Who We Are Nature

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Who We Are Nature NATURE WHO WE ARE BOLINAS LAGOON PRESERVING A ADVISORY COUNCIL Marin County Parks – NATIONAL TREASURE MEMBERS INCLUDE leads the effort to restore, preserve, manage, and care for the lands REPRESENTATIVES FROM: of Bolinas Lagoon for this and future generations. Uniting to Protect Bolinas Lagoon National Park Service and Greater Farallones Audubon Canyon Ranch National Marine Sanctuary – help protect and preserve the conservation, recreational, cultural, ecological, Bolinas Rod and Boat Club and aesthetic qualities of Bolinas Lagoon and the surrounding landscape. JUST 15 MILES northwest of bustling ITS CHANNELS, mudflats, marshes, and THE LAGOON’S incredible natural abun- College of Marin San Francisco, tucked between the rolling streams shelter and feeds multitudes of dance led to its designation as an Audubon One Tam – hills of Bolinas Ridge and the lower Point plants, marine mammals, birds, fish, and Important Bird Area, a State and National inspires community support for ecosystem restoration, education, Community At-Large Reyes peninsula, lies the 1,100 acre Bolinas invertebrates, including rare and special- Treasure, and one of only seven Ramsar and stewardship on and around Mount Tamalpais THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, THE SEA, THE BEACHES, AND Community of Bolinas Lagoon tidal estuary. Perched atop the status species. Tens of thousands of local Wetlands of International Importance in the Science Partners – THE LAGOON—these are what we work to protect. As members of the San Andreas Fault, this special place where shorebirds, seabirds,and migrants along the western United States. However, alongside including Audubon Canyon Ranch, UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, Community of Stinson Beach the land meets the sea, is home to some Pacific Flyway rely on the lagoon for food, its history of protection and recognition is a community, local organizations, and agency representatives, we are all and Point Blue Conservation Science, along with numerous other organiza- of the richest and most diverse habitats while its protected sandbars and islands story of dramatic change that threatens the connected to this land and the cultural and personal values it holds for past, Golden Gate National tions, agencies, and academic institutions help provide critical research in the world. provide pupping grounds and year-round future of Bolinas Lagoon. Recreation Area to support management and planning. present, and future generations. resting sites for hundreds of harbors seals. Greater Farallones National Threatened and endangered steelhead trout The treasures of Bolinas Lagoon are also shared by the thousands of visitors and coho salmon maneuver through its waters Marine Sanctuary who find enjoyment, inspiration, and solace from its surrounding hills and to reach their upstream spawning grounds. AND YOU... shores. Birds, seals, fish, and invertebrates—including rare and endangered Marin County Parks The most important partner in protecting Bolinas Lagoon species—also depend on the lagoon and its environment, and we aim to is you! Whether it’s getting your hands dirty helping in the Point Blue Conservation Science preserve it. field, donating to a project, or advocating for its protection, Point Reyes National Seashore you can take pride in knowing that you are an important part As members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors’ Bolinas Lagoon Seadrift Homeowners Association We have such incredible resources here in Bolinas Lagoon. We have of a long tradition. Advisory Council, we proudly carry on the egacy of preservation, fault lines that govern our habitat and our geography. We are in collaboration, community, and stewardship. the heart of the Pacific Flyway and we are nestled within historical coastal redwood basin. What happens here, the beauty and the Local conservation networks, land managers, the fishing community, impacts, are important for West Marin, but they are important for environmentalists, scientists, and residents must continue to join forces to the globe too. Bolinas Lagoon should matter to everyone. VOLUNTEER GIVE meet today’s challenges while planning for the future. Putting our collective – Dr. Martin Griffin, Founder, Audubon Canyon Ranch Get outside and enjoy the lagoon’s breathtaking scenery You can support Bolinas Lagoon by making a tax- while helping restore critical habitats and recreation areas. deductible donation through One Tam. plans into action will take all of us working together. Contact Kate Bimrose at [email protected] or Contact Matt Leffert at [email protected] We pledge our dedication to the Bolinas Lagoon restoration because we (415) 970-5245. or (415) 561-3069. are all stewards of this land. We invite you to join us in this effort. Sincerely, The restoration of Bolinas Lagoon builds upon Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council