Wildflowers hanging in there for Pacheco event next weekend
December rains and January fog have “things looking much better” this year than last for Wildflower Day next weekend at Pacheco State Park west of Los Banos.
“The drought, of course, is having a huge impact on the wildflowers. Last year, there were practically no flowers at all,” Jennifer Morgan, a state park interpreter at Pacheco, told The Modesto Bee in an email Friday. Thanks to that rain and fog, though, “today at Pacheco State Park, the grass is still green and there are lots of poppies, gold fields and 33 other flower species. However, every day, the ground is getting drier, and probably in a few weeks, all the grass and flowers will be dried up.
“We’re thinking/hoping(!) that it stays this nice at least through Wildflower Day,” Morgan said Friday, when the high temperature in an area of the park was in the mid-70s. “We’ll still be offering our wildflower hikes weekends in April, but by late April, it will be dry. Fortunately, there are lots of native plants that the Indians used that are there all the time, like the oak trees, so we’ll concentrate on them later.”
Wildflower Day, now in its 12th year, will be March 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Representatives from California State Parks, the California Native Plant Society, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Valley Bird Club and other organizations will be on hand to answer questions. There will be free Wildflower Day crafts for children, plus free hiking maps and flower pamphlets.
A birding walk starts at 9:30 a.m., and a wildflower hike will depart at 10. If there’s demand, additional hikes may be added. Sign-ups are first-come-first-served the day of the event, and each tour can accommodate 20 people.
The only fee for this event is the $10 state park day-use fee per car. Facilities at Pacheco State Park are limited: Bring your own water (as no drinking water is available), layered clothing, sunscreen or hat, and sturdy footwear. It is possible that Pacheco State Park will be cool that day, so visitors may want to have long pants and jackets on hand, just in case. Visitors may also want food, binoculars, folding chairs and cameras.
Pacheco State Park is at the top of historic Pacheco Pass. Take the Dinosaur Point Road Exit off Highway 152, 25 miles west of Los Banos and 23 miles east of Gilroy, and follow the signs. The park is at 38787 Dinosaur Point Road, Hollister. See www.parks.ca.gov/events and choose Pacheco State Park for details. For more information or to request aids or services for people with disabilities, call (209) 826-1197.
This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Wildflowers hanging in there for Pacheco event next weekend."