Oaks and Galls Naturalist Walk and Bioblitz at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Get outside, escape the summer heat, and learn more about local oak tree species! On this guided walk, participants will explore will explore oak ecology and how these trees define many of our local open space preserves. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve has a mosaic of ecosystems where native oak trees are keystone species. Oaks dot Arastradero's grasslands, provide shade to its creeks, and support thousands of other species with habitat. We'll appreciate their beauty in the golden hours of the day before the sun sets!

For our bioblitz, we will stop half-way through our walk to explore an area with abundant oaks, and document every living thing (especially galls!) using iNaturalist. No previous knowledge is necessary, but be ready to take pictures with a phone or camera. You can upload to the iNaturalist app during or after the event, but service is some-what unreliable at the Preserve, for uploading pictures during the bioblitz. You can view hundreds of species of animals, plants, fungi, and others documented on iNaturalist so far in the park here, and you can join the event project page here.

Participants should expect to walk 2.5-3 miles at a slow to moderate pace, on dirt and gravel trails with hills and uneven terrain.

Visit Grassroots Ecology’s Pearson-Arastradero Preserve webpage to learn more about the ecosystem and accessibility considerations.

Parking: 1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. Please arrive early and carpool if possible. There will be some parking spaces reserved for the event at the back of the lot. There is no street parking available along Arastradero Road or Page Mill Road.

Alternate Transportation: Bike racks are available near the parking lot. The 280/Page Mill Rd Park and Ride lot is a 10-minute walk from the preserve.

Meeting Space: We will meet by the buildings in the Gateway Garden down the path from the parking lot. Water and all-gender restrooms will be accessible at the beginning and at the end of the event.

Prepare for Working Outdoors:

• Reusable water bottle (filled with water)
• Snacks, if desired
• Long pants, long sleeves recommended
• Sturdy closed-toed shoes that can get dirty
• Hat/sunscreen or layer
• Epi-Pen or allergy medicine, if applicable
• Plan for potential exposure to sun, poison oak, ticks, prickly plants

Event Cancellations

We are committed to the safety of our staff and volunteers. In the event that we must cancel a workday due to extreme weather conditions or poor air quality, a Grassroots Ecology staff person will reach out via email no later than 5:00 PM the day prior to this event.

Join Us!

Grassroots Ecology encourages people from all identities and backgrounds to participate in our programs. Many of our programs are outdoors and involve moving and working in a variety of landscapes. If you have accessibility concerns (e.g. allergies, limited mobility, learning differences), our projects are flexible and we are happy to work with you. Please reach out to the workday facilitator so we can prepare for your participation.

Accessibility concerns? Questions? Cancellations?

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