Meanwhile, tree and barn swallows swooped over the water, nabbing insects. Red-winged blackbirds flitted about, displaying their bright epaulettes and exuberantly calling konk-la-reee. A pair of snowy egrets flew determinedly one way, while a great egret soared gracefully in the opposite direction--until blackbirds began to harass it and, adopting avoidance tactics, it lost a bit of its grace. House finches, a phoebe, and mallards completed the array. And then there was the snake: a three-foot gopher snake, utterly still.

Besides all these relatively common creatures, the Watsonville sloughs are home to 26 species whose survival are threatened, including the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, peregrine falcon, and osprey. And let's not forget the endangered Santa Cruz tar plant, as well as the robust spineflower, to name but a few of the rare plants found here.

Along the paths I noticed small signs, each with a number and a painted bird, animal, or plant ("Artwork by Girl Scout Troop 4000"). These, Templeton explained, are to allow people to locate themselves--in case of an emergency, or to report a problem on the trail.

In addition, 33 interpretive signs, in both English and Spanish and with vivid illustrative material, are being installed; I missed them by days. These will focus on three different aspects of the sloughs' heritage: natural history, conservation messages, and cultural history--including information about the first family to farm in the area, the Struves, as well as Ohlone Indian history and customs.

On June 3, National Trails Day, the City is hosting a VIP nature walk to officially "unveil" these signs. Among the VIPs will be 30 Struve family representatives. They should be very proud of what the City has accomplished with what was once their land.

Templeton is certainly proud to be part of this effort. "Just this month," she told me, "we received an award from the California Trails and Greenways Association--for trails, in particular for the fact that we're providing experience within city limits."

Her pleasure is more than professional, however. She grew up in Watsonville, and used to make her way with difficulty along the overgrown margins of the sloughs, both to get from one place to another and because she appreciated the wetland habitat. "Now," she said, "it's really exciting to see the local community--and they've lived here forever--getting so involved. We're seeing community vigilance, and community pride. People are taking ownership."

Sometimes, the urban and the natural can mix.

A map of the slough trail system is available at the nature center at 30 Harkins Slough Road (call (831) 768-1622 or see www.watsonvilleslough.org for directions), and at Watsonville City Hall and public library.