Open Space Council: Blog

What's Cool: New data about climate change and our parks

On October 26, 2010, the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council released a report, California's National Parks in Peril: The Threats of Climate Disruption. The report details how climate disruption could affect ten national parks in California. If we do not limit emissions of heat-trapping gases, before the end of the century Yosemite National Park would become hotter than Sacramento historically has been. Temperature increases of this magnitude would have far-reaching impacts on Yosemite, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Redwood national parks, and more of California's most special places.

Graphic from John Blanchard with the SF Chronicle.  Click here for their article.

Want to learn more about the report?  Download a 4 page summary here.  Download the full report (a BIG file) here.  Their press release is here.

Want to learn more about what's happening here in the Bay Area to deal with climate change?  We're holding a workshop for decision-makers on Monday, November 1.  Click here to read more.

 

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What's Cool is our weekly feature about climate change in the Bay Area.  Our members and the land conservation community at large are incorporating what we know about climate change into their work to protect and steward open space.  We highlight that work and the many partnerships, events and ideas related to climate change here on Fridays.  Share your stories with us in the comments or by sending an email to Annie Burke at annie [at] openspacecouncil [dot] org.

The Nation's Largest Urban Trail System Is Right Here

On Tuesday, October 19 the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the East Bay Regional Park District’s Green Transportation Initiative has been awarded $10.2 million as part of its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER II) grant program. TIGER II grants were awarded nationwide with over 1000 applications totaling $20 billion competing for $600 million in available funding.

Congratulations to the District for their hard work to create trails, connect people to the outdoors, and bringing more funding to the region. 

Read more about the grant and their plans on Bay Citizen and on the District's website.

Vote Yes on Prop 21!

There are 7 days until November 2 and Election Day 2010. Vote Yes on Prop 21!

What's Cool: Save the Redwoods League

Recent advances enable Save the Redwoods League - one of the Open Space Council's sixty members - and a team of pioneering scientists to unlock the record of environmental changes stored in redwood tree rings. From individual trees to whole forests, we will study redwood growth, vulnerabilities, early indicators of stress and how these trees might respond to predicted climate changes. 

Click here to see where the scientists will be studying and the maps they will create.  Learn more about the initiative and watch this video to get a bird's eye view from the top of the redwoods:

 

 

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What's Cool is our new weekly feature about climate change in the Bay Area.  Our members and the land conservation community at large are incorporating what we know about climate change into their work to protect and steward open space.  We'll highlight that work and the many partnerships, events and ideas related to climate change here on Fridays.  Share your stories with us in the comments or by sending an email to Annie Burke at annie [at] openspacecouncil [dot] org. 

Event: Exanding Castle Rock State Park with Sempervirens on 10/30

Join Sempervirens Fund - one of the Open Space Council's sixty members - and featured speaker Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks, to celebrate their latest land acquisition. This 33-acre property, located right on Skyline Boulevard, is surrounded on three sides by Castle Rock State Park. Sempervirens purchased it as part of their plan to expand and enhance this beautiful park. It will serve as a convenient new entrance to the park that will provide amenities currently lacking to visitors.

The dedication celebration will be on October 30th, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided, along with speakers, music, and lots of good company! The event is free and open to the public, but they are requesting RSVPs. You can RSVP by contacting Lilian Ventocilla at (650) 949-1453 or at lventocilla [at] sempervirens [dot] org.

To view a map showing the property location and dedication site, click here.

Event: Wild and Scenic Film Festival on 10/28

The Open Space Council shares an office in the Brower Center with several great organizations, including the Community Alliance with Family Farmers.  There is a benefit event for CAFF on Thursday, October 28 and we're guessing that you, the beloved readers of this blog, would be interested.

Learn more about the:

• Wild and Scenic Film Festival
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers
• David Brower Center

And buy tickets to the Film Festival here!

 

Your Executive Committee

Standing from left to right: Steve Abbors, Dave Holland, John Woodbury, Bob Berman, Andrea Mackenzie, Danita Rodriguez, Paul Ringgold, Kathryn Lyddan, Amy Hutzel, Tania Pollak, Ron Brown, Kate Bickert, Wendy Eliot, and Reed Holderman.  Seated from left to right: Ryan Branciforte, Bettina Ring, Annie Burke.  Unfortunately we're missing Bob Doyle, Linus Eukel, and Howard Levitt from this picture.

Event: Climate Change Workshop on 11/1

Calling all Directors of Conservation; Directors of Operations, Management, Stewardship, Land Acquisition; Regional Land planners; Executive Directors and others in decision-making and policy-making roles!

We are holding a workshop on Monday, November 1 where leading experts will share current climate change research focused on the Bay Area and discuss the implications for biodiversity conservation, open space acquisition, and land management.  Speakers include:

• David Ackerly from UC Berkeley
• Ellie Cohen from PRBO Conservation Science
• Rebecca Shaw from The Nature Conservancy
• Stu Weiss from Creekside Center For Earth Observation

More information about the workshop, including the agenda, can be found here.  And registration can be done here. 

This workshop is generously sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative.

Vote Yes on Prop 21!

There are 14 days until Election Day 2010. Our members, including the State Parks Foundation, highly encourage you to vote YES on Prop 21!

"Nature is another tool in our toolbox"

Dr. Daphne Miller spoke at our conference this past May.  Dr. Miller, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, UCSF, told the crowd of ~350 that there needs to be a stronger connection between the medical community and the outdoors (read more about Dr. Miller's messages on Triple Pundit). 

Her message is finding traction as she was mentioned in Richard Louv's keynote address to the American Academy of Pediatrics national conference on October 2, 2010. Mr. Louv said:

"Within the health professions, interest in the nature prescription is already growing. Healing gardens on hospital grounds are now popular. Dr. Daphne Miller, a general practitioner in Noe Valley, California, envisions nature prescriptions as part of the burgeoning field of integrated medicine. “Nature is another tool in our toolbox,” says Miller, who, in addition to her medical practice, is associate clinical professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. She also believes that park rangers can, in effect, become health providers. So can whole park districts."

Mr. Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods (2005) and leader of the Children and Nature Network.  His full speech is worth reading and can be done so here.  Dr. Miller's website can be found here.