Pink Flowering Currant Columns Gardening 

The Shrub That Starts the Season: Pink Flowering Currant

By Linda Skeff In February, while much of the San Lorenzo Valley still feels suspended between winter storms, Pink flowering currant is already in bloom. Long before most native shrubs have opened a bud, its cascading pink flower clusters hang along woodland edges and creek corridors, signaling the beginning of another growing season in the Santa Cruz Mountains. That early… Read More
Brookdale Home Columns History Real Estate 

The Brookdale Nature Writer Who Helped Save Big Basin

The historic home of an early conservationist — now offered for sale in Brookdale. By MaryBeth McLaughlin, The Mountain Ear Real Estate Columnist  More than a hundred years ago, a writer named Virginia Garland Ballen lived in Brookdale among the redwoods. From her mountain home she wrote newspaper columns about wildflowers, birds, forest ponds, and the quiet life of the… Read More
Felton Fire Station California Columns Fire Departments History 

Felton Fire Protection District: A Local History of Volunteer Service and Growth 

By Mary Andersen Felton Fire Protection District grew out of a long local tradition of volunteer fire protection in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its history dates to the 1930s and 1940s. The story centers on the Fetherston family, early volunteers, and the community’s decision to create a formal district so Felton could fund equipment, staff, and a permanent firehouse. Early… Read More