Portola Valley Update October 16, 2025

This Week's Update

• 2025 Edgewood Fire – how mitigation helped
• Register for Town Trivia Night - 11/8/25
• Conservation Committee Spotlight
• How to Report an Issue - Request a Service - Connect with your Community
• Reduce rodents with Barn Owl Nest Boxes
• ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments) approved our Alpine Road Scenic Corridor Priority Conservation Area Designation.
• Upcoming Caltrans Meeting
• SMC Community Survey on Housing Displacement
• Upcoming Town Events

2025 Edgewood Fire – how mitigation helped

On the weekend of Aug-30-2025, the Edgewood Fire was started from a car that caught fire near the Farm Hill Blvd entrance onto northbound Hwy 280. Embers spread the fire to the southbound side of the freeway. Ten acres burned before successful suppression under WFPD command.

NBC Bay Area News has a good video of that day’s action. The Almanac published a good summary from the SMC Board of Supervisors meeting.

Next to the Canada College parking lot, you can see how the college’s mitigation of vegetation along their chain link fence helped prevent the fire from spreading uphill towards campus.

In addition to the suppression efforts, the fire did not have enough fuel to keep burning. These photos are good evidence of how mitigation helps.

Register for Town Trivia Night - 11/8/25

Just three weeks away...Come one, come all to Portola Valley Trivia Night!

What Junkanoo band won a grammy for the song, “Who Let the Dogs Out?” Who created over 300 gowns for Jackie Kennedy, including her 1961 inauguration ball? Which team won the World Series in 2024?

If these questions catch your interest, or you just want to socialize with friends, then it’s time for….

Portola Valley Trivia Night

Saturday, November 8th, 2025

6:30pm to 9pm (Trivia starts promptly at 7pm)

Portola Valley Community Hall

Join your neighbors of 94028 and enjoy a fun-filled evening of banter and interesting information.

For more details and to register, go to:

Portola Valley Trivia Night

Happily brought to you by the Parks & Rec Committee :-)

Conservation Committee Spotlight

Portola Valley Conservation Committee Spotlight

The goal of the Conservation Committee is to conserve the rural quality of Portola Valley and to maintain the Town as an attractive, tranquil, family-oriented residential community for all generations, compatible with the many physical constraints and natural features of the area. The committee does this by promoting programs to enhance the environment through protection of native habitat and by helping to ensure that all land development respects and preserves the natural condition of the area. We were one of the first committees established in 1964 at the Town’s founding.

We focus on educating new and existing residents on the advantages of preserving our area’s native flora and fauna and promoting understanding of preservation of habitat and co-existence of local wildlife with modern day life.

Specifics of what we do:

• Review significant tree removal applications
• Review landscaping plans and site permits
• Promote the use of native/water wise plants and control of invasive plants
• Organize educational lectures and booths at Town events
• Monitor restoration and maintenance of Town-owned Open Spaces and Parks
• Work closely with the Fire Marshall promoting a balance of healthy habitat for our valued wildlife, while landscaping to fire-wise standards.
• Develop and distribute brochures for native and fire-wise planting

Committee members objectives

“My goal is to inspire both current and new residents to plant and care for native plants and trees that support our local wildlife, birds, and insects, while also listening thoughtfully to their concerns.” Marianne Plunder, Chair

“I enjoy being able to constantly learn more about my community and to contribute to maintaining native plants, habitat for our wildlife and the semi-rural feel.” Judy Murphy, Vice Chair

“I joined the Conservation Committee as an opportunity to build and participate in community, while sharing my expertise in service of the local ecology.” Megan Richards, Secretary

“I like that everything we do feels like a two-way process where we share a lot of information and learn from other residents. It has deepened my appreciation of the Town to hear about wildlife observations and landscaping experiences on the properties we visit.” Nona Chiariello

“I joined the Conservation Committee to become more involved with and learn more about our Town, and to help "spread the word" about this unique and beautiful place with new and existing residents through community events and opportunities.” Teresa Coleman

"When collaborating with the Committee, I've been inspired by the group's welcoming spirit and enthusiasm for new projects. As a student member I can add new perspectives to today's Conservation challenges. " Eliza Low, Student Member

“We began by cataloging local flora and fauna, mapping trails, and noting significant trees. Now, the focus is on preserving the rural environment, promoting native planting, and protecting heritage trees. Meeting residents remains a pleasure.” Dieter Walz

“Being a volunteer with the Town Conservation Committee allows me to actively participate in the preservation and educational efforts in Portola Valley. Further, it allows me to broaden my knowledge and expertise, and it complements my active role in the Landscape Committee of the PV Ranch.” Joerg Zimmermann

“The Conservation Committee serves a vital role in helping preserve our native ecology and educate our residents on the importance of taking care of Portola Valley, a unique and beautiful place we all call home. I am honored to serve as Council Liaison to the Conservation Committee and enjoy helping them achieve their stewardship goals.” Rebecca Flynn, Town Councilmember

How to Report an Issue - Request a Service - Connect with your Community

Have you ever wanted to quickly report an issue – like a pothole or downed tree – but didn’t know the number or email to use? That’s why we created PV Connect, a simple, convenient tool that puts Town Hall at your fingertips.

