Tag Archives: pescadero

Native Americans Farm in Pescadero

by Kristine A. Wong

I produced, shot and edited this video along with a print article for Half Moon Bay Patch.

Native Americans Farm in Pescadero from kristine a. wong on Vimeo.

Last fall, a group of Native Americans from all over the country congregated in the Bay Area to participate in an annual swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco.

In the week leading up to the big event, the group headed out for practice swims at in the early morning and spent the afternoon visiting several sites in the Bay Area related to public health and wellness.

The program was sponsored by PATHSTAR, an organization focused on promoting sustainable health and wellness among Native Americans through hands-on education and experiential learning.

Founded by Nancy Iverson, a physician who worked on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for many years, PATHSTAR encourages active lifestyle and healthy nutrition practices as strategies to prevent diabetes and other diseases in Indian country.

The group spent an October afternoon in Pescadero (south of Half Moon Bay) harvesting produce from Addwater Farm to sell at the Pescadero Farmer’s Market. The group then worked with Addwater Farms’ Brian Coltrin to prepare the produce for market sale.

Participants say they hope to pass on what they learned to community members back home, while Coltrin says he hopes to continue working with individuals at the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Coltrin was approached to participate in the program through Iverson, who is a regular customer of his at a farmer’s market in San Francisco.

Individuals who participated in the 2011 swim and PATHSTAR program are:

From Richmond, Calif.

Zolina Zizi (Cheyenne, Arkiara, Creek)

From Pine Ridge, S. Dak. (Lakota)

Terry Mills

Nakina Mills

Chrystal White Eyes

Jeffery Not Help Him

Martin White Hawk

Jolene Martin


From Ketchikan, Alaska (Ketchikan Indian Community)

Ruth E Pechay (Tlingit and Haida)

Anitamarie Pechay Seludo (Tlingit and Haida)

Bill Hardy, Ketchikan, Alaska

From Inchelium, WA (Colville Federated Tribes)

Shelli Martinez, Okanogan Band

Jerry Signor, Coville Federated Tribes

Gray Whale Washes Ashore Pescadero State Beach

Gray Whale Washed Ashore Pescadero State Beach from kristine a. wong on Vimeo.

In the first half of June, a 25-foot female gray whale washed ashore Pescadero State Beach in Pescadero, Calif., south of Half Moon Bay.

A necropsy performed by the Marine Mammal Center revealed that the 1-2 year old animal had sustained trauma to its head and thorax, likely due to colliding with a ship, though the exact cause could not be determined.

This video was shot on June 16, 2011.

This is the second time in eight months that a whale has washed ashore the California coast at a beach in Pescadero. In October 2010, an 85-foot blue whale and her fetus washed ashore Bean Hollow State Beach. (See video video posted here).

I produced this video (camera, video editing, writing) for Half Moon Bay Patch.

Blue, Green and Ready to Roll

It’s blue, green, and ready to roll: In March 2011, coastal residents in San Mateo County, Calif. got a new bookmobile powered by biodiesel and solar panels. It’s also wheelchair accessible. The bookmobile will serve unincorporated communities in the 25-mile stretch between Pescadero and Montara (with the exception of Half Moon Bay, the only incorporated town in the area), and go as far inland as LaHonda.

The new bookmobile debuted in Pescadero on March 5. I produced (camera, interviews, video editing) this video of the event for Half Moon Bay Patch.

Blue, Green, and Ready to Roll from kristine a. wong on Vimeo.

Blue Whale and Fetus Wash Ashore California Beach

During the first weekend in October 2010, an 85-foot blue whale washed up on the shore of Bean Hollow State Beach in Pescadero, California. Blue whales are known to be the largest species living on earth.

On October 7, scientists announced that the cause of the whale’s death was due to the blunt force from a collision with a passing ship. The whale was pregnant at the time, and her fetus washed up close by.

I produced this video (camera, video editing, writing) for Half Moon Bay Patch.com.

Blue Whale and Fetus at Bean Hollow State Beach, Pescadero, California from kristine a. wong on Vimeo.

blue whale at Bean Hollow State Beach

A still from the video.

The fetus of the blue whale at Bean Hollow State Beach

A still from the video of the whale's fetus on shore.

Blue whale and fetus wash ashore on Bean Hollow State Beach, Pescadero, California