate repeated grazing. Thus exotic plants, originating in the Mediterranean, took hold and spread outward from Monterey—the main site of Spanish activity.

Accounts show that by 1846 landscapes had been noticeably changed and non-native species like wild oats, filaree, wild mustard, wild radish, foxtail, and burclover had taken hold on much of the coastal California landscape. This didn’t bother the cattle, who ate whatever grasses they found and ultimately helped create an industry based on leather, meat, and milk.

Changing Land Ownership and Three Early Divas of Dairy

While the influence of European grasses was dominating the landscape in the late 1840s, the political influence of Spain waned. When the Mexican government seized control of the missions from Spain, they divided the vast amount of land held by each mission into large land grants known as “ranchos.” In Santa Cruz, ranching and cattle grazing was concentrated in in two main areas: from the City of Santa Cruz to the San Mateo County line, and from Aptos to the southern boundary of the Pajaro Valley.

Cows grazing on the north coast near Año Nuevo area, which was in Santa Cruz County until 1868 when it became part of San Mateo County. Photo: Santa Cruz Public Library

Unusual for the time, three women held ownership of significant ranching tracts in northern Santa Cruz. Rancho Refugio (twelve thousand acres along the north coast) ended up in the ownership of the three Castro sisters whose father, Jose Joaquin Castro, was a member of the 1775-6 Anza Expedition from Sinaloa, Mexico. Via marriage, the eldest sister, Maria Candida Castro Bolcoff was also owner for a time of Rancho San Agustin, which includes the area of present day Scotts Valley. The Castro sister’s properties would later become Wilder Ranch, Coast Dairies State Park, and part of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

A Tale of Displacement

The Spanish “missionized” and displaced the native people living in California and Santa Cruz (link to MR articles on this) beginning in the late 1700s. Spain was then removed from power and influence when Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821 and seized power of California. The Mexicans were displaced themselves by a second wave of European born immigrants following the end of Mexican-American War in 1848.

The US government said it would honor all of the existing Mexican land grants. However, the owners of the Mexican ranchos were forced to file claims with the federal Public Land Commission for patents to their properties. The arduous, expensive process resulted in numerous patent disputes, rejected claims, and an opportunity for savvy salesmen who understood the property laws to turn a quick profit in real estate in the Golden State. By the 1870s, much of the Mexican rancho land in Santa Cruz County had been divided into parcels and sold to American homesteaders, gold miners, and immigrants.
The result was that the coastal ecosystems of California and Santa Cruz, and much of its grassland, underwent huge change in a 100 year period, from wild land with only native species of plants and animals managed by native peoples, to land management by settlers of European descent, immense ranchos dominated by non-native grasses and animals, and ultimately division into small farms or mines.

L. K. Baldwin Dairy Ranch circa 1847. Baldwin was a county supervisor and president of the Santa Cruz City Bank. Photo: Santa Cruz Public Library

The Early Dairy Business

One of the most widely recognized dairies in the area is Wilder Ranch, now a California State Park. In 1871, Wilder and his business partner, L. K. Baldwin purchased 4,030 acres, established a dairy, and quickly acquired a reputation for making the finest butter in the region. Despite the dissolution of the partnership and the splitting of the ranch into two properties in 1885, Wilder continued to expand his dairy and revolutionize the industry. Wilder harnessed the power of water on his ranch, and replaced a steam wheel, the conventional method for generating power at the time, with a Pelton water wheel. This Pelton wheel powered everything on the ranch, from the two cream separators to the incandescent lights that illuminated the entire property. The ranch did not produce any cheese but sold milk, cream, and butter in large quantities throughout the county.

A bottle top for milk from Beach City Creamery. Image: Cynthia Matthews

Wilder Ranch was but one of numerous family-owned dairies on the North Coast, many of the families having Swiss and Italian heritage. Wilder’s neighbor, Pio Scaroni, came to the United States from Gordola, Switzerland in 1868 and was known for his Fancy Flat cheddar cheese rounds, each weighing 24 pounds. At the height of production, Scaroni Ranch produced 300 pounds of cheese per day. Slightly further north along Highway One was the Winterhalder family ranch at Yellow Bank, known today as Panther Beach.

The region produced a wide variety of cheese including aged cheddars, a catch-all “American cheese,” Swiss cheese, and the newly-invented Monterey Jack. Monterey Jack originated in Monterey County, most likely developed by Franciscan Missionaries, and was made famous by businessman come dairyman David Jacks. Local food historian and cookbook author Nikki Silva estimates that from 1860 to 1960 there were more than 100 dairies in the greater Santa Cruz region.

Ice Cream, Begonia Scream

One of the pioneers of ice cream production in Santa Cruz, County was James Brown who in 1911, purchased a five-acre parcel of land along 41st Avenue in Capitola. He began with fourteen registered Guernsey heifers and one bull. He built a dairy, and fed the cattle only weed-free feed. His dairy business flourished: he bottled and delivered milk throughout Santa Cruz, and opened several creameries under the name “Moo Cow Ice Cream.”

Four ads for Santa Cruz ice creameries. Image: Agricultural History Project.

Brown actually had a lot more than grazing going on at his ranch. Initially, he grew strawberries, but within three years he abandoned strawberries for begonia bulbs. He quickly became an international producer of begonia bulbs, and is the inspiration behind today’s Begonia Festival, and other fresh cut flowers that we associate with Capitola. Incidentally, his weed-free fertilizer business also did quite well.
Moo Cow Ice Cream was a hit both locally and internationally. Brown eventually opened and operated eleven ice cream shops spanning four counties. In addition to the stores, Brown negotiated a deal to include his Moo Cow Ice Cream in the dining cars of the Southern Pacific Railroad. In the 1920s, the Brown Ranch was the leading producer of ice cream in the county. Brown Ranch Marketplace and the Capitola Mall are now located at the site of the original Brown Ranch, which some locals still refer to as “Brown’s Bulb Ranch”.

Marianne’s Ice Cream on 1020 Ocean Street. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Ice-Creameries of Today

Going out for ice cream can be a delightful treat, and buying artisan ice cream from a local creamery is as popular now as it was in the early 20th century. People from Santa Cruz loved their ice cream then and do to this day, as one can often witness an impassioned debate over the merits of each local creamery. However, there is no need to choose between Penny Ice Creamery or Marianne’s Ice Cream, Mission Hill Creamery or Polar Bear. If you spend time in Santa Cruz, you can enjoy them all.

Get the Book

This post was written by The Santa Cruz Heritage Food Project and is just one piece of their research on the history and culture of Santa Cruz County through the lens of food. Their book, featuring history and  recipes starring many of the major crops of the Santa Cruz region, should be available Fall 2017. Please contact them at SCHeritageFoods@gmail.com with questions.

“Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Located next to the Clock Tower in downtown Santa Cruz. Photo: Paul babb

I think it is fair to say that when we see a historical memorial, we expect a fairly simple, direct statement about the past. The idea is that by putting something in stone or casting it in bronze, the artist or a community seeks to convey a clear message to future generations. But not all monuments are so transparent. Here in Santa Cruz we have a monument that has hidden meanings. The clues are there to uncover them, if you know how to look.

Next to the clock tower, at the intersections of Front, Pacific and Water streets, there is a monument called Collateral Damage. It looks Picasso-esque, and if you look for awhile you can make out human figures clutching each other closely and looking up to the sky. The plaque mounted on the base reads,

“Collateral Damage: A Reality of War, by E.A. Chase.
In memory of civilians who have died in all wars.”

“Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

One of the plaques on “Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

The plaque also tells us the statue was dedicated on August 5, 1995 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Bill Motto Post, the Resource Center for Non-Violence, the City of Santa Cruz, and E.A. Chase.

“Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Located next to the Clock Tower in downtown Santa Cruz. Photo: Paul babb

So what’s the hidden meaning? The statue may be the only monument in the United States to commemorate the victims of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. E.A. Chase, the sculptor, was born in 1932 and served in the armed forces during the Korean War. After the war he became increasingly alarmed at the nuclear arms race, so in 1959 he created a statue meant to viscerally convey the meaning of nuclear war in the form of the civilian deaths it would incur. In fact, this statue was meant not just to warn of the abstract possibility of civilian deaths, but to convey a message of warning by commemorating the actual civilian victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Chase then tried to donate the statue to the United Nations, but was told that the organization that was dedicated to maintaining peace found it “inappropriate.” For the next 30 years, Chase just kept the statue in his garage until a friend of his, James Wainscot, a member of the local Santa Cruz Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) post found the statue and urged him to find a new site for the statue in Santa Cruz. Wainscot convinced his fellow members of the VFW to support a movement to place the statue in Santa Cruz and they were joined in this effort by members of the Resource Center for Non-Violence. With help from a fundraising concert in town, featuring Crosby, Stills and Nash and Bonnie Raitt amongst others, and with support of the City Council the statue was adopted by the City.

“Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

There was a brief controversy as some supporters argued for replacing the WWI monument in the triangle between Front and Pacific with this new monument. Tensions flared up and these tensions, which coincided with the brouhaha that exploded at the Smithsonian Museum in 1994 over a planned exhibition on the Atomic Bombings at the end of WWII, put the plans for the monument at risk. By the time of emplacement, E.A. Chase’s original motivation—concern about nuclear war—had become generalized to a mourning for all civilian victims of war. But the Hiroshima connection is still there to be read in the monument.

More clues as to the artists intentions with “Collateral Damage” by E.A. Chase. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Go back to the date of commemoration: August 5, 1995. Exactly 50 years since the dropping of Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima. On a plaque on the back side, we also see that the dedication of the statue took place during a “No Nukes Rally” which was timed to commemorate the anniversary of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And amongst the names of dignitaries listed as attending the rally is the name of one of Hiroshima’s most famous survivors: Shigeko Sasamori, one of the six Hiroshima Maidens who came to the United States in the 1950s for plastic surgery to heal her scars.

The Santa Cruz downtown New Leaf Community Market at 1134 Pacific Avenue, occupies the former Bank of Italy. Photo: Jim Whitehead/Mobile Ranger

Ever wonder why the New Leaf Market says “Bank of Italy” over the front door? The downtown New Leaf Market has found its home in an old bank at Soquel and Pacific for twenty years now. As a local history enthusiast, I am delighted that the grocery store left the original name on the building.

Many locals remember that Bank of America was here until the 1980s. I remember the tellers at this bank counting money back to you through a marble-framed window, and I imagined executives on the mezzanine scrutinizing the scruffy college student trying to cash a financial aid check. So when was it the Bank of Italy?

1134 Pacific Avenue. The building was built in 1929 for the Bank of Italy in the Zig-Zag Moderne style (an off shoot of Art Deco). Here, two impressive Olympic God-like figures must have been designed to seem like they were protecting the bank. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Bank of America’s roots are in San Francisco’s Bank of Italy founded in 1904 by immigrant A. P. Giannini. His bank in North Beach provided banking services to that neighborhood’s working classes, mostly to his Italian neighbors. In the next few decades the Bank of Italy expanded with branches throughout California, buying the bank of Watsonville in 1923 and opening a Santa Cruz branch in an existing building downtown. A few years later, the bank announced that it would build a “modern bank” at Pacific and Soquel.

Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, 1930. The Bank of Italy is the building on the right at the corner of Soquel and Pacific just past the cinema marquee. The distinctive red brick building is the Trust Building. In the distance, is the Palomar and IOOF building with its clock tower. On the left, the Hihn building, and the New Santa Cruz Theatre in the distance. Image: Linda Rosewood postcard collection

In October 1929, the Santa Cruz Evening News reporter was given a tour before opening day and wrote:

Fine Marble Used

“The best and the most expensive of the world marbles are being used in the building to give it a beautiful effect. The lobby of the bank will be 80 x 18 feet in size with a low grill facing along the north side and east end. The body of the partitions in this portion of the bank will be built of pink Tennessee marble, with borders of black and gold Belgium marble. Counterfacings and top of the partitions are composed of Skyros Greacian [sic] marble. … On the floor of the lobby will be placed round top marble check tables with carved pedestal which will depict certain events of early California history. In addition to these there will be two built in settees and a drinking fountain.”

Five thousand people attended the grand opening of Santa Cruz’s new Bank of Italy, which included live chamber music and free flowers for the ladies. One of the attendees was J. A Brown, who happened to be the last depositor at the old location, and the first depositor in the new location. It is his bulb ranch which is now Brown Ranch Marketplace in Capitola, and the location of the county’s first Trader Joe’s.

Art Deco statuary on the old Bank of Italy Building. Serendipitously, the cornucopia is appropriate for both a bank and a food market. Photo: Jim Whitehead/Mobile Ranger

When the bank opened, and as far as I can tell, nobody clutched their pearls about big naked male bodies or god knows what historically correct art was carved into the pedestals of those check tables. Today, on the outside walls of the building, the robust gods of commerce remain, blessing the healthy enterprise of local agriculture, and gazing down on the scruffy, the immigrant, and everyone.

The Santa Cruz Wharf in 2016. Photo: Lauren Salazar/Mobile Ranger

When it was a bustling port city of the mid-18th century, Santa Cruz exported many goods: agricultural products, lumber, leather, and lime. Initially, goods and people were floated or ferried through the surf to waiting ships. But this too often resulted in wet and damaged goods, plus the ladies objected to the surf spray.

Wharves Are for Boosting the Economy

Between 1849 and 1875, three different wharves were built in Santa Cruz. Elihu Anthony built the first. It was an inclined wharf at the end of Bay Street. It went through several owners, the last of whom was Henry Cowell of the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement Company. After he bought it, it quickly became known as Cowell Wharf. His company used it to ship lime from his lime works, which were at the base of what is now the campus of UC Santa Cruz. That wharf collapsed in 1907 during a storm.

Map of the wharves of Santa Cruz. Image: Courtesy of the City of Santa Cruz and based on work by Frank Perry and colleagues

The promontory from which Cowell Wharf came down to the beach. It is just below the Sea and Sand Inn. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

The Gharky Wharf was built by David Gharky at the base of Main Street in 1857. Gharky’s wharf was bought by California Powder Works in 1865, so it was also known as The Powder Mill Wharf. Apparently, California Powder Works had initially used Cowell Wharf for shipping, but a rift developed with Henry Cowell, who played hardball when it came to protecting his financial interests. So the Powder Works bought the Gharky Wharf rather than deal with Henry Cowell. This wharf was dismantled in 1882.

Cowell Wharf (background) and the Railroad Wharf (foreground) circa 1900. The current Municipal Wharf was built about 100 yards west of the Railroad Wharf. Photo: Courtesy of Frank Perry and the Museum of Natural History

The Railroad Wharf was built just west of Gharky’s Wharf in 1875 by the Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad, which ran a narrow-gauge rail line. It was built primarily to ship lumber, lime, and other products from the San Lorenzo Valley. Between 1877 and 1882, an S-shaped wharf connected the Railroad and Gharky (Powder Mill) wharves. In writings after 1940, it is often stated that the Gharky Wharf became the Railroad Wharf. However, recent work by Frank Perry and colleagues, shows this not to be the case. Railroad Wharf was an entirely separate one.

Wharves Are for Shipping

Although they shipped many things, much of the economic incentive to build the wharves came from the lime industry. Santa Cruz was an ideal place for lime production because of the presence of large marble formations, vast redwood forests with wood to stoke the kilns that turned the rock into lime, and a large and ready market in nearby San Francisco. In the mid-1880s, Santa Cruz supplied a third of the lime for the state and three-quarters of San Francisco’s lime needs.

By the turn of the century, goods could be sent out of Santa Cruz overland by rail. Thus, the need for wharves and shipping decreased significantly. Of the three original wharves, only the Railroad Wharf remained by 1910. It was economically viable and was surviving mostly because of commercial fishing.

Morning scene on Fisherman’s Wharf from a circa 1909 postcard. Fisherman’s Wharf was also known as the Railroad Wharf. This image predates the current Municipal Wharf, but the fishing scene is similar to what would have been for many years on the current wharf. Image: Courtesy of Frank Perry

Pleasure Pier was built in 1904 to carry sea water to a plunge pool at the boardwalk. Its construction was the harbinger of a shift to a new norm in the 20th century: Tourism was to become king, and the traditional industries of the 19th century were on their way out.

Aerial photo of Santa Cruz in 1930. You can see the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf (foreground) and Pleasure Pier (center). Photo: Gordon Woody from the collection of Gerald Weber

Wharves Are for Fishing and Fun

The story of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, which opened in 1914, embodies the not entirely desired transition to a tourist economy. At the turn of the 20th century, many city fathers really still wanted to be a major port city with lots of shipping of goods out of Santa Cruz. As a last-ditch effort to achieve this, they authorized the construction of a very long wharf in the slim hope that accommodating deep water shipping would somehow turn back the tide of railroads. It didn’t.

The Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, built in 1914, was much longer than any of the three previous wharves. In fact, it is the longest wooden-pile wharf on the West Coast. Photo: Archer Koch of MultiRotorCam

The Santa Cruz Wharf, as it’s called today, was the last wharf built. The dream of reviving Santa Cruz as a seaport did not come true. Instead, fisherman, many Italian-born, moved over from the Railroad Wharf and turned this wharf into the base for their fishing businesses. For 50 years, it was a hard-working, vibrant fishing hub with 75–100 boats unloading salmon, sea bass, rock cod, and sole every day. That changed in 1964, when a harbor was built and opened at Woods Lagoon. Many of the fishing businesses moved their bases of operations to the new harbor, and the Santa Cruz Wharf became a place mainly for recreational fishing from poles, shopping, and dining.

