Open Space Preserves
Photo Credit: George Cheng
The mission of Open Space is to protect and interpret the resources and wildlife entrusted to Palo Alto for the enjoyment of future generations. The preserves offer trails from the marshes of the Bay to the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Preserves
The Baylands Preserve has some of the last remaining salt marsh and mud flat habitats on the west coast. It offers excellent birding year-round.
Esther Clark Nature Park is a good place for quiet meditation or watching the sunset.
Foothills Nature Preserve is a 1,400-acre preserve with rugged chaparral, woodland, fields, and a lake. Hike on 15 miles of trail, have a picnic, or enjoy spectacular views of the bay from Vista Hill. This park is open to all guests.
Pearson - Arastradero Preserve is a beautiful mixture of rolling grassland and broadleaf evergreen forest. Each area of the preserve has something different: views of the bay, a quiet grassland stroll, or a snooze by the lake.
The Park Rangers
The City of Palo Alto employs eight full time Park Rangers to steward and patrol the City's four thousand acres of open space lands. Rangers are generalist employees, meaning they fulfill many different roles including those in education & outreach, maintenance & construction, enforcement of preserve regulations, natural resources management, wildland firefighter, and emergency medical / search and rescue technicians.
The ranger patrol vehicles are distinctively marked with a green stripe down the side and carry a red-light bar on the roof. The city employs a fleet of four of these vehicles "Patrols", each of which are designed to meet federal standards as a Type 6 fire engine and carry 150 - 300 gallons of water. This allows the patrols to reach a scene of a small brush fire quickly and take initial action to extinguish it before it becomes a larger fire. The vehicles are also equipped with medical equipment including trauma bag, AED, and medical oxygen.
To learn more about the position: Park Ranger Job Description Assistant Park Ranger Job Description
Publications
Nature Notes:
Palo Alto Baylands
Learn about Beach Hoppers.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the seven types of birds found at the Baylands.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the Black Rail and the Black-Necked Stilt.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the California Clapper Rail.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
On the Bay Trail in the Palo Alto Baylands - Discover where you can find Clapper rails, black rails and other rare birds and animals among the marshes near the Nature Center.
Revision Date: 6/7/2007
Learn about Diatoms, a type of algae.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about fishes common to the South San Francisco Bay.
Revision Date: 7/13/2006
Learn about the plants and animals found within the sloughs, salt marshes, mud flats and shallow waters of the Baylands.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
A snapshot of the Baylands from Ohlone roots to the present.
Revision Date: 7/13/2006
Harbor Seals
Learn about Harbor Seals found in the San Francisco Bay.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about microscopic crustaceans.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about Peregrine Falcons.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about preserving the Baylands habitat for wildlife.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about sharks of the South Bay.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about swallows.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about how tides affect the Baylands.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the Water Boatmen, aquatic insects.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about the White-tailed Kite.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about pollution in the bay.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about wild ducks of the Baylands.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about Willets.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about marine worms and nematodes.
Revision Date: 6/13/2007
Foothills & Arastradero:
Learn about birds of prey in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about bobcats.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the Columbian black-tailed deer.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the coyote.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about creeping creatures of the woodland floor.
Revision Date: 6/12/2007
Learn about migratory ducks and other birds.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about ferns of the foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the role of fire in the foothills of Palo Alto.
Revision Date: 7/18/2012
Learn about fish in Boronda Lake.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
A list of the most common birds found in the Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 11/26/2016
History of land that became Foothills Nature Preserve.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Geology of the Santa Cruz mountains and Foothills Nature Preserve.
Revision Date: 12/2/2016
Learn about the Grizzly Bear and its history in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about some of the food plants used by native people.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn why some trees lose their leaves
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about lizards in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about mammals in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about mountain lions in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/12/2014
Learn about many of the "Wildland Jewels" or mushrooms of the foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the California Oak Moth
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about pests found in Foothills Nature Preserve and other locations in Palo Alto.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Three plant communities of Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about rattlesnakes
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn how World War I came to the foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about shrubs of the foothills, includes a partial list of the most common found.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Spring wildflowers of the foothills.
Revision Date: 4/11/2015
Summer flowering plants, includes a partial list of common summering flowering plants in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about swallows in Foothills Nature Preserve.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the tarantula.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the native people of area.
Revision Date: 9/13/2014
Learn about ten common trees of the foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Life zone information on the three plant communities of Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the effects of weather on living things in Palo Alto Foothills.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about wild pigs that were formerly in Foothills Nature Preserve.
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
What happen to all they leaves, limbs and trees that fall?
Revision Date: 9/23/2010
Learn about the Dusky-Footed Woodrat and its nests you see in the foothills
Revision Date: 9/23/2010