September 2019 Free and Open to the Public Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon
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SPEAKER SERIES Newsletter of the Marin Audubon Society. Vol. 62, No. 1 September 2019 Free and Open to the public Richardson Bay Audubon Center 376 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 7:30 PM Exploring Costa Rica from the Cool Highlands to the Humid Lowlands By Gordon Beebe The MARIN AUDUBONRail SOCIETY Annual Report For Fiscal Year 2018-19 t’s been a challenging and very successful restoration/levee improvement project to year. Through the great work of our produce a design ready to obtain regulatory Board members, volunteers, and our agency permits. (See the story below.) Iother supporters, we’ve increased our habitat Other grants helped us continue our habi- enhancement and protection work, and educa- tat protection work by contributing to the tion about birds and the natural environment. purchase of two parcels at Black Point: from We continued our successful efforts making Marin County Open Space District, Marin Marin a better place for wildlife and for all of County Fish and Wildlife Commission, us. Our major activities and accomplishments California Alpine Club Foundation, Rose Gordon Beebe Gordon during the year are briefly described below. Foundation, and RHE Foundation. The Collared Trogon HABITAT RESTORATION Alpine Club Foundation also contributed to Visit four very different rainforest purchasing native plants for Bahia. ecolodges in Costa Rica, as we • Measure AA Grant for Tiscornia Nature- search for the Resplendent Quetzal Based Sea Level Rise Adaptation: Marin HABITAT ENHANCEMENT in the high mountains of the south, Audubon was awarded a Measure AA grant At Corte Madera, we completed planting of the then to a sea level marsh with a in the amount of $939,084 to prepare techni- transition zone by installing 15,200 additional high diversity of bird and mammal cal reports, develop a conceptual plan and plants which we are now watering with a plan species, a mid-elevation lodge on the continental divide with a variety conduct environmental review for this marsh continued on page 4 of eastern and western species, and finally to an active geothermal area in the north. Experience both the visual and auditory wonders of the animals MAS Awarded Measure AA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR JANE MEDLEY of the rainforest, with in-depth stories of fascinating plant and animal Grant for Tiscornia Marsh The MAS Board is relationships. Views of trails and Restoration Project happy to announce our lodgings depict what you can expect choice of Jane Medley from a visit to this tropical paradise. At its June meeting, the Restoration Authority as our Volunteer of the Gordon Beebe is a field trip leader approved the staff recommendation to award Year awardee. Jane and website editor for Madrone Marin Audubon Society a grant $939,848 for is in her second term Audubon Society, as well as a volunteer on the Marin Audubon at Native Songbird Care & Conservation the Tiscornia Marsh Nature-Based Restoration Project. Our project received the highest score Board and she has in Sebastopol. He specializes in been Field Trip Chair documenting birds, other animals, and of the 15 proposals that were submitted. since the beginning. Stalker Jude plants in photographs, audio and video. We are honored to have been awarded Throughout her tenure, He lives in Santa Rosa, CA. this major grant. Building on the preliminary Jane has greatly expanded the number NEXT MONTH’S SPEAKER: design produced by Environmental Science and diversity of field trips offered to our members. She has initiated special trips THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 7:30 PM Associates (ESA) over the last few years with a grant from the Marin Community Foundation, for chapter members only and scheduled Changes in Bird Status in the special unusual trips including boat trips to Central Valley Since 1944 this phase of the Tiscornia Marsh Project will the Farallons, the Delta and San Francisco By John Sterling advance the design for restoring an eroded Bay. Under her direction, we now have a section of the marsh to benefit endangered and regular field trip series to places of birding other species, raising the height of the levee importance in Marin. IN THIS ISSUE to improve flood protection for the adjacent Jane is an asset to Marin Audubon and Canal Community, and constructing the Bay to our members and to wildlife. The more President’s Message 2 folks know about species, the more they Trail on the levee. The slope will provide transi- Field Trips 3 and 7 are likely to want to protect them. tion habitat and high tide refugia for wildlife, Thank you, Jane, for your dedication Conservation Report 5 allow for migration of marsh with sea level rise and all the wonderful field trips, workshops and stabilize the levee. The grant will also cover and programs you have organized for our Habitat Stewardship 6 CEQA environmental review. members. continued on page 5 LIKE US ON WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MARINAUDUBON SEPTEMBER 2019 