From our blogs

12 Mar 2018

Burton Y. Anderson (1935 - 2018)

Former board member of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, Burton Y. Anderson of Walnut Creek, California.

Former board member of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, Burton Y. Anderson of Walnut Creek, California. Photo courtesy Gary Anderson.

Former board member of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, Burton Y. Anderson died peacefully February 22, 2018 at home in Walnut Creek, California. He was 82.

Mr. Anderson was a dedicated board member, and very valuable to San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society. Our condolences go out to all of his family and friends. We would also like to thank Gary Anderson, his good friend, for this obituary.

A lifelong resident of the Bay Area, Mr. Anderson was born July 13, 1935 in Martinez to Oscar and Helen Anderson. After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1953, he attended the University of Oregon where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Mr. Anderson graduated in 1957 with a Bacherlor's degree and spent the next 30 years in highway construction as a certified engineering geologist. He retired from CalTrans in 1987 after working there for 25 years.

01 Mar 2018

Celebrating 115 Years of the National Wildlife Refuge System • March 14 2018

The National Wildlife Refuge System celebrates 115 years on March 14, 2018. In 1903, Pelican Island in Florida was the first federal land set aside to protect non-marketable wildlife, the brown pelican. Since then, the refuge system has morphed from three-acre Pelican Island to 566 national wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and three national monument areas encompassing more than 800 million acres of land and waters. The system is home to more than 8,000 species of wildlife.

How well do you know your national wildlife refuges? In honor of the refuge system’s 115 years, take our quiz to see how you fare. You might learn something new, or get inspiration for your next vacation!
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/San_Pablo_Bay/115Trivia.html

12 Feb 2018

GeoPDF maps on Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Refuge website

GeoPDF map of the Fremont trails at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

GeoPDF map of the Fremont trails at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

by Gregg Aronson, Refuge Docent

Did you know you can track hiking distances on maps that you can download to your smart phone? They are PDF maps that have geospatial data embedded in them (GeoPDF maps).

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge website currently has three such maps available on its website. These maps allow you to view your current location (within the map boundaries), track your hiking or biking distance, record your start time and duration, and place markers with precise GPS locations, just to name a few features. GeoPDF maps work without wi-fi or data connections, which means you can use them without incurring data charges. You don’t even need to be within range of a cell tower.

17 Jan 2018

San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival • February 9 - 11, 2018 • Mare Island, Vallejo

The 22nd annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival is a celebration of the migration through San Francisco Bay of more than 1 million shorebirds and hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese, hawks and other wildlife at the peak of migration.

The festival features 3 days of guided and self-guided bird-watching outings in the 5 county "north shore" of San Francisco Bay, a Wildlife Expo Hall with live presentations & booths full of artisans, non profits and governmental agencies, the annual "Bay Area Wetlands to Ridgetops" Art Show, Silent Auction, kids activities, and lots of local and regional venues open for tours on Mare Island and beyond. Rain will not cancel the event.

Dates: February 9 - 11, 2018
Venue: Mare Island, Vallejo, CA
Website: www.sfbayflywayfestival.com

The festival is organized by the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, a non-profit organization.

15 Dec 2017

Support us with your charitable donation this holiday season

Happy Holidays!

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Friends group, authorized by Congress to support the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Help us in our mission to promote public awareness and appreciation of the San Francisco Bay and its natural history, and to conserve and preserve the remaining bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.

Your support of our education, interpretation, and research activities is more important than ever. Any amount you’re willing to donate this holiday season will be greatly appreciated! Donations may be fully tax-deductible.

Click here to support us with your charitable donation this holiday season.

29 Nov 2017

Nature Art Show and 30th Anniversary Celebration a great success

Framed print of a watercolor painting by Kathy Kleinsteiber

Framed print of a watercolor painting by Kathy Kleinsteiber.

by Ceal Craig

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society’s Nature Art Show and 30th Anniversary celebration was great fun and a resounding success.

The artists’ works were beautiful. We had a lovely party, and many people came to appreciate the works by Kathy Kleinsteiber, Donald Neff, Shirley Lin, Linda Patterson, Linda Knoll, Matthew Dodder, Julie Long, and Attila Cziglenyi.

Watch our website, www.sfbws.com, for a Nature Art Portfolio coming soon. We will put the artists’ works on-line for continued sales, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Society to support our on-going programs at the refuge.

25 Nov 2017

On #GivingTuesday help us conserve and preserve the essential wildlife habitat of the San Francisco Bay.

#GivingTuesday

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Friends group, authorized by Congress to support the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Help us in our mission to promote public awareness and appreciation of the San Francisco Bay and its natural history, and to conserve and preserve the remaining bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.

Your support of our education, interpretation, and research activities is more important than ever. Any amount you’re willing to donate this #GivingTuesday will be greatly appreciated! Donations may be fully tax-deductible.

Click here to support us with your charitable donation this #GivingTuesday.

20 Nov 2017

Donate when you shop on Amazon this Black Friday

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

13 Nov 2017

SFBWS at the USFWS Region 8 Visitor Services Workshop for Service staff and Friends Groups

by Ceal Craig

Mary Deschene and Dr. Ceal Craig, with Anne Morkill, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex manager, hosted a session called “Grant Development Lessons and Best Practices” for a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 8 Visitor Services Workshop for Service staff and Friends Groups.

The Visitor Services Region 8 Workshop included a project for the workshop host, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and a field trip to learn about storytelling at our newest national park: Pinnacles! If you have not visited either place, I recommend a visit this fall and winter. It was a bit hot in late June. Best time to visit Pinnacles is during the week; weekends have long lines at the entrance gates.

22 Oct 2017

Art Show and Sale to Benefit Education Programs at the Refuge

Framed print of a watercolor painting by Kathy Kleinsteiber

Framed print of a watercolor painting by Kathy Kleinsteiber. Photo courtesy Kathy Kleinsteiber. Copyright Kathy Kleinsteiber.

Come see our newest art display at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso and learn about some of the native plants, birds and insects in nearby oak woodlands!

Local artist Kathy Kleinsteiber has donated framed prints of her watercolor paintings to the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society to be sold. The entire sale price will go toward the educational programs in Alviso. These high-quality, limited edition giclee prints are framed with archival mats, wood frames and plexiglass glazing.

The artwork will be on display until November 30, 2017. You may purchase any print now, but will need to come back after the exhibit to retrieve your purchase so that the show will remain intact for others to enjoy. Hurry in for the best selection!

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