Friends of Mission Trail invite public to celebrate 50-plus years with guided tours on June 20
June 12, 2026 | Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California
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Karen Ferlito invited residents to join the Friends of Mission Trail Nature Preserve on June 20 to mark “50-plus years” of the preserve and to offer guided tours and refreshments.
The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Rio Road entry, with two guided tours and a gathering at 11:00 a.m. in the Redwood Grove for refreshments, Ferlito said. The Friends group, a volunteer 501(c)(3) formed in 2009 to support the city's preserve master plan, will host the activities.
The preserve includes parcels acquired in the early 1970s and later additions, Ferlito said. She described five ecological habitats on the site — Monterey pine forest, coast live oak woodland, a willow riparian corridor and wetlands, and coastal prairie — and said the preserve supports several rare and special-status species and is on a major bird flyway.
Volunteers and city public works have worked together on restoration and maintenance, she said. Ferlito cited recent restoration actions that included removals of nonnative trees and invasive plants; she said the group and city have removed hundreds of invasive plants and listed tree removals in the restoration period. She also noted more than 30 redwoods recently planted in riparian areas.
Trail access and volunteer opportunities are notable features: the preserve has about three miles of natural-surface trails, five trailheads (Rio Park, Flanders Mansion, Lester Roundtree Native Plant Garden, Mountain View Avenue and Martin Road), and a monthly volunteer “weedy group” that meets the second Saturday of each month to remove invasives and repair trails.
Ferlito framed the work as both preservation and a fire-safety effort: volunteers create piles of removed vegetation for city pickup to support fuel-abatement. City staff praised the partnership and encouraged residents to attend and to join volunteer workdays.
The Friends’ June 20 event is open to the public; those planning to attend were directed to meet at the Rio Road entry at 10:00 a.m.
The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Rio Road entry, with two guided tours and a gathering at 11:00 a.m. in the Redwood Grove for refreshments, Ferlito said. The Friends group, a volunteer 501(c)(3) formed in 2009 to support the city's preserve master plan, will host the activities.
The preserve includes parcels acquired in the early 1970s and later additions, Ferlito said. She described five ecological habitats on the site — Monterey pine forest, coast live oak woodland, a willow riparian corridor and wetlands, and coastal prairie — and said the preserve supports several rare and special-status species and is on a major bird flyway.
Volunteers and city public works have worked together on restoration and maintenance, she said. Ferlito cited recent restoration actions that included removals of nonnative trees and invasive plants; she said the group and city have removed hundreds of invasive plants and listed tree removals in the restoration period. She also noted more than 30 redwoods recently planted in riparian areas.
Trail access and volunteer opportunities are notable features: the preserve has about three miles of natural-surface trails, five trailheads (Rio Park, Flanders Mansion, Lester Roundtree Native Plant Garden, Mountain View Avenue and Martin Road), and a monthly volunteer “weedy group” that meets the second Saturday of each month to remove invasives and repair trails.
Ferlito framed the work as both preservation and a fire-safety effort: volunteers create piles of removed vegetation for city pickup to support fuel-abatement. City staff praised the partnership and encouraged residents to attend and to join volunteer workdays.
The Friends’ June 20 event is open to the public; those planning to attend were directed to meet at the Rio Road entry at 10:00 a.m.
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