GGBA at the BioBlitz

GGBA at the BioBlitz

ByGGBA

Golden Gate Bird Alliance participated in the Golden Gate National Parks BioBlitz on Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March, 29, 2014.

A BioBlitz is a 24-hour inventory of as many species of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as can be found within a defined area, and the Golden Gate National Parks is blessed with an incredible diversity of species.

Along with other local conservation groups, GGBA members led volunteers in an inventory of birds and other species during the 24-hour window. Final numbers from the count are currently being tabulated by scientists.

Folding origami Passenger Pigeons / Photo by Noreen WeedenFolding origami Passenger Pigeons / Photo by Noreen Weeden GGBA educators Anthony DeCicco and Marissa Ortega-Welch / Photo by Noreen WeedenGGBA educators Anthony DeCicco and Marissa Ortega-Welch / Photo by Noreen Weeden Some of the 1,700 young visitors / Photo by Noreen WeedenSome of the 1,700 young visitors / Photo by Noreen Weeden

We also led a hands-on educational project in the BioBlitz Exhibition Hall — folding an origami Passenger Pigeon to recognize the 100-year anniversary of this species’ passing, while learning about ways to help our locally threatened and endangered bird species.  

Some 1,700 children from schools participated on Friday, while hundreds of individuals and families attended on Saturday.  That’s a lot of origami pigeons!

A huge thank-you to BioBlitz sponsors National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Geographic, and Presidio Trust; to Andrew Stern from the Lost Bird Project, which created the origami program; and to Golden Gate Bird Alliance volunteers Kent Anderson, Jeannette Nichols, Cameron Burns, and Eddie Bartley.  

Origami Passenger Pigeon / Photo by Noreen WeedenOrigami Passenger Pigeon / Photo by Noreen Weeden…
Spring 2014 Gull is available
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Spring 2014 Gull is available

ByGGBA

 

Gullcover_Spring2014

The new edition of The Gull newsletter for Spring 2014 is now available online. Read it to learn about how GGBA’ bird monitoring programs are making a difference for at-risk species such as Burrowing Owls, Snowy Plovers, and Least Terns.

You can also get the latest scoop on Birdathon 2014; birding in McLaren Park; and Beguiling Bushtits. And of course it includes the calendar for our Speaker Series in April, May and June!

Click here to read it:  Gull_Spring2014

Note: Because this is a large file, it may take a minute or two to download. Be patient!   🙂

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Eagle Scouts restore habitat at Pier 94
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Eagle Scouts restore habitat at Pier 94

ByGGBA

Thanks to Eagle Scout Troop 888 and family members who helped us restore bird habitat at Pier 94 in San Francisco on March 8!  The day was thoughtfully planned and organized by Coletrain Phillips, one of the Eagle Scouts.

The Scouts were energetic, friendly and super productive.  The day included removing non-native invasive weeds, planting 300 native plants, watering the newly planted plants, painting over graffiti on the k-rails and back of signs.

The group took a bird walk where they observed American Avocets, Whimbrel, and Snowy Egret and other birds feeding along the Bay. After the break the Troop prepared an area for future broadcast seeding by raking the area.  This was a huge amount of work accomplished in a single day.

Want to get involved? Our next habitat restoration work day at Pier 94 is on Saturday April 5 from 9 a.m. until noon. Info on the volunteer page of our web site.…

Explore the wildlife of Napa River

Explore the wildlife of Napa River

ByGGBA

Join Golden Gate Bird Alliance and Dolphin Charters on Saturday April 12 as we explore the wetlands and wildlife of the Napa River. This is a slice of the Bay Area you will never see from the highway!

Starting at the historic Vallejo waterfront, we’ll view numerous Osprey nests at Mare Island. Then we’ll into a world of vineyards, backwater homes and some of the largest contiguous marshes in the Bay Area, rich with ducks, grebes and raptors. Learn about one of the largest tidal marsh restoration projects in the country.

Cost: $75 for GGBA members or $85 for non-members. Saturday April 12, trom 10 a.m. to 2:30 pm.  Click here to sign up. Don’t wait – this trip will fill up fast!

Dolphin Charters is generously donating all proceeds from this trip to Golden Gate Bird Alliance as part of Birdathon 2014!

Osprey nesting at Mare Island / Photo by Dianne Fristrom from GGBA' 2013 Napa River tripOsprey nesting at Mare Island / Photo by Dianne Fristrom from GGBA’ 2013 Napa River trip Marsh along Napa River / Photo by Dianne FristromMarsh along Napa River / Photo by Dianne Fristrom

 

Swallow nests on a bridge over the Napa River / Photo by Dianne FristromSwallow nests on a bridge over the Napa River / Photo by Dianne Fristrom

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