The Wharf Is a Gateway to the Ocean

In the 21st century, economic and business development has been tempered with an environmental imperative. Ecotourism is an important economic engine for Santa Cruz. Today, city mothers and fathers envision a new future for the wharf as a landmark destination that showcases the Monterey Bay’s natural riches. The Wharf Master Plan seeks to change the way people think about the 100-year-old structure. The planners see more than a place to get fish and chips or perhaps a gelato and to say hello to the sea lions. They see a gateway into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a special nexus of land and water resources, a platform for world-class marine research and education, along with a beautiful place to stroll, eat, and shop.

View of the entrance to the Santa Cruz Wharf as envisioned by a Master Plan Concept Graphic in 2013. Source: City of Santa Cruz

View of the south end of the Santa Cruz Wharf as envisioned by a Master Plan Concept Graphic in 2013. Source: City of Santa Cruz

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the West Cliff Drive Tour. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

Present day salt pond at the wildlife viewing area. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

The mouth of the Elkhorn Slough has long been known for its natural salt ponds. In the late 1800s these areas were developed to produce salt for local use. In 1916, the Monterey Bay Salt Company diked parts of the slough to create commercial salt ponds – a series of ponds where saltwater evaporates in the sun, leaving salt for harvest.

View of the slough just a short distance from the parking lot at the Moss Landing Wildlife Area. The wood posts were for docks for the salt ponds dating back to the 1800’s. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

From 1902 until the local fish cannery business collapsed in the mid-1950s, the salt was used to preserve the fish. Later, the salt was used for water softening, refrigeration, and making ice cream. The company continued salt production until 1973. For a short time, the ponds were used to produce brine shrimp.

Today, the Moss Landing Wildlife Area comprises 872 acres that help protect the brown pelican, which was previously listed as an endangered species. Both brown and white pelicans use the ponds along with thousands of small shorebirds. The area is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Brown pelicans. Photo: Paul Babb 2013

The salt ponds are home to many birds, including American avocets and black-necked stilts. The threatened snowy plover also uses the salt ponds as nesting grounds and has recently become the focus of management for this area.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Plan: Evolution of Elkhorn Slough and Associated Wetlands 20,000 years before present (ybp) to 1880 A.D. Andrea Woolfolk. Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve. September 7, 2005.
   • Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Plan: 150 Years of Human Alterations and Tidal Habitat Change (1870 - Present). Barb Peichel, Kerstin Wasson, Andrea Woolfolk, Eric Van Dyke. Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. February 20, 2005.
   • Changes in a California Estuary: A Profile of Elkhorn Slough. Edited by Jane Caffrey, Martha Brown, W. Breck Tyler, and Mark Silberstein. 2002 Elkhorn Slough Foundation.
   • What is a Salt Marsh? National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Website.

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

]]> /blog/elkhorn-slough-from-salt-ponds-to-bird-sanctuary/feed/ 0 /blog/monterey-bays-long-running-red-tide-of-2016/ /blog/monterey-bays-long-running-red-tide-of-2016/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2016 13:30:13 +0000 /?p=12890

Dogs running in foam at Beer Can Beach near Aptos, California, October 14, 2016. The foam results from the breakdown of Akashiwo phytoplankton. Photo: Robin Wood

Since early September of this year, the Monterey Bay has been experiencing greater and lesser degrees of a red tide. A red tide is essentially a large algal bloom that occurs when environmental conditions allow for explosive growth of phytoplankton (a single-celled organism often called algae). Very dense blooms can change the color of ocean water and lead to red (or brown or orange) tides, depending on the type of phytoplankton.

Many red tides are harmless, but others might contain toxins or be detrimental in other ways, so they are called harmful algal blooms (HABs). Discoloration of the water alone is not an accurate way to determine whether harmful conditions exist. HABs can occur during red tides or they can be colorless and difficult to detect.

A red tide off La Jolla, California. This red tide is a harmful algal bloom caused by a phytoplankton named Lingulodinium. Image: Courtesy of the Raphael Kudela Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz

In California, strong winds and an influx of cold, nutrient-dense waters at the coast lead to blooms of diatoms in the spring, but dinoflagellates are more likely to bloom in the warmer, stratified conditions of the fall. Dinoflagellates are responsible for most red tides, although both dinoflagellates and diatoms can cause HABs.

Photos of water taken from the Santa Cruz wharf (left and middle) and out in the Monterey Bay during a red tide (right) caused by a phytoplankton called Akashiwo. Photos: Courtesy of the Raphael Kudela Lab, UCSC

The Recent Red Tide: Not A HAB

The recent red tide is a classic fall event in that the phytoplankton culprit (Akashiwo) is a dinoflagellate that has probably bloomed because of warmer-than-average waters in the bay — around 56 to 58 degrees. Akashiwo is not toxic to humans.

A phytoplankton called Akashiwo. It causes red algal blooms that are not harmful to humans. Image: Courtesy of the Raphael Kudela Lab, UCSC

However, an Akashiwo bloom can cause a considerable amount of foam when the phytoplankton die and breakdown, especially if it’s stormy. The foam can then act as a surfactant and strip seabird feathers of their waterproof coating. On October 15th and 16th, high winds and rain, combined with a large concentration of Akashiwo, produced a lot of foam. So far though, there have been no confirmed bird deaths as a result.

A large pile of foam at Beer Can Beach in Aptos, California, on October 14, 2016. Photo: Robin Wood.

Have you seen “The Birds” movie? Modern research suggests that a HAB was the cause of the strange behavior that Alfred Hitchcock observed in seabirds, which inspired the story. A bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia, which can produce the potent neurotoxin called domoic acid, is thought to be the cause of the birds’ behavior.

Photos of Akashiwo sampled from a continuous stream of water. Normally there is a mix of phytoplankton species in the water stream. Lately, only Akashiwo has been present. Photo: Raphael Kudela Laboratory, UCSC

Researchers who monitor the environment can identify many types of HABs and their effects on organisms. However, new and unusual HAB occurrences can still stump scientists. In 2007, hundreds of seabirds were found stranded or dead in Monterey Bay in California. They were coated with a mysterious greenish substance that was stripping the protective oils off their feathers. The cause was eventually traced to the decay of an ongoing bloom of a nontoxic phytoplankton species, which turned out to be Akashiwo. The decaying cells, coupled with turbid water conditions, led to a thick foamy substance with properties similar to detergent. So during this fall’s Akashiwo bloom, wildlife experts knew to look for birds in trouble. Wildlife Emergency Services of Moss Landing led patrols along Del Monte Beach and Asilomar State Beach on October 15, 2016 and did not find any birds in distress.

Brown water from the wake of the John H. Martin research vessel during a phytoplankton sampling trip. This was in the middle of a red tide caused by dinoflagellates in October 2013. Note the associated foam in the background. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

For more information and images of red tides and HABs, visit the Ocean Data Center website. You can also see the results of weekly phytoplankton sampling by the Raphael Kudela Lab at the Santa Cruz and Monterey wharves.

More Information about Phytoplankton

This post is part of the Mobile Ranger “Phytoplankton Guide” created by the Kudela Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Download our free Mobile Ranger Guides app to read the “Phytoplankton Guide” and take several of the self-guided mobile tours of the Santa Cruz area that are included in the free app.

The S.S. Palo Alto is a curious oddity with a rich history. It has also become an inspiration to artists who use it to inspire environmental awareness and promote ocean sustainability through the arts. Social Practice Arts Research Center at UCSC is sponsoring the “S.S. Palo Alto Project” which uses the ship as a “thought hub” around which to host art-based projects and events to teach ocean education and inspire environmental awareness.

Depiction of the S.S. Palo Alto by a UCSC art student.

Richard Desanto, who is coordinating the project says “I wouldn’t look to any one of our events or projects as a distillation of our goals; instead, each functions as a building block to a more environmentally sound future.”

Event: Armour Our Shore

In 2014, across from the visitor center near the “cement” ship, the S.S. Palo Alto Project partnered with Save Our Shores and the Public Art class of Professor Dee Hibbert-Jones to bring art to the shores of the park. Joined by local students of the Mt. Saint Madonna Middle School, teams performed skits to highlight the state of our waters. Alongside the plays were information rich posters covering various issues concerning the oceans as well as activities to further engage with the public. Local television broadcasters were present to cover the event.

Skit next to the S.S. Palo Alto titled “Armor Our Shore.” This was an event put on by the S.S. Palo Alto Project in 2014. Image: Courtesy the S.S. Palo Alto Project

Art: Fish Pack Your Trash

The Suitcase. The sculpture is made of items ranging from drinking straws to motor oil containers that flow through the urban catch basins to the beaches following rainstorms. Image: Kim Abeles

Kim Abeles from the S.S. Palo Alto Project has created the “Dolphin Suitcase” made from found trash that had washed up on the beach. The suitcase is a functional “prop” made up of disposable silverware, lighters, straws, and much more. Inside are larger pieces of trash. Abeles, accompanied by her Dolphin Suitcase, visits classrooms and teaches about how trash can become part of the pollutants that get into streams, and then flow into rivers and the ocean.

