Fire Update - Aug/Sept Fires 2020
As the CZU fire that struck this region sizzles to a rest, we are grateful to report that The Mushroom Farm was not harmed by the recent fires. Our team worked diligently to ensure the safety of our land, our coastal community, as well as the plant and animal beings that live alongside us. We are holding our local coastal community in our hearts and continue to send hope and condolences to all that have been deeply impacted. We feel for the many people in our community, our bioregion, and around the globe who had to leave their land to find refuge. The Mushroom Farm sends its gratitude to the many diligent first responders who protected our coast, and for the swell of community support that we have received.
The following report details of our efforts over August and September of this year, and our intention to participate in a resilient restoration moving forward.
On August 16th, our region experienced an unusual electrical storm that produced dry lightning. As fires were sparked around us in the Pescadero area, our team on site established a 24 hour watch to ensure the safety of our farm and people. We began preparing fire readiness and response equipment the following morning and continued to rigorously monitor fires progressing from the east and from the south.
Supporting Our Neighbors
In service to our local coastal community, we were able to provide assistance in the following ways:
Repairing major water leaks at some of our neighbors’ properties.
Coordinating heavy equipment to help clear our neighbors’ road and secure their belongings.
Providing shelter for several neighbors of Whitehouse Canyon, who lost everything in the fire.
Supporting CalFire
In addition to our community members, we were honored to support and collaborate with Calfire in the following ways.
Water: We provided an estimated 350,000 gallons of water to the fire fighting effort, supplying fire trucks and water trucks whenever needed from our reserves.
Spot Fires: Our team diligently worked to put out spot fires in the Gazos Creek Watershed to slow the progression of flames up the canyon, while bolstering our preparedness and training.
Mapping: We provided mapping capabilities to Calfire, helping guide the bulldozers to cut fire breaks on state park land as well as on our own.
Information Sharing: Our team was first on scene at the fire at Cloverdale Road and Gazos Creek. We were grateful to CalFire for holding the line in front of us. That provided one of the most important safeguards for our property as the fire advanced towards the Ranch.
Fire Preparedness:
The Mushroom Farm now feels incredibly well prepared as we face the rest of this fire season. Here are developments that we feel were critical to our safety:
Fire Breaks: We brought in a bulldozer to cut larger fire breaks buffering our 650 acre southern parcel (“The Ranch”) from the East and South.
Water Trucks: Construction of three temporary fire trucks using large water tanks fitted with pumps and fire hoses.
Staging Area for CalFire & Blue Sky: Our team worked diligently to cut fire breaks and cleared grass near the airstrip, which was utilized by the Blue Sky [Helicopter] Pilots as a refueling station.
The Restoration Effort
Looking forward, we have begun to explore a restoration effort in support of our local state parks and look forward to being of service to them.
Our resident ecosystem restoration expert, Nic Rotundo, has been actively sharing the results of our restoration efforts following last year’s fire with local farmers and ranchers at Pie Ranch, Cascade Ranch, and K & S Ranch. The Mushroom Farm intends to provide chainsaw support for dangerous trees on these neighboring properties, and further training for erosion control techniques in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), and Regional Conservation District (RCD). It is an immense gift to see our entire coastal community to come together in a moment of need, building resiliency from the wreckage of these fires.
Mushroom Remediation
In collaboration with our onsite mushroom lab run by CoreRemediation, we are growing mushrooms for a mycoremediation effort. This project will produce inoculated straw wattles onsite to distribute to our coastal neighbors. The restoration effort will continue on through the winter to support maintaining a healthy watershed. This delicate and significant ecosystem is one of the southernmost natural fisheries for Coho and Steelhead salmon as well as an estuary, home to 100+ species of bird.
Stay Tuned… Opportunities to Get Involved Coming Soon!
We know it will take a large, combined effort to restore and rehabilitate this amazing stretch of coast. Community resilience is all of our work. As we begin to identify the needs and map and network these resources, we look forward to working with our amazing sister organizations and CalFire.
We are currently looking for experienced permaculturists, land restoration, and conservation educators to join our team. The Mushroom Farm celebrates diversity and is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. The Mushroom Farm does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
