Habitat
For the original human inhabitants, the Ohlone, San Francisco Bay and its surrounding area provided an ideal environment with moderate weather and plentiful food to hunt and harvest. There were sea otters, tule elk, grizzly bears, and waterfowl in plentiful numbers along the shores of the Bay.
As more people moved into the Bay Area, wildlife was hunted to feed the growing population. Habitat was filled or covered. Now, many of those animals are no longer found here and other wildlife populations have declined. Habitat is essential for wildlife to survive. Grasslands and seasonal wetlands at Sunnyvale Baylands Park help preserve wildlife populations in their natural habitats. The other habitat found here includes landscaped parkland and a freshwater marsh visible from the park's pathways. A wide variety of vegetation is found here including pickleweed, cattails, native grasses, and landscape plants.
Located off Highway 237 at the south end of San Francisco Bay, the area was originally connected to the Bay through sloughs and tidal flows that nourished the wetlands. Levees have since blocked off the daily tidal flows and the wetlands have become seasonal, filling only from winter rains. For wildlife, this area is essential habitat since over 90% of the original wetlands surrounding San Francisco Bay have been filled or diked.