Bay Area Natural Resources and Science Symposium April 23, 2013 Abstracts

PRESENTATIONS ...... 3

THEME: ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION ...... 3 1. Monarch Overwintering Habitat Stewardship Informed by Hemispherical Photography 3 2. Lichen Iinventory Data: How Useful Is It? ...... 3 3. Using Phytolith Analysis to Reconstruct Prehistoric Plant Communities for Restoration and Management at ...... 3 4. Towering Exotic Pines and Dwarfed Native Oaks: A Synthesis of Two Ecological Studies From the ...... 4 5. Determining Landscape-scale Changes in Forest Structure and Possible Management Responses to Phytophora ramorum in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, Marin County CA...... 4 6. Sex, Genes And Biodiversity: Growing Plants for Restoration, Able to Withstand Climate Change and Using Practices to Reduce Our Own Environmental Footprint .... 5 7. Application of data from the Invasive Species Early Detection Program of the Inventory and Monitoring Program (SFAN I&M)...... 5 8. New Treatments for an Old Weed: Herbicide and HMO to Control Cape Ivy ...... 5 9. Habitat Restoration and Control of Bullfrogs within Tennessee Valley, Marin Co., CA . 6

THEME: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ...... 6 10. A Landscape of Relationships: Building Local Youth Partnerships – Part 1* ...... 6 11. A Landscape of Relationships: Building Local Youth Partnerships – Part 2* ...... 6 12. Educating Local Youth to Become the Next Generation of National Park Stewards: A Project WISE Case Study ...... 7 13. The Richmond Green Screen, Straight Talk on Prison and the National Park Service (NPS) ...... 7 14. Engaging Partnerships to Reduce Wildlife Health Impacts...... 8 15. Advertising Space: Endangered Species Buswraps in San Francisco ...... 8 16. Stories, Metrics, Money, and Recovery: Promoting Species Recovery through Conservation Competitions ...... 9 17. Bridging the Divide: Building Alignment between Park and Community Values ...... 9

THEME: WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ...... 10 18. Small Mammal Movements Across a Natural Edge ...... 10 19. Migratory Connectivity of Songbirds in Point Reyes National Seashore ...... 10 20. A Study of Bee Diversity at Selected Sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, California 10 21. Tricking the Winds: Six Years of Spring Raptor Migration Counts in the Marin Headlands ...... 11 22. Citizen Science Informs Park Management: Harbor Seal Monitoring in Marin County 12 23. Small Mammals in the Presidio of San Francisco: Engaging Youth in an Inventory Project ...... 12 24. Wildlife Restoration of Mountain Lake, San Francisco ...... 13 25. Hawks Phone Home: At the Nexus of Technology and Biology ...... 13 26. Tools and Techniques: Adaptive Management of the California Condor ...... 14

THEME: CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ...... 14 27. Applied Science for Conserving California’s Bay Area Ecosystems in the Face of Climate Change: The Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3) . 14 28. Observed Trends in Climate Space in Bay Area parks: Implications for Landscape Resilience ...... 14

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29. Hydrologic Balance in the Marin Coast Range Under Present and Future Climates .. 15 30. Giacomini Wetlands: Observations of Landscape Response to Restoration and Climate Change...... 15

THEME: THE INTERSECTION OF CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ...... 16 31. Diseases Affecting Native and Managed Landscapes in San Francisco Bay Area National Parks ...... 16 32. An Update on the Study of Indigenous Landscape Management Practices ...... 16 33. Working Together to Improve Water Quality in a Working Landscape ...... 17 34. Coastal Defense and Defensible Space: Managing Vegetation at Historic Sites for Fire and Resource Protection ...... 17 POSTERS AND EXHIBITS: ...... 18 1. Endangered Species of the San Francisco Bay Area: A Travelling Exhibit and Educational Kit ...... 18 2. Hawk Hill Tree Removal and Mission Blue Butterfly Habitat Restoration: A Community Engagement Case Study ...... 18 3. Snapshots and Specimens: A Volunteer Botanical Bioblitz on Mt. Tamalpais ...... 19 4. A Quarter-Century of Golden Eagle Fall Migration Counts in the Marin Headlands, California ...... 19 5. Fall Migration of Radio-tagged Broad-winged Hawks in California ...... 20 6. Setting Regional Strategies for Invasive Plant Management Using CalWeedMapper 20 7. Table/Demonstration – Condor Tracking and Tagging Equipment ...... 20

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Presentations Theme: Ecological Restoration

1. Monarch Overwintering Habitat Stewardship Informed by Hemispherical Photography Lech Naumovich and Stuart Weiss, Creekside Center for Earth Observation, [email protected]

Rob Hill is a historic monarch site in the Presidio of San Francisco that was known to provide habitat for hundreds of overwintering butterflies in the 1990s. No significant clusters have been observed in the past two decades, although individual butterflies have been seen onsite. The purpose of this project is to examine current site conditions and suitability for monarch butterflies, and make management recommendations. All larger trees were mapped with a total station and hemispheric photography was used to determine open sky, wind exposure and relative insolation during the winter months. Analysis indicated that a subset of the trees directly north of the parking lot is a high priority site for stewardship. This area receives high winter insolation and has the potential to be protected from wind in all directions. We recommend forest thinning, clearing of understory and introduction of winter nectar sources to create a more desirable monarch overwintering site.

2. Lichen Inventory Data: How Useful Is It? Shelly Benson, President, California Lichen Society, [email protected]

A recent lichen inventory of the Presidio of San Francisco added 78 species to the park’s list of lichens, bringing the total to 138 species. Four species were first-time reports for California and reports for two other species resulted in range extensions of 100+ miles. Other San Francisco Bay Area network parks that have had lichen inventories include Point Reyes and Pinnacles. Inventories are a critical first step in understanding the diversity of the resource and refining species’ ranges. However, inventories alone do not allow land managers to effectively use lichens as biological indicators. Lichens are one of the most sensitive biological indicators of air quality, specifically nitrogen deposition, and climate change. The most effective way to use lichens as indicators is by measuring lichen community composition (species diversity and abundance). The next step for land managers wishing to detect ecosystem impacts is to collect baseline lichen community composition data. A Forest Service program, called the Forest Inventory Analysis Lichen Indicator, has established data collection protocols and analysis procedures for assessing lichen community composition. Regionally-specific gradient models are used to generate air quality and climate ratings. Ratings from across the region can be compared and plots can be re- visited for the purpose of long-term monitoring. The longer land managers wait to collect this baseline data, the less chance they have to document the lichen community composition of ecosystems unaffected by pollution and climate change.

