Midpeninsula Open Space District sponsors a nature walk from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve.

This hike is all about ethnobotany: how the Indians and settlers used native plants medicinally and in a wide variety of other ways. During lunch at the hog barn picnic tables, you’ll hear about the history of this area, from 10,000 years ago up to the present. Docents Keith Johnsgard and Jenny Whitman will lead you through the four diverse ecosystems found around Alpine Pond and Skyline Ridge Preserve (a 2-mile loop with a 275-foot elevation gain). The hike will include lots of stops and lots of talk, and is not appropriate for young children.

Make your reservations by Friday.


Alpine Lake is a lovely locale, no doubt about it. And it would be fun to know what the indigenous folks were eating while avoiding being eaten by the grizzly bears.

October 2006