Expanding Across the Bay Blue Heron Newsletter June-July 2010

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1 San Francisco Nature Education is in its tenth year of delivering comprehensive environmental education programs to students from underserved schools in the San Francisco Unified School District. Expanding Across the Bay Blue Heron Newsletter June-July 2010 Executive Director s Corner We are happy to announce that the donation window for our recent matching grant has been extended by one month. Until July 30th, each donation we receive will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Our goal is to raise at least $5,000 to match the challenge grant and to help us continue our work in school programs and Saturday public programs. Please take advantage of this wonderful challenge grant so that SF Nature Education can continue our award-winning programs into Support SF Nature Education Donations by check can be sent to: San Francisco Nature Education, 3450 Geary Blvd. Suite 208, SF, CA All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thank you for your support! Nancy DeStefanis Upcoming Events Contact SFNE: info@sfnature.org telephone: Birding for Everyone First Saturdays: no walk on July 3. August 7, 10 am noon. Meet us near the bookstore inside the main gate of the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park (MLK Drive near 9th Ave. at Lincoln). Adults $10; no one turned away due to lack of funds. Birding Classes for Kids First Saturdays: no class on July 3. August 7, 10 am noon. Meet us near the bookstore inside the main gate of the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park (MLK Drive near 9th Ave. at Lincoln). Adults $10; no one turned away due to lack of funds. Nesting Birds of Lake Merritt Peter Baty, ERM Volunteer Do you know something? I ve been coming to Lake Merritt every week for 20 years, and I have never noticed these birds nesting over there on those islands before! It s amazing! It was this type of comment from the locals that helped make this spring s inaugural Lake Merritt Bird Watch such a pleasure. The nesting birds that we observed included Double-crested Cormorants, Blackcrowned Night Herons, and Snowy Egrets. But we were also fortunate to spot 29 birds, including some exotic ones, including Green Herons, Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, and even a couple of Great Blue Herons, all of which were a surprise to many locals. Peter Baty, right, helps a young girl with the spotting scope. I have been a volunteer with the Great Blue Heron Watch in San Francisco for three years, but bringing a little slice of nature education to the edge of Lake Merritt was something special; not only for volunteers, but also for citizens of and visitors to Oakland many of Green Heron whom were not aware of the area s natural treasures in the middle of the city s urban landscape. I was thrilled to have been a part of this program, not only as a volunteer, but also as a representative of the ERM Foundation, which awarded SFNE a grant this past year to support its environmental education programs in underserved schools. Joining me from the ERM Foundation were John Moe (Lake Merritt) and Mike Smylie (SF Heron Watch). We look forward to volunteering again next year. Bufflehead ERM is a leading global provider of environmental, health and safety, risk, and social consulting services. Our foundation supports environmental projects around the world through the provision of small grants and/or practical support. Inside 2 More Photos from Lake Merritt 3 Spring School Program Concludes 4 Heron Watch Report 5 Heron s Head EcoCenter: Opening Day; Volunteers Needed

2 Volunteer Gabby Guinea staffs the information table near two islands inhabited by Night Herons and Snowy Egrets. Peter Baty observes as a visitor views birds through the scope. Father and son watch the nesting birds. Double-crested Cormorant Photo:Judy Harter Observing Some Nesting Birds of Lake Merritt, Oakland Black-crowned Night Heron Girls observe birds on an island. Photo: Diane Albracht Benson A very busy Saturday at the Lake Merritt observation site. John Moe adjusts his spotting scope for waiting observers

3 Spring School Program Concludes Linda Grant, Naturalist Naturalist Jeanne Crawford (left) and chaperone with third graders from McCoppin Elementary School. Third graders from E.R. Taylor with chaperone and Clayton, Stow Lake gardener. We wrapped up the 2010 spring season with two glorious field trips. Third-grade classes of Ms. Quan, from Frank McCoppin Elementary, and of Ms. Elmansoumi, from E.R. Taylor, visited Stow Lake. Upon arrival they took out their high-quality Eagle Optics binoculars. The students were excited to see how fast the birds hatched in early April had grown. Great Blue Heron chicks were stretching and flapping their wings. All students had close-up looks at the herons through the spotting scope. Ms. Quan s students were thrilled as they crossed the waterfall and hiked up Strawberry Hill, sketching and reviewing the birds spotted. When they hiked back down they were treated to breathtaking views of the herons. Canada goslings were no longer downy chicks but had begun to look more like their parents. Just as pupils were eyeing Black Phoebe nestlings outside the Golden Gate Pavilion, it began to rain. They took refuge inside, where they enjoyed a snack and listened to the calls of Rock Pigeons on their rooftop nests. After the rain shower we encountered Mallard ducklings and watched Tree Swallows fly over the lake. As the trip ended everyone heard the chirrup, cheeralee, cheerio song of the American Robin. Nancy DeStefanis with second graders from McCoppin Elementary School. Naturalist Mary K. Austin, chaperone, and students from E.R. Taylor Elementary School. Volunteer Jim Elliot and Ms. Elmansoumi, right, with her E.R. Taylor students. Photo: Linda Grant Ms. Quan and her third graders from McCoppin Elementary School touch the chert on Stow Lake s Rustic Bridge after learning its age more than 90 million years! - 3 -