3. Using Phytolith Analysis to Reconstruct Prehistoric Plant Communities for Restoration and Management at Pinnacles National Park Rand R. Evett, Researcher, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, [email protected]

Phytoliths are microscopic particles of silica formed in plants. Many plant taxa in California, particularly grasses, produce abundant and distinctive phytolith morphotypes. Because phytoliths are highly resistant to weathering, they persist in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years following plant decay; the soil phytolith assemblage reflects the long-term vegetation history of a site. Even though many Californian landscapes, including grasslands, have been dramatically altered during the 250 years since European settlement, pre-settlement vegetation can often be estimated by examining the soil phytolith assemblage. Phytolith analysis has been especially

3 useful in California to discern the extent and plant composition of prehistoric grasslands at both large and small scales. A statewide soil phytolith study of the 10% of the state currently dominated by exotic annual grasses found that, contrary to a long-standing paradigm, native annual forbs, not native perennial grasses, were prehistorically dominant in the Central Valley, although many coastal sites probably had considerable grass cover. On a smaller scale, phytolith analysis has recently been applied to grassland patches at Pinnacles National Park to determine the extent and species composition of prehistoric native grass-dominated vegetation to guide restoration efforts. Several phytolith-rich sedimentary wetland sites have also been located; these may aid management by shedding light on prehistoric ecosystem processes and dynamics, including fire regime information, through time. Phytolith analysis is a rapid, economical technique that helps land managers establish realistic restoration and management goals by providing baseline knowledge of a site’s long-term vegetation community.

4. Towering Exotic Pines and Dwarfed Native Oaks: A Synthesis of Two Ecological Studies from the Marin Headlands Robert Steers, Vegetation Ecologist, National Park Service Inventory& Monitoring Program, [email protected] Also: Caleb Caswell-Levy, Heather Spaulding, Eric Wrubel, Alison Forrestel, Susan Fritzke, Jen Rogers, James Cartan, and Kaitlyn Hacker, National Park Service

The Marin Headlands does not conjure images of large forests or woodlands. Instead, tree-less vegetation types like coastal scrub and grasslands dominate the landscape. Recently, two research studies focusing on trees have been conducted in the Headlands to understand the ecology of this landscape. The first study examined the impacts of invasive Monterey pines on coastal scrub structure and composition. Results from this study demonstrated that coastal scrub vegetation is highly altered by invading trees and becomes degraded over time with native species diversity decreasing as a function of increasing tree size. The second study focused on oak species and the environmental parameters that influence their distribution. This study found that all oaks were closely associated with chert-derived soils and that exposure to westerly-winds influenced their height. Most of the oaks sampled were dwarfed and mean height of all trees was only 1.81 m (± 0.07 m SE). The results from both studies will be used to highlight general ecological principals that govern vegetation patterning and succession in the study area. They will also be used to address management issues relating to neo-native forests and climate change.

5. Determining Landscape-scale Changes in Forest Structure and Possible Management Responses to Phytophora ramorum in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, Marin County CA. Janet Klein, Natural Resources Program Manager, Marin Municipal Water District, [email protected] Also: Andrea Williams, Marin Municipal Water District, and John Menke, Aerial Information Systems

The Marin Municipal Water District’s (MMWD) 18,500 acre Mt. Tamalpais Watershed in Marin County, CA has the dubious distinction of being one of the earliest and most extensively Phytophthora ramorum impacted zones in California. Rapid die-offs of tanoaks (Notholithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus) were first documented in 1995. With funding support from the US Forest Service, MMWD initiated an assessment of landscape-scale changes in forest structure and understory floristics relative to P. ramorum spread in the Mt Tamalpais Watershed. This assessment looked at changes in the extent and severity of diseased stands over a 5 year period as well as changes in understory vegetation. Three specific questions were addressed to inform the development of a response strategy: (1) What Sudden Oak Death (SOD)-related changes have already occurred? (2) What future SOD related impacts are likely or where is SOD likely to spread? (3) What is the status of natural regeneration in SOD-impacted stands? An additional

4 benefit from this project was the revision the of SOD-impacted portions of the 2004 vegetation map for the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed to more accurately reflect stand conditions in 2009.

Analysis of true color aerial imagery of the watershed indicates the spatial extent and severity of SOD-related tree mortality expanded between 2004 and 2009 from 8750 acres to 10,700 acres. This represents 83% of all infectable hardwood habitat on the watershed.

6. Sex, Genes and Biodiversity: Growing Plants for Restoration, Able to Withstand Climate Change and Using Practices to Reduce Our Own Environmental Footprint Betty Young, Director, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Native Plant Nurseries, [email protected]

The nurseries of the GGNRA and Presidio grow about 100,000 plants per year for habitat restoration in the parks. We have developed practices over the years to promote the conservation of local genetic ecotypes while assuring sufficient genetic diversity in plantings to withstand changes in weather conditions throughout the park. These include collection within appropriate areas in the watershed of the project from sufficient individual plants to capture the full suite of genetic diversity for each species involved. Then we take steps throughout the collection, propagation and growing cycle to prevent artificial selection for particular characteristics in any species. These careful techniques are possible to our partnerships with the NPS and Presidio Trust, our most important park users; our 5000 volunteers and interns. We grow new communities of both plants and people.

While being attentive to these ecological considerations, we employ practices to use local sustainable products, prevent disease and pest infestation by use of best cultural practices, use organic by-product fertilizers, and move towards reuse of our irrigation water. In addition, continual research into germination and growing techniques and products helps assure we are the best at conserving resources while enhancing habitat.

7. Application of Data from the Invasive Species Early Detection Program of the San Francisco Bay Area Inventory and Monitoring Program (SFAN I&M). Eric Wrubel Botanist , , National Park Service Inventory& Monitoring Program, [email protected] Also: Robert Steers, National Park Service Inventory& Monitoring Program

In 2012, the SFAN I&M invasive species early detection program completed its first five-year survey cycle of Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA), in which all roads and trails within the park were surveyed at least once. We collected over 7,300 occurrence points for 114 priority invasive plant species. The first survey cycle will be completed at Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE) in 2013. Our presentation will provide an overview of how the results from these surveys can be used for landscape-scale risk analyses, which require the following information: 1) species autoecology, 2) habitat vulnerability, 3) current and potential distribution and rate of spread, and 4) costs associated with control efforts. In addition, we will also share the results of initial landscape-scale spatial analyses that examine the relationships between multiple environmental parameters with the prevalence of invasive species populations. Thus far, our results from GOGA reveal a strong relationship between the prevalence of invasive plant populations and proximity to inhabited buildings. We will describe these results in addition to further analyses that are planned once the PORE survey cycle is complete and both park units can be combined as one landscape.

8. New Treatments for an Old Weed: Herbicide and HMO to Control Cape Ivy Lew Stringer, Restoration Ecologist, Presidio Trust, [email protected]

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Cape ivy (Delairea odorata) continues to be a significant and costly weed to control throughout California. The “Scorched Earth” method of removing all vegetation and hand grubbing Cape ivy resprouts, while often effective, is labor-intensive, expensive and requires years of follow up to ensure that dormant stem fragments do not re-infest cleared areas. In an effort to increase the efficiency of control, several treatments were tested in the Presidio. Three herbicide treatments were tested: 1) aminopyralid (Milestone TM) + modified vegetable oil surfactant (Competitor TM) + glyphosate (Aquamaster TM), 2) aminopyralid (Milestone TM) + Competitor TM and 3) glyphosate (Aquamaster TM) + Competitor TM. In addition, hydromechanical obliteration was also tested. Results of this experiment will be presented in the context of other recent research on herbicide efficacy.

