For our final event of the year, citizen scientists joined us at UCLA’s managed Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve. Habitats including chaparral, coast live oak woodland, and annual grassland habitats connect on Stunt Ranch trail popular with mountain bikers and hikers. Volunteers kept an eye out for fruiting fungal bodies on the cool misty day. The toyon’s color popped in contrast to the chaparral on the mountainside.
Volunteers took note of the mountain’s interesting geology. The relatively young mountain range’s clay sediment layers became more visible the closer we got to Cold Canyon Creek. Fortunately for us, poison oak wasn’t flowering and rattlesnakes weren’t too active during the day. On hikes like these, it’s important to do research and know ahead of time what risks to prepare for.
