Announcements

Thank You, Athletic Brewing Company!

Santa Maria Valley Open Space received a $10,000 grant from Athletic Brewing Company through its Two For The Trails grant program. Athletic Brewing — a maker of non-alcoholic beer that supports trail initiatives nationwide — awarded the grant after a proposal prepared by SMVOS grant writer Rob Parisi.

The funding supports the “Buns of Steel” trail project: a timber stairway climbing roughly 400 vertical feet, built to address erosion on a popular steep hiking route. The full project is estimated at $20,000, so the grant covers about half. SMVOS aims to raise the remaining funds by fall 2026 — to contribute, visit our donate page and note “BUNS” with your gift.

Athletic Brewing's non-alcoholic beers were also served at Trailpalooza 2025. Thank you, Athletic Brewing Company, for helping keep our trails climbing!

Randy Cohen Receives Conservation Award

Longtime SMVOS volunteer Randy Cohen received The Natural History Museum Conservation Award, recognizing his extensive work propagating and planting hundreds of oak trees throughout the region. As you walk the trails, watch for green flags — they mark the locations of recently planted oaks.

Randy also shared his method for growing native live oaks from acorns:

How to Germinate a Live Oak Acorn

• Collect: Gather acorns directly from the tree when they are brown and detach easily. Skip acorns picked up off the ground, and discard any with holes, that are hollow, that are discolored or sticky on the round end (moldy), or that have cracks.
• Store: Keep the acorns in an unsealed refrigerator bag to prevent mold.
• Germinate: Submerge the acorns in water and discard any that float; soak overnight, then drain. Treat with a diluted bleach solution (1 tablespoon bleach to 1.25 cups water), rinse, and place in refrigerated bags filled with perlite or vermiculite. Check weekly for root growth.
• Plant: Once the root reaches at least ¼ inch, transplant into containers of potting soil mixed with sand, protecting the fragile root while handling.
• Transplant: Move seedlings outdoors once they have two sets of mature leaves. Dig an appropriately sized hole, minimize root disturbance, mulch in a donut shape around the stem, and water well.