In fall 2024, Golden Gate National Recreation Area began the Montara Prairie Renewal Project, started by park biologist Eric Wrubel, to protect and restore coastal grassland on the Montara Parcel of Rancho Corral de Tierra in San Mateo County. This update comes from Elena Wolff, grassland restoration coordinator with the park and the Great Basin Institute, in December 2024.
Park Service biological technicians Jackie Krisalis and Jesse Fujikawa sow lines of native grass seed where Monterey pines were removed, covering them with biodegradable fabric so birds can't eat the seed. NPS / Elena Wolff.
Progress so far
- Monitoring before restoration is complete.
- Several acres of invasive shrubs and conifers have been cleared from areas that were historically grassland.
- With the Bay Area's rainy season beginning, crews are sowing native grasses and planting wildflowers and other forbs where trees and shrubs came out.
Pounds of native grass seed will be raked into lines in cleared conifer and scrub areas. NPS / Elena Wolff.
How the prairie changed
| Era | What shaped the grassland |
|---|---|
| Native American stewardship | Cultural burning kept shrubs and trees out; periodic grazing by elk and other large hoofed animals kept native grasses and forbs healthy |
| Spanish colonization to the mid-20th century | Intensive farming and grazing replaced those conditions |
| Modern era | Farming, grazing and nearby urban growth brought invasive species, shrinking the grassland and degrading habitat |
The threat now
The biggest threat comes from invasive shrubs and conifers, especially Monterey pine and Monterey cypress. Native to only a few small areas of California, both have been planted around the world. They make huge amounts of seed and grow fast wherever there is open sun — such as grassland — and can turn prairie into forest if left alone.
In the past 30 years, more than 30% of Rancho's grasslands have been lost to woody invaders. Without more restoration like this, most of the park unit's grassland could be gone within sixty years.
More than 3,000 native grassland plants are going in this winter, including Hickman's potentilla, planted here in a scrub removal area. NPS / Elena Wolff.
Learn more
Golden Gate intern Whitney Wyche built an interactive StoryMap on the prairie's history and the restoration, linked from interpretive signs at the site.
Sources
Based on "Prairie Restoration Underway at Rancho Corral de Tierra," by Elena Wolff, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Great Basin Institute, published by the National Park Service; rewritten in hubnx's own words.
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