Ables built the Dolphin Suitcase as a functional sculptural “prop” to discuss storm drains and recycling. Image: Kim Abeles

The exterior detail creates reality. Every kid knows about a drinking straw, and they think of it as one. When they see them all collectively, it begins to have an impact that statistics or facts alone really couldn’t do. Image: Kim Abeles

The interior contains larger objects found in streams and rivers. These are secured with snaps and bindings, then presented home-shopping-network-style during the performance. Image: Kim Abeles

Dynamic Art: Bike Around the S.S. Palo Alto

The Velodrome Powerstation Project by Nathaniel Freeman and Paul Hempstead, aims to have people bike around a the S.S. Palo Alto on a temporary platform. The bikes are set up with batteries charged by the human-mechanized energy of the riders. These batteries are then plugged into a charging station (in visual range of the Moss Landing coastal power station located 20 miles south) that serves as the central power source of the structure itself, as well as being available for visitors to charge personal electronic devices.

Velodrome Powerstation Project by Nathaniel Freeman and Paul Hempstead. Image: Courtesy the S.S. Palo Alto Project

The structure is designed to mimic the existing architectural elements of the pier, and will use reclaimed and sustainable materials as much as possible. The walkway is made in part of a transparent material to allow for views of the vessel and the surrounding water; the same material is used to surround the interior of the track, ensuring rider safety and a clear view of the ship. The project aims to produce enough energy to sustain itself, as well as to incite visitor dialogue and create experiential learning opportunities for alternative energy generation.

For more information and upcoming events as part of the S.S. Palo Alto Project, check out the S.S. Palo Alto Project website and contact Barbara Benish at barbara.benish@gmail.com.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • SS Palo Alto Art Park, by Barbara Benish. Social and Environmental Practice in the Arts at UC Santa Cruz, 2012. Sparc.ucsc.edu website.
   • Personal communication with Barbara Benish, University of California Santa Cruz Art Department Research Associate, Santa Cruz County, April 2016.

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

]]> /santacruz/ss-palo-alto-war-ship-to-night-club-to-modern-art-hotspot/feed/ 0 /losgatos/mariannes-ice-cream-santa-cruz-locals-flavorite/ /losgatos/mariannes-ice-cream-santa-cruz-locals-flavorite/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2016 13:30:41 +0000 /?p=12701

Marianne’s Ice Cream at 1020 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz, California. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Their red building is easy to spot, not far from where Ocean Street leads onto Highway 17 in Santa Cruz, California. That’s only part of what has made Marianne’s Ice Cream tourists’ last stop on their way out of town and the local’s favorite family ice cream parlor for nearly 70 years. After serving several generations of customers, they’ve earned fervent loyalty. Some customers consider themselves aficionados of the distinctive flavors of the locally made ice cream and will gladly tell you which ones are their favorites.

A Blast from the Past

Marianne’s Ice Cream was founded back in 1947 by Tom and Lenore Becker. The building at 1020 Ocean Street was built that year, and the couple were the first tenants to occupy the space. Decades later, in the same location, the store still looks like it jumped out of the 1950s – frozen in time.

Founding the ice cream parlor was all about family for the Beckers, because they opened the storefront to send their two oldest children to college. The name also had family ties, too, because it was named after Tom and Lenore’s two daughters, Mary and Anne.

Tom and Lenore Becker in front of Marianne’s Ice Cream shop
circa 1947. Image: Charlie Wilcox.

Tom Becker worked another job during the week and was home only on weekends. That left running the business mostly to Lenore. She made the ice cream and ran the storefront, which boasted 13 homemade flavors at the time. The Beckers owned Marianne’s for the next 11 years until they couldn’t keep up with the business any longer.

The Guy Who Created the Flavors: Sam Lieberman

In April of 1958, Sam Lieberman and his wife Dorothy bought the ice cream shop and continued to build the Marianne’s reputation as a Santa Cruz classic. At the time, the storefront was half the size it is today. The ice cream was produced in the back of the shop, with a small counter facing the front windows for customers to order from. Sam, excited by the endless possibilities of his newly acquired trade, began to experiment with new flavors. Throughout half a century of ownership, he came up with more than 250 recipes.

Sam Lieberman behind the counter at Marianne’s Ice Cream. Photo: Charlie Wilcox

Lieberman claims to have been the first to dye bubblegum ice cream blue. He also had his hand in creating several of Marianne’s innovative and unique flavors, including “1020” Marianne’s street address number, Highway 17 Rocky Road and the Alice B Toklas Fudge Brownie. (Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein’s companion, was the woman who was first credited with including cannabis brownies in her cookbook back in 1954.) Sam was a huge fan of the 1968 film “I Love You, Alice B. Toklas,” in which the lead characters eat pot brownies and antics ensue.

One popular flavor inspiration came to Sam in the middle of the night. While in the midst of experimenting with ice cream flavors during the day, Sam woke up abruptly at 2 in the morning with the urge to make an ice cream with fudge and blackberry swirls. The next day he created the “2 am Truffle.”

Today, Marianne’s offers a whopping 75 flavors daily, all thanks to Sam.

Three of Sam Leiberman’s famous flavors, clockwise from top-left: Highway 17 Rocky Road, 1020, and Alice B. Toklas Fudge Brownie. The author’s personal favorite is 1020. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

With the production of ice cream growing, Lieberman expanded the storefront to include the property next door, a former beauty parlor. The newly acquired space became a larger production area for the ice cream until the early ’70s when Sam began to expand his wholesale accounts in the area. The production of the ice cream was then moved from the 1020 storefront to a plant near Harbor High School on the east side of Santa Cruz. The Marianne’s wholesale business continued to grow. After another shift to the neighboring town of Aptos, the Marianne’s ice cream plant moved to the west side of Santa Cruz off of Delaware Avenue, where it is today.

Marianne’s Ice Cream plant off of Delaware Avenue on the west side of Santa Cruz. Photo: Stefanie Mistry

After the initial shift to offsite production, Lieberman found himself with more space in the storefront and decided to move the customer counter to the center of the shop. To this day, Marianne’s employees serve ice cream from behind the counter on the raised platform from which the ice cream was previously produced.

Home of the Dancing Cow

The “dancing cow” wallpaper that lines the shop’s interior was introduced in the shop around 1987. Lieberman had sold the shop but was unhappy with the new owners, because he felt they were neglecting the upkeep. After a year and a half, he bought the ice cream shop back and started a remodeling project to get it shipshape again. The cows were chosen by a group of women who were on the remodel team. The ’80s era cows were a big hit and generated enough positive feedback over the years that they have become part of Marianne’s iconic charm.

The ’80s style “dancing cows” that line the interior of Marianne’s Ice Cream. Photo:
Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

The wallpaper is not sold in stores anymore, so in a renovation of the storefront in December 2015, it had to be specially produced so they could patch up some of the wear and tear on the walls.

Carrying on a Tradition

The Liebermans owned Marianne’s Ice Cream for 54 years. When it came time to retire, Sam wanted to take the time and care to find the right successors. He chose Kelly Dillon and Charlie Wilcox. They bought Marianne’s Ice Cream in 2012 and have continued the longstanding tradition of quality and passion for ice cream.

Article author Stefanie Mistry (center) and Ashley Perez working at Marianne’s. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Besides keeping up with Marianne’s standards of locally made products, the duo has expanded the business by opening a second location in the Seacliff neighborhood in Aptos, California. This location, like its older counterpart, shares a warm and inviting atmosphere that echoes the aesthetic of an old ice cream parlor.

Marianne’s Ice Cream and Market in Seacliff. Photo: Stefanie Mistry

Marianne’s Ice Cream is a Santa Cruz staple. The same family-oriented ethics that began the small business are still present, as are the same ice cream making methods and locally made products. It’s no wonder locals and tourists alike flock to the shop on warm days to enjoy the fun local flavors and maybe even dance with the cows.

Thank You

We thank Stefanie Mistry who works at Marianne’s Ice Cream and wrote this story as part of a local history summer course at the University of California, Santa Cruz. We also thank Marianne’s Ice Cream owners, Kelly Dillon and Charlie Wilcox for supporting Stefanie in this project and providing her with information and historic photos.

The Marianne’s neon sign has been around since the late 1940s. Photo: TJ Roy

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Highway 17 Tour. Download the free app, start with an ice cream at Marianne’s Ice Cream, then head out on Highway 17 with your self-guided mobile tour leading the way!

1. Sources

2. Personal communication with Charlie Wilcox, owner of Marianne’s Ice Cream, Santa Cruz, August 2016.

Abandoned lighthouse-keeper’s house on Año Nuevo Island in San Mateo County, California, November, 2005. Photo: Jef Poskanzer

It’s usually a fair bet that where there is a lighthouse, there is a history of shipwrecks. The area around Point Año Nuevo along California’s Highway 1 between San Francisco and Santa Cruz is no exception. The wreck of the Coya in 1866 claimed the lives of all but three of the 30-member crew and led to the installation of a steam fog whistle on Año Nuevo Island six years later (it is visible from the beach covered in elephant seals). That same year, the first light went on at the new Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Ano Nuevo Light Station when in operation, sometime before 1948. Photo: Unknown federal employee

A High Price for an Ocean View

The first settlers on the island, who were to operate and maintain the whistle, paid a heavy price for their waterfront vista. In 1883, the lighthouse keeper, Henry Colburn, along with his assistant and two neighbor boys, drowned in the large surf while rowing out to the island. Even with keepers like Colburn risking their lives to lead captains and their crews to safe passage, large ships continued to crash between Pigeon Point and Point Año Nuevo. Finally, in 1890, a light was installed on the island.

