From our blogs

#OptOutside this Black Friday, November 29, 2019

#OptOutside - what is it and when? Conceived by REI, it is a day to experience our beautiful outdoors instead of going shopping!

In 2015, REI closed its stores on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and paid their employees to take the day off and spend it outdoors.

Each year, more and more companies and more people join REI Outside. REI asserts “#OptOutside isn’t just about Black Friday. It is a mindset. It is about choosing life outdoors. And it has become a way for people to share who they are and what we believe in.”

Donate when you shop on Amazon this Black Friday, November 29, 2019

Black Friday is just around the corner and there are amazing deals to be found online! Support us by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3039253.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society Donation Form

Decoys lure Caspian terns to breed in Don Edwards SF Bay NWR and preserve Columbia River Basin's salmon

Caspian tern chicks with a decoy adult tern at the Don Edwards SF Bay NWR. Credit Crystal Shore/USGS.

Caspian tern chicks with a decoy adult tern at the Don Edwards SF Bay NWR. Credit Crystal Shore/USGS.

Priyanka Runwal, a freelance science and environment journalist, writes in today's New York Times Science section:

If you took a short kayak trip a few years ago to tiny islands nested in former salt ponds near Silicon Valley, you would have found plastic bird decoys all over. The decoys looked like real Caspian terns. The goal of those doppelgängers was to lure terns to breed on the islands, and, in doing so, prevent endangered salmon and trout living hundreds of miles to the north from vanishing.

Read on to find out more about the effort to preserve both populations: Caspian terns, a protected migratory bird, and endangered wild salmonids of the Columbia River Basin where commercial fishing and the construction of dams over the last two centuries have contributed to the decline of wild salmonids by 95 percent.

Tide Rising, a new quarterly newsletter from the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society

by Ceal Craig

Tide Rising: Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2019

Tide Rising: Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2019.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is happy to publish the first issue of its new, digital-only newsletter, Tide Rising: Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2019.

This newsletter issue is the result of a transition of ownership of the historic Tideline newsletter, published for many years jointly by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society. From now on, the Tide Rising quarterly newsletter will be published by San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, with input from the same knowledgeable group of people who contributed in the past.

In our first newsletter, we reflect on partnerships and how important they are to us. For over 25 years, the Society has partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to publish Tideline. Times have changed, and, while our commitment to the USFWS partnership remains strong, constraints have compelled us to split up the duties of communication.

Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week (Oct 12 - 19) at Don Edwards SF Bay NWR

Come celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week this year from October 12 through October 19 at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Discover the sights, sounds and smells of nature as night descends on a twilight tour or star-gazing event on Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR. Take part in some or all of the activities listed below.

Alabama artist Eddie LeRoy wins 2019 Federal Duck Stamp Contest

Eddie LeRoy's acrylic painting of a pair of black-bellied whistling-ducks is the winner of the 2019 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Credit USFWS.

Eddie LeRoy's acrylic painting of a pair of black-bellied whistling-ducks is the winner of the 2019 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Credit USFWS.

After two days of competition, Eddie LeRoy of Eufala, Alabama, emerged as the winner of the Federal Duck Stamp competition with his painting of a black-bellied whistling-duck pair. The announcement was made by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Principal Deputy Director Margaret Everson at the annual contest, held this year at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland.

Refuge’s Marsh-In Summer Day Camp now a community tradition

by Toria Rico, 2019 Summer Camp Coordinator at the Environmental Education Center of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

“Thank you for providing an opportunity for our kids to participate in something meaningful this summer, and giving us access to something fun and educational that we likely would not have been able to do financially had there been a fee.”

That’s what a parent had to say about their child’s participation in the 2019 Marsh-In Summer Camp on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso, California. Every year the Refuge’s Environmental Education Center hosts this unique and cost-free opportunity for local kids to experience nature among wildlife and wetland habitat, in the middle of a densely populated urban area.

Coastal Cleanup Day • September 21, 2019

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge presents Coastal Cleanup Day at the Environmental Education Center, Alviso on Saturday, September 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Do you want to help wildlife and the environment? Join the thousands of people around the world for International Coastal Cleanup Day. At Don Edwards SF Bay NWR you can remove invasive weeds or pick up trash along the parking lot and trails. We’ll supply plastic gloves (or bring your own) and trash and recycling bags. You supply energy, sturdy shoes, sun protection, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Bring a reusable water bottle.

Volunteers can choose to be shuttled to areas along the Shoreline Trail to reach areas farther away. For more information, call 510-792-0222, ext. 362 for the Visitor Services Intern or Paul Mueller at ext. 361. No reservations necessary.

Children under age 18 must have parental approval. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. To expedite the registration process, log on to http://www.fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay to download the forms and bring to the registration table. Forms are also available at the registration table.

Bird language in the field

by Ceal Craig

As a persistent birder, but no expert, I am always trying to learn more about these enchanting species. San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory offered a workshop in February, Listen and Decipher: Bird Language in the Field, led by Jeff Caplan. If you ever can take this workshop, it’s quite enjoyable.

2019 Marsh-In Summer Day Camp • July 29 - August 2, 2019

A FREE summer camp filled with fun activities, games, crafts, and adventures.

Date and Time
  • July 29 - August 2, 2019
  • Grades 1-6: Monday - Wednesday 9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
    • Monday - Bird Day
    • Tuesday - Fish Day
    • Wednesday - Mammal Day
  • Grades 4-6 only: Overnight 6:00 p.m. Thursday - 9:30 a.m. Friday
    • Overnight - Night hikes, star gazing, sleeping under the stars and ice cream making!
Location

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental Education Center
1751 Grand Blvd, Alviso, CA 95002

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