Ecology Walk Highlights Landscape in Transition

photo courtesy of Audobon Society

California poppies are now blooming along the Presidio Ecology Trail.

By Ryder W. Miller

Just a short walk into the Presidio from the Arguello Boulevard gate is the Presidio Ecology Trail, currently a beautiful spring landscape.

The trail is about a mile long. Hikers can follow the Ecology Trail to the Officer's Club or loop around on ancillary trails for a longer trip with an uphill component.

From the beginning of the trail at Inspiration Point, one can observe panoramic views of Angel Island and Alcatraz. The Ecology Trail can also be picked up at El Polin Spring and at the eastern end of the main post. A round trip from Inspiration Point to El Polin Spring can provide unique bird observations. The National Park Service provides a recreation guide for children and school groups that visit the Ecology Trail.

The trail will be impacted by Park Service decisions regarding the Tennessee Hollow watershed, which could result in more habitat restoration. There are also efforts underway to improve the connections with other trails and roads.

The Ecology Trail's habitat changes with the four seasons.

Along the trail one can walk among Monterey cypress, Monterey pine, eucalyptus and redwood trees. The historic forest was planted in the late 1800s to provide wind breaks for the Presidio and growing City.

The largest grove of redwoods that can be found in the Presidio is on the Ecology Trail. Efforts are underway to restore native habitats, especially Serpentine grasslands, in parts of the Presidio.

Hikers on the trail can see the California state rock, a serpentine rock which is greenish-blue in color. Some of the plants associated with the serpentine grasslands are rare, including the Presidio Clarkia and Raven's Manzanita, some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Also to be found along the trail is El Polin Spring, a historic fresh water source for the Ohlone Indians and the former Spanish, and Mexican and U.S. occupants of the Presidio.

El Polin Spring is also a gathering place for some of the 200 bird species that can be found in the Presidio. Some of the birds easily observed on the Ecology Trail include the White Crown Sparrow, Red Shouldered Hawk, Anna Hummingbird, Summer Wilson Warbler, Pygmy Nuthatch, Chestnut backed Chickadee and the Winter Wren, which can often be heard singing. Also observable this time of year are migrating birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway.

Other readily observable wildlife include butterflies, bees and the occasional alligator lizard and banana slug.

Researchers found a surprising amount of bee diversity at a number of sites in the Presidio, including Inspiration Point. More than 56 different species of bees were observed. Bees are most abundant during the peak blooming periods in spring.

The landscape has become more colorful in spring due to blooming wildflowers, including California poppies, buttercups and goldfields.

There are parts of the trail that are off limits to the public because of the National Park Service's efforts to restore native habitat. Some fields are fenced off from the trail.

One of the fields observable from Inspiration Point is covered with black plastic to deter invasive weeds. California lilac and other plants are flagged along the trail so that they can be easily monitored and 50,000 meadow plants have been planted over the past four years.

Currently, there is not a lot of signage denoting the location of the trail. But Mike Boland, the National Park Service's interim director of planning at the Presidio, said efforts are underway to improve the trail systems throughout the park. In the works is a promenade from the Presidio Avenue gate to the Golden Gate Bridge and a Watershed Trail, which would follow the water flow from El Polin Spring to its estuary.

The trails near Immigrant Point have also been improved due to funds provided by the Sarlo Foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund.

The Ecology Trail is one of the trails among many that can be found within the Presidio. Some of the others are the Coastal Trail, Golden Gate Promenade, Bay Area Ridge Trail, Anza Trail, Lovers Lane and Bay Trail. Maps are available at the Presidio Visitor Center.

In related Presidio news: Immigrant Point Overlook (on Washington Boulevard off Kobbe Drive) was opened to the public with a ceremony April 30.

The site is dedicated to the millions of people who came to the Bay Area between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Most of the immigrants were from Asia, but many others came from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and Central and South America.