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Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA
  • Home
  • Visit
    • Parks We Support
      • Cayucos State Beach
      • Harmony Headlands State Park
      • Hearst San Simeon State Park
      • Estero Bluffs State Park
      • Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
      • Montaña de Oro & Spooner Ranch
      • Morro Bay State Park & Museum of Natural History
      • Morro Strand State Beach
      • Oceano Dunes & Oso Flaco Lake
      • Pismo State Beach
    • Nature Stores
    • School Groups
    • Local Resources
  • Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Adventures With Nature Outings
    • Mind Walks Lectures
    • Butterfly Ball
  • Support
    • Become a Friend of CCSPA
    • Business & Corporate Giving
    • More Ways To Give
  • Our Reach
    • Our Impact
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsor Recognition
    • Awards
    • Transparency
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Board & Staff
    • Join Our Team
      • Board Service
      • Volunteering
      • Job Opportunities
    • Press & Publications
      • Nature Notes Newsletter
      • In The News
    • Podcast
    • Contact Us
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Donate

CCSPA Blog

Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA / CCSPA Blog

Central Coast State Parks Coffee Blends: Coffee Roasted Locally

The idea for Coastal Peaks Coffee, a local coffee roasting company and wholesale distributor, emerged a little after 1989 when owner Mike Knight started a small coffee business called simply... read more →
  • February 26, 2021
  • Maureen McNamara
  • No Comments
  • Advocacy, Business, Environment, Lifestyle, Meaningful Merchandise

Bristle Worms

Last month during a low tide on the day of the full moon, Faylla Chapman and a few of our friends visited the Morro Bay mudflats. We came upon an... read more →
  • February 16, 2021
  • Sally Krenn
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Species Identification

Mud Stories, Part 1

Windy Cove, below the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, contains a mud flat within Morro Bay.  This mud flat can be very extensive on a low tide, especially if... read more →
  • February 9, 2021
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Habitat, Invertebrates, Marine Biology

Woodrats – Cuter than Mickey Mouse!

Say the name “rat” and a nasty, sneaky Norwegian stow-away rat comes to mind. Erase that image and imagine a multicolor, fur-coated, big eared rodent with a fuzzy tail as... read more →
  • January 12, 2021
  • Norma Wightman
  • No Comments
  • Flora and Fauna, Habitat, Species Identification, Uncategorized

“Sea Pickles” Invade Local Beaches

Every walk on Morro Strand State Beach is an adventure. On December 24 while strolling along looking at birds I noticed some most unusual organisms at my feet. Dozens of... read more →
  • December 29, 2020
  • Norma Wightman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Photography, Species Identification, Uncategorized

News From the Beach #7

 Have you seen markings in the sand that look like these?  Do you just ignore them or explore further?  Well—you SHOULD explore! Hole and Snail. Image courtesy of Faylla Chapman... read more →
  • December 8, 2020
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Species Identification, Uncategorized

It’s King Tide Season!

King Tides—what are they?  Where did the name come from?  When do they happen? Here are some of the answers. King Tides got their name in Australia, where they have... read more →
  • November 9, 2020
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Climate change, Environment, Outdoor Recreation, Travel, Uncategorized

Who Would Eat a Plant That Makes Soap?

So much more than a delicate wildflower, this plant deserves its four names: ‘wavy leaf soap plant,” “soap root,” “amole,” and Chlorogalum pomeridianum or “afternoon blooming green milk.” And it’s... read more →
  • November 4, 2020
  • Sara Kelly
  • No Comments
  • Botany, Flora and Fauna, Herbal remedies, Photography, Species Identification, Uncategorized

Horn Sharks and Skates

Horn Sharks Have you ever worried about the sharks in Morro Bay?  There is even an area called Shark Inlet! Horn Shark feeding on the sea floor. Image courtesy of... read more →
  • October 26, 2020
  • Diana Barnhart
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Flora and Fauna, Marine Biology, Uncategorized

Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies are a little different from moths:  Image courtesy of wildpollinatorcount.com Butterflies are usually brightly colored and are active during the day.  Their antennae are usually long and thin, ending... read more →
  • October 20, 2020
  • Diana Barnhart
  • No Comments
  • Butterflies, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Species Identification, Uncategorized
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Recent Posts

  • Sea Glass on the Central Coast March 13, 2023
  • California’s Central Coast: One of the Best Teachers Around February 8, 2023
  • Bountiful Beauties: Bringing Butterflies Back February 1, 2023
  • In-Person Mind Walks Returning in 2023 January 5, 2023
  • Harmony Headlands State Park August 30, 2022

Contact Us

202 Tank Farm Road (Suite H2) San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Phone: 805.548.0390 E-Mail: info@centralcoastparks.org Web: centralcoastparks.org

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© 2021 CCSPA (Tax ID #: 51-0198869). All Rights Reserved. Photos by Mike Baird and Highway 1 Discovery Route.