Año Nuevo Island tank house with light at top, unknown date (prior to the construction of the light tower in 1913). Photo: Unknown federal employee

The keepers had to monitor the new light 24 hours a day and constantly scan the horizon in search of approaching fog. Perhaps the most difficult part of life on the island, though, was dealing with the sea lions that regularly overran the gardens and occasionally even the house.

Make Way for Pinnipeds

In 1948, the last keeper and his family moved off the island and was replaced by a marker buoy with an automatic light, sound, and radar reflector. Ten years later, the California Department of Parks and Recreation acquired the Año Nuevo State Reserve, including the island, which was classified as a scientific preserve. In the early ‘60s, after visitors to the island damaged the existing structures and deterred sea lions and elephant seals from returning to the island, the preserve was closed to the public.

The lighthouse and surrounding buildings on Año Nuevo Island in 2009. All of the dots and textured areas that you might think are seaweed are sea lions. Photo: Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, California Coastal Records Project

Today, only researchers and designated personnel are allowed on the island, and just the three structures remain: The keeper’s dwelling (built in 1906), the fog signal building (front section built in 1881, back section in 1899), and the fuel storage building (built in 1908). Researchers use the fog signal building to store their equipment and as a respite from the howling winds. Not surprisingly, the dilapidated keeper’s house is still overrun by sea lions, the rightful owners of this rugged island.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • Año Nuevo Island Light Station: Documentation of the Light Station Complex, Año Nuevo Island, Año Nuevo State Reserve, San Mateo County, California, by Matt C. Bischoff, June 2005.
   • Pigeon Point History. California Department of Parks and Recreation website.

Updated: October 12, 2016

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

Updated October 10, 2016

]]> /blog/the-golden-gate-bridge-end-to-the-era-of-swashbuckling-bridgemen/feed/ 0 /davenport/when-money-washed-up-on-the-shores-of-greyhound-rock/ /davenport/when-money-washed-up-on-the-shores-of-greyhound-rock/#respond Wed, 05 Oct 2016 20:00:34 +0000 /?p=11023

Greyhound Rock. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Teeming with more than 300 species of invertebrates, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, the Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area on California’s central coast is a biodiversity hotspot. Giant kelp forests harbor abalone, juvenile rockfish, and a multitude of other marine invertebrates. Whales and dolphins feed offshore. Brown pelicans and Caspian terns dive for fish. And the bold red beak of the black oystercatcher flashes in the sun as it hunts for mussels and limpets in the rocky shallows.

Shells from the purple olive snail, Olivella biplicata, could buy you a tasty meal 500 years ago. Photo: Ed Bierman

When Snail Shells Were Currency

Around 300 to 500 years ago, purple olive snail shells (Olivella biplicata) could buy you nutritious seeds or a big hunk of tasty game meat. The shells were recognized by indigenous peoples throughout California as currency. This gave the Cotoni, who lived in the area around Greyhound Rock, a big trading advantage.

If you’re visiting the beach at Greyhound Rock, see if you can spot one of the smooth, oblong purple shells and try trading it with a fellow beachcomber for, say, a watch or smartphone. You probably won’t get more than a concerned look of confusion in return.

Olivella biplicata from the beaches of 1825. Photo: Soweby, 1825-Naturalis

That transaction would have failed for the Cotoni, too, because for the snail shells to have any economic value, they had to be made into beads. The Cotoni dried the shells to remove the organic remains (snail guts), ground off the tips so they could be strung onto a cord, smashed the shells into smaller parts, and then reshaped the shell fragments by using a pump drill. They used the beads for trading but also as jewelry and as ornaments on clothing and weapons.

The beach next to Greyhound Rock. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Money may not grow on trees, but for a time, it did wash up on shore for easy collecting at Greyhound Rock.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • About MPAs: State of the Oceans. California MPAs website.
   • Personal communication with Martin Rizzo, PhD Candidate, Santa Cruz County, February 2016.
   • Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources, by M. Kat Anderson, University of California Press, 2005.
   • The Role of Olivella Shell Currency in a Burgeoning Prehistoric California Economy, by A. Rowan Gard. Prized Writing 2005-2006, UC Davis website.
   • Maps: The Move to the Missions. Amah Mutsun Tribal Band website.
   • A History of American Indians in California, by Dwight Dutschke. Office of Historic Presentation, California State Parks website.
   • Greyhound Rock, Santa Cruz. California State Beaches, See California website.

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

]]> /davenport/when-money-washed-up-on-the-shores-of-greyhound-rock/feed/ 0 /santacruz/elkhorn-slough-sea-otters-offset-agricultural-runoff/ /santacruz/elkhorn-slough-sea-otters-offset-agricultural-runoff/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2016 20:00:53 +0000 /?p=11740

Today, much of the land surrounding Elkhorn Slough near Monterey, California, is managed to reduce nitrogen input. Nevertheless, there is still 150 times more nitrogen in the slough than a century ago. Because of those levels, Elkhorn Slough mudflats are often covered in a thick, green sludge of nitrogen-loving algae. Algae could also be growing on eelgrass, blocking its access to light. Instead, the slough harbors beds of healthy, dark green eelgrass. So what’s the secret? It turns out to be everyone’s favorite keystone predator, the California sea otter.

Otters help keep kelp forests healthy and also contribute to healthy eelgrass habitat. Photo: Bart Selby

Brent Hughes from the University of California, Santa Cruz was first to make the connection between a charismatic carnivore and an unassuming perennial marine plant. He looked at 50 years of historical data that compared areas with and without otters and discovered that areas with larger populations of sea otters had healthier beds of eelgrass (Zostera marina).

Everyone’s favorite keystone predator, the California sea otter. Photo: Bart Selby

The reason: Otters love to eat crabs, which love to eat grazing invertebrates such as sea slugs, which love to eat the algae that grow on eelgrass.

This pup will learn to eat crabs from its mom, indirectly protecting eelgrass habitat. Photo: Bart Selby

This top-down management of species is known as a trophic cascade. A top predator alters the abundance of its prey, which in turn reduces predation on the next trophic level down the food chain.

The trophic cascade at Elkhorn Slough. The top predator is the sea otter (E. lutris), the mesopredators are crabs (Cancer spp. and Pugettia producta), the epiphyte mesograzers are primarily an isopod (I. resecata) and a sea slug (P. taylori), and algal epiphyte competitors of eelgrass primarily consist of chain-forming diatoms, and the red alga Smithora naiadum. Solid arrows indicate direct effects, dashed arrows indicate indirect effects, and the plus and minus symbols indicate positive and/or negative effects on trophic guilds and eelgrass condition. C, competitive interaction; T, trophic interaction. Image: Original artwork by A. C. Hughes and used with permission of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2013 (see full citation below)

You can see the difference between an area with otters and one without when you look at Elkhorn Slough compared to Tomales Bay. Even though Tomales Bay has lower levels of nutrients (such as nitrogen from fertilizer), it has significantly fewer otters. The result is brown eelgrass covered in algae. Without as many otters preying on the crabs, the crustaceans are four times as abundant and 30% bigger than the crabs in Elkhorn Slough. This leaves very few sea slugs to keep the eelgrass grazed clean of algae.

Otters hard at work, keeping Elkhorn Slough’s ecosystem balanced. Photo: Bart Selby

Where to See the Sea Otters

For the best view of sea otters, visit the Moss Landing Wildlife Area (on the east side of Highway 1) or Moss Landing State Beach (on the west side of Highway 1, just off Jetty Road). At the beach on the same side as the harbor, you can often see a raft of male otters floating together out on the open water.

Keep any eye out for otters when you visit the slough. Photo: Bart Selby

Elkhorn Slough – A Protected Place for Otters and More

Elkhorn Slough is one of the few coastal wetlands remaining in the state, second in size to San Francisco Bay. At nearly 7 miles long, this estuarine waterway shelters an abundance of marine life, providing essential habitat for over 700 species, including aquatic mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, algae, and plants. It is also part of California’s statewide program to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs are a lot like our landlocked state parks except that they extend many miles off our coastline. These “underwater parks” are established in areas that are biologically diverse (lots of different marine species), culturally rich (think sunken ships like the S.S. Palo Alto and buried anthropological treasure), and economically important (fishing and tourism are a big deal to these coastal communities).

The MPAs in Santa Cruz County. Image: California Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Elkhorn Slough is home to three marine protected areas—Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA), Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve (SMR), and the Moro Cojo Slough SMR. There are several different types of MPAs, and each one has its own set of rules. See the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for details.

