Who We Are

This Pogonip Watch website is hosted by Friends of the Pogonip, an unincorporated association formed on May 12, 1990, with 25 charter members joining hike leaders Celia and Peter Scott on the group's first scheduled hike on the Pogonip. We gathered at “Sacred Oak” (which now, alas, has reached the end of its life), to celebrate our formation and discuss possible future goals and activities.

At that time, the 614-acre Pogonip had just been acquired (in 1989) from the S. H. Cowell Foundation, using funds allocated from Proposition 70—the California Parks and Wildlife, or “CALPAW” initiative, which had been approved by voters statewide in the November election of 1988. (In 1997 an additional 26 acres were acquired from Wave Crest Development Inc., bringing the total area of the Pogonip to 640 acres.)

In subsequent years, Friends of the Pogonip members have led, in concert with the Santa Cruz Regional Group of the Sierra Club, over one hundred hikes on the Pogonip, and continue to lead occasional walks and hikes. Friends of the Pogonip is currently devoted to the stewardship of this treasured natural area, with its unusual geology featuring the Ben Lomond earthquake fault and many year-long and pure-flowing springs, varied habitats for wildlife, several rare and endangered plant species, and a rich history. It is our community's public common. We need to take care of it. Please join us—just write to us if you'd like to help out.

And by the way, we welcome contributions for this website—stories, photos—whatever.

Also, we would welcome any donation to help us pay for our website charges. Just write a check made out to “Friends of the Pogonip”, and send it to us at P.O. Box 7927, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.