Photo Courtesy: Kathleen Scavone
It’s exciting to know of yet another outdoor destination in Lake County! Emerald green hues paint the wetlands at the Lake County Land Trust’s Kuulanapo Wetland Preserve even in the heat of summer, along with swaying golden grasses. The Kuulanapo Preserve, located at 446 Soda Bay Road in Lakeport is open by appointment, and there have been some guided walks listed on the Lake County Land Trust’s website as well. You’ll need to call or email the Land Trust (see below) to check for dates of guided walks. This incredible acquisition of over 280 acres is comprised of not only wetlands, but oak woodland and riparian landscape. The Lake County Land Trust (LCLT) has worked incredibly hard to add this land, part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Big Valley Conceptual Area Protection Plan as top priority property, since its importance lies in its ability to add to the health of Clear Lake.
The name Kuulanapo takes its name from the ancestral home of the Kuulanapo people, who are in the Pomo Indian family. The Pomo name, Kuulanapo means water lily people. LCLT is working alongside the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians to co-manage the property so that the time-honored ecological knowledge of the First Land Stewards, the Pomo, can continue with their cultural practices, and harvest the plants that have been important to their culture for thousands of years. The LCLT is also working with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and other stakeholders to restore Manning Creek, which runs through the property. This will help ensure that water flow is optimal to benefit the culturally important Clear Lake hitch spawning each year. The plan here at Kuulanapo is to improve walking paths, clean up downed fences and add interpretive panels, with a possible boardwalk across some of the wetlands.
A delicate pink wild rose welcomed us to the walk in the wetlands. Giant and stately oaks engulfed us with their welcome shade, while the old, lichen-encrusted fences and barn structures spoke of times not too distant when the land was pasture. It was propitious to meet a retired entomologist on the walk, since he was adept at pointing out a variety of little critters such as a Purplish Copper butterfly, a type of sphecid wasp (family Sphecidae) that is also called a cricket hunter wasp or green cricket hunter wasp, various dragon and damselflies and more! Vivid yellow goldenrod received visits from various species of bees. Not to be outdone by the insect world, garter snakes were making their way across the path, as well as tiny tree frogs!
The lands here support an array of avian species since several habitats eventually meet up with the expansive Clear Lake. We saw raptors, egrets, red-winged blackbirds and many more. An acorn woodpecker was busy stashing acorns in his holey cache on a tall post, his red cap standing out like a beacon. Past visitors have noted California quail, white pelicans, grebes, various jays and many other bird species. Animals abound such as otter, mink, western pond turtles, black bass, catfish and other species.
As we neared the lake shore, tules, so important to Clear Lake and the First People, provided eye candy with their luminous green growth. These plants provide habitat for fish and birds, and once gave indigenous people the material for myriad uses such as mats, skirts, boats, and much more. The vistas included the mighty mountain ranges that cup Clear Lake and never fail to speak to my soul each and every time I see them.
Indulge your primal longing to experience nature. Lake Countians are rooted in the land. It sustains us. The land teaches us continually.
For more information on Lake County Land Trust lands such as Kuulanapo Wetland Preserve and other lands, visit:
Lake County Land Trust or email: LCLT@LakeCountyLandTrust.org.
To arrange an alternative day call 707-262-0707
