The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Friends group, authorized by Congress to support the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society seeks to nurture in the public a sense of understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuges, their natural and cultural history, and to conserve, preserve, and restore bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.

Join

Become a Supporter of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society. Your dues will include a subscription to Tide Rising and a 15% discount at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Nature Stores at the Visitor Center in Fremont, and Environmental Education in Alviso.

Volunteer

Volunteering at the Refuge is a rewarding and valuable experience. Through a variety of public programs, visitors understand and appreciate the natural and cultural history of the Refuge.

Donate

Your support of our education, interpretation, and research activities is more important than ever. Any amount you’re willing to donate will be greatly appreciated! Donations may be fully tax-deductible.

Tide Rising

Tide Rising is a quarterly, digital newsletter published by the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society with information about the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex and its seven Refuges.

Fall 2024
(Download PDF)

From our blogs

10 Oct 2024

The Fall 2024 Issue of Tide Rising, our quarterly newsletter, is here

by Ceal Craig

Tide Rising: Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2024

Tide Rising: Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2024.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is happy to publish the latest issue of its digital newsletter, Tide Rising: Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2024. This issue’s theme is Partnerships & Supporters.

In this issue:

  • Partnerships and Supporters: Representative from long-term SFBWS partner answers questions about why the work they support is important to them. Community comes together for Latino Conservation Week; groups highlight resources of and raise awareness of Salinas River NWR. Volunteer hunters use own time, money, equipment to help maintain dozens of duck blinds across 10,000 acres of tidal areas and salt ponds. SFBWS, USFWS, Tamien Nation co-host US Rep. Ro Khanna’s staff for retreat at EEC, discussing challenges and need for Refuge funding.
  • SFBWS Perspectives: Volunteers keeping Visitor Contact Station open on weekends; SFBWS co-hosts Rep. Khanna staff visit; CORFA hosts open meetings.
  • Reports from the Field: CORFA shirt reminds public of importance of their votes for wildlife. Watershed Watchers outreach and education continues to educate communities about the importance of keeping our watersheds clean. Marsh-In Summer Camp encourages and inspires youth to grow up with a passion for science, conservation, and environmental activism. SFBWS associate explains why cow grazing is essential tool for maintaining the health of vernal pool grasslands.
  • Community Voices: Young environmentalists consider seasonal changes in marshland, call on community to reduce pollution.
  • News: SFBWS Staff Changes. FWS VC Retires. New Ravenswood Trail Opens October 19. Upcoming activities on the refuge and in the community: check them out!
  • SFBWS Volunteer Opportunities: Learn about places to support the Complex and the SFBWS: Nature store volunteers, SFBWS Operations support.

Editors: Clayton Ou, Ceal Craig, PhD
Contributors: SFBWS: Ceal Craig, Mary Deschene, Sirena Lao, Danielle McCormick, Armando J Valencia. USFWS: Melisa Amato, Matt Brown. Volunteers: & Supporters: Billy Roark, Da Potato Sisters. Photographers: C. Craig, SFBJV, A. Goswami, Delta Waterfowl, USFWS, CORFA, S. Lao, D. McCormick, A. Kakouros, A. Valencia, M. Marquez.

Thanks for reading!

Field Trips and Group Programs

General Education Program Information

Free field trip programs are offered at two sites at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society provides programs at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts field trips at the Refuge Headquarters in Fremont.

Upcoming Activities

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Activities This Month

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Our Programs
 

Watershed Watchers

The Watershed Watchers program is a partnership of the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society.

The purpose of the Watershed Watchers program and SCVURPPP is to prevent urban runoff pollution (pollution coming from a myriad of sources, such as oils from vehicles, detergents from washing things outside, litter, and pet waste) and increase the surrounding communities’ knowledge of such pollution, and how to reduce its harmful effects through personal behavior.

This purpose is accomplished through many avenues, with the most popular being the interpretive and stewardship programs offered at the Environmental Education Center.

