From our blogs

15 Mar 2014

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show • March 22, 2014

Find out how to make a difference for wildlife in your own backyard at an educational event in San Francisco with National Wildlife Federation naturalist and author David Mizejewski on Saturday, March 22nd at 11am and 2:45pm.

Join us at the magnificent San Francisco Flower & Garden Show on Saturday, March 22nd at San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo. This year’s show theme is “Inspired,” and it runs from March 19th through March 23rd. This amazing event brings together leading gardening experts and presents a range of inspirational, educational, and fun activities for gardeners and families.

On March 22nd, National Wildlife Federation media personality, author and naturalist David Mizejewski will be speaking at two Garden Show events, inspiring us to invite wildlife into our gardens.

At 11am and again at 2:45pm, David will give seminars on “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Backyard Wildlife.” David will sign copies of his book “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife” after his 2:45pm talk.

Please note that you must purchase tickets to the Garden Show to attend speaker seminars. And don’t forget to allow extra time for parking. Hope to see you at the garden show!

02 Mar 2014

Videos of hummingbirds in their nest

Dan Tuchler recently had the rare opportunity to shoot a video of a hummingbird and her two nestlings just outside his house. Dan made the video by holding up an iPhone to an astronomy telescope.

Hummingbird nestlings

Hummingbird nestlings. Courtesy Dan Tuchler.

The nestlings appear hungry

The nestlings appear hungry. Courtesy Dan Tuchler.

20 Feb 2014

LaRiviere Marsh Celebration • March 15, 2014

Ohlone Audubon and Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge present LaRiviere Marsh Celebration on Saturday, March 15, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The LaRiviere Marsh trail is looking better than ever! Help us celebrate the trail upgrades and the new viewing platform donated by Ohlone Audubon.

  • 9:00 a.m. Family Bird Walk. Share nature with your children. RSVP required. Register at https://donedwardsfamilybird.eventbrite.com or call 510-792-0222 x363 *
  • 9:00 a.m. Adult Bird Walk. Enjoy the trails and practice your birding skills. No RSVP required. *
  • 11:30 a.m. Dedication Ceremony and Refreshments at the LaRiviere Marsh Viewing Platform.
* These programs leave from the Visitor Center in Fremont.

16 Feb 2014

Volunteer Opportunities: Spring 2014

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Opportunities: Spring 2014 at the Environmental Education Center (Alviso, California).

If you have an interest in wildlife and their conservation, enjoy working with people, and are enthusiastic and dependable, the Environmental Education Center’s Volunteer Program is for you! As a volunteer, you’ll receive on-the- job training from staff and other volunteers in the project area you choose.

Prior to volunteering at the Environmental Education Cen- ter, you must attend a Volunteer Orientation. You can also attend the orientation just to see what opportunities there are, and if it is the right fit for you.

Upcoming Volunteer Orientations

Volunteer orientations will meet in the auditorium of the Environmental Education Center in Alviso from 11 a.m. to noon:

  • Tuesday, March 4
  • Sunday, March 30
  • Tuesday, April 8
  • Saturday, April 19
  • Tuesday, May 6
  • Saturday, May 31
15 Jan 2014

Children's books based on endangered species available at Society bookstores

Two children’s books based on endangered species in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex are now available for purchase at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society bookstores. Follow the adventures of the salt marsh harvest mouse and the Lange’s metalmark butterfly. These stories will be cherished by children and adults for generations to come. Available for $6.99 each plus tax.

Sardis and Stamm, written by Matthew P. Bettelheim and illustrated by Nicole M. Wong.

Sardis and Stamm, written by Matthew P. Bettelheim and illustrated by Nicole M. Wong.

A Home for Salty, written by Stephanie Stuve-Boden and illustrated by Diane Adams.

A Home for Salty, written by Stephanie Stuve-Boden and illustrated by Diane Adams.

02 Jan 2014

Volunteer Opportunities: Winter 2013-14

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Opportunities: Winter 2013-14 at the Environmental Education Center (Alviso, California).

If you have an interest in wildlife and their conservation, enjoy working with people, and are enthusiastic and dependable, the Environmental Education Center’s Volunteer Program is for you! As a volunteer, you’ll receive on-the- job training from staff and other volunteers in the project area you choose.

Prior to volunteering at the Environmental Education Center, you must attend a Volunteer Orientation. You can also attend the orientation just to see what opportunities there are, and if it is the right fit for you.

Upcoming Volunteer Orientations

Volunteer orientations will meet in the auditorium of the Environmental Education Center in Alviso from 11 a.m. to noon:

  • Tuesday, January 7
  • Saturday, January 25
  • Tuesday, February 4
  • Saturday, February 22
01 Jan 2014

Junior Refuge Manager Program Now Available

Maximize your time spent on the refuge and participate in our Junior Refuge Manager Program. The activity book will teach your children what a National Wildlife Refuge is and what it is like to be a refuge manager.

Self-guided activities include puzzles, birdwatching, nature journaling and a stewardship project.

After completing the activities, you become a Junior Refuge Manager and receive your button. Great for individuals, girl scouts and boy scouts, and home-schooled groups.

07 Dec 2013

Get Involved! Become a Citizen Scientist!

Citizen scientists at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge

Citizen scientists at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. Courtesy USFWS.

Does science fascinate you? Do you want to make a difference and assist scientists, land managers and policy makers in decision making? Consider becoming a citizen scientist. The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge has three projects you can get involved with, ranging from recording bird use on a re-vegetated trail, uploading photographs of King Tide events, to helping document effects of climate change. These projects are ideal for individuals who come to the refuge regularly to hike, and for families and school groups who want to make a difference and take part in the scientific process. Join in one, or all of the projects listed below. No experience necessary.

20 Nov 2013

Interpretation and Environmental Education Internships

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is looking for two interns to develop and implement interactive educational and interpretive programs for visitors to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. These volunteer internships are located at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso, CA.

The internships are provided by the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (SFBWS), a not-for-profit working with the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The primary mission of SFBWS is 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.

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 Watershed Watchers and Living Wetlands programs are designed to reduce pollution in urban runoff and connect people with nature and their watersheds.

14 Nov 2013

Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California

Geographic Scope of the Tidal Marsh Ecosystem Recovery Plan that addresses endangered and threatened species of tidal marshes in California from Humboldt Bay to Morro Bay

Geographic Scope of the Tidal Marsh Ecosystem Recovery Plan that addresses endangered and threatened species of tidal marshes in California from Humboldt Bay to Morro Bay. Courtesy USFWS.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today the largest ever tidal marsh recovery effort attempted on the west coast of the United States, a plan that could cost $1.24 billion over 50 years and involve multiple federal, state and non-profit agencies.

The plan aims to restore several endangered species to a healthy enough condition that they no longer need the protection of the Endangered Species Act. These species are found predominantly in the tidal marshes running along 500 plus miles of the California coastline.

Their populations are threatened by habitat loss, population fragmentation, altered hydrology and salinity, non-native invasive species, predator attacks, disturbance, contamination, and sea level rise due to climate change.

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