9. Habitat Restoration and Control of Bullfrogs within Tennessee Valley, Marin Co., CA Darren Fong, Aquatic Ecologist, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, [email protected] Also: Maria Alvarez, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Tennessee Valley is a small coastal watershed in Marin County, California. A small population of the federally threatened California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) is present here as well as in adjoining watersheds. Inventory work identified stockponds in the watershed that contain non- native fish and bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). A tiered action plan was initiated to control bullfrogs. Manual control efforts were undertaken from 1997 to 1999 to prevent the spread of bullfrogs to outlying areas with native aquatic species. Control actions such as pond draining, trapping, and gigging did not eliminate bullfrogs and small fish. In 2003, the Park roads and trails staff removed the primary stockpond supporting bullfrogs. The site was re-graded to restore natural channel conditions and coastal scrub community. Subsequent monitoring indicate that bullfrogs are absent from this watershed and adjacent localities.

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Theme: Public Engagement

10. A Landscape of Relationships: Building Local Youth Partnerships – Part 1* Fernando Villalba, Natural Resources Specialist, East Bay National Parks, [email protected]

11. A Landscape of Relationships: Building Local Youth Partnerships – Part 2* Carol Adams, Principal, Vicente Martinez High School, [email protected]

Place-based education is a philosophy of learning through action, as well as a means to engage communities. Utilizing the local social, cultural and physical landscape as the main teaching resource, the basis for place-based education is to provide students with a multidisciplinary learning experience through hands-on projects. In turn, students are employed as actively engaged citizens who assist with real-life challenges in their own neighborhoods. Meanwhile, students learn about and take pride in the natural and cultural heritage of their community.

Naturally, local partnerships are vital to building a network of educators, community leaders and professionals who all work toward creating an effective learning environment. This is the purpose behind the partnership between John Muir National Historic Site and New Leaf Collaborative, an alternative learning program within the Martinez Unified School District. The goal of this relationship is to create hands-on learning programs for and with students, provide professional 6 development opportunities, and establish a reproducible and sustainable youth partnership model. Projects include the creation of a Park-as-Classrooms program, 2 internship programs, various environmental education lessons (including climate change), annual Careers Day events and outdoor appreciation field trips, among others.

With representatives from the NPS, MUSD and the youth involved, we propose to discuss the building of our partnership, the benefit to local youth, and the future of our programs. Additionally, we will provide lessons learned and best practices for how other NPS sites may develop similar partnerships and discuss challenges that need to be considered.

*Note: This topic is broken into 2 parts: 10 minutes will be used to discuss the partnership: 5 minutes from each the NPS and MUSD perspectives; another 5 minutes will be used to talk about lessons learned/best practices; and the remaining 5 minutes will be used for questions and answers and additional material.

12. Educating Local Youth to Become the Next Generation of National Park Stewards: A Project WISE Case Study Francis Taroc, Environmental Science Specialist, Center, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, [email protected]

Increasingly, programs in National Parks aim to help youth develop skills needed to become environmental stewards and engaged citizens. Project WISE (Watersheds Inspiring Student Education), is one such program, and has helped San Francisco youth gain the experience needed to become the next generation of park stewards.

Now in its 12th year, Project WISE is a partnership between the San Francisco Unified School District and the Crissy Field Center. This year-long environmental science program, consisting of weekly visits to the Crissy Field Center and Presidio, engages youth outside the classroom and in their National Parks. Participants in Project WISE historically have had little prior experience in National Parks.

Adhering to a rigorous AP Environmental Science curriculum, Project WISE engages students through lab experiments, field investigations, media production, and student-driven research. Through this curriculum, students not only gain knowledge of scientific concepts, but also develop skills such as critical thinking, media production and collaboration, all needed for success in a competitive global economy.

The resources of the Presidio and research based in the Presidio also have benefitted from the program, as participants have contributed thousands of hours to restoration projects and several years’ worth of data to citizen science programs. Through their participation in park experiences, Project WISE students learn the value of protecting and understanding their environment. Alumni have become staff with both the Crissy Field Center and National Park Service, demonstrating the potential for programs such as Project WISE to become powerful tools for personal development and park stewardship.

13. The Richmond Green Screen, Straight Talk on Prison and the National Park Service (NPS) Matthew Holmes, Education Technician, East Bay National Parks, [email protected]

HtR! wishes to present our Tree-Party Program documentary film. Our presentation will detail the skill building, community revitalization work spearheaded by community partner Groundwork Richmond and conducted by Hometown/Richmond youth. To help improve Richmond’s depleted tree canopy, Hometown/Richmond! youth are:

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Conducting community outreach canvassing to encourage resident support for replenishing Richmond’s tree canopy, coordinating the planting of all trees, providing guidance and follow up visits as part of an “after care” regimen to ensure the success of Richmond’s newest trees, and documenting the entire process with the support of the Richmond Green Screen who will generate a documentary film about the project.

We feel that this project is a good fit for your “Beyond Boundaries: theme because it: Transmits the community benefits of trees to lay people in traditionally underserved communities, redresses several decades of neglecting our Urban Forests restores Green Corridors for Urban Wildlife; it engages the public regarding climate change, highlights the role of nature (or absence of) in communities of color provides a hands-on opportunity for young people to participate in positive community revitalization efforts, increases public knowledge of public service career paths through intersection with the Park service and City Service Departments, and helps our Park reach previously underserved communities of color.

Call To Action Items Addressed: #2, #7, #13 & #36

14. Engaging Partnerships to Reduce Wildlife Health Impacts Scott Scherbinski, Wildlife Health Outreach Coordinator, Pinnacles National Park, [email protected]

Current California condor recovery efforts hinge on mitigating the impacts of lead (Pb) poisoning. As condors are released into the wild, they continue to expand their range and have increasingly begun to breed and forage in areas outside the boundaries of federal lands. While the ultimate goal of reintroduction efforts is for condors to range across a wide landscape, this presents a unique set of challenges. Ranching and hunting communities directly support habitat for a diversity of wildlife such as condors and are essential to maintaining open working landscapes. Yet for decades Pb has been the predominate component of ammunition used by ranchers and hunters as well as wildlife managers. It is now known that the leading cause of mortality in free- ranging condors is the inadvertent ingestion of spent Pb ammunition. Pinnacles National Park has led the way for outreach efforts in California by partnering with a wide variety of organizations and local landowners to provide information and expertise on the voluntary use of non-lead ammunition. These partnerships have contributed to nationwide and worldwide efforts to reduce the impacts of Pb on wildlife health.