decades of grassroots community efforts. Together, we can continue this legacy and ensure Chair Co-Chair a bright future for this treasured place. Cover photo: Clint Graves JOIN US. Additional photography: Parks Conservancy and NPS staff and volunteers BOLINAS LAGOON PROJECTS LEGACY RESILIENCY ACTION PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE... AFTER YEARS of community efforts to raise awareness about Bolinas u l c h ...OF CHANGE ...OF PRESERVATION AND s G Lagoon, the US Army Corps of Engineers released a draft feasibility w i For tens of thousands of years, Bolinas Lagoon and its surrounding SOME OF THE PROPOSED L e COMMUNITY CARE study in 2002 that proposed dredging 1.4 million cubic feet of sediment watershed hosted some of the region’s richest natural habitats. Early PROJECTS INCLUDE*: from the lagoon, including all of Kent Island and much of the Pine Gulch Although humans have contributed to the challenges facing Bolinas u l c h settlers were quick to take advantage of this abundance. By the mid- G Creek delta and north basin. The potential impacts of this proposal s NORTH END Lagoon, we also hold the solutions. n 1800s the region’s resources were feeding a newly booming San KENT ISLAND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT i k l sparked a call for a more adaptive and innovative approach. i Francisco Bay Area’s seemingly insatiable appetite for raw materials. Starting in the 1960s, dedicated individuals and environmental restores the island’s ability to naturally shift with tides W In 2008, community members, scientists, agencies, and local organiza- and currents, and allows native plants that are important Logging, farming, and residential development eventually trans- groups came together to protect the lagoon. The Bolinas Lagoon tions came together to create the Bolinas Lagoon Ecosystem Restoration for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife to return to formed this once connected ecosystem of upland hills, forests, Foundation was instrumental in raising the funds and political Project: Recommendations for Restoration and Management, which the island. streams, and marshes into the fragmented landscape, channelized awareness needed to support restoration. Organizations like includes over 25 recommendations for restoring the lagoon and waterways, and hardened shorelines we see today. Roadway flood- Audubon Canyon Ranch purchased and gifted land to Marin County to help create the Bolinas Lagoon Open Space Preserve, its watershed. P ing, fish passage barriers, and creek and wetland habitat loss have NORTH END WETLAND ENHANCEMENT i n protecting much of this landscape from future development. e increased. Invasive species have penetrated the landscape, and native Today, we are putting that vision into action and you can help! Residents, AND SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION G eelgrass, fish, and clam populations have largely disappeared. Today, the Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council, scientists, and the local public agencies, local organizations, and other stakeholders are work- restores critical wetland habitats and reconnect the PINE GULCH u l The Bolinas “Y” intersection at CREEK c community continue to support ongoing efforts to reverse past ing together to restore habitats, protect wildlife, keep roads safe, and lagoon to its upland creeks, benefiting numerous h Future climate change and sea level rise will further test these frag- the north end of the lagoon is an damage and ensure the lagoon’s resilience to future changes. preserve the lagoon’s stunning natural beauty. Numerous studies and wildlife species, reducing flooding on local roads, C mented habitats and challenge both human and wildlife residents to example of how roadway devel- r opment fragments habitats and ongoing monitoring of physical processes, habitat, and wildlife support and allowing the lagoon to shift and expand with e B o l i n a s find new ways to adapt and survive. e k prevent the lagoon from shifting these projects and help guide future planning. storms and sea level rise. in response to sea level rise. L a g o o n BOLINAS LAGOON has existed in a state of constant change The projects described on the next page address many of the chal- SEADRIFT EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB REMOVAL KENT ISLAND for over 7,000 years, as winds, waves, tides, and earthquakes sculpted lenges to the lagoon’s ecological diversity, physical processes, relies on volunteer support to remove thousands How lucky we are to live in such a rich, biologically diverse tidal estuary and its complex network of habitats. Yet, in less than 200 hundred years, and resilience to future changes. The projects represent just some of invasive crabs each year, protecting the diversity SEADRIFT LAGOON watershed! But, if you think we humans are lucky, just ask the pelicans, the
Recommended publications
  • Initial Study/Environmental Assessment: Kent Island Restoration at Bolinas Lagoon
    DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: KENT ISLAND RESTORATION AT BOLINAS LAGOON Marin County Open Space District and US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District August 2012 DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: KENT ISLAND RESTORATION AT BOLINAS LAGOON PREPARED FOR Marin County Open Space District Marin County Civic Center 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 260 San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 499-6387 and US Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District 1455 Market St San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 503-6703 PREPARED BY Carmen Ecological Consulting Grassetti Environmental Consulting Peter R. Baye, Coastal Ecologist, Botanist August 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose of this Document ............................................................................................................1 1.2 Document Structure ..............................................................................................................1 2.0 PROPOSED PROJECT AND ALTERNATIVES .......................................................................3 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................3 2.2 Environmental Setting ..............................................................................................................3 2.3 Purpose and Need ..............................................................................................................6
    [Show full text]
  • Manual Removal of Cape Ivy at Audubon Canyon Ranch's Bolinas
    Manual Removal of Cape Ivy at Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Len Blumin ([email protected]) Daniel Gluesenkamp ([email protected]) Introduction Cape ivy (Delairea odorata), an invasive vine from South Africa, has invaded many riparian areas of coastal California, and threatens thousands of acres of valuable habitat. This poster presents our 6 year experience in removing Cape ivy (CI) along a coastal creek and floodplain, using volunteer labor and a "modified scorched earth" approach. The Project – Audubon Canyon Ranch manages a system of nature preserves. Cape ivy appeared in ACR's Bolinas Lagoon Preserve before 1960 and by 1994 had invaded 6 acres in the flood plain of Volunteer Canyon (VC). In 1994 CI was identified as the highest priority invasive plant on the preserve. Encouraged by a successful CI removal pilot project in 1995, we set out to completely remove CI from Volunteer Canyon. The Site – The creek in Volunteer Canyon drops steeply through a mixed evergreen forest, flattens out as it enters the flood plain, then empties into Bolinas Lagoon. The canyon was logged from 1850 to 1875, supported ranching, farming and residential uses until the 1960s, and since 1968 has been used as an environmental education center and for ACR staff housing. While the preserve supports rich biodiversity and the canyon's slopes have few exotic plants other than non-native grasses, the flood plain is invaded by Cape ivy, Vinca major, and other non-indigenous plants listed in Table 1. Cape Ivy growth – By the mid 1970's the core Cape ivy population had covered 6.5 acres, as shown on the map.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Blue Herons Interrupt Nest-Guarding to Drink
    SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 501 attacking a Bald Eagle near a large stick nest only 10 We are grateful to J. B. Foster, S. G. Scaly, J. J. m from the ground. However, the nest contained a Hickey, and T. J. Cade for criticism of this manuscript large, young eagle and was the only such nest on the and for supporting funds from the Ecological Reserves island. Soon the adult male peregrine joined its mate Unit, Department of Environment, Victoria, British and became especially agitated and noisy near an old Columbia. spruce tree which had a large natural crack high up its trunk. A few pale feathers surrounded the hole LITERATURE CITED entrance, and several carcasses of recently eaten Rhinoceros Auklets were found in the vicinity, indi- BEEBE, F. L. 1960. The marine peregrines of the cating probable use by peregrines. northwest Pacific Coast. Condor 62: 145-189. Clearly, a small, tree-nesting population of Pere- BEEBE, F. L. 1974. Field studies of the Falconi- grine Falcons exists on islands off the northern coast formes (vultures, hawks, falcons and eagles) of of British Columbia, but we do not know whether this British Columbia. Occas. Pan. B.C. Prov. Mus. is a recent phenomenon. Campbell visited this area 17: 1-163. briefly in the early summer of 1970, and although CA~ZPBELL, R. W., AND D. STIRLING. 1971. A photo- adult peregrines were seen, no evidence of nesting duolicate file for British Columbia vertebrate was found. He may have overlooked tree nests, how- recbrds. Syesis 4~217-222. ever, because adult peregrines call only when intrud- DEMENTEV,’ G.