Image: Courtesy the Ocean Conservancy via the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • Sea Otters: Your Defence Against the Algal Apocalypse. Ed Young. National Geographic. August 26, 2013.
   • Sea otters promote recovery of seagrass beds. Tim Stephens. August 26, 2013. University of California Santa Cruz Newscenter Website.
   • Recovery of a top predator mediates negative eutrophic effects on seagrass Brent B. Hughes, Ron Eby, Eric Van Dyke, M. Tim Tinker, Corina I. Marks, Kenneth S. Johnson, and Kerstin WassonProc Natl Acad Sci, September 17, 2013. Issue 38:15313–15318.

]]> /santacruz/elkhorn-slough-sea-otters-offset-agricultural-runoff/feed/ 0 /tour/santa-cruz-marine-protected-areas-beaches-tour/ /tour/santa-cruz-marine-protected-areas-beaches-tour/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2016 17:52:35 +0000 /?p=11520

This self guided mobile tour features five different beaches along the Santa Cruz, California coast. Each beach is part of California’s statewide program to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs are similar in concept to national parks and forests on land. The goal is to protect and restore ocean habitats and increase the health, productivity, and resilience of ocean ecosystems.

The tour spans approximately 47 miles, from Elkhorn Slough at the apex of the Monterey Bay to Año Nuevo State Park just north of the line where Santa Cruz County becomes San Mateo County. It’s a beautiful driving tour, but make sure to leave time to stop and explore each beach. You’ll learn about elephant seals, shipwrecks, kelp ecology, geology, how native peoples interacted with the coastal environment, and more.

Location of the five stops in Mobile Ranger’s Marine Protected Area Beaches Tour. The five beaches from north to south are: Cove Beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Greyhound Rock, Natural Bridges State Beach, Seacliff State Beach, and the “Moss Landing Wildlife Area” at Elkhorn Slough.

Each MPA beach in the tour is highlighted below. All of the stories are in our free Mobile Ranger Guides app, which is available for Apple and Android devices. You can also read the stories in blog form (as we release them weekly) by following the links at the bottom of this page.

Elkhorn Slough

Here, you’ll stop at the wildlife viewing area along Highway 1 and learn about the slough’s salt ponds and how sea otters help keep the eel grass in check. You’ll also see how agricultural practices close to the slough have changed in the last few decades.

An aerial view of Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing. Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers

Seacliff State Beach

Look for the famous “cement” ship, the SS Palo Alto (it’s really a concrete ship), and then learn how it was actually the last-ditch backup plan for a much more grandiose beachfront resort that wasn’t.

The S.S. Palo Alto in 1928 at what is now Seacliff State Beach. Photo: Gordon Woody, from the collection of Gerald Weber

Natural Bridges State Beach

Stop at Natural Bridges State Beach and discover where all of the bridges have gone, how “Fabulous Fred Swanton” almost turned it into a hotel and resort in the 1910s, and why so many monarch butterflies hang out here.

Natural Bridges State Beach in 2015 with no bridges in sight, and only one arch. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Greyhound Rock

You’ll find out whether this Santa Cruz County park is aptly named, how the native peoples of the area used its shells to get rich, and why there is no nuclear power plant anywhere near this beach today.

Does Greyhound Rock look like a hound to you? Photo: Lauren McEvoy/Mobile Ranger

Año Nuevo State Park

Here, you will walk out to Cove Beach and learn the history of kelp harvesting and how it affected the local surfers, find out exactly where William Waddell’s second wharf was located, be amazed by elephant seal feeding habits, and probably be glad you were not a lighthouse keeper at Point Año Nuevo.

Cove Beach, at the northern end of Año Nuevo Bay, in 2009. Photo: © Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, California Coastal Records Project

Can’t drive to our Santa Cruz MPA beaches? No Problem. Read the stories below, blog-style:

• MPA Beaches Tour

• 

  Elkhorn Slough: From Salt Ponds to Bird Sanctuary

  The mouth of the Elkhorn Slough has long been known for its natural salt ponds. In the late 1800s these areas were developed to produce salt for local use ...

  November 02, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  SS Palo Alto: War Ship, Night Club, Seal Hang Out, and Modern Art Hotspot

  https://vimeo.com/54345516 The S.S. Palo Alto is a curious oddity with a rich history. It has also become an inspiration to artists who use it to inspire ...

  October 19, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  The Lighthouse at Año Nuevo Island: Shipwrecks and Sea Lions

  It’s usually a fair bet that where there is a lighthouse, there is a history of shipwrecks. The area around Point Año Nuevo along California’s Highway 1 b ...

  October 12, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  When Money Washed up on the Shores of Greyhound Rock

  Teeming with more than 300 species of invertebrates, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, the Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area on California's ...

  October 05, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Elkhorn Slough Sea Otters Offset Agricultural Runoff

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgkvDnT7Rvo&feature=youtu.be Today, much of the land surrounding Elkhorn Slough near Monterey, California, is managed to r ...

  September 28, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Why There Is No Beachfront Resort at Seacliff State Beach

  Almost a century ago, there were big plans for the northern California coastline along Seacliff State Beach. But sometimes, even the grandest of plans can ...

  September 21, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Where Have All the Bridges Gone at Natural Bridges State Beach?

  The name Natural Bridges may seem deceiving when you first visit the state beach at the end of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California. Just one pictur ...

  September 14, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Surfing over Kelp Forests at Cove Beach

  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) run along the coastline of California. They were created to maintain the precarious balance between keeping places wild and ...

  September 07, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Greyhound Rock: Where’s the Hound?

  Greyhound Rock is named for the beach’s large rock formation that sits stoically offshore in the crashing waves. Usually, the rock is connected to the bea ...

  August 31, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Elkhorn Slough: Interface Between Land and Sea

  At Moss Landing, Highway 1 crosses over Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest estuaries in California. Estuaries are places where the sea meets freshwater. T ...

  August 24, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Why Chinese Fishermen Were Chased Away from the Monterey Bay

  Santa Cruz was not always the open-minded, progressive community that it is today. In the mid 1800s, the Northern California beach town was known as the n ...

  August 17, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Multitudes of Monarchs at Natural Bridges State Beach

  For decades, tens of thousands of West Coast monarch butterflies (Danus plixippus) have overwintered at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, Califor ...

  August 10, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Waddell’s Wharf: Ordeals of Shipping Lumber from Año Nuevo Bay

  Over 150 years ago, the coastline at Año Nuevo State Park, between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California, was home to a bustling lumber industry. Even ...

  August 03, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Santa Cruz’s Nuclear Power Plant That Almost Was

  ​Greyhound Rock lies right next to one of the major faults within the San Gregorio Fault Zone. This fact might be no big surprise in earthquake-prone Cali ...

  July 27, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Managing a Strawberry Farm and Protecting the Elkhorn Slough

  Row crops were introduced to the areas around Elkhorn Slough in the late 1800s. The majority of these crops were strawberries because the slough’s perimet ...

  July 20, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  The Evolution of a Monterey Bay Fisherman

  What habitat is deeper than the Grand Canyon, requires a submarine to properly explore, and is home to bioluminescent invertebrates? None other than the M ...

  July 13, 2016 (3) Comments

• 

  Natural Bridges State Beach and Fred Swanton’s Development Dreams

  In the early 1900s, Natural Bridges was briefly at risk of becoming the site of a grand hotel in line with the vision of Fred W. Swanton. He was fortunate ...

  July 06, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  Bulls, Harems, and Pups at Año Nuevo

  South of San Francisco, about 20 miles north of Santa Cruz along Highway 1, lies a beach hidden behind sand dunes covered in an undulating meadow of nativ ...

  March 21, 2016 (10) Comments

]]> /tour/santa-cruz-marine-protected-areas-beaches-tour/feed/ 0 /tour/west-cliff-drive/ /tour/west-cliff-drive/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2016 17:27:04 +0000 /?p=6776

The Mark Abbot Memorial Lighthouse at Lighthouse Point, along West Cliff Drive.

No visit to Santa Cruz is complete without a walk along West Cliff Drive. It’s home to several of Santa Cruz’s iconic landmarks, houses the heart of Santa Cruz surf culture at Steamer Lane and is a great place to see the local marine life. We highlight a few of the stops below, but all twenty one stories can be found in the mobile app and many can be read in blog form at the bottom of this page.

A screen shot of the stops and the interactive map feature in the self-guided mobile tour.

The lighthouses at Lighthouse Point have come and gone and moved around. Do you know how many there have been?

Aerial view of Lighthouse point circa 1941. You can see the beacon and the old lighthouse on the north side of West Cliff Drive. Image is used courtesy of Frank Perry. Ed Webber was the photographer.

Locals call it the blow hole. It is the last remaining vestige of a wave motor built in the 1890’s.

Waves spouting through a vented but plugged shaft: the last remaining vestige of the Armstrong Brothers’ Wave Motor.

Natural Bridges State Beach is so named because it used to have three bridges. Now there is just one arch.

