Heron December 2019
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Issue 313 A Publication of the Docent Council, Martin Griffin Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch © December 2019 Bourne Controlled Burn on the Martin Griffin Preserve by Brian Peterson On Sunday, October 20th, partners came together from across the North Bay region to conduct a cooperative 9.5-acre timber understory burn at Audubon Canyon Ranch’s (ACR’s) Martin Griffin Preserve (MGP). This was the first burn of its kind in modern Marin County, being held on private land and led by a non-government entity. The burn was a resounding success. Our 99-years- young founder, Dr. Martin Griffin, even did us the great honor of igniting the start of our test burn; it was a reverent scene to say the least. We had representation and support from so many great partners, including: •Marin County Fire, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Fire (GGNRA), Founder Dr. Marty Griffin lighting off the unit with Bolinas Fire District, Central Marin Fire and Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Fire Forward Director Sasha Berleman and Burn Department; •Crew of highly-trained wildland fire-qualified volunteers coming from a range of backgrounds including State Parks, Resource Conservation District, UC Berkeley’s Wildland Fire Science Lab and Forestry Department, San Jose State Meteorology Lab, Wildlands Conservancy, Pepperwood Preserve, private ranchers and landowners/managers; •An impressive team of ACR staff to support with logistics (including feeding of fifty people, parking, check-in, parking management, etc.) and assist on the fire line (running the pump and operating our water- pumping capable side-by-side). — continues on pages 7, 8 A Look at What’s Inside Reflections on the A Wild Ride to the A Closer Look at Bourne Ridge Need A Good Winter A Winter Dinner Fall Season Farallon Islands Fall Hiking Controlled Burn Read? One-dish dinners Take a look back Natasha Lekach School Program Start on the first The New Arrivals are just the thing for at the recent climbs aboard for Co-chair Jeni page and make rack in the OVC a busy holiday hiking season. an ocean Jackson recaps the sure you dive in library is full of season. adventure. latest season. for more photos interesting choices. Page 2 and info. Page 11 Page 4 Pages 5, 6 Page 11 Pages 7, 8 "1 SEQUOIA CLUB Co-President’s Report By Mary Fitzpatrick and Beki Simon This season, the effects of climate change at MGP and in our lives took center stage, at least for awhile. High winds, nearby fires, smokey air, a red flag evacuation, and extensive power outages played a role in upending our best laid plans at the Preserve resulting in several day hikes and two overnight trips being cancelled. But, undaunted, MGP docents adjusted, adapted, and carried on. As at other challenging times, you demonstrated the flexibility, commitment and cooperative spirit that makes the MGP docent community such a special one. Thank you! “Here is….. Here is Where… Here is Where I walk” … Walt Whitman In spite of the changes around us, 678 students walked here this season -- exploring trails, scanning tree tops, listening for hawks, holding newts, spying on spiders, and maybe wondering about the scents of fall. With their “scientific instruments” always on hand, these young “student scientists” investigated the Preserve on day hikes, overnight sessions or in special education groups. And when the season ended, 84 extraordinary MPG docents had spent over 1100 hours guiding hikes or visiting classrooms, ever ready to help our guests discover and enjoy the natural wonders of MGP. Congratulations on a very successful season! New this season was The Video! Developed under a joint project with ACR’s Bouverie Preserve for classroom visits, the MGP version of the video shows a Preserve visit from a child’s perspective. Many docents used the new video during classroom visits this fall and we’ve heard positive reviews from teachers, docents and students alike. A few students, in fact, were heard on hikes saying things like “hey, THAT was in the video“ or “the kids in the video did THAT…” A good sign! Next steps? The MGP Video Project team, led by Karla Kelly and Natasha L, would like to evaluate its use and refine suggestions for future use. Watch for more about that soon, likely in an email or a notice in the MGP Monthly Digest. And, feel free to contact Karla, Natasha, Beki or Mary anytime with your thoughts. Although the Fall Hiking Season has ended, there’s really not much of a break in the behind the scene’s work for docents and staff. They are already getting ready for the Spring Season and beyond! Patty Blanton lead a docent working group on November 19th in Picher Canyon to put the Fall Kits “to bed” and start “waking up” the Spring Kits. The Fall Kits were inventoried, repair needs flagged, and some items moved to Spring Kits. The Spring Kits were also inventoried, items inspected, and repair and replacement needs prioritized. Over the next few months, work on the Spring Kits will be finished so they are ready for spring use Then, Patty will create a plan to update the Fall Kits for next September. Patty’s largely been committee of one and would welcome others who’d like to help with the seasonal Kit review. As we know, those Kits are invaluable! Contact her, Beki or Mary for more information. After careful planning and transition, the co-chairs of the New Docent Training Committee, Phoebe Tanner, Rozelle Overmire, and Carol Campbell held the first full committee meeting on Nov 20th. They reviewed the draft schedule for about 26 sessions,identified speakers, began discussing the role of mentors, and started outlining training materials to be updated or developed. The Training Committee does an enormous amount of work to maintain this exemplary program and they welcome new members! Please feel free to contact the committee chairs, Beki or Mary if this sparks your interest! BTW -- How do we get people interested in becoming new docents ready to be trained? Well, luckily, there is a plan for that! Lynda Pearson and Debbie Piattelli, the co-chairs of the Docent Recruitment Committee, are creating the plan, exploring new and time tested ways to reach a broad audience of potential docents. They work closely with the Training Committee and also welcome your help. Don’t hesitate to email the committee chairs, Beki or Mary if this sparks your interest. — continues on Page 14 "2 AUDUBON CANYON RANCH Nature Guide Report By Brooke Bloomquist, Nature Guide Co-President Hello nature lovers. Rain has finally greeted us with the chilly darkening days of fall. The mosaic of colors is so beautiful. Nature is perfect at creating complimentary colors. I love the patterns of the leaves as they mulch the ground awaiting their transformation into fungi rich soil. The glistening prismatic dewdrops are a welcome sight as they promise to quench the thirsty earth. One of my favorite sights to meditate on is the glittering geometric sparkle of dew on Spiders web- Nature’s art therapy. This season I have been thankful for my comforts and the beauty of my surroundings. After being evacuated from our home for days and left without power and water upon returning, I find it therapeutic to count my blessings. Being a part of ACR is on my list of comforts. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by nature lovers, living in a community that has tremendous power to protect our land and create change. Thank you for being a part of that!Po There are many great perks to being a volunteer at ACR! Give yourself the gift of giving and sign up to receive access to the preserve during the off season, discounts on nature swag, access to overnights and being part of a strong community that believes in conservation. Upcoming Events: Interpretation 101 for Nature Guides: 1/11/20 2/22/20 3/7/20 Advanced Nature Guide Training: 4/11/20 4/18/20 4/25/20 ~Blue Heron Wades Through Dark Green Waters Moon-Light Dances Across Her Feathers Coy Fish, Swimming Away From Her Feet~ By Pearl Bloomquist, age 8 "3 AUDUBON CANYON RANCH A Journey to the Farallon Islands by Natasha Lekach Growing up in the Outer Richmond, I rarely checked the weather. I pretty much always assumed it was going to be mostly foggy and maybe some drizzle - what my schoolmates and I called, “sweatshirt weather”. Yet some days, usually in the winter, the fog broke and we could see the ocean. On the most spectacular of days, not only was the water visible, but small land masses, almost 30 miles in the distance, made an appearance. Locals relish these days, commenting on the clarity, “It is so clear, you can see the Farallon Islands.” To me, for many years, the Farallons were simply a metric to measure the clarity of the day. Yet, after moving back to the Bay Area after a six year hiatus, this biodiversity hotspot began to creep into my conversations and life experiences, beyond just the weather: As a ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore, I lived and worked at the Point Reyes Lighthouse, the closest point in California to the islands. I watched distant blue and humpback whales surface and breach in the distant waters around the islands. I fantasized about revitalizing the submarine cable communication between the Point Reyes Light and the Farallon Light. I heard stories of vagrant Eurasian birds taking refuge on the islands and great white sharks hunting off its rocky shores. Eventually, I met folks who shared stories of their research stints on the islands.