Sign Hill Stewards
Winter Newsletter
Dear Sign Hill Stewards,

The Parks and Recreation Department is happy to announce the official re-opening of the Ridge Trail, Eucalyptus Trail, and Seubert Trail on Sign Hill as of Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Currently, the Iris Trail and Letters Trail remain closed due to tree work and unsafe trail conditions. We ask that you please respect these trail closures for your own safety and the safety of the workers on Sign Hill.

Please remember to wear sturdy boots, stay aware of your surroundings, and adhere to social distancing guidelines while you enjoy our amazing open space and views on Sign Hill.

This newsletter details other exciting changes to Sign Hill! Celebrate the park's re-opening by joining Agent Red-shouldered Hawk on an app-led hike with your family. Sign up for an appointment to restore habitat on Sign Hill with staff. Or visit Sign Hill to see colorful wildflower blooms. Read on to learn about what Sign Hill Stewards have been up to this winter and how you can get involved!

Hope you are safe and healthy,

Emma Lewis
Natural Resource Specialist
Leading the Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project
San Bruno Mountain Watch Board Member
Agents of Discovery
Explore South San Francisco in a whole new way!
Are you looking for social distancing activities for your family?
Join Agents of Discovery, the not-so-secret, secret agency dedicated to learning and playing outdoors. Walk the trails with Agent Red-shouldered Hawk to unlock location-based challenges and discover more about South City’s environment, history, and culture!

To get started:
  1. Download the free Agents of Discovery app to your mobile device (App Store | Google Play)
  2. After downloading the app, search for “City of South San Francisco” to see our available missions. 
  3. Preload the missions and head out into South San Francisco to start completing the challenges!

Missions are available at parks across SSF, including Sign Hill! Follow South San Francisco Parks and Recreation on social media to learn when new missions become available.
Sign Hill Stewards:
Habitat Restoration by Appointment
Many rare plant and animal species live on Sign Hill’s native grasslands, including the endangered mission blue butterfly. Help us conserve and restore their habitat by installing native plants and removing invasive plants! Sign Hill Stewards will do important work while also learning more about the wildlife in their backyard.

When: Workdays will happen between 9:00 am – 11:00 am & 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays of March. Weekend workdays are also available Saturday, March 20th. To socially distance, individuals/family units will sign up for their own 2-hour time slots. Only heavy rain cancels.

Where: Volunteers will park at the Sign Hill Parking Lot nearby 964 Ridgeview Ct, South San Francisco, CA (Google Maps Link) and hike with staff to the restoration site.

Registration: Registration is required. Only one ticket is available per time slot; however, this ticket is good for everyone in a family unit (up to 10 attendees). Volunteers under the age of 18 must have a youth waiver signed by a parent/guardian. Youth under the age of 15 are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult.
The City of South San Francisco Parks Division and Sign Hill Stewards continue to keep the safety of our residents and volunteers as our first priority while recognizing and balancing the need to enjoy and interact with outdoor settings. Staff are following all County, State, and CDC guidance in regards to social distancing, sanitation, and mask requirements. All volunteers are expected to also abide by these rules to keep all participants safe and comfortable while on the hill.
Creekside Science Donates Lupine Seeds to Conserve Mission Blue Butterflies
This winter, Creekside Science donated 6,000 lupine seeds to the Sign Hill Habitat Restoration Project!
In 2018, Creekside Science was awarded a Disney Butterfly Conservation Initiative grant for their work with the federally endangered mission blue butterfly. Since then, they have restored the mission blue butterfly by focusing on their host plants: Lupinus albifrons, Lupinus variicolor, and Lupinus formosus. Through experimentation, they have learned that installing these plants as seeds greatly expands butterfly habitat.

Creekside Science's restoration efforts have been so successful that this year, they were able to donate lupine seeds to partners across the Bay Area with vulnerable mission blue habitat, including Sign Hill. This donation of 6,000 seeds is especially significant to Sign Hill.

Lupinus albifrons, the primary host plant on Sign Hill, is susceptible to fungal disease during wet years. For sites with small butterfly populations, this fungal disease can be devastating. Creekside Science is hoping to solve this problem. They are donating seeds of all three host plants to diversify butterfly food sources. Not only will this donation expand and enhance mission blue butterfly habitat on Sign Hill, but it will also ensure our butterfly population is resilient to climate change. 
Thank you Creekside Science and Kirra Swenerton of Root Wisdom!
Nature Sightings
Early Wildflowers and their Pollinators
Coast Iris (Iris longipetala)
Sign Hill is known for its Coast Iris population — the favorite wildflower of South City! It's even in our Parks and Recreation logo.

Coast Iris was once so abundant on Sign Hill that entire slopes turned purple. This rare plant is still found on Sign Hill and is a restoration priority for Sign Hill Stewards!
Succulent Lupine (Lupinus succulentus)
Some native plants need fire, like these succulent lupine seedlings. We have not seen succulent lupines on Sign Hill in a few years because it was covered by non-native grasses.

After the 2020 Diamond Fire, dormant seeds finally had some room to grow! Look for their beautiful purple flowers around the burned area by the letters.
Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
These caterpillars will soon become beautiful variable checkerspot butterflies! They can only feed off of their native host plants: sticky monkey flower and bee plant.

Sign Hill Stewards worked hard last year to remove invasive plants where these caterpillars are now found. A habitat restoration success!
This project is supported by Measure K funding