Dear Members, Donors and Friends,
Memorial Day Weekend is over and summer is nearly here. Our beloved Reserve is getting busier by the day. Regulars and tourists are enjoying exercise, trails and views.
But the damage due to overuse is a constant threat as an average of 3.2 million people hike the Torrey trails each year. Climate change is the other major peril. Both dangers make us realize how fragile this one-of-a-kind habitat is.
This is why we are all the more grateful for you, our members and donors, for your continued support.
And here’s the good news: Wine in the Pines is back! Tickets are on sale now. We look forward to reconnecting with many of you in person, in the great outdoors, under the canopy of our beloved Torreys, a glass (or two) of wine in hand, reveling in the beauty of the Reserve, great local art and the music of Peter Sprague and his band.
See you on the trails,
-Your Torrey Pines Conservancy
Happy Trails Day!
On June 4, 2022, National Trails Day honors those who help maintain and preserve hiking trails for everyone to enjoy. National Trails Day stretches back almost 50 years.
Today, we invite you to celebrate the Torrey trails by testing your knowledge about them.
Take this quiz just for fun or for your chance to win one ticket to Wine in the Pines (valued at $125). We will publish the winner (and the answers!) in next month’s newsletter.
Governor's Wife Visits Torrey Pines SNR
Jennifer Siebel Newsom visited the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in March. “Torrey Pines is one of the most stunning parks I have had the pleasure of touring,” she tweeted, “and I’m so grateful thousands of CalWORKS families will be able to visit for FREE!” — a reference to the Golden Bear Pass for CalWORKS families.
In another program in the state’s “Outdoors for All Initiative,” every library-card holder in California can borrow a free vehicle day-use pass and gain access to over 200 participating state park units.
Here’s a video of Ms Newsom explaining the program (with footage from her visit to Torrey Pines and her tour with park aide Louis Sands.)
"Saving Birds Thru Habitat" Speaker Event
Kay Charter, executive director of Saving Birds Thru Habitat, will join us at 9 a.m., Oct. 1, at the Children’s Pavilion. In the last 50 years nearly one third of North America’s birds have vanished. According to Dr. Gregory S. Butcher, international migratory species coordinator, U. S. Forest Service habitat loss and degradation are the primary threats to healthy bird populations. Saving Birds Thru Habitat is a conservation education organization that teaches people of all ages how to create habitat for the dwindling bird population of North America.
As the weekends tend to get busy at the gate of the Reserve, please plan to arrive early.
Snakes and Lizards: Q&A
QUESTION: What do the following reptiles have in common? Western Fence Lizards, Side-blotched Lizards, Coast Horned Lizards, Western Skinks, California Legless Lizards, Southern Alligator Lizards, Western Blind Snakes, Rosy Boas, Ringneck Snakes, Racers, Coachwhips, California Striped Racers, Wester Patch-nosed Snakes, Glossy Snakes, Gopher Snakes, Common Kingsnakes, Long-nosed Snakes, Two-striped Gartner Snakes, Western Black-headed Snakes, and Night Snakes?
ANSWER: They all call Torrey Pines their home.
The Torrey Pines Docent Society’s next “Nature Discovery Series” talk, titled “Snakes and Lizards,” will cover many (maybe not all) of them. 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 2022, at the Children’s Pavillion. No RSVP required.