The best way to use PV Connect is to visit the Town website on your preferred device and report an issue or request a service on your device. For those who already have PV Connect downloaded can continue to submit tickets through the application. You are able to report an issue or request a service on your desktop. Residents and Community members do not need to download an app in the Apple store or Android app store to utilize PV Connect.

Reduce rodents with Barn Owl Nest Boxes

Conservation Committee Tip

Reduce rodents with Barn Owl Nest Boxes

Mounting a barn owl box in a suitable location is a great way to support barn owl populations and take advantage of the pest control they provide. A family of barn owls can eat up to 4,000 rodents a year!

Prey availability

Ninety percent of a barn owl’s diet is composed of rodents, especially voles, mice, gophers, and rats. Barn owl boxes should be placed near open areas where the owls can hunt for foraging rodents. Promising locations can include grasslands, open woodlands and hillsides. Yards with low vegetation islands that offer cover for rodents are suitable too.

Visibility/Hunting Territory

The entrance to the box should be visible from a distance and should overlook suitable habitat. Barn owls thrive in open areas and can be found in residential areas provided there is a large enough rodent population to sustain them and suitable cover for shelter.

At dawn and dusk barn owls and great horned owls can often be heard screeching and hooting in the same areas. They love to perch on mature oak trees and can be seen gliding majestically across open meadows.

Human threats

Rodenticides, poisons designed to kill rodents, can harm or kill barn owls if they consume prey that has been poisoned. Before putting a barn owl box up on your property, be sure to stop using any form of rodent poison. Ideally, consult with your neighbors to make sure no rodenticides are used. In California, barn owls tend to hunt on about 165 acres (0.25 square miles). If you hear a screechy sound in your trees at dawn and dusk, you most likely already have barn owls in your location.

Where to mount the box - Building /Tree/Pole

Barns, sheds or outbuildings are often the best places to put barn owl boxes. A large tree overlooking an open area is a good choice. Though less preferable because of the lack of shelter, a metal pole can be installed to host an owl box. The pole should be in the shade to prevent the owl box from overheating.

Additional information

• Barn owl overview: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Barn_Owl/lifehistory
• Locating barn owl habitat: https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/barnowl.htm
• Choosing what to attach the box to: https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-nestbox/
• Additional information: https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/barn-owl/

Content Contributor: Eliza Low

ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments) approved our Alpine Road Scenic Corridor Priority Conservation Area Designation.

The Priority Conservation Area spans along the length of Alpine Road from the border with Ladera up to the Coal Mine Ridge Open Space and includes Dorothy Ford Park and Open Space, Rossotti’s field, and Corte Madera School playing fields as well as the Frog Pond Open Space. The Scenic Corridor helps link the Hawthorns Nature Preserve to the Coal Mine Ridge and Windy Hill Open Space Priority Conservation Areas. It includes the Alpine Road Trail and the Dwight Crowder Trail along both sides of the road.

This new PCA designation allows the Town to apply for grants for bike and pedestrian trail improvements and other conservation-related improvements to our Scenic Corridor.

A big thanks to Catherine Magill for suggesting and helping spearhead the initiative and to my intern, Benjamin Fair, for helping with the research.

Please suggest other areas in town to research for future PCA designation. (Please review the designation rules : PCA - Priority Conservation Areas | Association of Bay Area Governments)

Thank you to the staff, committees, and everyone who helped and supported this initiative.

Rebecca Flynn

PV Town Councilmember

More info about Priority Conservation Area Designation Program:

You can see the extent of the current PCA designations throughout the 9 county Bay area at this link to the GIS mapper: Mapping Viewer

This is the link of all the PCAs approved this year in the ABAG territory: Finalized list of PCAs

The presentation given to Conservation, Trails, and BPTS committees to gain their approval for the initiative can be found starting at page 133 of the Town Council July 23, 2025 meeting agenda. The staff report on the initiative starts at page 127 of the agenda packet.

Upcoming Caltrans Meeting

SMC Community Survey on Housing Displacement