The Foothill reroute has been a large endeavor for the OVLC stewardship team and all trail volunteers. A project with methodical planning going back to last spring, the team has improved and rerouted a portion of the trail to ensure longevity. 

Look closely at the decisions they make, as the careful branches twist among paths—unseen made known. The orange branches and peeling bark tell a tale millions of years old. 

There are many lessons learned when the days are spent with plant and animal folk—a literacy of some ancient hum that this unseasoned human must learn. On the fall day before rain this early October—unbeknownst to me—the acorns were ready. Yet, the emissaries of summer hunger showed this humble seed collector the true rhyme and reason of the land. Scrub jays darted between branches. Their beaks filled with green oak offspring, ready to plant thousands of acorns this season. The crew and I watched them plant in our restoration fields. Later that day, deer were feasting on the gleanings of scrub jay frenzy, then us, participating in the fall harvest of ancient rings.