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GGNRA Endangered Species Big Year Events
Join Peter Brastow of Nature in the City on a 5 mile hike through the Presidio's diverse habitats in search of wildflowers, including San Francisco Lessingia, Presidio Clarkia and Marin Dwarf-flax. Meet at Lobos Dunes parking lot (Coming from the 25th Avenue gate into the Presidio, take the first right into the parking lot). Bring food and water. RSVP required: Peter Brastow, or call 415-564-4107.
Come learn about the GGNRA’s work to protect endangered species and the places they call home. After some free snacks and drinks, go on a naturalist-led hike to search for the tidewater goby, a small, endangered, nest-building fish that calls Rodeo Lagoon home!
Jiji Foundation Gives Nature in the City
Funding for the GGNRA BIG YEAR!
Great news for the 33 federally listed species in the GGNRA, and for the many San Franciscans & Bay Areans who are learning about these imperiled but beautiful creatures in 2008. Thanks to the hard work of our Steering Committee member and Big Year Director, Brent Plater, the JiJi Foundation has awarded us a grant of $10,000 for the Big Year Project. With this generous contribution to the Big Year, we can continue, among other things, to spread the word with high quality and beautifully designed print materials, help organize fun and engaging events, publicize the field trips, and transport visitors who otherwise might not make it out to the GGNRA.
The 2008 Endangered Species Big Year Project is a unique urban national park experience in which local citizens get to know our most endangered neighbors and then learn how they can help them along their challenging recovery. Check out the Big Year Calendar for what's happening this weekend!
As of 2007, the state of California declared a state of emergency against the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). The LBAM is originally from Australia and was first discovered in Northern California in 2006. Among entemologists and other scientists, estimates vary for how long the moth has actually been in California. Some say decades, others say just a few years. The immature caterpillars are quite the generalists, feeding on a wide variety of plants, including many of California's agricultural crops, trees and ornamentals. Hoping to eradicate the moth, beginning last June, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) began a large scale aerial release containing the moth pheromone Checkmate LBAM-F to confuse male moths and keep them from locating a mate.
We are extremely sympathetic to the problem of invasive species. Part of our mission at Nature in the City is to educate the public about invasive plants, in particular and work collaboratively with agencies and the public to create a safe and effective integrated pest management system. See our invasive weeds page to learn more.
Unfortunately, we are not sufficiently persuaded by the limited science cited by CDFA, and we are troubled by their public relations approach. We do support the effort to collect more data on the effects of the Checkmate spray on the health of human beings and the environment before continuing the aerial application, especially over densley populated areas like the Bay Area. We support CDFA in choosing a less harmful product to eradicate the moth, but we urge them to gather more scientific information about the extent and the impact of infestation, and consider less extreme alternatives than spraying. Given the lack of hard information, our tendency is to be sympathetic with the activists, depsite the fact that some of the claims about impacts may be off base.
For more information about the Light Brown Apple Moth and the aerial spraying visit the CDFA website, Stop the Spray, and the Pesticide Action Network. The more informed we are, the better decisions we can make about the situation. Please check in with Nature in the City regularly for updates, as well as information on other invasive species management issues.
Stop a Dangerous Attack on California's Coast
The California Assembly will soon vote on a bill that would exempt a housing development on coastal land in Half Moon Bay from numerous state environmental laws. Urge your assemblymember to vote No on this dangerous bill.
AB 1991 would implement a settlement agreement between the city of Half Moon Bay (just south of San Francisco) and a private developer to construct 129 homes on wetlands. The terms of the settlement favor the developer at the expense of protecting the state's coastal treasures.
Learn more about the bill, and write to your assemblymember on the National Resource Defense Council's website.
The incoming US Federal administration of 2009 will have an important opportunity to launch a New Green Deal that promotes locally directed efforts to solve many of our urgent problems.
The New Green Deal focuses on developing basic requirements for moving towards sustainability such as green collar jobs, regional ecological restoration, and inclusion of under- represented communities. Its mission is to enable comprehensive long-lasting social, economic and natural resource policies. The New Green Deal can become the foundation for healthy, productive domestic programs that reduce our nation's oil dependence and provide proactive responses to reduce global warming.
Learn more about the New Green Deal of 2009 at Planet Drum.
Volunteer Opportunities
Wednesday May 14
Presidio Park Stewards @ Battery Easy
CNPS @ McLaren Park (Sunnydale)
Presidio Nursery
Thursday May 15
Crissy Field Landscape
Lands End Stewards
Friday May 16
Presidio Plant Patrol @ Wherry Corridor
Saturday May 17
GGNRA Big Year Tiburon Paintbrush Restoration
Friends of Glen Canyon
GGNRA Big Year San Mateo Thornmint Action
Friends of Shields / Orizaba Rocky Outcrop
Friends of Brooks Park
Presidio Park Stewards @ Inspiration Point
Fort Funston
GGNRA Big Year Mission Blue Butterfly Restoration
Lands End Stewards
Presidio Nursery
Bernal Hilltop Native Grassland
San Bruno Mountain
For more information, contact info, and directions to natural areas go to the Community Calendar on the Nature in the City website.
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Nature in the City is a project of Earth Island Institute, a501(c) California non profit public benefit corporation.
More Eco News and Events Help Save San Onofre State Beach San Onofre State Beach needs your help! Please send a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, urging him to deny the toll road appeal and keep the beach open! The toll road backers in Orange County are appealing to the federal government to override the Coastal Commission and get special approval to build a toll road through San Onofre State Beach. Public comments will be accepted until May 28! For more information about the toll road and the state park/beach closures go to the Califonia Parks Foundation website! 3 Easy Steps to Restore California Rivers In November, corporate agribusiness and developers will spend millions to convince California voters & policitians that dams are the only solution to the perceived water crisis.
Official Site of California's Proposed The new website has routes, travel times, station information, broadcast quality visualizations and can calculate the CO2 emissions saved by high-speed trains.
ACT locally, ADVOCATE globally
Alameda Creek Alliance
That simply isn't true, and Friends of the River has three easy steps to cut water use while providing adequate water supply.
High Speed Trains
