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Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA
  • Who we Are
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Join Our Team
      • Job Opportunities
      • Board Service
      • Internships
      • Volunteering
    • Transparency
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsor Recognition
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • Our Impact
    • Programs
      • School Groups
      • Traveling Museum Exhibits
    • Press & Publications
      • Podcast
      • Blog
      • In The News
    • Nature Notes Newsletter
    • Awards
  • Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Adventures With Nature
    • CCSPA Movie Night
    • Mind Walks Lectures
    • Butterfly Ball
  • 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
    • Local Resources
  • Support
    • Become a Friend of CCSPA
    • Business & Corporate Giving
    • More Ways To Give
  • Store
  • Donate

Species Identification

Central Coast State Parks Association | CCSPA / Flora and Fauna / Species Identification / Page 2

Mud Stories: Californiconus (Conus) californicus, a mighty predator

If you happen to be going out to the mud flats below the Natural History Museum, go on a low enough tide that the eelgrass beds are really exposed, maybe... read more →
  • June 24, 2021
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Outdoor Recreation, Species Identification

Look at This Rock!

Home to thousands of marine organisms, this rock is at North Point in Morro Bay.  It is often hard to get close to the rock as it is in the... read more →
  • June 9, 2021
  • Faylla Chapman
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Botany, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Habitat, Invertebrates, Marine Biology, Outdoor Recreation, Species Identification

Hiking the San Simeon Creek Trail

How lucky are we to have an abundance of gorgeous hiking trails in our State Parks and surrounding areas? Hiking is one of my favorite ways to explore our parks... read more →
  • April 8, 2021
  • Monica Rutherford
  • 1 Comment
  • Botany, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Habitat, Lifestyle, Outdoor Recreation, Species Identification

Secrets of the Tide Pools, Part 1

One of my favorite things about living on the Central Coast is the accessibility to and beauty of our beaches. I love being able to easily drive from any part... read more →
  • March 31, 2021
  • Monica Rutherford
  • No Comments
  • Beach, Environment, Flora and Fauna, Invertebrates, Lifestyle, Outdoor Recreation, Species Identification

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

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

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

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

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  • Estero Bluffs State Park August 5, 2025
  • Prescribed Burns on the Central Coast July 30, 2025
  • Moonlit Wings and Wild Things: Nocturnal Life in SLO’s State Parks June 27, 2025
  • Dog Rules on the Central Coast: Where Your Furry Friend Is Welcome in State Parks June 20, 2025

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