Heading South: Two Busy Regions Await

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As someone who spends a lot of time researching wildlife, I’ve learned to see our region as animals do: as one connected landscape full of possibilities and obstacles. That perspective led us to study how wildlife moves through the Aromas Hills and Upper Pajaro Valley, two busy regions where landforms and counties converge. By understanding where animals are already finding their way, we can focus our efforts on protecting and restoring the paths they rely on most. What follows is a glimpse into that work and the hope it carries for a more connected future.

Mapping the Movement of Life

Expanding our reach is a decision we approach with intention and care. In 2022, POST completed a study focusing on how animals travel between our region’s three mountain ranges, with particular attention to major roads in the Aromas Hills and Upper Pajaro Valley. Here, four counties and three mountain ranges converge, making connectivity both complex and critically important. Our goal was to pinpoint locations where improved crossings could make a real difference for wildlife movement. The study’s results now guide our conservation efforts, from road improvements to habitat restoration and land protection.

Creature Sightings 

Across 42 camera monitoring sites, various animals made their way across roads. Even so, busy streets, homes, farms, and other development fragment the area, making it challenging for wildlife — especially pumas — to get around. 

Thanks to more than 50 remote-sensor cameras, we were able to document the wildlife finding ways across these busy landscapes. Clockwise: Coyote, Puma, Mule Deer

The Bustling Upper Pajaro Valley 

The area with the most animal activity was the Upper Pajaro Valley. One culvert alone had 594 animal crossings! Creeks with big under-crossings were also vital thoroughfares for bobcats and other species moving through this area. 

With existing crossing structures in place, we’re focused on protecting and restoring landscapes there to make movement easier for wildlife. We recently acquired 503 acres, opening new pathways to the east. This land will help protect the Pajaro River floodplain and preserve working agricultural lands. Now, POST and our partners can pursue restoration work along the river, which offers habitat for a wide array of birds and terrestrial mammals. 

Like Coyote Valley and parts of San Mateo County, this is valley-bottom land — rich, productive, and increasingly rare. These lands also carry deep cultural significance, with historical ties to California’s Indigenous peoples and long-standing agricultural traditions.

Opportunities in Aromas Hills 

The Aromas Hills make up a vital potential corridor for puma movement between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan Range. This connection is key for struggling mountain lion populations in both regions who may soon be listed as “threatened” by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. As such, new crossing structures are urgently needed, especially along US 101. 

In fact, a roadkill hotspot exists along the portion of the highway that separates the Aromas Hills from the northern Gabilan Range. Compounding these conditions is the fact that there are few existing culverts to travel underneath the treacherous road. Three pumas have been killed along this stretch, indicating that they want to move in this area, but can’t do so safely. Thanks to this and previous studies, Caltrans is now planning an overcrossing at US 101 in San Benito County.

Introducing the Gabilan Range

Running along the eastern edge of the Salinas Valley, the Gabilan Range straddles San Benito and Monterey counties. Its rugged hills, oak-dotted slopes, and sunbaked grasslands form a striking counterpart to the coastal forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

Finding the Missing Linkage 

South of POST’s main focal regions in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties, another landscape creates a vital linkage with Central California. Here, in the Pajaro watershed — where the Santa Cruz Mountains meet the Gabilan Range — lies an incredible opportunity. With the right protection and restoration efforts, this expanse could facilitate the movement of pumas, bobcats, badgers, and more, allowing them to connect with the rest of California to find refuge and thrive, even in a changing climate. 

New Lands, New Possibilities 

Last fall, we purchased the 1,340-acre Pescadero Ranch, located near the southern tip of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This stunning property helps protect a vital wildlife linkage between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan Range. And in January, we added to this growing network of protected lands by joining The Conservation Fund and Wildlife Conservation Network in protecting San Antonio Ranch further south. Pescadero Ranch supports an array of species, including golden eagles, red-legged frogs, and steelhead trout. In addition to its ecological value, the land lies within the historic Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape, an area of deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

Charting a Connected Future 

Protecting this Gabilan Range linkage is the next logical step in our efforts to connect the Bay Area to the rest of California. Each protected acre creates new possibilities for wildlife movement, builds climate resilience, and supports cultural conservation. The work ahead is just beginning, but the path is clear.