    [Show full text]
  • Toll Roads in the United States: History and Current Policy
    TOLL FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES Bridges - Roads - Tunnels - Ferries August 2009 Publication No: FHWA-PL-09-00021 Internet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/tollpage.htm Toll Roads in the United States: History and Current Policy History The early settlers who came to America found a land of dense wilderness, interlaced with creeks, rivers, and streams. Within this wilderness was an extensive network of trails, many of which were created by the migration of the buffalo and used by the Native American Indians as hunting and trading routes. These primitive trails were at first crooked and narrow. Over time, the trails were widened, straightened and improved by settlers for use by horse and wagons. These became some of the first roads in the new land. After the American Revolution, the National Government began to realize the importance of westward expansion and trade in the development of the new Nation. As a result, an era of road building began. This period was marked by the development of turnpike companies, our earliest toll roads in the United States. In 1792, the first turnpike was chartered and became known as the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike in Pennsylvania. It was the first road in America covered with a layer of crushed stone. The boom in turnpike construction began, resulting in the incorporation of more than 50 turnpike companies in Connecticut, 67 in New York, and others in Massachusetts and around the country. A notable turnpike, the Boston-Newburyport Turnpike, was 32 miles long and cost approximately $12,500 per mile to construct. As the Nation grew, so did the need for improved roads.
    [Show full text]
  • ACR's Olema Marsh and Restoration of The
    AUDUBON CANYON RANCH Number 44 BULLETIN Spring 2009 ACR’s Olema Marsh and Restoration of the Giacomini Wetlands RESTORING THE NATURAL HYDROLOGY OF TOMALES BAY by John Kelly single, lightning fast strike and splash mudflats, ponds, creeks, and emergent vegetation. of an egret’s bill can cause a wealth of Wetland life thrived, structured and fueled by Giacomini potential prey to dart and hide, making complicated patterns of tidal inundation and A Wetlands them temporarily unavailable to other predators. irregular pulses of runoff from a watershed that restoration Herons and egrets often overcome this fact by covers much of Marin County. The extravagant area, looking hunting in groups: prey that are busy fleeing flow of energy and nutrients through the system northwest, with from one forager are more easily caught by sustained a magnificent richness of estuarine newly introduced another. Nonetheless, prey concentrations fade life—but one that we can currently only imagine. tidewater quickly, forcing egrets to search for new feeding flooding into the opportunities in the surrounding landscape. Loss of a wetland treasure project area. When an area of intensive human use is In the 1800s, settlers came to western Marin ACR’s Olema returned to nature, processes like this drive the County, where they built ranches and dairy farms Marsh and assembly and arrangement of plants and animals. on the productive coastal prairies and logged the Levee Road are As new life appears, it coalesces into patches Douglas-fir and redwood forests along Inverness visible in the that swell, subside, shift, and intermingle. Intri- Ridge and in other parts of the Tomales Bay water- foreground.
