My De Anza class field trip visited Monte Bello and Los Trancos Open Space Preserves today. We combined the Stevens Creek Nature Trail in Monte Bello with the Franciscan Loop, in Los Trancos, to examine the San Andreas Fault, Stevens Creek, oaks, bay trees, oak galls (see attached photo), and banana slugs. We also saw lots of fall foliage.
When you think about fall colors, New England probably comes to mind; not California. But the Bay Area has its own brand of Autumn beauty. On our hike today we witnessed the big leaf maples at their best (see attached photo), as the leaves reach their maximum shade of yellow before falling to the ground and turning brown. Even more colorful is a plant that most people despise. It is, of course, poison oak, and it turns the most intense shade of red imaginable this time of year (see attached photo).
The good news about poison oak is that you can enjoy the vibrant red of its leaves without succumbing to an unpleasant period of itching and scratching simply by avoiding physical contact with it. The urushiol oil, which causes allergic response in most people, does not travel through the air, unless you inhale smoke when the plant burns. So enjoy poison oak with you eyes only.
My College of San Mateo and De Anza College classes are finished for the fall. They will resume in Spring of 2011. See you then.