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Most phone numbers are in the 415 area code President’s Letter unless otherwise noted. Questions? Please contact the appropriate Board member. By Barbara Salzman President Barbara Salzman 924-6057 Vice President Lowell Sykes 388-2821 The coming year promises to be exciting and programs arranged by Douglas Waterman for Secretary Ann Thomas 914-9559 challenging. We are beginning work on our new our Speaker Series, and continued exciting field Treasurer Susan Winston 949/632-0908 grant from the Restoration Authority which will trips planned by Jane Medley, whose excep- Conservation Phil Peterson 828-4780 fund planning, over the next two years, to restore tional work was recognized as MAS Volunteer Barbara Salzman 924-6057 Tiscornia Marsh and improve the levee to protect of the Year. Well deserved, Jane! The rest of our Field Trips Jane Medley 559/760-1551 the Canal Community from sea level rise. The dedicated Board members will be continuing Membership Barbara Demeter 707/479-1124 project will have major benefits for the people their important work. Outreach, Social Media of San Rafael and the wildlife of San Rafael Bay. But we have some gaps we need to fill to Elyse Omernick 694-2320 We’re also beginning grant applications to estab- carry on. We will be losing our Treasurer Susan Speaker Series lish Monarch Butterfly habitat, and we’ll be Winston. If you have accounting skills and Doug Waterman 415/506-4675 hard at work maintaining the habitats we own. would like to support and be a part of Marin Special Projects Jude Stalker 680-6291 Our work protecting threatened habitat Audubon’s habitat acquisition, restoration and Nominating has begun with appeals of two projects that protection and environmental education work, Editor, The Rail Bob Hinz 383-8688 would impact habitats: one for 11,310 solar call me for information 415/924-6057. We Website Dave Chenoweth 415/381-7908 panels in baylands and another for two houses also need a Volunteer Coordinator, which is an Property Management Ed Nute 669-7710 that would impact our properties at Black opportunity for someone who likes people and Volunteer Coordinator Point. There are major projects and issues we wants to help encourage volunteers, especially BAAC Reps Lowell Sykes 388-2821 Barbara Salzman 924-6057 will address to protect habitat: on the Farallon to maintain habitats on our properties. Islands; on baylands at risk with a possible A huge thank you to everyone who con- DIRECTORS MEETINGS Gnoss Field runway extension; and at Pt. Reyes tributed to our spring appeal. This appeal is Meetings open to members. If you wish to attend please call 924-6057. with the new Management Plan and DEIS. dedicated to our properties. As we acquire and 6:30 PM, First Tuesday of the month We’ll also be continuing our work on fire and restore more habitats, we have greater needs for Richardson Bay Audubon Center fire suppression activities as they affect natural removing invasive plants, replacing them with 376 Greenwood Beach Road habitats and wildlife. It looks like it will be a native plants, and watering newly planted plants. Tiburon, California 94920 busy fall for our Conservation Committee. We’re looking forward to an interesting MAS telephone: 721-4271 (for messages only) To improve our functioning and com- and stimulating year meeting the challenges Marin Audubon Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) munications, our Board members have begun of property ownership and ongoing threats to organization. All memberships and contributions work to upgrade our website, guided by our our natural resources while continuing to offer are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. new Outreach Chair David Chenoweth. We’ll educational and fun activities. Join us for a The Rail is published ten times a year by the be looking at attracting more members under field trip, for a program, on a volunteer work Marin Audubon Society on 100% recycled the leadership of our new Membership Chair day or join one of our Committees. We’re here paper; edited by Bob Hinz [email protected], Barbara Demeter. You can expect some exciting for you, for our wildlife and for habitats. 383-8688; assisted by other members of MAS; and designed by Studio NaCl (www.studionacl. com). Deadline is the first of each month. ©2019 Marin Audubon Society Pt. Reyes National Seashore Management Plan Website: www.marinaudubon.org Members can receive The Rail electronically The National Park Service (NPS) has released B. Continued ranching with lease terms of instead of a hard copy by emailing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement up to 20 years, and an elk population thresh- [email protected] (DEIS) for a General Management Plan old (NPS’s preferred alternative). B would DONATIONS APPRECIATED! Amendment for the Point Reyes National adopt a new Ranchland Zone with three sub- Marin Audubon Society welcomes gifts of Seashore and the north district of the Golden zones and management direction; would allow funds, stock, or property, and bequests in diversification (pigs, goats, sheep and row crops general, or in honor or memory of someone.