    [Show full text]
  • 2008 ANNUAL REPORT the Mission of the Marin Conservation League Is to Preserve, Protect and Enhance the Natural Assets of Marin County
    Protecting Marin Since 1934 2008 ANNUAL REPORT The mission of the Marin Conservation League is to preserve, protect and enhance the natural assets of Marin County. MARIN CONSERVATION LEAGUE Dear Friends: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Offi cers Nona Dennis, Mill Valley, President It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Marin Conservation League Board of Daniel Sonnet, San Rafael, Directors, to report the League’s activities in 2008. You – the members First Vice President and supporters of MCL – are the foundation of this organization, and Roger Roberts, San Rafael we honor and thank you! Without your support, our accomplishments Second Vice President would not be possible. Larry Smith, Nicasio, Secretary Kenneth Drexler, Fairfax, Treasurer Directors This year was the League’s 74th year – an opportunity to review MCL’s Peter Asmus, Stinson Beach legacy and begin planning for our 75th anniversary. The most powerful lesson to emerge Betsy Bikle, Mill Valley from this legacy is that although decades have passed since MCL’s founding, the land Priscilla Bull, Kentfi eld protection tools, tactics, and strategies that were championed by the League’s founders are Joe Bunker, San Anselmo timeless – as relevant in 2008 as they were in 1934! The Action Calendar on pages 6 and 7 Carson Cox, Mill Valley provides abundant evidence of this truism. Bruce Fullerton, Mill Valley Jana Haehl, Corte Madera 2008 began with little warning of the economic diffi culties it would present. Now as Brannon Ketcham, Fairfax 2008 has turned into 2009, it is clear that economic downturn is having an impact on Marge Macris, Mill Valley environmental projects around the State.
    [Show full text]
  • MARTIN GRIFFIN an Oral History Interview Conducted by Debra Schwartz in 2015
    Mill Valley Oral History Program A collaboration between the Mill Valley Historical Society and the Mill Valley Public Library MARTIN GRIFFIN An Oral History Interview Conducted by Debra Schwartz in 2015 © 2015 by the Mill Valley Public Library TITLE: Oral History of Martin Griffin INTERVIEWER: Debra Schwartz DESCRIPTION: Transcript, 37 pages INTERVIEW DATE: October 20th, 2015 In this oral history, physician, naturalist, champion of open spaces and bane of developers Martin Griffin recounts with warmth and humor his long and extraordinarily active life. Born in Ogden, Utah, in 1920 to nature-loving parents, Martin moved with his family to Portland, Oregon, when the Great Depression hit, and then down to Los Angeles and finally up to Oakland, where he attended elementary school through high school. Martin recalls some early experiences that shaped his love for the environment, including his involvement with the Boy Scouts, where he met the graduate student entomologist Brighton C. “Bugs” Cain, who profoundly inspired him. It was also as a boy that Martin came over to Mill Valley for the first time, making his way by ferry and train, to go hiking on Mt. Tamalpais. He conjures the beautiful vision he had from the ridge that day of white birds down on Bolinas Lagoon, a vision which made such a powerful impression on him and would, years later, feed the flames of his conservationist passion. Martin recounts being involved in ROTC while an undergraduate at U.C. Berkeley, later attending medical school at Stanford, where he got married, and moving over to Marin to begin his medical practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Smscindexpp266-273.Pdf
