Torrey Pinecone A news bulletin for the Torrey Pines Docent Society December 2010 Docent Holiday Party Lecture notes by Lillian Lachicotte Saturday, December 11th ohn McGowan, Research 11 am J Professor Emeritus of Location: Lodge Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Short business meeting and potluck- see details on p. 4 Oceanography, UC San Diego spoke to us about the red tides and harmful Family members welcome. algal blooms in the Southern California Bight and at Torrey Pines world's oxygen through Indian tribes did not eat shellfish Beach. photosynthesis. during blooms. Algae occasionally divide very Within the algae group are diatoms rapidly and this is called an algal and dinoflagellum. Dinoflagellum bloom. Changes in numbers take swim through water using two place quickly, often with no known slender strands called flagella: one explanation. Scientists are studying flagellate stabilizes, the other propels. whether a sudden increase of Diatoms have hard cell walls made of nutrients and other variables can silica. Dr. McGowan showed pictures explain the increase and if an equally of many varieties of diatoms which rapid decrease can be explained by have a multitude of beautiful shapes. consumption by other sea life. Hobbyists have collected and Three hundred species of these arranged the organisms, taken photos microalgae are potentially toxic or of them and made beautiful works of harmful. Shellfish and other sea life art. ingest the harmful organisms and Diatoms reproduce by splitting in become toxic for human two, then four and so on, and if consumption. Algal toxins are conditions are right, can cause an problematic because they are not algal bloom in a very short time. easily detected; there is no bad smell Species of dinoflagellum can out- Photo by Herb Knufken or taste and toxins are not destroyed compete other species as they cause a According to Dr. McGowan, a red by cooking or freezing. Physical bloom. Organic matter in the bloom tide is caused by large concentrations contact with toxic algae has not been uses up so much oxygen that there of single celled marine algae about proven to be harmful. can be large fish kills an it can even the size of two or three red blood Harmful algae blooms are not a change the viscosity of the water. cells. There are one to two thousand recent phenomenon and have been Samples of ocean water are gathered species of these organisms and the recorded for thousands of years. The twice a week at Scripps Pier to be immense amount of marine algae in first written reference was in 1000 studied. W. E. Allen, a pioneer in the the oceans produces one-half of the BCE, the first recorded fatality in study of phytoplankton from 1919 to 1793 and references indicate local 1939 at SIO, spent 20 years collecting Torrey Pinecone December 2010 1 and counting cells off the pier to Live Scans have still some 87 docents gather information about them. The remaining to be fingerprinted. Active Docent Doings files from his research are used today or supporting docents will not be able Dec 1, Field trip- SD Arch. Center in continuing studies of algae and to receive their parking permits this Dec 4, Lodge decorating, 10 am algal blooms. spring if they do not get their live Dec 11, Holiday Party, 11am [Ed. Note: The green blooms this scans completed, so please take this Dec 14 Children‟s Program make-up year are from the algae genus called requirement seriously and get it done day Tetraselmis, one that has been seen promptly. Jan 8- General Meeting, 9 am off the coast for the past three Thanks to the nominating committee Send future event info to summers.] for their work in constructing a strong [email protected]. slate for the 2011 Board of Directors: President: Ken King retrofitted for earthquake survival in Excerpted from notes from of TPDS Vice Pres.: Barbara McCardle the immediate future. Traffic will be th impacted by this reconstruction, Nov. 13 General Meeting, by Secretary: Bill Eckles Secretary Bill Eckles. Complete likely minimized by a second, Treasurer: Mike Yang minutes in docent library. parallel temporary bridge to be Jan Lombardi and constructed with a bicycle lane uphill, President Rick Vogel called the Hosting: Irene Larrimore but with bicycles assuming traffic meeting to order at 10:45 am, flow on the faster downhill side. It is John McGowan Sue thanking for his Children's Program: estimated the project will last for Randerson interesting presentation on "Red about 2 1/2 years. Tides and Harmful Algae Blooms." Training: Janie Killermann Rick distributed a thank you card Thank you to Bob Doolittle for from the ranger staff to all docents Programs: Catherine arranging to park the recycle truck following the recent staff appreciation MacGregor out of sight. pot