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Spring Has finally Sprung: The “Ghost of Spring” we have been experiencing as a result of the current drought is gone. It has been replaced by a solid body of delightful vistas and colorful flowers. The very short grasses are now two or three times taller and the brownish appearance of the whole Mesa has changed into vibrant greens. And, most unexpectedly, there are many very large fields of Blue-eyed Grass: prominently displayed, and in close proximity to major trails. There are even Redmaids, a native we rarely find! In spite of virtually no rain More Mesa is still putting on a spring show!

How Did the More Mesa Symposium Turn Out?
The second More Mesa Symposium was held at Bren Hall of UCSB on Saturday, March 15th. All the feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive and the day seemed to be very appreciated by all. The event also had a nice write-up by Ray Ford in the Independent. See About More Mesa: Symposium Focuses on Area’s Preservation and Development Attempts

All sixty people who attended heard a variety of papers by a team of experienced environmentalists including: Wayne Ferren on ecology, John Storrer on raptors, and Dan Gira on the potential for development of More Mesa. Displays told several other More Mesa stories and our speaker panel discussion gave the community an opportunity to ask questions of this prestigious group of More Mesa experts.

The afternoon walk, lead by Wayne Ferren, and enjoyed by many of the attendees, lasted almost three hours. Wayne discussed how the geology and soils of More Mesa determine the habitats and plants, which in turn, lead to the abundance of raptors and animals that occur on More Mesa. Papers, panel discussion and the afternoon walk were all videotaped.

MMPC is currently exploring various ways to provide the proceedings to those who could not attend, as well as for those who would like to review the material presented. Look for news of the videotape in upcoming e-Updates, and on the Monthly News posted on this website. Also look for reporting, and more images of the Symposium in the “Events” section of this web site.

New Guides on MMPC’s Web Site
Guides to the birds, insects and plants of More Mesa have been created and hosted on this web site. And, since the site is mobile friendly, these guides are especially useful when citizen scientists and other visitors to More Mesa are in the field. Guides are located under the menu items “Birds“, “Insects” and “Plants”.

Came The Rains … More Mesa on Sunday afternoon after three days of welcome rain.

A lone native coastal poppy plant offers up two flowers.

Fungi has enough moisture to make an appearance.

Dogs make sport in a large pond at the coast.

Second Symposium
It is eleven years since the first More Mesa Symposium was held at UCSB in 2003. Because a lot has happened since that time, MMPC is planning a second symposium, to be held on 15 March 2014. We are very excited to report that Wayne Ferren has agreed to take time from his busy schedule to lead and coordinate the scientific aspects of the symposium. Wayne, an eminent national ecologist, managed the first Biological Resources Study of More Mesa and is well known for his special knowledge of wetlands, vernal pools and especially More Mesa. The morning session will feature technical papers given by knowledgeable experts on important aspects of More Mesa: Ecology, Birds, Development and Legal Issues. The morning will end with a Panel Discussion/Q&A session. We are indebted to the Bren School at UCSB for their gracious offer to host the symposium. Electronic invitations to the Symposium will be sent to all our supporters in the beginning of February. Look for these invitations and register on-line. Space is limited and first priority will be given to those on our More Mesa supporter list.

A Different Look At More Mesa … As you all know, we have been experiencing very atypical weather across the South Coast since late spring.  Strong winds, never ending fog, and drizzle are rarely such large components of our weather.  And, of late, heavy rain, with accompanying thunder and lighting have been added to these unusual conditions.  So, in keeping with these strange weather patterns, we present some alternate views of More Mesa; views that are not often seen by most visitors to our favorite place.

We are grateful to photographer Jon Greenleaf for these haunting and engaging images. (Click on an image to see larger version.)