    INDEX References to illustrations are printed in italics. Ablin, Debbie, 42,92, 258 Azevedo, Margaret, 129 Bolinas-Stinson Beach Master Plan, Adelman, Brenda, 220, 222, 251, 260 34 Aggregate, 243-245, 257 Bagley, Bill, 120 Bolling, David, 224,260 Aggregate Resources Management Bahia Baulinas, 61 Bostick, Benton, 20, 22 (ARM) Plan, 205-206, 256, 257 Ballard, Allan, 87 Bostick, Dr. Warren, 20, 22 Agricultural and Aquifer Baptiste, Arnold, 107 Bouverie Audubon Preserve, xix, Preservation Zone, 205 Barbour, Nancy, 42, 92, 258 152, 153,155-159,258-259 Ah Pah Dam, 163 Barfield, Tom, 63 Bouverie, David, xix, 157, 159,254 Alexander Valley Reach, 236 Bay Conservation and Development Boxer, Senator Barbara, 93, 127,139 Alexander, Meg, 225,260 Commission, 18 Boyd, Rhoda, 67 Allen, Howard B„ 76,93,115,258-259 Beeby, David, 244 Brandt-Hawley, Susan, 208-209, 260 American River, 6 Behr, Peter, 66, 71, 89,97, 107, 128- Bransom-Cooke, Admiral, 65, 67 Anderson, Bruce, 200 129, 132,142,162,171, 191, Brower, David, 113 Angel Island, 12, 27 239,251 Brown, Governor Jerry, 168 Anton, John, 140 biography, 129,169 Brown, Governor Pat, xii, 33 Aquifers, importance of, 162-163 “Belling the cat”, 113,114, 205,207, Brown, Wishard, 148 See also Middle Reach; Sonoma- 209 Burge, Bob, 86 Marin Aquifer Benoist, Jay, 217 Army Corps of Engineers, 143,170, Benthos, 99 Cain, Brighton “Bugs,” 6 , 32,42 218 Bianchi, Al, 120 Cale, Mike, 192 and Bolinas Lagoon, 59, 81 Big Sulfur Creek, 152, 153 California Coastal Act of 1976, xiii, and Coyote Dam, 18, 33, 187 Bird research, 74-75 255 and Warm Springs Dam, 140, 188 Birds.
    [Show full text]
  • Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council
    Sonoma-Marin Coastal Regional Sediment Management Report Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council February 2018 Report Citation GFNMS Advisory Council, 2018. Sonoma-Marin Coastal Regional Sediment Management Report. Report of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. San Francisco, CA. 197 pp. Cover photos (top left) Bodega Harbor Dredging, Cea Higgins (top right) Gleason Beach area, Doug George (bottom left) Aerial view of Stinson Beach and Seadrift, Bob Wilson (bottom right) Bolinas Highway revetment, Kate Bimrose This work was made possible with support from: i Sonoma-Marin Coastal Regional Sediment Management Working Group Members Chair: Cea Higgins, Sonoma Coast Surfrider; Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) Advisory Council Hattie Brown, Sonoma County Regional Parks Jon Campo, Marin County Parks Clif Davenport, Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin Brook Edwards, Wildlands Conservancy Leslie Ewing, California Coastal Commission Luke Farmer, Wildlands Conservancy Shannon Fiala, California Coastal Commission Stefan Galvez, Caltrans Brannon Ketcham, National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore John Largier, UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab, Sanctuary Advisory Council chair Neil Lassettre, Sonoma County Water Agency Bob Legge, Russian Riverkeeper Jack Liebster, County of Marin Planning Department Jeannine Manna, California Coastal Commission Abby Mohan,
    [Show full text]
  • ACR Bulletin Fall 2012
    AUDUBON CA NYON RA N C H Number 51 BULLETIN Fall 2012 INS I DE TH I S 50T H ANN I VE R S ar Y ISSUE TH A NKS FO R 50 YE ar S ACR HI S T O R Y HI GHL I GH T S HOW Bir DS SA VED Mari N Tri BU T E T O OU R BENEF act O R S PHO T OS , EVEN T S A ND M O R E Celebrating 50 Years Page 2 Audubon Canyon Ranch Celebrating 50 Years www.egret.org Leading the Environmental Community TH A NKS FO R 50 GR E at YE ar S by J. Scott Feierabend and Bryant Hichwa As we celebrate Audubon Canyon Leading environmental change shores of Tomales Bay in Marin Ranch’s 50th anniversary, we reflect on Because of the financial contribu- County to the wildlands of the remarkable accomplishments of this tions of our supporters and the tireless the Mayacamas Mountains in organization—and we thank and honor dedication of our volunteers, ACR is an northern and eastern Sonoma those who made these achievements enduring leader in the environmental County. possible . you! movement of the Bay Area: As we look to the past and all that The timeline in this Bulletin traces • Our science programs have we have accomplished together, we our collective journey through the past resulted in significant conservation must also look to the future and all that five decades. It is a remarkable story of gains for wetlands and other we aspire to achieve.
