In all of Europe not a single acre of pristine native forest remains. All their original forests have been logged, grazed or built upon. Some have been replanted, but none are undamaged. 

Historians say that Spain's forest was so extensive that a squirrel could jump from tree to tree from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic without touching the ground. Spain is now largely covered by an unvegetated desert. The forest was lost to buildings, ship masts and firewood. 

Here on the Monterey Peninsula we still have a few untouched, healthy native forest ecosystems of Monterey pine - even though most of the original forest has been lost to the development of the cities of the Peninsula. 

On our Monterey pine forests ecosystem walk, you will get to see our peninsula's magnificent forests much as they were when Europeans first landed here in 1603 finding abundant grizzly bears, jaguars, mountain lions and condors. 

You may see some of the extremely rare or imperiled animal and flower species living there including Yadon's Rein Orchid and the Great Horned Owl. 

You can expect to learn about --

• Ecosystem Interdependence of Species, Edge Effect, Biodiversity, Minimum Viable Populations, Wildlife Corridors, 
• The Imperiled situation of Monterey Pine forests,
• Why Fire is not natural in Monterey Pine Forests,
• Local Imperiled Species, 
• Local weather patterns, and 
• Local Invasive Species.