Pacifica Riptide

Man's Best Friends, All 16 of Them

 

Tell Congress & The White House to Protect Yosemite

When you think of cyanide, you think of poison. You don’t think of Yosemite National Park, and neither should mining companies. But with the price of gold over $1,700 an ounce, the pressure is on to open up mining claims around Yosemite.
 
The home of Half Dome and El Capitan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s crazy to think there are 185 active mining claims within just 10 miles of the park, and with enough pressure from mining companies, they can be reopened anytime.
 
You and I know that Yosemite is priceless — no matter how high the price of gold, this beautiful park and the wildlife that live there are worth much more. Will you join me in urging the president and Congress to ban new mining claims near Yosemite? President Obama has already protected the Grand Canyon National Park with a buffer zone that prevents industrial mining near that park. Now it’s time for the President to give Yosemite the same protection.
 
A modern gold rush would be a disaster for the Yosemite we know and love. Industrial mines remove hundreds of tons of ore from the earth to process a few ounces of gold, scarring the land and releasing heavy metals like lead into ponds and streams that flow into Yosemite. Industrial mining operations use toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury to separate gold from crushed ore. With a heavy rain or landslide, these chemicals can escape their containment ponds and poison the surrounding area.
 
We cannot let this happen. Urge President Obama and Congress to save Yosemite from toxic mining. The animals and endangered species that find refuge in Yosemite National Park don’t know where the park border ends and a gold mine begins. They can easily drink from a stream or eat a fish that’s contains a lethal dose of mining waste. But if enough of us speak out, we can save Yosemite from toxic mining. Thank you for taking action and spreading the word.

(Riptide heartily endorses this action statement from Environment California. Please contact your elected representatives in Congress and the White House.)

Paul Donahue: Pacifica Shorebird Alliance

Paul Donahue photo

Biologist and artist Paul Donahue recently presented a very special photographic exploration of the natural history of two of Pacifica's smallest shorebirds. Pacifica Shorebird Alliance sponsored this free public event.

Bird bio: Observers often confuse snowy plovers with sanderlings. The two species live along Pacifica 's ocean shore and look very similar. Paul Donahue examines the life histories and conservation challenges for these two shorebirds. Through fall, winter, and spring, the two species appear side by side along our sandy beaches. Sanderlings are the little whitish sandpipers that chase waves up and down the beach. Much less conspicuous, snowy plovers are generally up on the higher and drier sections of the beach. While snowy plovers remain in the south to nest on sandy beaches along the California coast, in late April the sanderlings begin migrating to their nesting grounds in the high Arctic tundra, thousands of miles to the north. 

Sadly, as with so many species these days, these two shorebirds are both in decline. Snowy plover numbers have fallen far enough for the species to be federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As is often the case,  threats to the continued survival of these two species come from multiple sources. Despite great differences in their life histories, these two shorebirds share a common threat: human disturbance on sandy beaches they prefer. 

Speaker bio: Paul Donahue is a respected ornithologist, bird artist, and photographer who has studied shorebirds extensively for more than 40 years. His work includes shorebird conservation and research projects with the Manomet Center for Conservation Science and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Recently, members of several Bay Area Audubon groups enjoyed Paul's presentation on his dramatic experiences with birds and jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal. Now a Pacifica resident, Paul spends considerable time observing wintering shorebirds on Pacifica State Beach at Linda Mar. 

If you want a close-up view of sanderlings and snowy plovers through Pacifica Shorebird Alliance scopes, a weekend field trip with Donahue can be arranged. The alliance is a local environmental organization whose mission is to engage and educate the public about protecting local coastal birds and their ecosystems.

CLICK FOR INFO ON SHOREBIRD ALLIANCE

Alley Cat Allies: Become a Friend of Felines

CLICK HERE TO HELP PROTECT ALL CATS

Here, Kitty Kitty Kitty

 

Episode 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy-3VHrMecI

Episode 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE_mOt2CZOU

Episode 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtJa0wOWyAc

Mayburrito's Favorite Bear Video of All Time

 

Pacifica: Great Place to Picnic at the Beach

Sanderlings feast at Pacifica's beaches (Paul Donahue photos)

Pacifica: Great Place to Fly

Brown pelican (Paul Donahue photos)

Jump for Joy

 

 

Gray Lodge Wildlife Refuge: Winter's Waterfowl Wonderland

Geese in flight over Gray Lodge at sunset, January 8 (Leslie Davidson photo)

Sunset at Gray Lodge, January 8 (Leslie Davidson photo)

Winter is peak bird-watching time at Gray Lodge state wildlife refuge east of Colusa and north of the mighty Sutter Buttes. All over this Central Valley region, rice farmers used to burn the stubble after harvesting their crops. Now they spare the air, flood their fields, and welcome migrating geese and ducks, which stop off there to rest, feed on the leftover rice, and then move on, leaving behind their soil-enriching waste. It’s a win-win for farmers and birds. In another important way, it is also a win-win for hunters and bird-watchers, who both benefit from the abundance of bird life in the refuge and surrounding area, including several other state and federal wildlife refuges. Duck hunters are restricted to designated areas of Gray Lodge on weekends and Wednesdays. Their license fees help pay for refuge management by California Fish and Game. Bird-watchers pay $4 per person to drive into the viewing area, where is a hiking trail on the levee around the refuge, a viewing platform with a telescope, and a separate loop road for viewing only from your car. On non-hunting days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) it is very quiet and peaceful. All you hear is the birds and the wind. At sundown, you may even see and hear a mass flyout of geese, as wave after wave of them head east in honking, squawking V formations. If you go, be sure to look up Gray Lodge online for further information. If you want a comfortable place to stay nearby, check out Feather Falls Resort south of Oroville (reasonably priced rooms, heated swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, exercise room, gambling casino, restaurant, campground). Bonus find: Doering’s Mandarins, Highway 99 at Highway 162 west of Oroville – most delicious Satsuma Mandarin oranges I have ever tasted, plus a whole fruit stand selling kiwis, persimmons, pomegranates, nuts, and local honey. Mail order: phone 530-882-4361 or email dmandarins@yahoo.com

JOHN MAYBURY