From our blogs

Lynnea Shuck Honored by Earth Island Institute for Creating Refuge’s Junior Ranger Program

Brower Youth Award Winner Lynnea Shuck, on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Brower Youth Award Winner Lynnea Shuck, on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy USFWS. Copyright CC-BY-NA 3.0

Lynnea Shuck, a 17-year-old volunteer who created the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge’s first Junior Refuge Ranger program, has been named one of six youth leaders in North America to receive the Earth Island Institute’s prestigious Brower Youth Award.

The awards, part of the Institute’s New Leaders Initiative, recognize young environmental activists ages 13 to 22 for outstanding efforts to promote ecological sustainability and social justice.

Shuck, a senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, Calif., has been volunteering with the refuge since 2010. She created her innovative Junior Refuge Ranger program in 2013, when she recognized an opportunity to more actively engage young people who, in turn, can become advocates for wildlife protection and the refuge system.

National Wildlife Refuge Week is October 12-18!

Look for special events at your local national wildlife refuge to celebrate the largest network of lands devoted to wildlife and conservation. There’s at least one in every state. In the meantime, here’s some trivia about the refuges in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

By the numbers ...

  • 7 National Wildlife Refuges are in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge System Complex.
  • 2 percent of San Pablo Bay NWR lands were purchased using money generated by the sale of Federal Duck Stamps.
  • 11 adult burrowing owls were surveyed at the Warm Springs Unit on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR in June 2014.
  • 40 years ago the north Farallon Islands and West End Island were designated as Wilderness by US Congress.
  • 40,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the San Joaquin River as part of the Port of Stockton’s annual river maintenance program were deposited on Antioch Dunes NWR to create sand dune habitat. More is needed.
  • 1992 is the year Marin Islands NWR was established.
  • 14 Santa Cruz long-toed salamander larvae were discovered in newly constructed Prospect Pond at Ellicott Slough NWR.
  • 4 federally-listed threatened and endangered species are known to occur on Salinas River NWR.

Coastal Cleanup Day • September 20, 2014

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge presents Coastal Cleanup Day at the Dumbarton Fishing Pier Parking Lot, Marshlands Rd, Fremont on Saturday, September 20, 2014 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.

Fremont Coastal Cleanup Day Needs Volunteers To Run the Event • September 20, 2014

Come volunteer as an organizer for the Coastal Cleanup Day at the Dumbarton Fishing Pier Parking Lot, Marshlands Rd, Fremont on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Organized by the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the event is expected to draw a hundred odd participants who will remove invasive weeds or pick up trash along the parking lot and trails.

You can volunteer in any of the following ways:

  • Set up the tents and tables at around 8 am on Saturday September 20.
  • Hand out registration forms at the registration table and accept filled-out forms.
  • Direct participants at the assignment (and safety message) table.
  • Hand out gloves and trash bags to participants at the equipment table.
  • Ride shuttles along the Shoreline Trail with our truck drivers to pick up trash bags, hand out water, or take people back from farther areas.
  • Help participants identify and remove the targeted invasive plants in the weed removal project.
  • Troubleshoot, solve problems, give out information about the refuge, and assist where needed.
  • Take everything down at the end of the event around noon

To volunteer or ask a question please contact Paul Mueller, Volunteer Coordinator, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Email paul_mueller@fws.gov or call at 510-792-0222, ext. 361.

Bay Area artist Donald Neff paints Drawbridge in plein air

Drawbridge has been on my list from almost the start of this quest [to do one painting each week throughout the year 2014 of the Creeks and Rivers of Silicon Valley]. I painted it from across Coyote Slough. How great it was to be way out in the marshlands with only the sounds of the tide going out and an occasional waterfowl winging by! I probably spent as much time just sitting there soaking the environment as painting. ~Donald Neff
Oil painting of Drawbridge, California by Donald Neff

Oil painting of Drawbridge, California by Donald Neff. Photo courtesy Donald Neff. Copyright Donald Neff.

Donald Neff, a Bay Area resident and self-taught painter, took a tour of the ghost town of Drawbridge, CA on Saturday August 23, 2014 with Ceal Craig, long time volunteer at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and also member of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society. Donald's description of how he painted a forgotten part of the Bay Area is recounted on his blog.

President declares September 2014 as National Wilderness Month

(via The White House, Office of the Press Secretary)

NATIONAL WILDERNESS MONTH, 2014
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Visions of the Wild Festival • September 3-6, 2014

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the Visions of the Wild Festival will be held in Vallejo, CA from September 3-6, 2014.

It will include art shows, speakers, films, music, and field trips. The goal is to connect diverse urban communities to the wildness of nature around them.

September 3-6, 2014 Starting at 5pm

Vallejo, CA

www.visionsofthewild.org

The festival is sponsored by the U.S.D.A Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, City of Vallejo, the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, and many other agencies and organizations.

Environmental Education Internship

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Environmental Education volunteer internship is located at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Environmental Education Center in Alviso, CA. The Environmental Education Center provides free programs to schools and the public, while teaching about the local wildlife, conservation, and how to help the environment. The Living Wetlands program is designed to teach about wetlands and the properties of wetlands including watersheds and water conservation. We need a highly motivated individual who has an interest in education and visitor services and will assist in educating, planning, and developing the Living Wetlands program.

The Amazing Refuge Race • August 23, 2014

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and REI Outdoor School present The Amazing Refuge Race August 23, 2014 • 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Armed with GPS units, you and your team will “race” against other teams by attempting to complete required challenges on the refuge first. Teams will be given a set of coordinates where they must try to locate using a GPS unit. Once at that location, teams must work together to complete a challenge. When that task is completed, teams will receive the next set of coordinates. Those who complete all challenges and arrive at the finish first wins!

Intrigued? Log on to http://www.fws.gov/refuge/don_edwards_san_francisco_bay or call Carmen at 510-792-0222 ext. 476 for additional information and rules. Don’t have a GPS unit? Borrow one from REI Outdoor School the day of the race at the refuge. Registration is required!

You may register up to 5 people for your team. A minimum of 2 people per team. The refuge may place individuals on teams containing fewer than 5 people to ensure maximum participation. Registration deadline is August 20. Go to amazingrefugerace.eventbrite.com or call 510-792-0222 ext. 476 to register. There is no cost to enter.

Wilderness at 50: A Remarkable Concept

(via Refuge Friends NewsWire)

Conservationists around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The law represents a half-century-long struggle that began with people like John Muir and culminated with people like Olaus Murie and Howard Zahniser.

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