Before contact in 1769, the indigenous populations planted, pruned, harvested, and used fire regimes that made California a "hot spot" for biodiversity. "The Santa Cruz County population once numbered 10,000 or more with many villages." They were associated with the Awaswas-speaking language group. —San Lorenzo Valley Museum The Sayanta population (adjacent to the current Felton/Zayante area) was small compared to the Cotoni, Quiroste and Uypi tribal bands. All took advantage of seasonal sources of food, and used plants for medicinal purposes, clothing, tools, shelter, and food. Below are some examples of the plants that still thrive in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Manzanitas |
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