From anywhere in the Bay Area it is easy to be transported in less than thirty minutes to beautiful places where people can go to appreciate and enjoy nature, exercise, meditate, picnic, or take healthy hikes with friends or family on the weekends.
One such alternative is being promoted by Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, located on the outskirts of Redwood City. During the spring season, the park offers guided tours with information about the native plants that bloom during these months.
The docents who lead the tours are professionals who have vast knowledge about the fabulous biodiversity of the Bay Area, including the famous mint plant known as yerba buena from which the area South of Market and San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Island receive their names—Spanish friars named the island due to the abundance of this plant in the bay.
The guides are all volunteers, mostly retired professionals including geologists, biologists, physicians, botanists and teachers.
“So far we don’t have guided tours in Spanish, but we encourage anyone who may be interested in becoming a volunteer to assist us with this project,” said Thanh Moungeot, a guide and coordinator of the program.
Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve is located off of the Edgewood Road exit, east of Interstate 280, at 10 Old Stage Coach Road, Redwood City, CA 94062. The guided tours take place every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., until June 9. For more information, visit www.friendsofedgewood.org or telephone (866) 463-3439.