The Friends of Foothills Park was organized in 1995, dedicated to assisting the park staff in a wide range of park activities. In early 2021, the organization was renamed to The Friends of Foothills Preserve, to be consistent with the name change voted on by the Palo Alto City Council. (The text below uses the old name.)
Mission Statement
The following mission statement is derived from the Park’s mission statement of June 19, 1965.
- conserve the natural features and scenic values of this park
- protect and maintain the ecology of this area
- provide for the use and enjoyment of the resources found here, consistent with their preservation
- emphasize beauty, simplicity and serenity
- provide opportunities for the interpretation of its natural history.
Community Star Award
In 2004, the Community Services Department of the City of Palo Alto awarded Community Star Awards to several individuals and organizations, including the Friends of Foothills Park. The following is from a Press Release of May 19, 2004:
The Recreation, Open Space and Sciences Division is proud to announce the Friends of Foothills Park has been awarded the 2004 Community Star Award. Since 1995, a core group of volunteers have dedicated nearly every Sunday to habitat restoration at Foothills Park. Pulling Italian thistle and milk thistle by hand, and using weed wrenches to uproot highly invasive French Broom, the Friends of Foothills Park have made significant strides in curbing the spread of non-native plants (weeds). In doing so, the Friends not only help to sustain lovely native wildflowers and ferns, but at the same time help to ensure that hiking trails are free from prickly plants along the edges.
The Friends have enthusiastically taken on a number of important projects over the last nine years: creating and updating a self-guided nature brochure for the Toyon Trail; leading free nature walks for the public; monitoring the spread of non-native plants; flagging rare or important native plants in advance of trail maintenance projects; and helping to remove poison oak from along trail corridors. In addition, a Friends member annually prepares detailed field survey maps charting the location of plant species of special interest throughout the park.
The Friends have been an invaluable resource to staff and the public. Through their dedication to habitat protection and preservation, the Friends are helping to ensure the vitality of the Palo Alto foothills for generations to come.
Community Services Department, City of Palo Alto
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.
John Muir
Projects Accomplished
For a representative list of projects taken on by the Friends, see the blog post Projects Accomplished.
If you would like to assist the Friends of Foothills Preserve, please Volunteer or Donate. You can also Contact Us.