RESTORING BUTTERFLY HABITAT IN THE GRASSLANDS

Grasslands on San Bruno Mountain are known for their colorful native wildflowers and as the habitat home of the endangered Mission Blue and Callippe Silverspot butterflies, as well as the threatened Bay Checkerspot butterfly.

San Bruno Mountain Watch is part of a collaborative effort to protect and enhance the grassland habitat of these butterflies. We grow native grasses and the wildflowers that serve as the butterflies’ host and nectar plants at our Mission Blue Nursery. Volunteers help plant these butterfly nourishing plants during the rainy season. Invasive plant control efforts are also critically important to protect the biodiversity of the mountain’s grasslands and also benefit from the participation of volunteers—like the South San Francisco Weed Warriors, who roam the sweeping south slopes.

A significant focus of natural resource management efforts on the mountain are focused on the grassland habitats. The San Mateo County Parks Department, as the manager of the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan, prescribes and oversees a variety of grassland management strategies. Multiple agencies and organizations are involved in these efforts. Learn more and download numerous studies and reports by visiting the County Parks website.