April 2015

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On the bright side … Although the drought has increasingly occupied our awareness over the past three years, there are a few bright lights to mention on More Mesa this month. In a previous issue this year we talked about various wildflowers that have been seen … not in great abundance, but they are around, and they are still around. For example, on one recent “magic” weekend, and much to our surprise, we recorded not only Blue-eyed Grass, Sky Lupine, California Brittlebush, Coastal Poppy and Coast Morning Glory, but also some aggregations of Owl’s Clover, a comparatively rare species for More Mesa. (To view all of More Mesa’s wildflowers click here.)

In addition, and on that same weekend, More Mesa opened yet another of its treasure chests; one filled with butterflies. We were delighted by six different butterfly species; including one that had never been observed on More Mesa before; the Funereal Dusky Skipper. Although some of those seen (Dainty Sulphur, Anise Swallowtail and Lorquin’s Admiral) were in relatively small numbers, there were hundreds of Common Buckeyes and Northern White Skippers. (To view More Mesa’s butterfly treasures click here.)

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March 2015

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The White-tailed Kite, MMPC’s signature bird, is a “California Bird Species of Special Concern”. It has been given this designation because the White-tailed Kite was once at risk of disappearing, and is currently found in few places in California; one important area being the Goleta Valley. And within the Goleta Valley, More Mesa is one of the most prolific with regard to kite breeding and nesting. This is because it provides a bountiful habitat for many of these beautiful raptors.

Research has shown that a nesting pair of kites requires 150 acres of grassland to produce a clutch of healthy chicks. However More Mesa’s 265 acres routinely support more than a single pair. In fact in most “average” rain years, we have the largest number of nesting pairs in the entire Goleta Valley. Kite data gathered over more than 20 years shows that it is very common to have two nesting pairs, often three nesting pairs and in one incredible year, four nesting pairs!  When water is plentiful, the grasses grow, the rodent population has plenty of seeds and the kites then have ample prey to feed their young. In especially prolific years, we often have double clutching at one or more nests, and have even recorded up to 12 chicks in a given year!

Not even the lowest of these chick counts has been seen for the past three drought-years. For example, last year not a single chick was observed and only one lone pair of kites appeared to be living on More Mesa. However, there is some hope for this year. We have had a report of a pair of kites on the west side of More Mesa living on a nest site, guarding that site and also rearranging its nest material. We will keep you posted as the “courting season” progresses.

To learn more about kites, see:

Four chicks at the central nest in 2003, when there were four nesting sites on More Mesa.

February 2015

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Last month we reported on the beautiful greenery and grasses of More Mesa. This month we are pleased to present the next installment of emerging spring … flowers. A great many species are contributing to the show. And among all the introduced species (mustard, radish, Bermuda Buttercups, etc) there are some truly delightful natives popping out.

The most prominent, abundant and spectacular of these is the California Bush Flower (Encelia californica), a perennial shrub growing mostly on coastal bluffs and open slopes in coastal sage scrub below 2000 feet. On More Mesa, this drought-tolerant plant appears in profusion along the bluffs and on the coastal trail. It is a fast-growing, slope-loving plant with tenacious roots that limit erosion, as do the green leaves that disperse rain downpour before it reaches the soil. The large, bright yellow sunflowers attract bees, butterflies and insects that  remain for a while to collect pollen, or consume nectar.

California Bush Flower grows to a height of about four feet and a width of about five feet. Flowering starts as soon as the first rains, and depending upon moisture can continue flowering through spring, summer and fall. Native birds consume the seeds, which are set in summer. The genus name Encelia comes from Christoph Entzelt, a German clergyman and naturalist who lived in the 1500s and wrote about the medicinal uses of plants and animals.  (This plant is also called California Brittlebush, which can be confused with another plant with common name Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), that grows further inland.)

A little shyer and more difficult to spot is the diminutive and lovely Redmaid, a succulent carpet-forming plant having small brilliant reddish-pink flowers. These tiny treasures grow in open areas of woodland and grassland habitats, with sandy or loamy soils. Currently Redmaids can be seen along the north-south trail on the eastern side of More Mesa.

Within a few weeks other species of native flowers will be making their appearances all over More Mesa. We would love to hear about those you have seen. In addition to reporting birds and animals, you can also report flowering native plants on our sightings reports. Click “Sightings” on the home page of this web site.

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January 2015

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And some rain came …

Santa Barbara joyously welcomed the 6.3 inches of rain we received in December. Unhappily these rains represent only 20% of the yearly average rainfall in Santa Barbara and a very small percentage of the amount needed to end our three-year long drought. That being said, the growing things on More Mesa were very appreciative of even this small relief. Grasses and flowers are making their appearance, Cottonwoods are getting ready to burst, Red Wing Blackbirds are calling, and we have even heard tree frogs “singing” in some areas. In short, it is very lovely out on More Mesa. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

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December 2014

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2014 … AN EXCITING YEAR FOR MMPC!

Updated Web Site
As a fitting symbol of welcome to the new year, our updated and completely revamped MMPC website went “live” very early 01/01/2014. The power of its new WordPress format was wonderfully proven all throughout this past amazing year. New formats, layouts, search tools, clear links and additions made our award winning website even better than ever. And, one of the most exciting changes, is that the MMPC website can now be read using mobile devices! This means you can read the monthly news … at a glance … from your cell phone. Many thanks and kudos go to Lynn Watson, our web site manager, for all the hours and hard work it took to bring about this transformation of our site. For full details see the January 2014 News.

More Mesa Symposium
The second More Mesa Symposium was held at Bren Hall of UCSB on March 15th. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the day greatly appreciated by all. Attendees 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 additional More Mesa stories, and our Speaker Panel Discussion gave the community an opportunity to ask questions of this prestigious group of More Mesa experts.

For those who were unable to attend, as well as those who want to review the presentations they heard, the entire 2014 Symposium is available on our web site. These six separate videos include, a brief introduction to the Symposium, four presentations from experts on More Mesa and the Panel Discussion that ended the morning session. Symposium presentations may be found in the “Events” section here.

More Mesa Forever Campaign
MMPC has become aware that several proposals are currently being evaluated for development of More Mesa. And although the owner has not yet elected to go forward with any of these proposals, a decision may be made in the near future.

This intelligence led us to launch the More Mesa Forever Campaign last fall. With this campaign we will develop a public/private partnership that will permit us to purchase More Mesa and establish a plan to continue its broad and diverse use, its sound maintenance and also improve its wildlife habitat. We have taken the lead in the first stage of this campaign, which we call the Ready Position. We truly believe that now is the time to act quickly to preserve More Mesa, “the last great place” in Santa Barbara, for our children, for the wildlife, and forever.

Plans for the 2015

  • Complete the three remaining critical steps in the “Getting Ready” Phase of our More Mesa Forever campaign. These are:
    • Enlist a volunteer grassroots force of 1000 or more supporters. (We are already very close to this support level.)
    • Establish critical relationships with county and state decision-makers and funders.
    • Develop both a plan to save More Mesa and a citizen-driven plan for its use.
    • Raise $25,000 in seed money for this effort. (Thanks to caring and generous friends, we have already raised the seed money.)
  • Continue working with More Mesa’s owner in a manner that not only protects the biological, aesthetic and recreational resources of More Mesa, but also addresses his interests, as well as those of other More Mesa stakeholders.

As always … thank you all for your wonderful support, and for loving this very special place.
Our warmest holiday wishes,
Valerie Olson,
More Mesa Preservation Coalition.

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Thanks to John Bailey for the photo of a White-tailed Kite on More Mesa.