Sign Hill Stewards
August Newsletter
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Greetings Sign Hill Stewards,
Late summer can begin to feel like a race against time as many invasive weeds are dropping their seeds. Reflecting on the past couple of months gives me a deepened appreciation for the many high school students that have volunteered their vacation time to join our Friday morning work events. It is inspiring to see young people exploring nature and learning about the human impact on the ecological systems and wildlife in their communities.
The importance of environmental education cannot be overstated. When we understand how our actions influence our environment, then we have the power to make a positive impact. In an effort to encourage community members to get outside and learn more about the nature around them, the City of So. San Francisco’s Parks Department has partnered with various other local municipalities and nonprofits to present the Bay Area Explorer Campaign. The campaign began on July 29th and will continue through September 9th, and during this limited time players on the Agent’s of Discovery app will be entered to win awesome prizes like tickets to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a 3-month pass to CuriOdyssey, tickets to the Oakland Zoo or a Chance to see the Giants play! If you have not checked out the Agents of Discovery app, now is a great time.
There is another chance to play and learn on Sign Hill this month! On August 20th, we will host our first ever StoryWalk™. This event is offered in partnership with the SSF Public Library and invites participants to explore Sign Hill while learning about the local ecology. This StoryWalk's theme is butterflies and will include a storybook reading, guided nature walk, and nature journaling activities. This event is suitable for all ages and great for families.
Hope you will take advantage of these fun opportunities to explore Sign Hill!
Happy hiking!
Candace LaCroix
Natural Resource Specialist
Leading the Sign Hill Restoration Project
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2022 Bay Area Explorer Campaign! |
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Now is a great time to try the Agent's of Discovery app! |
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Explore new communities around the Bay Area during this year's Bay Area Explorer Campaign from July 29th to September 9th! The City of South San Francisco's Parks Department is partnering with local municipalities and nonprofits to bring you a fun, new way to learn about the history and nature around you using the Agents of Discovery app. Simply open the app, navigate to a featured park such as the Bay Trail, Sign Hill or the Sculpture Garden, and play!
Collect a prize for every mission you complete in So. San Francisco! Simply email a screenshot of your completed mission to AoD@ssf.net.
- 1st mission: Agent of Discovery Sticker
- 2nd mission: Agent of Discovery Pin
- 3rd mission: Agent of Discovery Notebook
Plus during the campaign, players who complete enough missions will automatically be entered into a raffle to win grand prizes!
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3 Missions: Tickets to the Bay Area Discovery Museum
- 5 Missions: 3-month pass to CuriOdyssey
- 7 Missions: Tickets to the Oakland Zoo
- 9 missions: Tickets to the San Francisco Giants on September 27th
Check out the video below to hear more about the campaign!
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Presented by South San Francisco Library and Parks & Recreation
Explore with us and learn about the natural habitat of Sign Hill including the Mission Blue Butterfly. Experience a nature walk provided by Parks and Recreation and enjoy stories and nature journaling activities provided by the Library. The activities are suitable for all ages.
The nature walk is less than half a mile along the Ridge Trail and is on an incline. Please wear walking shoes and bring water. Registration is required and is limited to 20 people. All ages welcome.
The StoryWalk™ Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition (VBPC) and the Kellogg Hubbard Library.
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Sign Hill Resident Spotlight:
Western Harvest Mouse
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Can you see the western harvest mouse in the photo?
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Nope, it just looks like a picture of some dry grass to me.
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You have to look closely! |
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The western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is a very small rodent that is common to most of the western United States, although you are unlikely to spot one. They spend all day hiding in their burrows and only emerge at night in search of food. This one was spotted during some shrub removal around the concrete letters before it quickly retreated to its burrow of dried grass.
Coyotes, gopher snakes, red-tailed hawks and great horned owls are just a few of the species on Sign Hill that hunt these little mice. When you have that many predators, being nocturnal is a good way to avoid being seen!
Not only are western harvest mice an important source of food for many grassland animals, they are also important seed dispersers! Their close interactions with plants and other animals makes the western harvest mouse a keystone species in California grasslands, meaning that if they were to be removed, there would be drastic changes to the ecosystem.
Sometimes something quite small can play a very big role!
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As summer winds down on Sign Hill, the wildflowers continue to progress and change. Early summer wildflowers have gone to seed, while late bloomers continue to bloom. Here are some of the flowers that are blooming now.
Remember not to pick wildflowers and take pictures instead in order to protect sensitive habitat and ensure that everyone can enjoy the beautiful wildflowers of Sign Hill.
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'San Bruno Mountain' Golden Aster (Heterotheca sessiliflora ssp. bolanderi)
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Pearly Everlasting
(Anaphalis margaritacea)
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Buff Lettuce
(Dudleya farinosa)
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Photo credit: © 2019 Ron Vanderhoff |
Common gumplant
(Grindelia camporum)
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California Goldenrod
(Solidago velutina spp. californica)
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Pink Everlasting
(Pseudognaphalium ramosissimum)
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Sticky Monkeyflower
(Diplacus aurantiacus)
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Coast Tarweed
(Madia sativa)
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Tree Work and Firebreak Updates |
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Visitors and neighbors of Sign Hill are likely to notice some big changes taking place. We have contracted tree workers to remove many of the trees that were planted on Sign Hill beginning in the 1960's and through the turn of the century. These trees were planted with the intention of beautifying the park, however they resulted in unintended changes to the local ecology. By converting parts of Sign Hill into a woodland, habitat for grassland species was diminished and the fuel load was increased in case of wildfires. These factors presented a potential threat to both local residents and wildlife.
Native California grasslands are one of the habitats under greatest threat in California, especially due to their desirability for agriculture. Sign Hill's grasslands are home to 2 endangered butterflies and at least 3 rare grassland plants in addition to providing important habitat for many other grassland species. The City of South San Francisco's Parks Department is now dedicating their efforts to restoring the natural grassland habitat that once covered the entire foothill to San Bruno Mountain that we endearingly call Sign Hill.
Even with the intention to restore native habitat, changes to the landscape can impact wildlife, which is why all tree removals are performed in close collaboration with wildlife biologists to insure that nesting birds are protected throughout this time of change. Trees that are selected to be removed help to open up the tree canopy which can slow down a fire's spread and keep it from burning as hot.
In an additional effort to protect local residents, we have contracted the San Francisco Conservation Corps to create a firebreak around the perimeter of the city owned parcels of Sign Hill. This work has already begun and you may notice the crew working their way around the hill weed whacking and removing invasive shrubs over the next several weeks. All of this work is done with careful consideration to preserve rare and desirable native species.
Below is a map of the planned firebreak zones.
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Here you can see 3 weeks of tree work progress from July 8th to August 1st. It is amazing to the see the view opening up from different parts of Sign Hill!
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Volunteer with Sign Hill Stewards! |
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When: Every other Friday and the 2nd Saturday of each month from 9am-12pm. Only cancelled for heavy rains.
Registration: Registration is required. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a youth waiver signed by a parent/guardian. Youth under the age of 15 are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult. Click the link below to RSVP.
What to bring: To prepare for working outdoors, please bring work gloves, plenty of water, sturdy shoes, long pants and long sleeves, a hat/sunscreen, and a completed waiver for each volunteer. Volunteers should expect some hiking on steep terrain.
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