15. Advertising Space: Endangered Species Buswraps in San Francisco Todd Gilens, Artist, [email protected]

What happens when giant photographs of locally endangered species go scooting around town on the outside of Muni buses? How do citizens respond to such unexpected appearances in their everyday lives? This illustrated talk by Todd Gilens, the creator of the endangered species buswraps that circulated throughout San Francisco in 2011-12, will focus on responses from the public. Drawing on comments and anecdotes from architects, mechanics, activists, high- schoolers, Park employees and others, Todd will discuss the project’s reception by a very diverse audience. The buswrap project’s concepts, process and goals will be outlined, and implications for Park outreach efforts will be noted.

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The "Endangered Species" project was four full bus wraps on SFMTA Muni buses, each a single photograph of a different locally endangered animal. The project also created a website and ran a photo contest during the fifteen months of its run. Fundraising, advocacy, research and wrapping the buses required the coordination of several very different institutions. As an artwork that used everyday systems as part of its material, "Endangered Species" was an invitation to connect things you don't see together and to think in new ways about processes and institutions.

16. Stories, Metrics, Money, and Recovery: Promoting Species Recovery through Conservation Competitions Brent Plater, Executive Director, Wild Equity Institute, [email protected]

The Golden Gate National Parks Endangered Species Big Year is a race against time to see and help save each of the Park's endangered species. The project seeks to raise awareness of endangered species in the Bay Area, and build constituencies for activities and restrictions that are necessary to restore habitat and recover species—seemingly unassailable activities that can be controversial in the Bay Area.

By incorporating astounding statistics, concrete metrics, and valuable incentives, the Big Year provided an opportunity to reach critical constituencies with messages that support national park values before concrete disputes arise—that is, before positions become cemented and minds become closed.

The program has now completed three yearlong competitions. Each year provided unique challenges and opportunities to inform the public about the biodiversity protected in the Park, while encouraging them to partake in activities that help these species recover.

In some ways the Big Year concept proved wildly successful (e.g., generating positive media stories), proved moderately successful in other ways (e.g., increasing participation in conservation actions), and in still others the program faced challenges.

In this presentation, Brent Plater, creator of the project and Executive Director of the Wild Equity Institute, will describe the Big Year’s theoretical foundation; its successes; the lessons learned from the program’s challenges; and opportunities to improve and replicate the program through future innovation and collaboration.

17. Bridging the Divide: Building Alignment between Park and Community Values Sue Gardner, Director, Park Stewardship, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, [email protected]

At the conclusion of the 2012 Science Symposium, Superintendent Frank Dean noted that “while the public values the park, it does not share park values.” His sentiment resonated with many in the audience who also perceive a growing disconnect between the values of the Service and its partners and the publics that we serve. This presentation will explore the notion of distinct public and park values, with an effort to understand where the gaps between the two value systems lie. It will also delve into what can be done to bridge the disparity between the two. Specific examples from Golden Gate, and natural resources in particular, will be used in the discussion.

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Theme: Wildlife Management

18. Small Mammal Movements Across a Natural Edge Madeline Burchard, Master’s Candidate, San Jose State University, [email protected] Also: Stephanie Tyrwhitt, San Jose State University

Informed management of lands that small mammals inhabit depends on having complete information about their habitat preferences and movement patterns. Previous studies that have looked at small mammal movements have focused either on just one habitat or on the boundaries (edges) between severely altered and natural habitats. National Parks manage lands in which small mammal populations reside and span several natural habitats. To study how small mammals disperse between optimal and suboptimal edge habitats, we have been conducting monthly trapping (5300 trap-nights) with Sherman Live long traps in McCabe Canyon at Pinnacles National Park. The optimal Deergrass habitat is currently being restored to historical indigenous management practices. Trap lines have been set monthly in the an optimal Deergrass habitat and span across the surrounding edge habitats consisting of sub-optimal Chaparral, Annual Grassland, and Oak Woodland. As of August 2012, Dipodomys and other small mammals have been ear-tagged. Nightly capture rates of 15-40% and less than 10% as new captures, indicates that we near a complete census of the Dipodomys population. Preliminary results have shown that Dipodomys individuals frequently cross natural edges of optimal into suboptimal edge habitat with some interesting age class dynamics between the optimal and edge habitats within the Dipodomys group. Data collection is ongoing, but preliminary results indicate that findings from this study will be valuable to those managing habitats used by small mammals, especially Dipodomys spp.

19. Migratory Connectivity of Songbirds in Point Reyes National Seashore Diana Humple, Avian Ecologist & Banding Coordinator, PRBO Conservation Science, [email protected] Also: Nat Seavy, Renée Cormier and Thomas Gardali, PRBO Conservation Science

For most migratory songbirds we still know very little about their “migratory connectivity,” the movements of birds between their breeding and wintering areas. This information is essential to understanding their ecology and demographics, and is particularly important given the current rate of environmental change resulting from habitat loss and degradation and climate change. As part of our work at PRBO’s Palomarin Field Station, we are using recently developed light-level geolocator tags to determine the migratory connectivity of two songbird species in Point Reyes National Seashore and nearby sites. Geolocator tags collect daylight data and, after a bird has completed its migration and the tag is recovered, these data allow us to estimate latitude and longitude of where they went. Locally-wintering Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) were tracked north from Point Reyes National Seashore to their breeding grounds, while breeding Swainson‘s Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) were tracked south to their wintering grounds. Golden-crowned Sparrows migrated to the coast of the Gulf of Alaska; locations spanned approximately 1200 kilometers, and no individuals bred in the same location. Swainson‘s Thrushes all migrated to one of two regions in the northern part of their wintering range in Mexico, with two individuals shifting their winter region mid-season. These data are allowing us to understand how migratory birds connect Point Reyes National Seashore to areas – including national parks and refuges – in Alaska and Mexico. Such information is entirely novel for these local populations. We are currently extending this study to track additional wintering Golden-crowned Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes.

20. A Study of Bee Diversity at Selected Sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, California Carlos Arellano1, Mietek Kolipinski1, 2 [email protected]

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Also: Fernando Villalba2, James Cunningham1, Benjamin C. Colteaux1,3, Ann Rodman4, Circe McDonald1, Cristina Martinez1, Jessica Albarran1, Anthony Mendoza1 and Sibdas Ghosh1 1Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, 2National Park Service, Pacific West Regional Office, 3Virginia Commonwealth University, 4National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park

Studies of occurrences and diversity of bee species in California are sparse. Recognizing the ecological significance of these pollinators, Dominican University of California (DU of C) has been collaborating with the National Park Service (NPS) since 2008 to investigate bee occurrences and distribution and to conduct inventories at selected sites in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a work in progress, largely carried out by faculty and student volunteers and guidance from NPS scientists. One study is currently underway in oak/woodland communities of Mount Wanda within John Muir National Historic Site (JOMU) in Martinez, California. Using standard protocols we have collected bees, and plants they were attempting to pollinate, using standard protocols. Collected bees were pinned and mounted in trays and are ready for identification by bee taxonomists. Also, professionals will identify the collected plant specimens. In addition to surveying bee populations, we are seeking further knowledge about the roles native and non- native bees play in pollination and conservation of native plants as well as in potential spread of invasive plants.