    [Show full text]
  • Management Framework for Protection of the Heronry at Martin Griffin Preserve
    Management framework for protection of the heronry at Martin Griffin Preserve: An assessment and response to the 2013 decline in Great Egret nesting in Picher Canyon Sarah A. Millus, John P. Kelly and T. Emiko Condeso Cypress Grove Research Center Audubon Canyon Ranch P.O. Box 808, Marshall, CA 94940 E-mail: [email protected] ACR Technical Report 67-1-3 © September 2013, Audubon Canyon Ranch Cypress Grove Research Center P. O. Box 808, Marshall, CA 94940 Executive Summary This is the final, comprehensive report regarding the 2013 nesting season at the Picher Canyon heronry at Martin Griffin Preserve, Stinson Beach, CA. As background information, the report contains relevant information about Great Egret nesting biology and a summary of the history of Great Egret nesting activity in Picher Canyon. This report also includes the complete evaluation of factors that may have contributed to the 2013 nesting failure, which is identical to a previous report (Millus et al. 2013, An assessment of the 2013 decline in Great Egret nesting in Picher Canyon, ACR Technical Report 67-1-2). Based on this information, we present a general management framework that incorporates the “precautionary principlea” to maximize the potential for colony recovery in the 2014 nesting season. The management framework includes the following key actions: Institute regular discussions involving science staff and Martin Griffin Preserve staff regarding changes in management at Picher Canyon Intensify monitoring of the heronry, including the installation of an infrared video camera Delay the public season until a minimum level of nesting success is observed Close the Henderson Overlook until a minimum level nesting success is observed Modify preserve maintenance activities in the canyon, January-August Eliminate or reduce traffic in the canyon January-August Close the canyon to major events January-August These actions will minimize disturbance and promote conditions that returning herons or egrets may require to initiate new nests next season.
    [Show full text]
  • ACR Bulletin Spring 2013
    AUDUBON CANYON RANCH Number 52 BULLETIN Spring 2013 INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE NEXT 50 YEarS FALL FOR OUR NEW PRESERVES CREatiVE LEGacY GiftS WHat INSpirES RANCH GUIDES ArtSY LEttERS frOM KIDS PHOTOS, EVENTS AND MORE 50 Years and Still Gaining Ground Page 2 Audubon Canyon Ranch 50 Years and Still Gaining Ground www.egret.org Bold Plans for ACR’s Success ENVISIONING THE NEXT 50 YEarS by J. Scott Feierabend and Bryant Hichwa Imagine entering the Martin Griffin countless volunteers made Audubon • More opportunities for public Preserve and seeing the iconic West Canyon Ranch a gateway to the natural visitation and enhanced Marin farmhouse sporting a fresh coat world, hundreds of thousands of feet educational experiences of paint, with its doors open wide to have walked the trails on our Marin • Improved interpretative displays welcome visitors to the treasures of the and Sonoma County preserves. and interactive educational preserve. Once inside the farmhouse, During these 50 years, nature and materials you learn about Audubon Canyon seasonal rhythms have weathered and • Reduced carbon emissions Ranch’s rich legacy and conservation worn our buildings and their facilities. and increased energy and leadership, and linger in a new, well- This fall, as our anniversary gift to water conservation stocked and expanded bookstore. the community, ACR will launch an Creating a deeper experience From there, you stroll over to the organization-wide refurbishment Special projects are planned Display Hall to view newly and improvement initiative of for the Martin Griffin Preserve, refreshed exhibits and a unprecedented scope—called the Bouverie Preserve and Cypress “smart” classroom, serving over 50/Fifty Initiative—which Grove Research Center.
    [Show full text]