“I think our theme is basically a story of connection
between wildlife and humans.” That’s from Dino Labiste, a naturalist at Coyote
Hills Regional Park. Supervising Naturalist Sonja Gomez thinks about how the
rich diversity of this land supported people for thousands of years, and even
though it’s now a park, there is still a reciprocal relationship. “When we care
for our parks,” says Gomes, “our parks care for us.”
The park is turning fifty this year and it’s a good time to
reflect on the history, the mission, and the future of the 1300-acre wildlife
oasis.
Visitors to the park today traverse an area inhabited by
humans for more than 2000 years. For millennia the land was home to Tuibun
Ohlone villages, supporting them with a diversity of wildlife and plants. With
the arrival of the first non-natives in 1769, changes happened rapidly as
farming, cattle ranching, and eventually salt harvesting changed the face of
the land.
In 1883, the abundant waterfowl gave rise to a duck-hunting
club on the marshes. The University of California at Berkeley took an Archaeological
interest in 1935, and the first excavations began. Impelled by cold war politics the Army established
a Nike missile base in the hills in 1955 because of the area’s strategic
location. Remnants of the outbuildings can still be seen. Following the base’s
decommissioning, the Stanford Research Institute occupied the area and used the
marshlands as facilities for sonar research. Cal State Hayward led
archaeological investigations at the site in 1966.
In 1967 the East Bay Regional Park District and Alameda
County Flood Control District purchased the property on Coyote Hills and
adjacent marshlands from the descendants of George Washington Patterson (whose
home can be seen at Ardenwood Regional Preserve). The park was dedicated on May
23, 1968.
In the 50 years since the park’s dedication, millions of
people have walked the trails, watched wildlife, and enjoyed one of the most
unspoiled habitats in the Bay Area. The plants and animal populations that
people come to experience, however, have changed drastically as the population
of the surrounding area has grown, a trend that has not abated since the Gold
Rush.
One of the lessons naturalists at the park hope to teach is
the impact of humans on the natural environment. One of the greatest pressures
on the land is the problem of maintaining a balance between enjoyment and conservation.
“There are so many people that come here, and that’s a wonderful thing,” Says
Gomez. “but, obviously, the more people, the more impact. All the little things
that people do add up.”
The little things can also add up on the positive side. For
instance, creating natural gardens with native plants is a good way to support
some of our wild neighbors. Every additional garden helps keep butterfly
populations healthy and encourages wild populations to thrive. Most
importantly, gardens attract pollinators such as bees, which are a vital link
in the production of many food crops.
People can come and learn how to make a nature garden in
their backyard (or balcony) at the upcoming Bird and Butterfly Festival taking
place Sunday, June 3. There will also be special talks, nature crafts for the
kids, and a celebration of the park’s 50th anniversary with special exhibits
and cake.
Tule elk once roamed Coyote hills. Condors soared and the
abundant bay was home to plentiful fish, and even sea otters. Those populations
will likely never return, but the park is looking to the future and finding
ways to provide a rich environment for the current wild residents, such as
muskrats, grey foxes, and numerous water birds (272 species of birds have been recorded!).
One example is the park’s installation of dozens of nest boxes designed to
attract Tree Swallows: every spring the boxes are full of new chicks. The parks
ability to expand on similar programs was recently augmented with a grant of
300 acres.
In 2014 the heirs of the Patterson family donated nearly 300
acres of land valued at $10M. The land was the largest remaining parcel of
developable open space within Fremont. Earlier this year, East Bay Regional
Parks District invited the public to give it’s input on the future of the site.
“Some people want more trails,” says Labiste, “but others want to keep it a
natural habitat and buffer between the developments on the west side of Paseo
Padre.” The park district “wants to get community input so the land can be used
effectively. “After all,” says Labiste, “a lot of that funding comes from tax
dollars.”
A conceptual site plan for the expansion approved in
February includes habitat restoration, urban agriculture, and public access improvements,
such as relocating the park entrance closer to Paseo Padre Parkway to develop a
more prominent entry point to the park.
In addition to the Butterfly & Bird Festival on June 3,
there will be a Memorial Day Celebration May 26 through May 28. “We’re giving a
little history mini-series,” says Gomez. “We’re talking about salt harvesting
on Saturday. Sunday is all about wildlife stewardship at the park over the
years, with one of the district’s wildlife biologists, Dave “Doc Quack”
Riensche, and on Monday Bev Ortiz, cultural services coordinator and founder of
the Ohlone Gathering (itself celebrating 25 years) and a panel of Ohlone will
talk about their involvement with park.”
Memorial Day Celebration
Saturday, May 26 through Monday May 28
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Butterfly & Bird Festival
Sunday, Jun 3
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
8000 Patterson Ranch Rd, Fremont
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/coyote_hills/
(510) 544-3220
Free. $5 parking