Results will be compared with those from a 2002 survey at Mount Wanda by other investigators, which resulted in identification of 70 bee taxa representing 26 genera; many of these have been identified to the species level. Also, we completed field work in 2009 on another project and prepared a paper (in press), which involved a survey of pollinator and plant interactions in meadow and grassland habitats of Marin County, California, which included sites in Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA) and Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE).

Additionally, our team is beginning to synthesize available scientific information reported by others about bees in JOMU, the Presidio (PRES) within GOGA, Point Reyes National Seashore, and surrounding localities. For example, we have conducted a thorough search of the Zoological Record for each bee species that has been found so far in the above mentioned parks. This publication dating back to 1864 is “the world's oldest continuing database of animal biology” and “the world's leading taxonomic reference.” A 2005 study by others in PRES reported a diversity of 56 bee taxa with most of these identified to species. About 26 taxa, mostly identified to species, were reported from PORE. We anticipate that our database accumulation and evaluation will lead to a basic understanding of bee diversity and life history information in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Through partnership studies we can help to determine and to address issues related to protecting natural ecological processes and restoration of habitats in which pollinators play a significant role. Such information and recommendations can be useful to NPS managers and other scientists.

21. Tricking the Winds: Six Years of Spring Raptor Migration Counts in the Marin Headlands Allen M Fish, Director, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, [email protected] Also: Tim Behr, Steve Bauer, Herb Brandt, Genevieve Rozhon and Chris Briggs, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

Since 1983, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory has monitored the Pacific Coast’s largest bird of prey migration over the Marin Headlands each autumn, using daily hawk counts and banding. In March 2005, while monitoring nesting Peregrine Falcons, S. Bauer was the first to note a spring migration of hawks through the Marin Headlands. From 2006-2010, our spring hawk- counts averaged nearly 4000 raptor-sightings per season (19.3 raptors per hour). Autumn counts for the same period averaged nearly 27,000 sightings (54.2 rph). Although the species

11 compositions for the two seasons were identical, the spring flight had nearly twice the proportion of Turkey Vultures (53.3%) as the autumn. Other common spring species were Red-tailed (23.7%), Sharp-shinned (6.3%), and Cooper’s Hawk (4.0%). For each of these three species, juveniles flew ahead of their adult counterparts by three to four weeks on average in the autumn, whereas in the spring, adults preceded juveniles by a similar time period. This differential migration pattern supports the hypothesis that in the autumn, adult hawks can maintain a livelihood near the nest site for a longer period, while juveniles – lacking in hunting skills and body mass – must head south promptly. The springtime pattern of adults flying first may be explained by adults needing to return to the breeding grounds quickly to occupy territories and secure mates.

22. Citizen Science Informs Park Management: Harbor Seal Monitoring in Marin County Sarah Codde, National Park Service, Inventory & Monitoring Program, [email protected] Also: Sarah Allen, National Park Service, Pacific West Region

Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi) have been monitored at Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE) since the mid-1970s. In 1995, PORE staff created the Harbor Seal Monitoring Program, which included volunteer participation. This program evolved into the NPS I&M pinniped monitoring program and now includes approximately 40 volunteers conducting surveys each year at seven sites throughout Point Reyes and the Marin Headlands. PORE, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA), Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, California State Parks, and county parks share jurisdiction over segments of this coastline. The objectives of this long-term monitoring study are to i) detect changes in population size, ii) detect changes in reproductive success, and iii) identify anthropogenic or environmental factors that may affect the condition of the population. Consistent monitoring has allowed PORE and GOGA management to make informed decisions related to harbor seal and human interactions. Harbor seals abandoned Hog Island in Tomales Bay likely due to human disturbances in the 1990s, but started to use the site again after PORE limited access to the island. Similarly, harbor seals at Point Bonita were disturbed at a high rate until GOGA closed access to the beach in 2007. Subsequently, the rate of disturbance declined to an average of 0.18 disturbances/hr during 2007 - 2012 from an average of 1.16 disturbances/hr during 2000 - 2006. Informing agencies that have jurisdiction over the harbor seals’ habitat enables them to adaptively manage and to prepare for potential effects of climate change, such as sea level rise.

23. Small Mammals in the Presidio of San Francisco: Engaging Youth in an Inventory Project Moe Flannery Maureen Flannery, Ornithology and Mammalogy Collection Manager, California Academy of Sciences, [email protected] Also: Elizabeth Carlen, California Academy of Sciences

For the past fifteen years active restoration has occurred in the Presidio of San Francisco. To better understand the impacts of restoration on the small mammal communities, the California Academy of Sciences’ Ornithology and Mammalogy staff along with the Careers in Science (CiS) Interns completed an inventory of small mammals. This project provided a unique opportunity to assess changes in species diversity and abundance while training high school interns in field inventory techniques. CiS interns participated in all aspects of the inventory project, including writing the original project proposal, trapping in the field, entering data, and preparing specimens.

With support from the Presidio Trust, live-trapping was conducted at 18 locations during three seasons (Winter 2010, Spring 2011, and Summer 2011) for a total of 4,875 trap-hours. We recorded a total of 536 captures, representing 465 unique individuals of nine species - six native and three introduced. We recorded the same species as previously documented in other studies

12 but in greater numbers and with wider distributions. During trapping at El Polin Spring, we documented ear-mite (Otodectes sp.) infestations in 59% of the California Voles (Microtus californicus) captured. There were no other species caught at El Polin Spring parasitized by ear mites nor did California Voles captured at any other sites show evidence of infestations. These are two important factors, when considering relocation of vole populations during restoration. Further study is necessary to understand the extent and cause of ear-mite infestation at El Polin Spring.

We gathered additional species diversity and distribution data through interviews, track collection, and reported sightings.

24. Wildlife Restoration of Mountain Lake, San Francisco Jonathan Young, Intern, Presidio Trust and Graduate Student, San Francisco State University, [email protected]

Mountain Lake, located in the south central Presidio of San Francisco, is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s only natural lake. The lake is highly degraded with important limnological and ecological functions having been altered drastically through external nutrient loading, size reduction, and the introduction of non-native animals. The various effects of urbanization have driven many native animals once common to the lake to extirpation. Historic records and voucher specimens from the lake show that it once supported a diverse community of vertebrates and invertebrate species including California Red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii), Western Pond Turtles (Emys marmorata), California Floater Mussels (Anodonta californiensis), and threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to name a few. Restoration of the lake has begun and long term wildlife reintroduction plans are being developed. Several of the proposed species for reintroduction are considered rare, vulnerable, or under threat of extinction within their ranges. Various organizations and institutions, including the California Academy of Sciences, Sonoma state University, Stanford, and the San Francisco Zoological Society, have expressed interest and willingness to participate in these reintroductions in a multitude of ways. This is a unique and exciting project located in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with many endemic and locally rare species. The project has the potential to set new precedents for urban ecology and conservation in the 21st century.