Riya's Corner: A Watershed Watcher Story

Meet Riya! Riya is a local 5th grader who is on a mission to educate Refuge visitors about the importance of our wetlands and inform visitors about the trash being left behind. This page will be for Riya to take the lead on updating our community on Refuge happenings, current events, plastic pollution, and her latest projects!

Nature Gifts Order Form

Share your love of nature and the National Wildlife Refuges by gifting your loved ones nature-themed books.

You can buy the books online or you can mail us a check along with an order form.

If you are an existing member of the The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society and you place an order for a Nature Gift, you qualify to gift a membership to a friend or family member, at no cost to yourself or the gift recipient. Click here for the Gift Membership form.

All proceeds from the book sale benefit the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society.

Seeking Donations for Blue Goose School Bus Transportation Fund

Donations for Blue Goose School Bus Transportation FundThe San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (Society) is seeking donations to make the Blue Goose School Bus Transportation Fund permanent and sustainable. The Fund pays for buses that enable school field trips to visit the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge as a learning laboratory.

For the last two years, the Fund has enabled school groups to participate in the Wetland Round-up Field Trip (grades K-6) and Living Wetlands (grades 5 – 12) programs at the refuge. These programs actively involve teachers, adult volunteers, and students in investigating the diverse habitats and wildlife of the refuge. Hands-on, small group activities are designed to teach basic ecological concepts and to introduce endangered species, migratory birds, and wetland habitats to the students. The programs are relevant to the appropriate State of California Education Standards.

Living on the Edge: A Tour of Bay Habitats

Bike tour on the refuge.As you ride your bike or take a hike around the habitats at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, stop along the way to learn more about the history of the site, the plants and wildlife that live here, and the restoration work being done to ensure a resilient future for our community.

At each stop location (see map below), you will find a sign with a QR code. Scan the code with your mobile device’s camera or app. This will open a web page with information, photos, and additional links about four different topics relevant to each stop.

Species of the Refuge

Species of the refuge.Want to learn more about the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge? Check out this quick and easy learning module to get to know the animal and plant species that call the Refuge home. Whether you learn more about Salty the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse or watch a video of Snowy the Snowy Plover - there is something here for all ages to get excited about!

This special module was created for the Refuge's annual Marsh-In Summer campers, and we are so thrilled to finally bring it to you!

If you are interested in learning more or want to know how you can apply your newfound knowledge to visiting the Refuge, please email watershedwatchers@sfbayws.org.

Drawbridge

Drawbridge in 2011. Photo courtesy Cecilia Craig. Copyright CC-BY-NA 3.0Drawbridge is a ghost town nestled on an island in the salt marshes of south San Francisco Bay.

In its heyday around the 1920s, as many as 600 people visited Drawbridge on weekends to enjoy its rustic atmosphere, and to go hunting, fishing, boating and swimming. Some people remember it as a quiet, peaceful town full of nature lovers, while others claim it was a rip-roaring town full of two-fisted rowdies.

Over time, residents and visitors abandoned the town. In 1979 Drawbridge saw its last resident move out. Since then, it has become a ghost town and is slowly sinking into the marshlands.

Warning: No Trespassing Allowed! Drawbridge is now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and is no longer open to the public. It is illegal and unsafe to visit the town. Trespassers on federally-managed land may be penalized with large fines. Drawbridge can be briefly viewed from the Altamont Commuter Express, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight trains. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a Drawbridge Van Excursion led by long-time volunteer Ceal Craig on a periodic basis. The tour does not visit the town itself; it only goes to the closest spot from which one can legally view Drawbridge.

Book on Drawbridge

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is the publisher of a book on Drawbridge titled Sinking Underwater: A Ghost Town's Amazing Legacy written by Anita Goldwasser and Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D. The book is available for purchase online and in our Nature Stores. All proceeds from the book sale benefit the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society.

Full Title: Sinking Underwater: A ghost town’s amazing legacy
Authors: Anita Goldwasser and Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D.
Publisher: San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society
Paperback: 121 pages in full color
ISBN: 978-1-54392-732-0
First edition: 2018

☆☆ Click here to buy the book ☆☆