SF: Vote Yes on H, No on I
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SF: Vote Yes on H, No on I

If you live in San Francisco, please vote YES on Proposition H and NO on Proposition I this November to preserve Golden Gate Park and our voice in park decisions.

Here’s a summary of both measures, and why Golden Gate Bird Alliance supports Prop H and opposes Prop I:

Proposition H: Requiring Certain Golden Gate Park Athletic Fields to be Kept as Grass with no Artificial Lighting

Proposition H would require that the Beach Chalet soccer fields in western Golden Gate Park be kept as grass, with no nighttime stadium lighting.

PropHposter

Why GGBA supports Proposition H:

For over five years, GGBA has opposed plans by the City Fields Foundation and the city to replace the grass soccer fields in western Golden Gate Park with artificial turf.

While no one would claim that grass soccer fields are pristine habitat, the seeds, insects, and small mammals associated with grass fields provide sustenance for over 70 species of birds such as Dark-eyed Juncos, Black Phoebes, Red-shouldered Hawks, and migrants like Western Tanagers. Artificial turf would turn this area into a “dead zone” for wildlife.

In addition, the city plans to install powerful stadium lighting that would be dangerously near migration paths along the coast. These night lights would make it no longer safe to nest in surrounding trees and during migration could draw birds off track, disorient them, and leave them vulnerable to collisions or predators.

The creation of a major soccer complex in this area would violate the Master Plan for Golden Gate Park, which calls for the western part of the park to retain a more “natural” character.

We believe the city can improve soccer opportunities by taking better care of the grass fields, and by building additional fields at other sites that are not designated as natural areas.

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Proposition I: Renovation of Playgrounds, Walking Trails and Athletic Fields

Proposition I would allow any project to proceed once an Environmental Impact Report (if needed) was completed, if the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department forecasts that the project would double usage within a calendar year.

It also specifically counters Proposition H so that if they both win but Prop I receives more votes, then Proposition H is invalidated. For this reason, Proposition I is being presented by some as the opposite of Proposition H.

However, its impact is much broader than this one issue. It allows SFRPD to proceed with any project that they estimate will double usage, independent of the community’s desires or priorities.…

Calling all bird photographers!

Calling all bird photographers!

Share your best photos with other bird lovers in our 2015 Birds of the S.F. Bay Area photo calendar!

Send us your three best photos of Bay Area birds by July 10th.  Photos must be high resolution (printable at 300 dpi at a size of 9 but 12 inches) Include your name, the bird species, where the photo was taken, and any relevant details about the grid or photograph. Please email photos to calendar@goldengatebirdalliance.org.

Photos must be taken in the nine Bay Area counties — Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, or Solano.

Winning photographers will receive a copy of the calendar and will be honored at a reception in late 2014. Proceeds from the calendar go to support GGBA’ conservation and environmental education programs.

2013 Birds of the SF Bay Area calendar2013 Birds of the SF Bay Area calendar 2014 Birds of the SF Bay Calendar2014 Birds of the SF Bay Calendar Sample inside page / Main photo by Allen HirschSample inside page / Main photo by Allen Hirsch…
Summer 2014 Gull is available
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Summer 2014 Gull is available

 

The new edition of The Gull newsletter for Summer 2014 is now available online. Read it to learn how the future of many bird species in San Francisco depends upon a strong Natural Areas Program.

Also get the scoop on the outcome of Birdathon 2014, our new Executive Director Cindy Margulis, and Black-crowned Night-Herons. And of course it includes the calendar for our Speaker Series in July, August and September!

Click here to read it:  Gull_Summer2014

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

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PB&J Birders event for kids – May 4

PB&J Birders event for kids – May 4

Join us on Sunday morning May 4th from 10 a..m. until noon for a PB&J Birders family bird walk at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park!

This easy walk  will bring little birders and their parents/guardians along the lake looking for ducks, Great Blue Herons, and more! The walk is on mostly level ground along a developed and paved pathway. Most of the walk is wheelchair accessible.

Meet: In parking lot behind Boathouse, 50 Stow Lake Dr E, San Francisco, CA 94118

Bring:  Snacks, water, layers of clothes, snacks and binoculars or scopes if you have them. We will also have quality binoculars and field guides available, along with crayons and coloring projects.
This event is free and open to families with kids of all ages.
P.S. Did you know there is now a nest cam monitoring the Great Blue Heron nest at Stow Lake?
Watch the heron family on your computer, then come join us on our Stow Lake walk! Nest cam at
http://www.sfnature.org/LiveEx/live.html – thanks to S.F. Nature Education for setting up the cam!

Sign up for a Birdathon trip!

Sign up for a Birdathon trip!

April is more than half over, but we still have some openings on great Birdathon trips!  You’re invited to join us on:

Las Gallinas Ponds in Marin (Sunday morning April 20)

Altamont Pass – Wind Power & Birds (Saturday April 26)

San Francisco & the Peninsula (Saturday April 26)

Visit our Birdathon Trips web page for details and registration. Then create your personal fundraising page. It’s like a walkathon where you solicit donations from friends — only instead of just walking you get to enjoy the beauty of birds!

Everyone who raises $100 or more gets a free Birdathon t-shirt with our Burrowing Owl logo.

There are awards for most birds sighted in six or 24 hours, best bird, and for top fundraisers. Mark your calendar for the Birdathon Awards Celebration on Sunday May 18

Out of town during April? You can still be part of the fun by sponsoring a Birdathon participant!

And you can buy a Birdathon t-shirt weigh our Burrowing owl logo even if you don’t go on a trip. Click here to order one directly from us for $20 plus postage. Or if you’d prefer an organic cotton version, you can order one for $27 from Spreadshirt. 

Birdathon t-shirt Birdathon t-shirt…

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