Article

By Mike Kahn

Mar. 19, 2024—Every few years, California experiences a “superbloom,” when so many wildflowers appear that it makes the news. Some of you will recall that last spring brought one of the biggest in a long time. And while it’s an awesome thing to witness, a superbloom can cause problems, as throngs of people flock to witness something they saw on TV or social media.

Wildflowers are a wonder of nature. The spring bloom, in this region with millions of people, always presents a challenge for the sensitive areas where wildflowers thrive. This is true even in an ordinarily spectacular season—and this promises to be another superbloom spring.

That’s one reason I am introducing BloomTracker^TM—an online resource that helps you find the best places to see wildflowers, in real time, and helps reduce impacts on parks and other open spaces.

Seeing all of the excitement about wildflowers last spring, and seeing people getting out and feeling connected to nature, that’s the super-positive side of the superbloom—I love it. And on the flip side, the challenges of people stomping over fields and sitting in (and on) the flowers for selfies, picking flowers—these actions present serious challenges for the land and land managers. Neighbors who live near areas that get discovered suddenly have to deal with traffic, noise and trash. Not good.

This was in the forefront of my awareness last spring. Near where I live in Pacifica, at Mori
Point, there was a superbloom that got significant press. It was a gorgeous opportunity for people to experience the beauty of this place, a coastal bluff in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that has been beautifully restored in recent years. But the sudden popularity caused problems for the park and for the neighborhood.

Parts of Mori Point were roped off, and I saw people who just stepped over the rope and walked out into a little field of wildflowers to take pictures. It was a tricky thing, but I explained that it's blocked off for a reason,and actually asked them to please come back—and they did. These folks didn’t mean any harm. It’s just that sometimes people need to be educated to enjoy, but also show respect, and try to make this beautiful thing sustainable for everybody.

Enjoy and Respect

My background, having worked for two land trusts protecting redwood forests, and later the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, gives me an understanding of the land-managers’ perspective. I recognize the challenges of managing people who are coming—in droves!—into what are predominantly conservation areas, set aside as open space to protect nature.

I want as many people as possible to experience nature and all of its benefits. And that always creates challenges. With BloomTracker, we’re trying to thread that needle as carefully as possible, providing great information, including alternate areas people can go to prevent super-popular places from getting overrun.

Accessing BloomTracker begins with having people sign a Respect Wildflowers Pledge upfront, committing to staying on trails, not picking flowers, respecting their neighbors—messaging that most people obviously know. (Although as someone once said, common sense isn't always common practice.) We’re hoping to help get a sustainable mindset in place, to help create a supportive environment for nature and for the community.

The Right Place at the Right Time

By tracking blooms with the help of park rangers and others, BloomTracker shows where and when to see wildflowers throughout the season in public parks and open space preserves in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.

BloomTracker provides information about multiple parks and open spaces in each county where wildflowers can be viewed. Other static resources provide lists of places to view wildflowers, but they don’t tell you when they are actually blooming. Others focus on one park or agency. BloomTracker is the most comprehensive wildflower guide—and also provides information about guided hikes, events, and flower identification.

BloomTracker gathers information from land managers, naturalist consultants, and iNaturalist—the innovative crowdsourced species-identification system. We also utilize local news, social media, boots-on-the-ground experience, and public feedback to bring BloomTracker to life with reliable updates about where blooms are occurring over time.

I’ve personally sought out the best places to go see flowers and it can be surprisingly difficult to find out what is actually happening. Photos may be old, info may be inaccurate, and care for the environment may not be top of mind. I came up with BloomTracker to try to solve these problems and connect people to nature in the best way possible.

BloomTracker and Hilltromper

Hilltromper is about connecting people to nature and the places they love. It’s about helping you find stuff to do outdoors—as well as events, nature talks, and volunteer opportunities—and about bringing you stories from writers who love this stuff. We’re about spreading awareness of the parks and preserves managed by multiple jurisdictions—cities, counties, special districts, State Parks—and bringing all of this together in a fun way. And we’re about boosting the profiles of organizations that are helping protect the environment, and giving us amazing places to get out in nature. BloomTracker is our new thing, and I hope you love it.

Launch BloomTracker now to start your wildflower journey! (BloomTracker is hosted on Hilltromper Silicon Valley but covers San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.)