luck dinner. Communications: Lou Adamo Treasurer's Report: (Ken King) Mayo Stiegler moved and Sheldon Museum Shop sales of $4,200 are Krueger seconded that the board seasonally light, but stronger than last nominees be approved by year. Credit cards continue to acclamation. The motion passed represent about 50% of sales. unanimously. Welcome to the new TPA: (Pat Masters) Pat thanked the board! docents for support of the recent TPA Docents eligible for Lifetime Symposium. TPA supported Membership were requested to make Proposition 21 and attributes its their status known so appropriate failure to the current difficult funding name tags can be procured. time. The TPA will support a photo workshop in the spring as well as the The arched, decomposing tree that Art in the Pines event on May 15, welcomed visitors to the Guy 2010. Fleming Trail is no longer standing. Other Announcements Ann Supervising Ranger Dylan : Williamson Hardenbrook has promised to do his announced the field trip best to create an appropriate to the Archaeological Center, memorial to the tree. Rick mentioned scheduled for December 1. Contact Linda Zlotnik that a photo from years past may be Ann for information. Photo by Herb Knufken posted in memoriam. announced that decorating for the holiday party will take place The Docent of the Month for Proposition 21, a vehicle registration December 4th, beginning at 10:00 November is Mike Pisor, Trail Patrol fee increase to support the am. The Holiday Party will be held Director. Mike, present at the preservation and maintenance of the the following week on December meeting, accepted the accolade with State Parks, failed on election day. 11th at 11:00 am. Sign up and bring grace and even some stirring words Parks personnel are formulating a a dish. If possible, help with set up acknowledging the good offerings of formal statement and action plan. and tear down. [See p. 4] the entire Docent Society. Thank The "High Bridge" over the train you, Mike, for all your good service. Children's Program: (Laura tracks on Hwy 101 will begin being Lowenstein) Thank you to all the 2 Torrey Pinecone December 2010 helpers. Those who wish to become Points as well as at Yucca Point following any rainstorms on involved are invited to tag along with itself. Thursday or Friday mornings. a group and soon become more Trail Patrol: (Mike Pisor) Mike We hope to see many of you this fall involved. expressed thanks to all for overall as we start out again with our stellar Art in the Pines: (Janice Barnard) One docent support. Interpretive Trail program! more volunteer is needed to help Patrol training will begin in January, Tony Summers, coordinate this event. Otherwise, so sign up if interested. Children’s Program Director plans are progressing nicely. Seabees: (Sheldon Krueger) Seabees Lodge Hosting: (Irene Larrimore) are responsible for "Stay on the Irene announced the entire calendar Trails" signage and they can use help for the month was full! Thank you from a docent skilled in the use of a docents! router to help construct the signs. We need to be ready for that Training: (Janie Killermann) We Sheldon requested refuse from the unexpected, but willing, donor who have a good group of recruits and Whacky Weeders to be used to keep wants to make a significant look forward to another fine group of runners from going off-trail. Seabees contribution to the Reserve. The docents in 2011. Training will begin, meet Tuesdays at 8:30 am to noon. Torrey Pines Association was as usual, in late February. Janie Sherry Doolittle suggested the founded by Guy Fleming in 1950 as a requested further participation from Society may be interested in a non-profit membership organization the Docent body as mentors, sharing "Docent Cookbook" of a Torrey able to manage donations for the their knowledge and enthusiasm with theme. betterment of the Reserve. But there this new group. Rick adjourned the meeting at 11:45. sometimes exists a big gap between Communication: (Lou Adamo) There intentions and successful donations! has been some hacking into the off- Children’s Program Here‟s one of those stories. site recording of docent hours, so Winter break for the Children‟s One Saturday afternoon in October, please check that your hours have Program begins on Friday, December Lillian Lachicotte was on Lodge duty been registered. This does not affect 17. There won‟t be a program that when a woman came in and asked hours logged at the Lodge, itself. day; we will resume on Thursday, how she could donate to benefit the Library: (Mike Yang) Karen Lay will January 6. Reserve. The previous year, this same lady had asked about making a take over for Mike as he assumes the To make up for a rained-out program, donation and her message was position of Treasurer.