From our blogs

Apply to join the Hybrid Marsh-In Summer Camp • July 24-28, 2023

We are so excited to welcome campers back for another year of Marsh-In Summer Camp at the Don Edwards SF Bay NWR! This is the 44th year of free Summer Camp being offered to Bay Area youth entering Grades 1-6 and will take place at Refuge Headquarters in Fremont at 1 Marshlands Rd, Fremont, CA 94555.

We welcome parents & guardians from all over the Bay Area to apply via this Google Form: https://forms.gle/cq6vCc9uYtM37ddR6. Applications are due on June 9th, and Summer Camp acceptances will be sent out by June 16th. The application form will give you a sneak peek at the camp schedule and some of the incredible opportunities for campers to engage with nature at their local, national wildlife refuge!

Please reach out to summercamp@sfbayws.org if you have any questions.

Mother's Day at the Refuge • May 14 2023, 10am – 2pm

Mother's Day | May 14, 2023

We hope you will join us in celebrating all of the mothers of the world by attending our Mother's Day Celebration at the Refuge!

You may arrive any time from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 14th, at the Environmental Education Center at the Don Edwards SF Bay NWR.

The event will be an open house, with time to explore, learn more about Mama Birds, join a guided walk or ranger program, participate in some fun Mother's Day arts & crafts, and much more!

The Spring 2023 Issue of Tide Rising, our quarterly newsletter, is here

by Ceal Craig

Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 4, Spring 2023

Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 4, Spring 2023.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is happy to publish the latest issue of its digital newsletter, Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 4, Spring 2023. This issue’s theme is Endangered & Threatened Species.

In this issue:

  • Endangered Species Act: Refuge Complex Status - What are those 32 special species in the San Francisco Bay NWR Complex? Where are they? Why are they important? Learn about endangered species at Salinas River & Ellicott Slough NWRs.
  • Environmental Science Reports - Boom year for vernal pool aquatic species: report from the field from the Complex Botanist. Exciting news about endangered species on the Channel Islands!
  • Earth Day 2023 Event: see flyer for 4/22 activities.
  • Mother’s Day Event: see flyer for 5/14 activities.
  • Photographs and Other News!

Readers' feedback:
Enjoy and share your ideas for future edition articles! What interests you? Write us.

Editors: Ceal Craig, PhD
Contributors: SFBWS: Ceal Craig, Madison Cline, Olivia Poulos. USFWS: Ann Spainhower, Aidona Kakouros, Diane Kodama, Giessell Aguilar.
Photographers: Aidona Kakouros, Ambarish Goswami, Heather Butler, Kelly Matsubara, Matthew Slater, Merav Vonshak, Robin Agarwal.

Thanks for reading!

Earth Day • April 22, 2023

Earth Day | April 22, 2023

On April 22nd, people all over the world will celebrate Earth Day – a day set aside to raise environmental awareness and inspire people to take action for our planet!

The theme for Earth Day 2023 is Invest in Our Planet.

Become an Earth Hero

We hope you will join in this mission with us, and one way you can participate is by becoming an Earth Hero. Download and complete the packet below to learn more about our beautiful Earth and how we can help protect it. Once you complete the packet, please email us at watershedwatchers@sfbayws.org for a chance to earn a sustainable prize!

⮇ Click here to download the Earth Hero packet (PDF 21 MB) ⮇

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase (In-Person) • May 6 and May 7, 2023, 10am - 5pm

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour

Registration for the free, Nineteenth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase is now open. This year there will be four days of inspiration: two days online, and two days in-person, and, for the second time the Tour will also showcase green home features.

Date: Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7, 10:00-5:00
Free with Registration: https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net

In-Person Tour

The award-winning in-person Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase will allow registrants to visit more than fifty beautiful, water-conserving native plant gardens on Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7—from 10:00-5:00. All of the homes have native plant gardens; more than a dozen will be sharing their green home features, such as solar panels and batteries, induction ranges, heat pumps, and more.

Registrants will learn how to design a native plant garden for color and interest throughout the year, garden for wildlife, lower their water bills, protect their family's health and the environment by gardening without using pesticides, and answering questions about electrification.

Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour & Green Home Features Showcase • April 16 and 17, 2023, 10am - 3pm

The online Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase will take place on the weekend of April 16 and 17 from 10:00-3:00.

This event will be kicked off on April 16 with a keynote presentation by the inspirational, best-selling author Doug Tallamy.

The online tour will feature beautiful native plant gardens that attract birds, bees, and butterflies, as well as talks on gardening for wildlife, how to create a rain garden, choose hardy and attractive shrubs for your garden, and more.

In addition, a Bay Area home with solar panels, a heat pump for heating and cooling the house, an induction range, and more will be toured. Free to all, you must register to get an invitation to Zoom.

Marsh-In Summer Camp and Program Associate 2023

We are hiring! Want the chance to work outdoors with the public on a National Wildlife Refuge? Looking to gain experience in the nonprofit sector? Ready to start your career working for public lands? Then apply to join our team at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society as the Summer Camp and Program Associate!

We are looking for a passionate and tenacious team member to engage with our local youth and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

Check out the job posting on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3518823437, or on the Conservation Job Board here: https://www.conservationjobboard.com/job-listing-summer-camp-and-program....

Please see below for more details and how to apply. Applications are due Monday, April 3, 2023!

Marsh-In Summer Camp Associate 2023

Save the date! Hybrid Marsh-In Summer Camp • July 24-28, 2023

We are looking forward to hosting our 43rd year of Marsh-In Summer Camp - with a few exciting changes!

This year's camp will be hosted the week of July 24th-28th at Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Fremont. We will kick off the week with a virtual introduction session, provide educational at-home activities, and then welcome campers to the Refuge for 3 days of in-person camp.

So mark your calendars and check back for more updates as camp applications and sign-ups for bus transportation will be opening on May 1st.

Please email summercamp@sfbayws.org with any questions.

The Winter 2022 Issue of Tide Rising, our quarterly newsletter, is here

by Ceal Craig

Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2022

Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2022.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is happy to publish the latest issue of its digital newsletter, Tide Rising: Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2022. This issue’s theme is Restoration & Reflection.

In this issue:

  • Restorations: Learn about the Sears Point Tidal Restoration Project
  • Reflections: Stories from the past about the Southeast Farallon Island, part of the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
  • Reflections: 50th Anniversary Highlight
  • Earth Day 2023: Looking ahead
  • Staff changes at USWFS

Readers' feedback:
Can you spare 5 minutes to complete a survey (five questions plus a few optional ones)? Share your ideas about our quarterly Tide Rising newsletter: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TideRising2021Survey
Let us know how we are doing and what we can do to improve our efforts and serve you better.

Editors: Ceal Craig, PhD
Contributors: SFBWS: Ceal Craig, Olivia Poulos. USFWS: Meg Marriott, Matt Brown.
Volunteers: & Supporters: Marla Daily, Larry Rosenblum
Photographers: Ambarish Goswami, Eadweard Muybridge, Larry Rosenblum, Jack Swensson, San Francisco Library, Santa Cruz Island Foundation (SCIF), Stuart Siegel

Thanks for reading!

Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener Training

Landscape professionals! The Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener Training starts February 2nd. Learn integrated pest management, soil management, and irrigation techniques to meet the growing demand for sustainable landscape maintenance expertise.

Register now! https://fuhsdadultschool.asapconnected.com/#CourseID=123289

The training consists of ten (10) two-hour classes.

DATES: Thursdays, February 2, 2023, to April 13, 2023

TIME: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

COST: $90 for landscape professionals (with proof of employment); $150 for others

LOCATION: The training will be held online.

REGISTER ONLINE: https://fuhsdadultschool.asapconnected.com/#CourseID=123289

LEARN TO:
• Design and fix sprinklers and drip irrigation systems
• Select the right plants to save water and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers
• Solve pest problems without using toxic pesticides
• Prune correctly
• Mulch and compost

RECEIVE:
• Certification of Completion and Green Gardener Card
• Free Publicity on Local Gardening Websites
o http://www.mywatershedwatch.org/greengardener.html
o http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/community-programs/

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