Steelhead Trout in the Carmel River

 

Cappanay is one of the largest and farthest inland known Esselen village sites

 

The Esselen Tribe is poised to reclaim 1,720 acres of culturally and ecologically significant lands along Tularcitos Creek in the Upper Carmel Valley, Monterey County.

The property hosts oak savanna and riparian corridors and is home to sacred cultural sites including ancient village locations, bedrock mortars and traditional gathering areas.

Among these is “Cappanay”, one of the largest and farthest inland known Esselen village sites. In the Esselen language, Cappanay means “little tules,” referencing the native plants that once thrived along the creeks, vernal pools and wetlands among the rolling oak-covered hills.

From: Wildlands Conservancy

Carmel River April 2025

 

Rancho Cañada Floodplain Restoration Project

 

The Rancho Cañada Floodplain Restoration Project is an ambitious $38 million, multi-year initiative to restore a one-mile section of the Carmel River and rewild a former golf course, now part of Palo Corona Regional Park.