25. Hawks Phone Home: At the Nexus of Technology and Biology Chris W. Briggs, Banding Program Manager, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, [email protected] Also: Allen M. Fish, Jill A. Harley, Angus C. “Buzz” Hull, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

In 2012 the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory began a new phase of research to better understand raptor migration through the Marin Headlands. Specifically, we deployed 5 Cellular Transmitter Terminals (CTTs), a new type of unit used to track animal movements. The CTTs get very precise location data from a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) unit, much like your car GPS, and transmit those coordinates via cell phone networks to us. Effectively, the bird calls home to tell us where it is. In August through October 2012 we deployed CTTs on four juvenile Red-tailed Hawks and one a juvenile Peregrine Falcon trapped in the Marin Headlands. Resulting data showed no indication of a traditional north-to-south migration; individuals moved around the Bay Area. CTT technology has the ability to provide insight into questions of migration ecology such as roost location, flight altitude, speed, and movement corridors in urban zones. In addition, online mapping of individual birds is a powerful tool to demonstrate to the public (1) the biological research that is being done in the Parks and (2) how the parks are connected to the larger Pacific region.

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26. Tools and Techniques: Adaptive Management of the California Condor Alacia Welch, Condor Program Crew Leader, Pinnacles National Park, [email protected]

The evolving efforts of managing the California condor population is used as a model for other endangered species recovery programs. From the inception of recovery efforts, beginning in the early 1980s, tools and techniques for captive breeding, releasing captive-bred birds, and monitoring birds in the wild have benefited from flexible and adaptive management practices. As the free-ranging populations of condors gain in numbers, mature in age, and expand their ranges, the need to continue to innovate tools and techniques remains. Pinnacles National Park has collaborated with recovery program partners to develop new techniques to meet management challenges and continues to craft practices that increase staff safety and efficiency while also minimizing direct handling of condors.

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Theme: Climate Change and Resource Management

27. Applied Science for Conserving California’s Bay Area Ecosystems in the Face of Climate Change: The Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3) Lisa Micheli, Executive Director, Pepperwood Foundation and TBC3 Co-Chair on behalf of the Bay Area’s Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3), [email protected]

The Bay Area’s Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3) is effectively narrowing the gap between cutting edge climate research and applied conservation with a focus on increasing the resilience of the Bay Area’s Conservation Lands Network in the face of climate change. We are a collective of 35+ researchers interested in understanding the best ways to steward the Bay Area’s endemic species in the face of a rapidly growing human population, increasingly fragmented landscape, and accelerating climate change. Threatened habitats and species may disappear from reserves, including the Bay Area’s National Parks, which were created for their protection and, conversely protected areas set aside today may serve as critical refuges or stepping stones for species migrating across fragmented landscapes in the future.

Our presentation will outline studies we have underway in the following areas.

Defining the best available climate and hydrology projections for ecological application within the geographic extent of 10-Bay Area counties. Improving our understanding of how topo- and micro-climate influence drivers of vegetation succession and resulting habitat structure Improving our understanding of the spatial distribution biodiversity relative to Bay Area isoclimates Understanding the impact of climate space, scale and connectivity on the value of conservation lands in the face of climate change.

Our research supports National Park Service management goals by advancing fundamental knowledge regarding integration of empirical and modeling approaches to assess ecosystem vulnerability and develop climate-adaptive management strategies for conservation lands.

28. Observed Trends in Climate Space in Bay Area parks: Implications for Landscape Resilience Healy Hamilton, Senior Research Fellow, Marine Conservation Institute, [email protected] 14

Also: Miguel Fernandez, University of California, Merced,

Applied research that provides decision support is required to assist resource managers with the complex challenges of natural and cultural resource managers in the face of much uncertainty. The assessment of current and future trends in climate change is particularly difficult given the complex technical nature of spatial climate analyses. Here we describe a metric for assessing the rate, magnitude, spatial and temporal nature of observed changes in climate across all Bay Area counties, using interpolated weather station observations from 1900-2010. Using a measure of historical climatic variability, we identify which months and which climate variables are currently experiencing the most dramatic shifts from baseline climate of the 20th century. These results are mapped spatially to identify which Bay Area NPS units are experiencing the most dramatic changes in climate today, and which park units are proving resilient to the most salient climatic trends. Such analyses provide one practical measure for identifying climate ‘refugia’ and climate ‘hotspots’. This information can also improve understanding of management options for climate sensitive species and vegetation assemblages. Current climate trends can be compared to projections from the wide range of available downscaled global circulation models to identify which models are best capturing the changes in climate already being observed. At the landscape scale, climate space trend analysis contributes to the design of protected area networks that provide long term ecological resiliency to the complex forces of change affecting our natural and cultural heritage.

29. Hydrologic Balance in the Marin Coast Range Under Present and Future Climates Stuart B. Weiss, Founder and Chief Scientist, Creekside Center for Earth Observation and Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3), [email protected]

The Marin Coast Range consists of watersheds that differ in climate, soils, bedrock permeability, and human use (including GGNRA, Pt. Reyes, and other conserved lands), and provides water for humans, imperiled coho and steelhead, and vegetation. How will hydrology of this area be altered by climate change? What does it take to “break the system” (i.e. inability to meet water needs of people, fish, and vegetation)? Numerous climate futures are now available from downscaled global climate models, but monthly precipitation and temperatures need to be translated into hydrologically and ecologically meaningful outputs. The Basin Characterization Model (BCM) generates time series of annual runoff, deep recharge, and climatic water deficit (CWD) at the scale of small planning watersheds. A basic water balance diagram exhibits monthly hydrology for multi-year averages and individual years. Frequency and intensity of multi- year droughts in historical and projected climate time-series are compared with historical droughts (1976-77, 1987-1992, and 2007-2009) that provide analogs within recent experience. Bedrock permeability affects runoff to recharge ratios, and soils produce fine-scale variability in soil storage and CWD. Under warmer-drier climate futures, risks of multi-year droughts increase substantially, with diminished runoff and recharge and greatly increased CWD. Rising temperatures and potential evapotranspiration drive higher CWD even under wetter futures, leading to greater vegetative water stress and increased likelihood of mortality, fire, and type- conversion. An exceedance probability framework, similar to flood frequency analysis, provides evolving probabilities of extremes along multiple future climate trajectories.