The lone remaining arch at Natural Bridges State Beach in April 2012.

The three natural bridges circa 1900. Photo courtesy of Frank Perry and UCSC Special Collections.

Don’t miss the crazy “toilet bowl” formations lurking within the local rocks.

Half of a “toilet bowl” exposed along the coast near Swift Street. There are several whole toilet bowls. Can you find some?

Can’t take the West Cliff Drive tour? No Problem.
Read the stories below: blog-style!

• West Cliff Drive Blog

• 

  Nature’s Beauties: Monarchs!

  Cover photo © Elise Wormuth. Natural Bridges State Beach is almost as famous for its monarch butterflies as it is for its natural rock arch. For decades t ...

  September 28, 2014 (2) Comments

• 

  Santa Cruz’s Many Wharves: From Lime and Lumber to Ecotourism

  When it was a bustling port city of the mid-18th century, Santa Cruz exported many goods: agricultural products, lumber, leather, and lime. Initially, goo ...

  November 17, 2016 (1) Comment

• 

  The Best Thing to Do with Ice Plant in California? Pickle it!

  Most of the ice plant you see in California is all the same species: Highway ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis). As the common name indicates, it has been wid ...

  February 01, 2015 (2) Comments

• 

  Steamer Lane and Some Surf History

  In 2009, Surfer Magazine named Santa Cruz, California as the best surfing town and extolled Steamer Lane as a "world class right-hand reef-point." But do ...

  August 10, 2014 (2) Comments

• 

  From Three Bridges to an Arch

  Natural Bridges State Beach derives its name from three beautiful natural bridges that were present in the early 1900s. Today, only the middle one remains ...

  September 08, 2014 (1) Comment

• 

  The Wave Motor: Still Pumping

  Thanks to Archer Koch of MultiRotorCam.com, we are updating this story with his great aerial video of the wave motor pumping it out in February, 2015. Alo ...

  October 13, 2014 (4) Comments

• 

  The Rocks of Santa Cruz’s Central Coast: The Purisima Formation

  The Purisima Formation is the rock type that shapes the landscape characteristics of the central and southern Santa Cruz coast. It is present from the int ...

  March 19, 2015 (3) Comments

• 

  Lighthouse Field: Why it’s not a Shopping Mall

  There are a lot of parks and open space in our lives that we often take for granted. Many times that gorgeous place where you can enjoy nature, and maybe ...

  November 05, 2014 (8) Comments

• 

  The Huge Boulders Along the Santa Cruz Shoreline: A Common Coastal Story

  If you live along or visit the west coast of California you have likely seen various types of structures designed to stop the coastline from eroding. Two ...

  January 18, 2015 (6) Comments

• 

  Santa Cruz’s Westside: Millionaire’s Row

  In the early 1900s, the area from Lighthouse Point to Bay Street was often called Millionaire's Row because of its many fine mansions. Most of the mansion ...

  December 21, 2014 (1) Comment

• 

  Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, California

  Geology, the lighthouse, World War II and surfing history are all woven into the story of Lighthouse Point. The Geology Lighthouse Point is composed of a ...

  September 12, 2013 (2) Comments

• 

  Trees of West Cliff Drive: Native but not Natural

  The two tree types you mostly see along West Cliff Drive are the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Both are o ...

  August 30, 2015 (0) Comments

• 

  A Surfing Legend: Jack O’Neill Surf History

  It was in Santa Cruz, in the 1950s and '60s, that Jack O'Neill developed the modern surfing wetsuit, which helped open surfing in cold-water locations aro ...

  June 25, 2014 (1) Comment

• 

  Caves and the Moving Lighthouses of Lighthouse Point

  Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, California, is surrounded by world class surf spots and amazing views. It's named for the lighthouse built to commemorate ...

  June 15, 2016 (2) Comments

• 

  West Cliff Drive: Several Hundred Feet Under

  Along Santa cruz's popular West Cliff Drive are some really unique features known by geo-geeks as “toilet bowls”. They are a clue to what the modern-day s ...

  December 19, 2013 (0) Comments

• 

  Swift and Ingalls Streets: Then and Now on the Westside of Santa Cruz

  Today, the Swift Street Courtyard area, in combination with the adjoining businesses off of Ingalls Street, has become a nexus for locals who like fresh l ...

  March 02, 2015 (3) Comments

• 

  Lighthouse Mystique: It’s All About the Beam

  The lighthouse at Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, is an icon to locals and visitors alike. It is rich with history of the lighthouse keepers who raised fa ...

  June 18, 2015 (2) Comments

• 

  Its Beach: From Shipwrecks to Serious Dog Politics

  https://youtu.be/Vod-vZMgUgk Part of Lighthouse Field State Beach, this beach just west of Lighthouse Point, is a favorite for locals. The west end of the ...

  October 28, 2015 (2) Comments

• 

  The Vue de L’eau: Vacation Hot Spot and Home of Many Arches

  In the late 1800s you could take a street car to Santa Cruz's West Cliff Drive and then gamble, dance and stay in a hotel—all right there! The station was ...

  February 16, 2015 (1) Comment

• 

  Santa Cruz: The Great Seaport that Wasn’t

  Santa Cruz's cultural identity and economic well being are tied up with tourism and surfing in the beautiful Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay is an important ma ...

  January 07, 2015 (0) Comments

• 

  Mitchell Cove: Home of the Outfall Pipeline

  Welcome to what locals call the “stinky beach.” Located near the end of Almar Avenue, the smell varies depending on the day. Coincidentally, the City of S ...

  August 11, 2014 (0) Comments

• 

  The Vue de L’eau: Public Transit to Paradise

  In the late 1800s you could take a street car to West Cliff Drive and then gamble, dance and stay in a hotel all right there! The top photo is a postcard ...

  August 04, 2014 (0) Comments

• 

  Drat! There is No Poop Fairy!

  The city of Santa Cruz just launched an anti-dog poop campaign and started with West Cliff Drive where there are currently six of these lovely signs poste ...

  March 21, 2014 (0) Comments

• 

  Recent: Geologically Speaking

  The sediments at the top of this cliff face along West Cliff Drive are generally referred to as recent from a geological perspective. They are from the Qu ...

  August 07, 2014 (0) Comments

• 

  Restoring Native Plants Helps Ocean Birds

  Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) are back on the sea cliff just west of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. They started using this ...

  June 01, 2016 (0) Comments

• 

  Santa Cruz’s Seaport Dreams: How Surfing Almost Wasn’t

  Cover photo by Brocken Inaglory From the 1850s to the mid-1960s, Santa Cruzans wanted their town to be a center of industry and economic activity. Promoti ...

  February 21, 2014 (0) Comments

]]> /tour/west-cliff-drive/feed/ 0 /blog/why-there-is-no-beachfront-resort-at-seacliff-state-beach/ /blog/why-there-is-no-beachfront-resort-at-seacliff-state-beach/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2016 20:00:45 +0000 /?p=10830

The seawall that was meant to protect a grand ocean-front resort. It survived only a year. Photo: Courtesy John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

Almost a century ago, there were big plans for the northern California coastline along Seacliff State Beach. But sometimes, even the grandest of plans can’t hold up to the power of the ocean.

In the 1920s, a group of ambitious businessmen purchased the land at Seacliff and made plans to build an esplanade, pleasure pier, 2000-foot seawall, bathing pavilion, dining hall and dance pavilion, parking lot, and modern beach bungalettes (a type of small mobile home) right on the wave-washed sand. The only part of their plan that worked out long-term is the parking lot.

Seawall Scores Two, Developers Zero

We now know what a futile plan it is to build right on the beach. This volatile landscape can be a wide open stretch of sand in the morning and be entirely underwater by sunset. Waves from just one storm have the power to crumble cliffs that have stood for millennia. Still, the new owners of Seacliff believed their seawall could withstand the relentless force of the ocean. This was perhaps understandable, because Santa Cruz had only mild winters from 1916 to 1923.

The first seawall was built in 1925. Photo: Courtesy of John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

Unfortunately, in 1926, almost as soon as construction began on the seawall, a storm caused serious damage. After investing in repairs and reinforcement, another storm the following year wiped out the remainder of the wall.

Another view of the damaged seawall. Photo: Courtesy of John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

The rebuilt seawall in 1927 showing signs of erosion before being totally wiped out. Photo: Courtesy of John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

The seawall was not working, but perhaps there was a different solution?

Sailing to the Rescue (Temporarily)

The developers decided to abandon the seawall idea, because they were quickly running out of funds. Instead, they purchased a surplus concrete oil tanker, the S.S. Palo Alto, to use as an amusement center.

Before the S.S. Palo Alto was anchored at Seacliff, it was part of a fleet of concrete ships built for WWI. Concrete seems an odd choice for a mode of transport that needed to potentially withstand multiple submarine attacks, but steel was scarce and very expensive during the war, so the U.S. decided to experiment with concrete. The U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation invested in a total of 38 concrete ships. Only eight were ever built, and the S.S. Palo Alto wasn’t completed until after the war ended. She made two independent voyages (no towing required) until she was sold to the Seacliff Amusement Corporation in 1929.

