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| GGNRA Endangered Species 2008 Big Year Kick- Off! If you have trouble viewing this email please click here, or copy and paste this URL into your browser. (http://www.natureinthecity.org/NTCnews12-18(1).html) |
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December 18, 2007 In this issue: News Coast Guard Did Restoration
Volunteer
OpportunitiesHeron's Head Park Coordinator McLaren Park Earth Day Muir Woods 100 Year Anniversary Oil Spill Updates Pets and Plovers Victory for Berkeley Tree Sitters Nature in the City Calendar More Eco News & Events
Go online, email or call 415-564-4107. Nature in the City is a project of Earth Island Institute, a 501(c) California non profit public benefit corporation. We are now selling the 2008 San
Francisco Green Zebra guide, and receiving $10 of the proceeds!
 Go to Green
Zebra's website, and find the edition you like. Be
sure to enter or mention the code NIC955
when you check out so that
we will be credited $10 for each guide you purchase. The Green Zebra guide makes
it fun and easy to explore the best of sustainable living in
San Francisco. With over 275 exclusive offers that can save
you thousands of dollars at places like:
Cole Hardware
Lettus Café Organic Sports Basement Green Zebra also answers many
of your questions about living green in San Francisco, offering simple
action steps you and your family can start doing today for a greener
tomorrow. Topics include:
*Complete listings of San
Francisco Farmer's Markets locations and hours.
*How to Make a Zero Waste Lunch *Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch *West Coast Seafood Guide 2007 *Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Your Personal Care Products Volunteer Opportunities 
Presidio Park Stewards at Coastal Bluffs Habitat Planting at Grandview Park Presidio Nursery Thursday December 20 Crissy Field Landscape Lands End Stewardship Friday December 21 Presidio Plant Patrol at Battery East Saturday December 22 Presidio Park Stewards Inspiration Point Quail at Harding Park Alvord Lake Beautification Fort Funston Nursery Corono Heights Grassland Restoration Colma Creek Restoration Land's End Stewards Presidio Nursery Friday December 28 Presidio Plant Patrol Saturday December 29 Presidio Park Stewards Fort funston Nursery Lands End Stewards Presidio Nursery Wednesday January 2, 2008 Presidio Park Stewards Presidio Nursery For more information, contact info, and directions to natural areas go to the Community Calendar on the Nature in the City website. Up Calendar
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| Dec. 19 | Habitat Planting with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Grandview Park 12 - 3 pm Contact: Suzanna or call 831-6328 |
| Through Dec. 22 | Mission Greenbelt Project Last chance to see the Mission Greenbelt Headquarters at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery. Headquarters hosts a multi-media art installation, native plant demo garden, free public events and hands-on workshops. Visitors of all ages are invited to visit the gallery and join in the effort to create a new San Francisco Greenbelt. |
| Dec. 29 |
Exclusive
Preview Night
"Butterflies & Bulldozers: The Fight for San Bruno Mountain" in celebration of San Bruno Mountain 7:30 -11:30 p.m. The Mission Blue Community Center 475 Mission Blue Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005. The event will include hors d'oeuvres, live music and a hosted wine bar. RSVP to San Bruno Mountain Watch sanbruno@mountainwatch.org 415-467-6631 |
| Jan. 5 | Habitat Planting with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Lake Merced 1 - 3 pm Mount Davidson 9 am - noon Buena Vista Park 9 am - noon Contact: Suzanna or call 831-6328 |
| Jan. 6 | GGNRA Endangered Species Big
Year Kick- Off Event! 1 pm San Francisco Zoo 1 Zoo Road SF, CA 94132 Free and Open to the Public Come see a Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon, along with a San Francisco Garter Snake. Then take an easy hike to see your first Big Year species: the threatened Western Snowy Plover. Contact: Brent; (415) 572-6989 |
| Jan. 30 | Nature in the City 07 - 08 Fall/Winter Talks GGNRA Endangered Species Big Year 7:30 pm CounterPULSE Brent Plater & Peter Brastow present an overview of the 2008 Golden Gate National Recreation Area Endangered Species Big Year. Open to the public. Free. |
| *Feb. 5 | *Park Bond on Ballot |
*For more calendar items, as well as regular volunteer opportunities, go to the Nature in the City Calendar to view all posted events.
News
US Coast Guard Did Restoration
While the Coast Guard was widely criticized throughout the oil spill, Nature in the City has experienced the positive side of the organization. Not only have they granted us permission on several occassions to visit their portion of Yerba Buena Island, for the purpose of assessing native habitat, but they also made a visit to volunteer at the Presidio Native Plant nursery on November 11 2005. Eleven members from the station volunteered their time at the native plant nursery in San Francisco, totaling forty-four man hours, benefiting the nursery and the Presidio's natural environment.
Job Opening Available
Heron's Head Park Coordinator
Literacy for Environmental Justice is looking to hire a park manager for
the Heron's Head Park Coordinator who will be responsible for stewarding
and mainting the restoration efforts of one of the most unique parks in
San Francisco. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone interested in
working in the field of habitat restoration, environmental education,
and stewardship in the community of Hunters Point-Bayview with both the
local community, the Port of San Francisco, and key strategic partners.
Please see full announcement for more information here. (PDF)
Please contact LEJ or Laurie if you have more questions.
