On the Conservation Horizon | |
Jim Elias, executive director, on RCLC's vision for future conservation efforts. | |
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I’m excited to share that RCLC is actively looking for new land conservation opportunities in Mendonoma. We're concentrating on protecting intact biodiversity, restoring critical native habitats, and expanding trail systems that connect people to nature, including the California Coastal Trail. The Gualala River watershed is especially important to us, as we know it is to you.
Conservation success often results from collaborative efforts between like-minded organizations, and so we are reaching out to potential partners. Land trusts differ in size and strategic focus, but we all play complementary roles in joint efforts to protect and restore natural resources and thoughtfully develop new trails. Our partnerships with Mendocino Land Trust and Sonoma Land Trust when purchasing and now restoring Mill Bend Preserve are classic examples of ongoing relationships that expand collective conservation results.
To bolster our outreach efforts, the Crane Family Foundation has awarded us with a generous grant to support staff and possible contractor time associated with research and land acquisition negotiations. We are grateful to the Crane family for their belief in us and for their investment in the future.
As an environmental advocate, you too can help. If you or someone you know owns land, I’d love to discuss options for how you could protect it for future generations. There are multiple options, and strategies are designed around individual circumstances, for both land and landowners.
I crafted my first conservation acquisition some 30 years ago, for a ranch family in southwestern Montana. Since then, I’ve had countless property walks and kitchen table conversations with landowners. Many have culminated in permanent land and water conservation.
In my experience, successful conservation usually results from some combination of planning, perseverance, patience, and luck. It often takes time, but it’s always worth it. Land conservation is timeless.
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RCLC continues to grow! To support our mission of preserving, restoring, and sharing the natural wonders of this region, we are excited to announce that Ethan Widner has joined the team as our new restoration technician. Ethan has collaborated closely with Sophia Pisciotta, stewardship director, to implement restoration strategies. This includes invasive plant removal, fuel reduction, and wildfire resilience strategies, as well as assisting with maintenance and upkeep of RCLC properties.
Ethan has spent most of his life in Mendocino County, living on the Mendonoma coast for the past decade. With a background in carpentry and landscaping, he has enjoyed combining his skills with volunteer work. This included a month-long residency as a visitor information assistant for Yosemite Conservancy, which ignited his passion for land conservation. Ethan and his family regularly volunteer in the community—supporting RCLC, Mendocino Land Trust, and the Redwood Food Bank—because they believe that by caring for one another and the environment we can make our corner of the world a better, healthier place.
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Restoring Coastal Prairie to Save an Endangered Butterfly | |
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RCLC is proud to join the effort to support the recovery of the endangered Behren’s silverspot butterfly.
This rare native species inhabits only a small stretch of coastline in southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma counties. Because RCLC’s properties fall within this small stretch of coastline, we were eager to join other agencies such as California State Parks, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Mendocino Land Trust in restoring the habitat which is essential to the butterfly’s recovery.
Caterpillars of this butterfly rely on a single host plant for their survival—the small native blue violet (Viola adunca). Unfortunately, due to habitat loss, the spread of invasive grasses, fire suppression and other factors, blue violet populations have declined, leaving the caterpillars without an adequate food supply.
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In 1997, the Behren’s silverspot butterfly was federally listed as an endangered species, with research pointing to the scarcity of the blue violet as a primary cause. Since Behren’s caterpillars spend two to three months feeding exclusively on blue violet leaves before pupating into butterflies, restoring abundant patches of blue violet is a crucial component of their recovery.
Thanks to the efforts of community members Kathleen and Llyod Chasey, who are deeply involved in butterfly conservation, RCLC was able to obtain a flat of fifty lush blue violets.
The planting site was carefully chosen within an existing blue violet population ensuring ideal conditions for their establishment. The site was also rich in nectar plants like gumweed (Grindelia stricta), seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which serve as vital food sources for the adult butterflies.
