Best Fall Hikes in Los Osos Near the Morro Bay Estuary

The land that surrounds the Morro Bay estuary is contoured by hills and valleys, studded with trees, and etched by creeks that take their time winding down to the salt marsh and entering bay. In short, it is a beautiful place that offers many opportunities to get outside and explore. A study done by Stanford researchers shows that making time to enjoy the natural spaces around us by hiking, walking, or even just visiting with friends in natural spaces can decrease stress and may lessen the risk of depression. During the study, they asked participants to take a …

Photograph Friday: Native Trees Around the Morro Bay Estuary

April 26, 2019 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program arbor day biodiversity coast live oak dogwood elfin forest monterey pine morro bay morro bay estuary red willow spring trees wildflowers Photograph Friday

Red willow grow in and along many of our local creek banks. They help stabilize the creek banks, reducing erosion.

In the springtime, an abundance of low-growing greenery and brightly-colored blooms draw our eyes downward. We gaze at the ground as we make our way past open spaces in our neighborhoods and along the trails that surround the Morro Bay estuary. We admire the beauty of the wildflower-filled fields and the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds that visit blossom after blossom. The next time you notice a wildflower growing at the base of a tree, admire it fully. Then, look up. Spring’s splendor spans the full height of any Monterey pine or coast live oak. Some of our native trees …

Photograph Friday: Elfin Forest

November 30, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program El Moro Elfin Forest elfin forest live oak los osos MBNEP morro bay morro bay estuary national estuary program native plants photograph friday plant communities pygmy oak Small wilderness areas preservation SWAP Blog Posts Photograph Friday

The El Moro Elfin Forest is full of surprises. Although it lies just on the edge of a neighborhood, near a school, and close to busy South Bay Boulevard, it feels a world apart. The winding boardwalk path brings you to lookout points high above the estuary and salt marsh and then pulls you deep under the cover of pygmy live oaks in Rose’s Grove. And, though the preserve covers only 90 acres, it boasts eight distinct habitat types. (You can read about some of these distinct plant communities in our Native Plant blog series.) Each season brings new …

Opt Outside this Fall with Hikes Around Morro Bay

August 31, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program broderson elfin forest estuary hike hiking los osos MBNEP monarch monarch grove morro bay nature outdoors outside recreation stress relief wellness Blog Posts Recreation

A view from the Elfin Forest during the summer.

The land that surrounds the Morro Bay estuary is contoured by hills and valleys, studded with trees, and etched by creeks that take their time winding down to the salt marsh and entering bay. In short, it is a beautiful place that offers many opportunities to get outside and explore. But, as summer winds down, students head back to school, and the sun starts to set earlier in the day, many of us spend more time inside than out. Studies show that making time to enjoy the natural spaces around us by hiking, walking, or even just visiting …

Native Plant Series #4: Coast Live Oak Woodlands

June 22, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program botany california central coast elfin forest estuary hiking Morro Bay live oak los osos oaks reserve MBNEP morro bay Blog Posts

Oak woodlands are so characteristic and unique to our state that many think the plant community should be declared California’s state vegetation type. Not sure what a plant community is? Take a look at our introductory post to the Morro Bay Native Plant Series, an exploration of our watershed’s diverse native flora! The term “woodland” is used instead of “forest” because the canopies in a woodland rarely overlap, allowing for more space and sunlight between trees. Woodlands also typically occur on drier soils and at lower elevations than forests. While oak woodlands occur in other states, most of …

What to do in Morro Bay

May 5, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program elfin forest hike maritime museum MBNEP morro bay estuary morro bay nature center morro bay state park national estuary spring things to do in Morro Bay what to do in morro bay Blog Posts

Looking inland from the top of Black Hill in spring.

Wildflowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the afternoon winds have been picking up speed. It’s definitely spring in Morro Bay! Every year during the spring and summer visitors stop by the Estuary Program office asking for the best spots to enjoy our beautiful estuary and things to do that will help them learn more about the area. We’re sharing some of our favorite what-to-do tips with you, too. Go birding Bring your scope or binoculars and visit one of the area’s numerous birding spots. Sweet Springs Morro Coast Audubon’s expanded Sweet Springs preserve in Los Osos is a …

2017 Estuary Program Volunteers of the Year

October 27, 2017 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program bay elfin forest estuary los osos Mike Lindley morro bay morro bay national estuary program morro coast audubon society Ron Ruppert SWAP sweet springs volunteer awards volunteers Blog Posts

Mike Lindley, Monitoring Volunteer of the Year, doing one of the thin

Each fall, we gather together with volunteers from different areas of our program to thank them for their hard work. This year, we gathered at the Old School House in the Los Osos Community Park. We shared pizza, cookies, stories, and heaps of gratitude for the hundreds of hours and immeasurable love of the bay that our volunteers give us each year. We were very grateful to local business for donating goodies for our free Volunteer Appreciation Raffle. Donors included Ascendo Coffee, ESTERO, Growing Grounds Downtown, Kayak Horizons, and Sunshine Health Food Store. Our volunteers are a very important …

Give a Day for the Bay Success by the Numbers

October 23, 2015 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program cleanup depth perceptions diving Eco Rotary ecoslo elfin forest estuary morro bay morro bay in bloom morro bay national estuary program Small wilderness areas preservation surfrider SWAP volunteer Blog Posts

We picked up 18 pounds of trash from the sandspit, which is essential habitat for many birds, including the snowy plover.

Our Give a Day for the Bay volunteer campaign came to a close this past weekend, and we are very happy with the results! Here is a breakdown by the numbers: 6 partner organizations offered volunteer opportunities to benefit the bay. 10 cleanups happened, with 9 along the water’s edge, and 1 under the water. 192 volunteers gave a total of 572.5 hours to keeping Morro Bay clean and healthy! Thank you partners and volunteers for your hard work! Below, you’ll find pictures of Give a Day for the Bay volunteers in action. Enjoy! Tsunami Debris Cleanup on the Sandspit at Montana de Oro …

Learn about the Morro Bay estuary with our staff

August 13, 2015 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program elfin forest estuary field trips morro bay national estuary watershed watershed model whites point Blog Posts

A group of students note the plants and animals they've seen on a walk through the elfin forest.

With the start of the new school year just around the bend, it’s an exciting time for teachers and students alike. Estuary Program staff are excited about the school year, too. Education and outreach have always been an essential part of our mission, and our staff members work routinely with students and other interested groups to teach them about our bay and watershed. Recently, we have worked with a wide range of interested parties including college students from both Cal Poly and UCSB who are studying science, a group of girl scouts who traveled across the county to see …