Great Hiking and Walking Trails Around the Morro Bay Estuary

Open spaces and hiking trails to explore rank high on our list of things we’re grateful for at the Morro Bay National Estuary Program. The land that surrounds the 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 for casual strolls and more strenuous treks. Whether you’re planning a much-needed walk after a festive family dinner, or looking for something fun to do on your day off, we have …

Creeks to Coast Cleanup helps Morro Bay and Beyond

August 27, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program central coast cleanup Coastal Cleanup Day creeks to coast ecoslo international coastal cleanup los osos morro bay morro bay watershed watershed what is a watershed Blog Posts

It’s almost time for the annual Creeks to Coast Cleanup September is Coastal Cleanup month. It’s a great time to get outside and take care of Morro Bay’s beaches, the bay itself, and the creeks that feed it. To help everyone take on this task, our friends at ECOSLO host an annual Creeks to Coast Cleanup. This county-wide effort stretches from the upland creeks, down to the lowlands, and out to the sea. Even inland cleanups help our coast It might seem strange to host a coastal cleanup inland, but it makes a lot of sense if you think of …

MORRO BAY WATERSHED NATIVE PLANT SERIES: Riparian Plant Communities

April 23, 2021 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program creek estuary estuary program groundwater los osos MBNEP morro bay native plant native plant series native plants phreatophyte phreatophytes riparian water table watershed willow Blog Posts

This series of native plant blog posts has explored the different plants found throughout the Morro Bay watershed. A watershed is an area where freshwater creeks and streams flow from higher ground down towards the ocean. Riparian zone plants reach deep when streams run dry In the Morro Bay Watershed, some creeks and streams flow year round, and some don’t. Even though they’re not full of water, dry creek beds are still bordered by vegetation. This is due to the presence of groundwater, which is water that exists beneath Earth’s surface in soil pore spaces (the space between …

Best Fall Hikes in Los Osos Near the Morro Bay Estuary

November 21, 2020 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program boardwalk trail broderson elfin forest estuary fall hikes femef friends of el morro elfin forest hike hikes hiking los osos MBNEP mental health monarch monarch butterflies monarch grove monarchs morro bay morro coast audubon society nature opt outside outdoors outside recreation stress relief wellness where to see monarchs Blog Posts Hiking Recreation

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 …

Morro Bay Wildlife Spotlight: Brown Bears and Black Bears

October 30, 2020 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program apex predator black bear brown bear california state flag grizzly kodiak bear los osos MBNEP morro bay morro bay national estuary program portola Wildlife spotlight

Black bear sighting in Los Osos A black bear (Ursus americanus) recently swam across the southern end of the Morro Bay estuary and made its way onto land in a residential area of Los Osos, near Pasadena Point. The bear spent some time napping in a tree before officials with California Fish and Wildlife tranquilized and transported it to the Los Padres National Forest. This incident reminded many of us that the lands surrounding Morro Bay are still wild and able to support large mammals, like black bears and mountain lions. Though black bears are omnivores and eat …

Investigating the State of Morro Bay Estuary: State of the Bay Report 2020

July 24, 2020 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program aquaculture bay filling in bay science bird populations climate change conservation eelgrass erosion los osos MBNEP morro bay morro bay estuary shellfish farming state of the bay swimming Blog Posts

Every three years, the Morro Bay National Estuary Program publishes a State of the Bay report that uses data gathered by our staff, volunteers, and partner organizations to examine the health of the Morro Bay estuary and watershed. It provides important information about environmental trends and guides local efforts to protect and restore this special place. This year, we published a digital version of the State of the Bay report with additional multimedia content and information that we couldn’t fit into into the print version of the report. Today, we invite you to investigate the the health of …

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 …

2018 Volunteers of the Year

October 19, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program eelgrass estuary estuary program los osos MBNEP morro bay volunteer volunteering water quality Blog Posts Volunteering

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program, like many nonprofits, relies on volunteers who generously donate their time and expertise. Volunteers make up our governing board and committees, reach out to students at events and in classrooms, collect and analyze water samples, transplant eelgrass, and keep our Mutts for the Bay dog waste bag dispensers stocked and ready. Estuary Program volunteerism by the numbers During the past year: Volunteers spent 156 hours working to restore eelgrass to Morro Bay and another 27 hours on other restoration work in the watershed. 55 people volunteered through our Monitoring Program, spending 805 …

Native Plant Series #5: Riparian

September 14, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program creek estuary estuary program groundwater los osos morro bay native plant native plants phreatophytes riparian water table watershed willow Blog Posts

This series of native plant blog posts has explored the different plants found throughout the Morro Bay watershed. A watershed is an area where freshwater creeks and streams flow from higher ground down towards the ocean. Riparian zone plants reach deep when streams run dry In the Morro Bay Watershed, some creeks and streams flow year round, and some don’t. Even though they’re not full of water, dry creek beds are still bordered by vegetation. This is due to the presence of groundwater, which is water that exists beneath Earth’s surface in soil pore spaces (the space between …

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 …