The S.S. Palo Alto when it sailed in 1921. Photo: Courtesy of John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

The concrete ship was towed to its place just offshore on January 25, 1930. A 630-foot pier was built out to her massive decks, and she was opened to a waiting crowd of 3,000 people on June 21 of that year. That’s not a bad reception for a WWI ship that didn’t even sail until after the war.

As an amusement center, the S.S. Palo Alto had a dance floor, cafe, a 54-foot heated swimming pool, and a casino. She lasted only two summers against the ocean’s powerful waves. A winter storm cracked the brittle hull in 1932.

The S.S. Palo Alto lasted as an amusement center for just two years. Photo: Courtesy of John Hibble and the Aptos History Museum

That same year, the Seacliff Amusement Corporation went bankrupt. The state bought the ship in 1936 for only a dollar but had to invest in multiple costly repairs as the ship battled the elements for the next 42 years. The ship was finally closed to the public in 1978.

The S.S. Palo Alto in 1972. Photo: © Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, California Coastal Records Project, http://www.Californiacoastline.org

The S.S. Palo Alto in 2002. Photo: © Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, California Coastal Records Project, http://www.Californiacoastline.org

The S.S. Palo Alto in in 2004. Photo: © Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, California Coastal Records Project, http://www.Californiacoastline.org

Today, the ship is still battered by the surf. Most recently, a storm in mid-January of 2016 caused a new break in the back half of the ship. That pushed the bow skyward as the stern sunk into the waves.

Abandon ship, and abandon plans to develop this beach. The S.S. Palo Alto in 2016. Photo: Lauren McEvoy/Mobile Ranger

Envisioning how this sinking artifact could have hosted hundreds of beach-goers for a day or evening of entertainment now requires a large stretch of the imagination.

Protect the Oceans

Sea Cliff State Beach is part of California’s statewide program to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs are a lot like our landlocked state parks except that they extend many miles off our coastline. These “underwater parks” are established in areas that are biologically diverse (lots of different marine species), culturally rich (think sunken ships like the S.S. Palo Alto and buried anthropological treasure), and economically important (fishing and tourism are a big deal to these coastal communities).

However, these special places are threatened by things such as overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction, so they now require management to recover. Like state parks, MPAs allow the public to enjoy these natural treasures but with a few ground rules about fishing, boating, and other recreational and commercial activities. There are several different types of MPAs, and each one has its own set of rules. See the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for details.

The MPAs in Santa Cruz County. Image: California Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Soquel Canyon SMCA captures an entire side-branch of the Monterey Submarine Canyon – from relatively shallow waters at the canyon’s head to very deep waters. The rocky canyon walls and mud-and-sand canyon floor offer ideal habitat for rockfishes including depleted species. It contains communities of fragile deepwater corals and sponges. The area is also an important seabird forage grounds and whale feeding area. Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area protects important refuge habitat for several overfished deepwater rockfish species and is expected to contribute to the recovery of these species.

Image: Courtesy the Ocean Conservancy via the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Marine Protected Areas Beaches Tour made possible by the Santa Cruz Collaborative with support from the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Resources Legacy Fund. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

1. Sources

   • The SS Palo Alto and the Surprising History of Concrete Ships, by Julia Gaudinski. MobileRanger.com website.
   • "And Then There Were None: The Seawalls of Seacliff Beach," by John Hibble. Aptos Life, February 2015.
   • "Seacliff History. Seacliff Beach General Plan, May 1990." Among documents available at the Aptos History Museum.
   • "The Old Concrete Ship of Seacliff Beach," by John Hibble. Among documents available at the Aptos History Museum.

Like our content? Subscribe to our mailing list and get 1-2 blog posts a week via e-mail.

]]> /blog/why-there-is-no-beachfront-resort-at-seacliff-state-beach/feed/ 2 /tour/the-highway-17-tour/ /tour/the-highway-17-tour/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:30:56 +0000 /?p=6584

Lexington Reservoir in 2014. Photo courtesy of Levy Media Works.

Read the stories that make for a richer drive over Highway 17.
A drive along Highway 17 will take the traveler from ocean influences in Santa Cruz, through rugged yet stunning redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Lexington Reservoir. Our Highway 17 driving tour will delight with many hidden historical nuggets along eight stops from Scotts Valley to Los Gatos. We highlight a few stops below but all eight can be read in blog form at the bottom of this page or by downloading our app, Mobile Ranger Guides.

A screen shot of the stops and the interactive map feature in the self-guided mobile tour.

Starting in the south, meet Swabby a heroic fallen pooch that served in WWII.

Swabby’s Grave at Pine Knoll Cemetery between 100 and 180 Sims Road in Santa Cruz, California.

Moving northward, discover Holy City and Father Riker, a charismatic religious man who believed in free love, for himself, not his disciples.

Holy City circa 1920s. Photo courtesy of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.

Discover One-Eyed Charlie, our 19th century cross dressing stage coach driver.

This mural of Charlie Parkhurst was at the Soquel Village Post Office from 1985 to 2012. Artist Frank Hill. Original image from Mrwrite.

Santa Cruz City Hall gardens and the accidental date palm tree. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

This self-guided tour of several trees in Santa Cruz’s urban forest was created in 2016 by UCSC Environmental Studies student Laurel Wee. Trees make urban spaces more inviting, cool, and pleasant, but they are often overlooked and under-appreciated. Trees have stories too, and the goal of this tour is to give some of Santa Cruz’s urban trees their due.

A screen shot of the stops and the interactive map feature in the self-guided mobile tour.

The tour has seven stops that form a loop around the downtown and west side of Santa Cruz. Each includes small historical anecdotes, information about characteristics of the tree, and additional fun facts. The tour starts at Neary Lagoon Park and takes about two hours. We suggest you use the public parking at the top of Neary Lagoon Park at 110 California Street (next to the intersection of California Street and Bay Street). The stops can be toured in any order, but we give walking directions in the order shown in the interactive table.

We thank Randall Morgan and Leslie Keedy for helping us extensively with this project.

Santa Cruz City Hall gardens. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Today’s City Hall at 809 Center Street was built in 1937-38 in the Monterey Colonial style, a new style at the time. The enclosed Spanish Gardens are part of this style, but the date palm there today is not.

A Canary Island date palm leans away from Santa Cruz City Hall at Center Street and Church Street. Photo: Laurel Wee

According to Leslie Keedy, Santa Cruz City Arborist, the Canary Island date palm tree was probably planted by a bird via its droppings. The bird probably got the date seed from one of the other Canary Island palms in the city. The palm took root next to the building but has been growing away from it, reaching toward the light.

Santa Cruz City Hall in the 1940s. Notice that there was no date palm to the right of the fountain then. Image: From the collection of Linda Rosewood

Palm trees are native to tropical regions and are part of the Arecaceae family, which is common in the tropics. Because it is native to the Canary Islands, it grows in mild and tropical climates, which makes it desirable to plant widely across the globe.

The leaves and fruits are very important to some cultures for food, fiber, and shelter. Animals also have myriad uses for these palms. Squirrels eat dates and store them in the folds of the trunk for later. Kestrels, barn owls, starlings, and other birds also nest in these large protective trees. Thus, it certainly makes sense that this palm owes its existence to help from a bird.

Postcard of Santa Cruz City Hall circa 1940s. There is no date palm in the hall courtyard, but there is one across the street. Image: From the collection of Linda Rosewood

Canary date palms, and palms generally, were commonly planted along the sidewalks or property boundaries of Victorian homes in Santa Cruz. In the 1800s, when the houses were built two palms were typically placed on either side of the home or the path to the home. The Italian cypress was also used in this manner, but not to the extent that the palm was.

Two Canary Island Date palms on the edges of the Darling House along West Cliff Drive. Photo: Julia Gaudinski/Mobile Ranger

Leaves

Palms are separated into two groups: feather palms, which have pinnately compound leaves that resemble a feather, and fan palms which have palmately compound leaves that resemble a fan.

Feather palm leaves of the Canary Island date palm in front of Santa Cruz City Hall. Photo: Laurel Wee.

This palm is a feather palm with leaves that reach up to 20 feet in length. Each leaf contains up to 200 leaflets that alternate on the sides of the central branch (rachis).

Flowers

Flower clusters are four to six feet long and orange. Female flowers are produced on separate plants. For this reason, you’ll see dates on only some Canary Island palms.

Palm trees are monocots. Other monocot plants are lilies, irises, and aloe.

Fruits

The fruit is a small drupe, similar to an avocado, about 2 cm long and 1 cm across. It contains a single seed.

Clusters of Canary Island dates. Photo: Laurel Wee

Closeup of Canary Island dates. The one on the lower left is the seed. Photo: Laurel Wee

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the Santa Cruz Tree Tour made possible by UCSC Environmental Studies student Laurel Wee with support from the Kennith S. Norris Center for Natural History. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.