Neary Lagoon Revisted

As planned right after my training yesterday noon, I went to meet Paul to have a last look at hundreds of goats at Neary Lagoon. I even took advantage of the training break to familiarize myself with the walking route from Center Street to the lagoon.

After paying the parking meter, we took off immediately. For some reason, we were greeted with an unusual silence and wafers of lingering smell.  'They are gone,' we could help but think. Our fear was soon confirmed by two ladies who were walking towards us. Like us, they were hoping to visit them again. Apparently our working goats were so diligent that they completed their work one day ahead of schedule. It was also apparent that they did a thorough job: wild and tall grasses and shrubs on both sides of the boardwalk were all chewed or broken to the ground. Before us were two long yellow stretches of land well manicured and fully fertilized.

With goats gone, we had to contend ourselves by walking along the quiet lagoon and watching wild ducks floating or grooming at the water's edge. It is simply hard to imagine a 44-acre park existing right between a wastewater treatment plant and a residential neighborhood in the center of Santa Cruz city, just like New York City's Central Park. According to City of Santa Cruz, Neary Lagoon is an important part of the urban watershed for the westside of the City of Santa Cruz. A drainage area of approximately 850 acres empties into the lagoon, and from there, out to the ocean.

Because of its well-maintained boardwalk, it is a heavenly access to Wheelchair Riders, "The 14-acre marsh includes a lagoon, which you can cross on a floating boardwalk, while enjoying close-up views of mallard and wood ducks, grebes, coots, and other birds. The boardwalk is part of a loop trail, used by both walkers and cyclists traveling between downtown and the west side of town ... Twice a year, goats and sheep are brought in to eat the invasive grasses, a delightful sight that I was fortunate to catch on my visit in mid-September."

Do I hear right, twice a year, goats and sheep will come to eat grasses? In that case, see you later!