Blossoming interest
Following the spring equinox on March 20, wildflowers can be seen blooming in open spaces in Los Gatos.
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is in charge of two optimal spots to see different kinds of wildflowers bloom in Los Gatos: the St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve and the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.
The Manzanita Trail on St. Joseph’s Hill is a good place to see poppies, lupines, warrior’s plume, Henderson’s shooting star and the California buttercup.
At Sierra Azul, Mount Umunhum wildflowers bloom in serpentine soils. These soils have high levels of heavy metals like nickel, cobalt and chromium, and low levels of nutrients like nitrogen and calcium. Purple mouse ears, fragrant fritillary and woodland wooly thread tend to grow primarily in serpentine habitats, as do the Coastal tidy tips and the California poppy.
More information about the wildflowers that grow in these conditions can be found at https://bit.ly/42n4siJ. For more information about wildflowers specific to Sierra Azul, visit https://bit.ly/4celXVT.
Midpen advises visitors to stay on established trails and take photos of the flowers instead of picking them off the trails. The district points to iNaturalist.org, a tool that allows people to log observations of different wildlife and plant species and upload photos for others to see.
El Camino Health informs people about heart heath
El Camino Health is hosting a three-hour virtual seminar on heart health on Saturday.
The Norma Melchor Heart and Vascular Institute will be hosting Heart Forum 2025. The focus of the seminar is to teach people about the prevention and treatment of heart and vascular disease. Presenters will also be holding interactive discussions with physicians and heart experts to talk about the latest advancements in care.
The seminar will include keynotes from El Camino’s wellness team, who will be talking about diet, yoga and sleep, and will close with a Q&A session. There will also be two panels on cardiac imaging and stroke prevention.
Register for the seminar at https://bit.ly/3RwCyKQ to receive a link via email.