4 Heron s Head EcoCenter: Opening Day Rosanna Chiu, Lowell HS Intern On April 17th, a lovely Saturday afternoon at Heron s Head Park, eco-friendly festival booths graced the perimeter of the parking lot while crowds of people milled around, fascinated by native plants and waterconserving shower heads. The aroma of Mexican and Soul food filled the air. As jazz music played, young and old tapped their feet. Tribal dancers (and also goats) showed off their talents. I strolled into the park with Nancy DeStefanis and my fellow interns, Yvonne and Aileen, ready to jump into another day of leading birding tours. With the sun shining and the festivity surrounding us I felt lucky to be a Bayview Birder. We had a charming group of participants who were interested learning about the beautiful birds we spotted. Among those birds were Willets in the marshes foraging for food. Sleepy Buffleheads rested their heads on their chests and drifted in the water. Mighty Doublecrested Cormorants perched on rocks and held their wings out to dry. Rusty-headed American Avocets sat on their nests. And we discovered a Great Blue Heron, the park s namesake, standing tall far away. We were captivated by the birds and their quirky behaviors. Everyone at the festival gathered to witness the grand opening of the EcoCenter Heron Head Park s environmentally-frendly building. You can guess which bird s figure was carved into the statue on the roof. It was none other than the Great Blue Heron. As an intern I enjoy leading tours, and am constantly familiarizing myself with birds that can only be noticed with lots of patience. Time after time I realize that entering the birding world is a unique and rewarding way to get in touch with the city s nature. Heron s Head Park birding tours for adults and children begin in January, Musicians celebrate the EcoCenter s opening. Photo: Literacy for Environmental Justice American Avocet Photo: Doug Greenberg Part of the new EcoCenter at Heron s Head Park. Photo: Literacy for Environmental Justice Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) offers stewardship programs, in which adults and children can plant native species, on the second Saturday of every month from 9 am noon. Volunteers can come without a reservation; if there are more than five people, please LEJ: hhpeducator@lejyouth.org, or phone Myla Ablog, LEJ ecologist, at Tours of the new EcoCenter are also available on the second Saturday of the month at Cargo Way & Jennings St. in San Francisco. Rosanna Chiu with Jared Blumenfeld, regional director of the EPA. LEJ s Myla Ablog with shovel, and Anthony Khalil, right, on opening day. Tracy Zhu, LEJ Youth Development & Outreach Coordinator, second from left, with interns Aileen Luo, Rosanna Chiu, & Yvonne Chang

5 A heron stretches its legs. Heron Watch Report Nancy DeStefanis, Director Logan, Mary Hackenbracht, Zev, Nancy, and Rafael at Stow Lake. Beth Smylie with a bird-watching visitor. Herons strike matching poses. Mike Smylie with heron watchers. This heron nest is near the Palace of Fine Arts. Photo: Monte Travis The 2010 season was the best ever at the 17-year-old heron colony at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Multitudes of adults and children visited the colony and attended the weekly nature walks. The Great Blues occupied six nests and produced 15 chicks. We spotted a seventh occupied nest in early May. We were unable to determine whether it held any chicks because some nestlings lie low in the nest. Meanwhile, heron chicks are still visible in the trees the product of late-nesting parents. Most of the chicks have already fledged. I would like to thank our ERM Foundation volunteers Peter Baty, Mike and Beth Smylie for their outstanding efforts in helping adults and children to see these magnificent birds. Our SFNE volunteers did a great job: Sharon Pretti, Deputy Director; Mary Hackenbracht; Bette O Donnell; Lowell HS interns Rosanna Chiu and Yvonne Chang; and middle-school interns Logan Kahle, Zev Brook, and Rafael Robles. It s been a tremendous year at Stow Lake! Training for Volunteers Starts in September San Francisco Nature Education welcomes volunteers in its School Program, Tuesday through Friday mornings, and its Saturday programs: Heron Watch and Birds of Lake Merritt. We provide training no experience necessary. You can download an application at the bottom of this web page: Please send your application to: volunteer@sfnature.org. We will get back to you shortly. A young heron looks out of the nest. Zev, Rosanna, Nancy, and Logan with an inanimate friend