Three Women Who Cared Multi-Cache

Three features of the baylands carry names of those who cared about and worked to save them. Emily Renzel, Lucy Evans and Harriet Mundy.

• Stage 1:   N 37 26.873 W 122 07.026

  You are looking at the Emily Renzel Wetlands. At this spot you'll find a mile marker sign with this text
  "Trail Route - 0.Y Mi to Adobe Jct. 0.Z Mi to San Francisquito Trail Jct."
  Add Y to Z to get A.

  
  Emily Renzel

  The Emily Renzel Wetlands restoration project was completed in 1992, utilizing a $1,000,000 grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to enhance the salt marsh portion of wetlands with bay water, and creating a new 15-acre fresh water pond. The freshwater pond uses pumped reclaimed water from the nearby Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant. Shortly after the wetland restoration and pond project was completed, the area was named after former City Councilmember Emily Renzel for her tireless work over 20 years to preserve and protect Palo Alto's Baylands. Ms. Renzel was also a principal sponsor of the City's park dedication ordinance that protects park and open space land from any form of public or private development without the expressed consent of Palo Alto voters.

  Note: The city of Palo Alto is studying the feasibility of allowing auto dealers to relocate to the frontage road abutting the marsh. Read about it here.

• Stage 2:   N 37 27.580   W 122 06.383

  You are at the Lucy Evans Interpretive Center. There is a plaque here whose first line contains a single digit followed by the word STAR in very large letters. Subtract 1 from that digit to get B.

  
  Lucy Evans

  Lucy Evans, born in Wyoming in 1903, came to California with her family at the age of two. She graduated from Stanford in 1929, having been elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She taught at Mayfield School for 23 years. Class field trips led to her joining the Audubon Society and exploring the Baylands extensively. A friend has said that "she knew every inch" of them. She fought for the preservation of the Baylands, and her determination earned her the appellation "Baylands Lucy." She died suddenly in 1978. The Baylands Nature Interpretive Center was rededicated to her memory in December 1978.

  
  
• Stage 3: N 37 27.693   W 122 06.286

  You are at the Harriet Mundy Marsh. One of the plaques at this viewing stand contains panoramic pictures by Eric Goetze. The last digit of the copyright date is C.

  
  Harriet Mundy

  The Harriet Mundy Marsh, dedicated on October 23, 1982, extends from Lucy Evans Nature Interpretive Center to Sand Point. Harriet Mundy "discovered" the Baylands when she was advised to walk after a fall in 1959. She became a close friend of Lucy Evans and joined her in the resolve to help preserve the Palo Alto marshland. A $30 million private proposal to develop the Palo Alto Baylands for commercial and industrial use spurred Mundy to action. In 1960 she helped to circulate a petition which resulted in the City Council stopping development until a Baylands Master Plan was prepared. The naming of the marsh recognizes her continued perseverance and devotion to the marshlands.

  
  
• Stage 4: N 37 27.ACB   W 122.06.AAB. Total walking distance for all of the stages is about 2 miles. Don't ignore the closing time posted at the entrance - it is strictly enforced.