Nature in the City plans to produce the 2nd annual Earth Day at McLaren Park this April. If you're interested in getting involved with planning McLaren Park Earth Day 2008, send an email to steward@natureinthecity.org.
UpMuir Woods Turns 100 Years Old
In 1908, Muir Woods was designated the 10th National Monument in the United States of America. Although it was the 10th, it was the first in three very important ways. It was the first time a private individual (William and Elizabeth Kent) donated land to the federal government to create a National Monument. It was the first time a National Monument was created in an urban setting, just 12 miles north of San Francisco. And it was the first time the Antiquities Act of 1906 was used to preserve a living species, the Coast Redwood tree.
Muir Woods is also host to the Endangered Coho Salmon, which can be seen in Redwood Creek during spawning season. The GGNRA Big Year will be leading guided tours starting January 20th to see the Coho.
Muir Woods also gained the attention of the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, December 17!
The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has a calendar of events around Muir Woods' 100th Anniversary. January 8th will be a day of silence to remember how the woods were more than a century ago - all restoration and ranger programs will hault for the day. January 9th will be a ceremony commemorating its past and celebrating its future, including a series of ranger-led hikes and special opportunities for volunteers to participate in ongoing habitat restoration.
The public is cordially invited to attend the festivities. In honor of this special event, both days will be FEE FREE.
Up
Oil Spill Update
For information about other Bay Area beaches go to the Cosco Busan Incident website.
Wildlife Advisory:
The National Park Service has posted the following signs on impacted beaches in the GGNRA. Please heed the signs, and give wildlife time to recover from the oil spill. Many of the impacted birds winter in the Bay Area and need time to recover without being disturbed.
Fishing Ban:
As of November 30, by order of Governor Schwarzenegger, most fishing of marine life for human consumption in the San Francisco Bay area is once again being allowed, including crabbing. Exceptions are mussels from the Berkeley Pier and Rodeo Beach in Marin County and Drakes Bay Oyster Co. of Inverness which has not been allowed to resume oyster harvesting.
Advisory from GGNRA:
If oil does wash up onto open beaches, avoid contact. Do not walk or handle contaminated objects. If skin does contact with oil, wash immediately with soap and water or a non-solvent skin cleanser. In the case of eye contact, flush with plenty of water for 15 minutes or until irritation subsides. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. Avoid tracking oil into your vehicle, home or other such areas. Children may also be exposed by playing in contaminated sand or soil. It is strongly suggested to keep pets out of the water to protect them from contact with contaminated water.
Additional Info:
US Coast Guard
Up
Pets and Plovers
There are 2 seasonal protection areas for the threatened Western Snowy Plover where pets must be on-leash while plovers are present, from July until May or until monitoring shows they are no longer present:
Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Protection Area (Stairwell 21, just south of the Beach Chalet, to Sloat Blvd. - including all tidelands.)
Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area (west end of Crissy Field beach)
The seasonal leash requirement for the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area and the Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Protection Area was put in place through a Compendium Amendment on Sunday, July 1, 2007 for the 2007/2008 plover overwintering season.
Please
respect this leash requirement. The plovers are delicate, and in order
for them to survive we need to stop disturbing their roosting areas. The GGNRA has reported that unleashed dogs represent the most
significant recreational threat to wintering Western Snowy Plovers
because of the prolonged and repeated disturbance created when they
chase birds.
Small Victory for Berkeley Tree Sitters
"Late Monday, [Judge Barbara Miller]
issued an order rejecting UC Berkeley's claim that the Alquist-Priolo
earthquake zoning act does not apply to its plan to build a $125
million athletic center near the stadium.
For safety reasons, the act prohibits "alterations or
additions" to existing structures to be built on earthquake faults
where the cost of the alteration or addition exceeds 50 percent of the
value of the existing structure. The order says the university "never considered" whether the
sports training center was an alteration or an addition to the stadium
for purposes of compliance with the act...
... A trial for three
lawsuits filed by the city of Berkeley, the Panoramic Hill Association,
and the California Oak Foundation was held before Miller in October.
The lawsuits stemmed from concerns about safety, neighborhood traffic
impacts and other issues.
The Oak Foundation's lawsuit challenges the university's
decision to raze a grove of oak trees adjacent to the stadium to make
way for the sports training center.
Miller was slated to issue a written ruling by Jan. 11, but unless further delayed, she will issue a decision by Feb. 6."
Up
Electric Eel Used to Power
Christmas Tree
(Mianichi Daily News)
Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.
UpAlemany Farm Work Day
December 29
12 - 5 pm
Join us at the Alemany Farm for our volunteer work day. All skill levels welcome to do as much or as little for any portion or the entirety of the day. We will be distributing harvested food at about 4:30pm!
Night Hike: "New Year's Eve Exploration"
8 - 11:30 pm
Free
RSVP: 415-255-3233
Hike into 2008 with the Greenbelt Alliance by exploring some of San Francisco's best walkways and vistas. Stay after the hike to enjoy the midnight fireworks show. Reservations required.
Urban Composting
January 5
10 am - noon
Garden for the Environment
415-731-5627
Free
Winter can be a great time to start a new compost pile or to jump start one that just isn't breaking down. Join Garden For the Environment for a fun, hands-on workshop teaching basic methods of both backyard and worm composting! Pre-register by phone.
Up
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