From our blogs

by Robin Meadows, Bay Area Monitor

Last October, an excavator breached an old levee at Sears Point to initiate restoration of farmland back to tidal marsh. Photo courtesy Sonoma Land Trust/Corby Hines.

After California’s worst drought in 500 years, we’re finally enjoying a rainy winter thanks to one of the strongest El Niños on record. Droughts interspersed with drenchings are nothing new for us — these extremes are part of our normal weather cycle — and periodic wet years are nothing we can’t handle. But that’s about to change. In coming decades, sea level rise will amplify the storm surges and ultra-high “king” tides that send waves crashing over levees.

Making matters worse, sea level rise will also weaken the Bay Area’s resilience to floods. Tidal marshes edging the bay take the oomph out of waves and soak up water like sponges. However, according to a 2015 State Coastal Conservancy-led report, we stand to lose most of this natural flood protection to rising seas. The cost of an extreme storm to the Bay Area is estimated at $10 billion.

This year we mark the centennial of the Convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds - also called the Migratory Bird Treaty - that was signed on Aug. 16, 1916. This  Migratory Bird Treaty (446.6KB), and three others that followed, form the cornerstones of our efforts to conserve birds that migrate across international borders.

The treaty connects the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with our federal, state, private, non-government, tribal, and international partners who share a long, successful history of conserving, protecting, and managing migratory bird populations and their habitats. Celebrating the centennial of the first treaty allows us to bring together those who have contributed to its success, and to galvanize efforts to protect migratory birds for generations to come.

Introduce your child to bird watching and learn how the Christmas Bird Count contributes to conservation at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Coyote Hills Regional Park on January 17, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Go with an experienced birdwatcher and count all the birds you see. We will reconvene at the Don Edwards Refuge to tabulate our data and report our findings.

Recommended for ages 8-16. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Driving to specific birding sites may be necessary. Bring binoculars if you have them, water, and a bag lunch.

Register at http://xmasbirdcount4kids.eventbrite.com.

Meet at the Visitor Center in Fremont at 2 Marshlands Rd, Fremont, CA

by Ceal Craig

Microbeads set against a penny for comparison of size. Photo courtesy 5 Gyres.

Yesterday, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 passed both Congress and the Senate by unanimous consent, and was presented to the President for his signature.

Microbeads are tiny plastic beads that are added to consumer products such as body and face scrubs to enhance exfoliation and to produce a “feel good factor”. Microbeads wash down the drain, escape sewage treatment and enter our watersheds, lakes and oceans where they are eaten by marine life. A 2013 study found that plastic in the diet of marine life could negatively impact their health.

These destructive small particles first came to my attention at a reception for our Litterati.org exhibit earlier this spring held at the Environmental Education Center, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I had no idea of their potential for destruction or impact until then.