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This newly restored patch of habitat may be small, but it joins a growing network of blue violet plantings along our coastline and is part of a long-term multi-agency and community effort to support the butterfly’s resurgence.
With continued dedication, we hope to see the Behren’s silverspot butterfly, once again, flourish along our coastal prairies.
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Cooks Beach During Prohibition | |
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The rocky sands of Cooks Beach are constantly changing. Every year, winter storms wash away five to ten feet of sand—sometimes leaving nothing but the underlying rocks exposed. But as spring transitions into summer, waves redeposit sand on Cooks Beach and cover most of the rocks once again.
Despite this, the iconic offshore rocks at Cooks Beach have remained remarkably unchanged. Comparing a photo of the rocks taken around 1900 with a recent one reveals that their shape has stayed the same over the past 125 years. While the rocks remain the same, much else has changed, including the beach's original name, “Smuggler’s Cove.”
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What images come to mind when you hear that name? You might picture people sneaking ashore at dusk or nightfall with contraband—and you'd be right, if you visited Cooks Beach in the early 1900s. The flat, sandy beach, high cliffs that blocked the view, and small caves made it an ideal spot for rum runners during Prohibition to land.
Joel Chaban, RCLC’s project coordinator for Cooks Beach, has a family history connected to bootlegging at the cove. His uncle, Art Smith, was a self-described rum runner off the coast of California during Prohibition, from 1919 to 1933. After Prohibition ended, he ran the Ukraine Bakery in San Francisco.
In an interview around his 100th birthday, Art described frequent trips to Gualala to drop off liquor for the town’s busy logging community. Cooks Beach (Smuggler’s Cove) was an out-of-the-way drop-off point for crates of illegal liquor, brought in by "tender boats" offshore.
In Art’s words: “These tenders were loaded. They stayed out there for a year with hundreds of thousands of cases. When you gave Pacific Coast bootlegger boss Broftman your order, he’d pin half of a hundred-dollar bill (cut with a zigzag pattern) to your order. Then, when you went out to the tender, the captain would compare your half of the note with theirs. If the bills matched, you’d load up your boat. There were always two or three Coast Guard cutters nearby, covering the area. The highest speed those cutters could go was fourteen to sixteen knots. Our boats could do thirty-two to forty-five knots. So you'd go out there and get your booze.”
Joel adds, “When Art found out we had moved to Gualala, he would personally share stories about the times he spent there. He talked about how they’d hide their contraband at Smuggler’s Cove and then head into Gualala for fun. Art knew the bosses—the fishermen’s boss and the loggers’ boss. You have to remember, these were tough times, and being tough was how you survived. He stayed at the Gualala Hotel and knew the owner of Casa Madronna Hotel, along with other folks in town. Even at 101 and 102 years old, he still remembered their names. Art lived to be 107, just like my mother.”
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Explore the River Rail Trail | |
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The River Rail Trail is a wonderful place to experience the diverse habitats and rich history of Mill Bend Preserve. This trail showcases the preserve's largest redwoods and offers stunning views of the Gualala River.
It winds along old timber railroad beds, where logs were once transported from the river to the mill. As you walk, you’ll pass through riparian forests and follow the river’s edge.
Part of Ethan’s role is to ensure that the trails on the property are properly maintained, especially during the winter season. In December, a storm brought down several trees, necessitating a temporary closure of the trail. From Ethan: “The size and number of trees that fell were a surprise. One exceptionally large tree, about 36 inches in diameter, fell due to a combination of being on the top edge of a hill cut for the old railroad, along with heavy rain and strong winds. Bill Beuchner took precautions to remove the trees safely while minimizing impact to the environment. It's really about stewarding the land and nature, while also maintaining public access and finding the best course of action to support both goals.” Thanks to Ethan and Bill’s efforts, the trail is now clear and ready for exploration.
To enjoy the River Rail Trail, park at the Gualala Arts Center and take the trail that leads down to the river along the west side of the building.
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Photo credits: Joel Chaban, Sophia Pisciotta | | | | |