30. Giacomini Wetlands: Observations of Landscape Response to Restoration and Climate Change Rachel Kamman, Principal Hydrologist, Kamman Hydrology & Engineering, Inc., [email protected] Also: Lorraine Parsons, and Amelia Ryan, Point Reyes National Seashore

The Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE) undertook landscape scale restoration at the head of Tomales Bay, in western Marin County. The Giacomini wetland restoration project re-

15 establishes tidal exchange and floodplain connectivity in lower Lagunitas Creek, across 340 acres and over a linear mile of the southern Tomales Bay estuarine delta transition zone. The site design included tidal, seasonal and upland restoration components, as well as a fisheries enhancement and flood relief for adjacent at risk parcels. Baseline physical and biological monitoring in support of restoration design and adaptive management has been underway since 2002. With construction completed in 2008, PORE efforts are now devoted to observations of site evolution toward geomorphic and ecological equilibrium. Designed to maximize ecological values in the context of sea level rise, and with scientific baseline established, the site is now poised to serve as reference site for sea level rise adaption, where physical and biological response to both daily and episodic forcings are free to play out across the unobstructed landscape. Our paper will present observations of recent physical and biological changes, discuss the methods designed to monitor landscape and biological response, and their applicability for other sites.

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Theme: The Intersection of Cultural and Natural Resources Management

31. Diseases Affecting Native and Managed Landscapes in San Francisco Bay Area National Parks Tom Gordon, Department Chair, Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, [email protected]

In native plant communities, co‐occurring plant‐parasitic microorganisms are common but rarely cause severe disease. However, when plants are grown outside their native range, microbes that ordinarily cause little damage may become more aggressive. In addition, even within a species’ native range, plants may be quite susceptible to exotic microbes to which they have not previously been exposed. Such problems are seen in two native species of limited distribution in California: Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) and Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa). Monterey pine can be severely damaged by a disease known as pitch canker, which is caused by the fungus, Fusarium circinatum. The pitch canker fungus was introduced into California from the southeastern U.S. and is now well established in coastal California. The impact of pitch canker in planted Monterey pines can be minimized by selecting for trees that are resistant to the disease. Resistance is not absolute but can render trees less prone to severe damage. Even trees that are inherently susceptible to pitch canker can benefit from a phenomenon known as induced resistance. Induced resistance occurs when one or more infections by the pitch canker pathogen render a tree more resistant to subsequent infection attempts. The natural occurrence of induced resistance has slowed the development of pitch canker in both native and managed stands of Monterey pine. The induction of resistance by artificial means may help to manage diseases affecting planted stands of both Monterey pine and Monterey cypress.

32. An Update on the Study of Indigenous Landscape Management Practices Kent G. Lightfoot, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, [email protected]

Anthropologists have long argued that Native peoples strategically employed various kinds of landscape management practices, particularly anthropogenic burning, to enhance the abundance, diversity, and availability of economically valued plants and animals in various regions of California. My purpose is to discuss the development of collaborative, interdisciplinary eco-archaeological programs involving tribal groups and state and federal resource managers, which are providing a fresh approach for the study of past management practices, as well as new tools to incorporate into current land management activities. This latter point will be highlighted in an on-going case study being conducted at Año Nuevo State Park and Pinnacles National Park.

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33. Working Together to Improve Water Quality in a Working Landscape Devii Rao, Rangeland Management Specialist, Point Reyes National Seashore, [email protected] Also: Dylan Voeller, National Park Service

Point Reyes National Seashore’s land area is approximately 54,200 acres; the park also manages approximately 15,000 acres of Golden Gate National Recreation Area lands. Roughly 28,000 (or 40%) of those acres are under active livestock grazing lease-permits, with 24 separate ranching operations. The park is working with the ranch operators, State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), County of Marin, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Marin Resource Conservation District (RCD) to address the Tomales Bay Pathogen Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). These groups are working together to design, fund and implement water quality improvement projects throughout the watershed. Projects include fencing riparian and wetland areas, installing controlled livestock crossings, developing water sources, and installing water troughs. Not only do these projects aim to improve water quality, but also some of them will enhance the livestock operation by improving cattle distribution throughout the landscape.

34. Coastal Defense and Defensible Space: Managing Vegetation at Historic Sites for Fire and Resource Protection Jennifer Chapman, Fire Communication and Education Specialist, San Francisco Bay Area National Parks, [email protected] Also: Kristin Baron and Amanda Wiliford, National Park Service

The vegetation at and is a compelling resource management subject that rivals the buildings themselves. These sites, along with , are part of a historic district, which is nationally significant for its coastal defense history. Numerous blue gum eucalyptus, Monterey pine and Monterey cypress trees were planted at these sites in the early 1900’s for purposes of wind protection and weapons concealment. Ongoing management of these historic plantings has led to an intersection between the goals of the fire management and cultural resource management programs. For instance, removal of small diameter trees that have become established within the historic plantings reduces fuel and improves the ability to protect these structures if they become threatened by wildland fire. It also preserves a cultural landscape that reflects the active military period when these trees were managed by WPA workers and Army maintenance staff. Since the historic trees at Fort Barry and Fort Baker are non-native species which are unwanted in other areas managed for ecological restoration, it becomes all the more important to communicate clearly about why the NPS leaves and maintains non-native trees in certain locations. These elements influence current and future landscaping decisions, such as those made recently at Fort Baker, to select plants that are ideally non-invasive, fire-wise, water- wise, and appropriate to the period of significance all at the same time.

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Posters and Exhibits:

1. Endangered Species of the San Francisco Bay Area: A Travelling Exhibit and Educational Kit Alex Moran1, Akikta Murti1, Mietek Kolipinski2, Steven Borish3, Sierra Grace3, and Sibdas Ghosh3 [email protected] 1Dominican University of California (student) 2National Park Service, Pacific West Regional Office (Natural Resource Programs Specialist), 3Dominican University of California (faculty)

National concern exists for loss of natural biodiversity accompanied by some population and even species extinctions. Conservation organizations, universities, Federal and State agencies as well as the public are addressing these issues. Projects that restore species and natural ecological processes are underway in many parts of the country. We are completing development of an endangered species educational kit. It focuses on public education that may assist in protecting and restoring species. As models, we selected thirteen endangered and threatened species in California with emphasis on those occurring in Units of the National Park System in the San Francisco Bay Area. These species include the California Sea otter, California condor, California red legged frog, tidewater goby, California blue mission butterfly, and two plant species. We are offering the teaching kit composed of paintings, sculptures, artwork and biological background information on these species without charge to educational institutions and organizations. The kit is composed of artwork for display in an exhibit along with fact sheets that provide background information on the featured species, an Endangered Species “Passport,” and other materials. When exhibited in schools, faculty will be encouraged to engage students in pre-exhibit activities and learning. Thus, students can proactively learn by being personally involved in the exhibit through their own contributions. We propose use of the kit by those interested in supporting stewardship of this country’s sensitive species.

2. Hawk Hill Tree Removal and Mission Blue Butterfly Habitat Restoration: A Community Engagement Case Study Caroline Christman, Ally Gregg-Zellars and Asha Virlouvet, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, [email protected]

Purpose: Our goal was to create a community engagement team and strategy to engage stakeholder groups prior to project implementation; by including community engagement early in project development, we could reduce controversy and the potential for negative public reaction to delay the project.

Methods: In March, 2009 a community engagement team was convened to plan for a non- native, invasive tree removal and native habitat restoration project to take place in December, 2011 on Hawk Hill, in the southern Marin Headlands. The team developed a strategy to work with staff, volunteers, park partners, and local organizations to communicate the goals of the project to the public and all stakeholder groups. They created presentations and outreach materials, led walks, talks and meetings, posted information online, and attended public forums to ensure that information about the project was available and that all interested parties had an opportunity to ask questions, discuss options, and give feedback on the project. All identified stakeholder groups were invited to be involved. As the project approached, signs were posted near the project site, and flyers were distributed to visitor centers and other nearby facilities, and by email to stakeholder groups and other interested parties. A phone number and email address was included, allowing anyone with questions or concerns to ask them and engage in a conversation about the project. During project implementation, Project 18

Information Coordinators (PICs) were on site to answer questions and explain trail closures. Following project completion, new signs were installed that explained the tree removal project and included contact information for anyone who had questions or concerns.

Results: During the course of project planning there was one negative article in the local newspaper; a well-known stakeholder group responded to it and defended the project. PICs recorded comments and reactions, analysis of PIC feedback shows that public reaction was generally positive or indifferent. Fewer than five negative emails and phone calls were received during the course of project implementation.

Conclusion: Initiating contact early in the planning process allowed stakeholder groups a chance to be meaningfully engaged in the project, and project managers’ time to adjust implementation techniques based on stakeholder concerns. It also ensured that stakeholder groups received accurate project information directly from project managers and were able to share this information with other interested parties, and effectively became part of the community engagement team themselves.

3. Snapshots and Specimens: A Volunteer Botanical Bioblitz on Mt. Tamalpais Andrea Williams1, Allison. Young2, Terrence Gosliner2, Janet Klein1, Suzanne Whelan1, [email protected] 1Marin Municipal Water District, 2California Academy of Sciences

Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County is a well-botanized site with a legacy of hundreds of specimens since the mid-1800s. The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) has stewarded most of the land in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed over the past 100 years. To mark its centennial anniversary this year, MMWD partnered with the California Academy of Sciences on a series of bioblitzes to document the flora of the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed using teams of citizen science volunteers and professionals. From five collection events, over 90 volunteer participants made nearly 700 observations of over 300 species, including collecting approximately 400 specimens documenting over 200 species of vascular plants. Observations made serve as a snapshot in time of the flora of the mountain, and combine centuries-old herbarium specimen collection and preparation with modern-day GPS camera and website data upload. Records from this effort can be used to compare against historic records, and as a benchmark against which future change may be measured. Methods presented avoid and reveal the bias in previous collection efforts: “new records” for the mountain skew to tiny annuals and weeds.

4. A Quarter-Century of Golden Eagle Fall Migration Counts in the Marin Headlands, California Allen M. Fish, Chris Briggs, Jill A. Harley, and Buzz C. Hull,Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, [email protected]

Population trends for Golden Eagles have recently become critical information for decision- makers needing to evaluate Eagle Take Permits at dozens of proposed wind and solar farms across the West. From 1986 through 2011, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory monitored fall raptor movements through the Marin Headlands in Marin County, California, using a rigorous and repeatable quadrant-methodology. Individual raptor-sightings were made each season and adjusted to activity per hour for inter-annual comparisons. On average, we recorded 18.0 Golden Eagles per season (SD = 8.1, min = 8, max = 39). Our data indicate no evidence of trends in Golden Eagle activity over the course of the study period. In addition, we found no evidence of significant temporal autocorrelation (i.e., periodicity) in the data. While the GGRO sees relatively few Golden Eagles, we provide one of the few long-term assessments of Golden Eagle numbers in California. In addition, the mean annual peak of Golden Eagle activity has not changed significantly over the 26-year history of the project. Mean Golden Eagle activity across all years occurs on October 17 (range October 5 – November 1).

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5. Fall Migration of Radio-tagged Broad-winged Hawks in California Phillip Capitolo, Lynn J. Jesus, William E. James, Jill A. Harley, Allen M. Fish and Angus C. Hull. Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, [email protected];

In the western United States, little is known about the occurrence and migration patterns of the Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus). In California, an annual fall migration by small numbers of Broad-winged Hawks was documented in the mid-1970s at the Marin Headlands, near San Francisco. From 1986 to 2011, counts ranged from 25 to 248 sightings per season (mean 115 ± 64 SD), but records elsewhere in the state remain sparse. To better understand the habits and flight paths of broad-winged hawks in California, we radio-tracked two juveniles, one in 1994 and another in 2012, from the Marin Headlands to the U.S.-Mexico border. Our study was the first known use of radio telemetry to examine detailed movements of migrating Broad-winged Hawks. Both birds traveled more than 800 km in four full days of migration, roosting just across the border in Baja California after the fourth day. Flight paths were primarily along slopes of mountain ranges, and were similar for both birds, suggesting possible migratory corridors for broad-winged hawks in central and southern California. Information on raptor migratory corridors in California is critical given increasing development of renewable energy facilities and their potential direct and indirect impacts on birds of prey.

6. Setting Regional Strategies for Invasive Plant Management Using CalWeedMapper Dana Morawitz, Elizabeth Brusati and Doug Johnson, California Invasive Plant Council, [email protected]

Cal-IPC is working with partners to develop consensus strategies based on CalWeedMapper, our online mapping tool. We are charting a strategic course to help regions be shovel-ready to apply for funding. Five regions are in progress, with one more coming in 2013. CalWeedMapper produces a Management Opportunity Report of surveillance, eradication and containment opportunities in a selected region based on the current distribution of those species. This report is used in conjunction with local knowledge and information on that species’ resiliency to climate change to deduce a strategy for surveillance and eradication targets in a region. In each region, Cal-IPC staff facilitates several meetings with local stakeholders to evaluate the priorities suggested through CalWeedMapper and scope top priority actions. We focus on region wide priorities for eradication and surveillance while recognizing that local priorities and containment efforts can exist separately from this. The goal is to provide each region with a list of species for surveillance and a regional work plan (with budget) for addressing top priority eradication targets. Another goal is for WMAs do outreach and training so more people will look for these early detection species. Cal-IPC has recently absorbed BAEDN and we will be including BAEDN’s work as a part of this regional planning effort. We are also working in two regions in the NW of the state, the Central Sierra, the Central Coast and the South Central coast of California.

7. Table/Demonstration – Condor Tracking and Tagging Equipment Pinnacles National Park Condor Crew

Table featuring tools used by the Condor Crew at Pinnacles National Park. Tracking gear, handling and sampling gear demonstrating techniques used to monitor condor movements and health in central California. Outreach materials and demonstrations used to help ranchers, hunters and wildlife managers adapt to a new tool, non-lead ammunition.

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