Open Space Council's Blog

Open Space Happenings: 9.28.11

Your weekly helping of Bay Area conservation news and inspiration...

From Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, who passed away this past weekend.

(If you are reading this on email, click here to see the video above)

 

• Transit and Trails button now on Golden Gate National Recreation Area website!
• Bay Trail Plods Forward, Step by $1.6-Million Step.  Scenic 500-mile path slowed by difficulty and expense; 187 hard miles still to go (Bay Citizen)
• Black People Do.  Answers to the question: “Why don’t African Americans engage with nature?” (Outdoor Afro)
• POST Buys 160 Acres for Conservation in South Santa Clara County near Morgan Hill (POST)
• Hiking trail access could widen under new Peninsula parks plan.  Visitors to San Francisco’s Peninsula watershed could gain better access to 14,000 acres of local land under a new Golden Gate National Recreation Area proposal to complete local segments of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and connect it to the California Coastal Trail. (SF Examiner)
• Highway 1 project marks first step toward renewed health of Bolinas Lagoon. Road work along Bolinas Lagoon is the first step toward restoring full health to one of the world's most biologically diverse bodies of water. (Marin IJ)
• Levee breach bringing new life to Hayward shoreline.  It took seven scoops from a backhoe Tuesday to breach a levee at the edge of San Francisco Bay, allowing tendrils of slate-gray seawater to start slowly reclaiming nearly a square mile of the Hayward shoreline. (Oakland Tribune)
• Wavecrest site poised to become part of trail system.  The Wavecrest site was once destined for 750 homes and an 18-hole golf course. Now it's headed toward becoming a popular part of the California Coastal Trail. (Mercury News)
• Learning about Public Perceptions of Cattle Grazing East Bay Park Lands through Flickr.com.  A study of photographs and comments on Flickr.  (UC Oak Woodland Management). 
• Santa Clara County habitat conservation plan deserves continued funding.  An Editorial in advance of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor's meeting yesterday.  (Mercury News)

 

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This is the weekly Happenings, a weekly round-up of news - with some art and fun thrown in - related to the members and friends of the Open Space Council.  

 

A Pause: The City

A little something for a Monday morning... (click here if you're reading this on email)

The City from WTK Photography on Vimeo.

Created by Wesley Townsend Kitten

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A Pause is a regular feature of the Open Space Council's blog where we take a moment to step back to consider a word, an idea, a video or a photograph.  Past Pauses can be found here, here and here.

 

Open Space Happenings: 9.21.11

Your weekly helping of Bay Area conservation news and inspiration...

San Francisco Park(ing) Day 2009 from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

• Support AB42!  Allows nonprofit organizations to help operate state parks that might otherwise close.  (State Parks Foundation)
• Acterra's 5th Annual Habitat Restoration Workshop.  Join other restoration professionals, researchers and land managers representing different agencies throughout the Bay Area to share best practices and build community. Co-sponsored by the City of Los Altos.
• Open space advocate Audrey Rust receives honor from Palo Alto council The former Executive Director of the Peninsula Open Space Trust gets recognized.  (Mercury News)
• New report: San Francisco Bay getting healthier, not in the clear yet Findings in advance of the State of the Estuary conference. (Mercury News)
• It's official: Livermore wants Doolan Canyon The city of Livermore makes it official that they are interested in this contested area of open space. (Mercury News)
• Minidomes in Mount Diablo hills come with volcanic past New findings on the eastern slope of Mt Diablo. (Mercury News)
• Environment good for the economy The executive director of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Counci writes about the connection between jobs and the environment. (Monterey Herald)

 

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This is the weekly Happenings, a weekly round-up of news - with some art and fun thrown in - related to the members and friends of the Open Space Council.  

 

Thanks to all 100 of you who attended our Fall Gathering entitled One Look Back, Two Steps Forward on September 15.  Did you want to see Sam's or Amy's presentation again?  Were you unable to attend?  Want to see pictures of who was there and what it looked like? It's all recorded here on our blog.  Click here.

 

Liveblogging from the Fall Gathering!

Postscript:

Thank you to all who attended the Fall Gathering on September 15th!  We had a full house to hear Sam Schuchat and Amy Hutzel talk.  

Thank you, Sam and Amy, for sharing your time and expertise!  And of course thank you for all that you're doing for conservation in the Bay Area.

We also want to thank Bi-Rite Market for a delicious lunch.  For those of you that asked, the salad was their Farro, Corn and Peach Salad with Sweet Peppers and Red Onion-Sherry Vinaigrette.

Our next Gathering will be November 17 at the Brower Center in Berkeley.  More information about it coming soon!

 

12:20pm: LUNCH!

11:45am: Our presentation can be seen here:

11:41am:  The partnership between the Coastal Conservancy and the Open Space Council is long-standing and critical, and one that we value immeasurably.  Bettina Ring, Ryan Branciforte and I are going to talk about the work we've done over the past 9-12 months at the Open Space Council. 

11:39am: Amy is wrapping up now.  

11:26am: Amy Hutzel: 

11:17am: Here's Amy's presentation for your reading pleasure:

11:16am: Amy gave an overview of the purpose and work of the Coastal Conservancy's Bay Program.  Thirty projects have gone to their Board this past year and that's what we're going to learn about today. 

11:09am: I am loading up Amy's presentation now and will share it here as soon as it's ready...

11:07am: Andrea asked for all the Executive Committee members to stand up.  She encouraged all who have questions about the Open Space Council to talk to any of these folks.  

Andrea then introduced Amy Hutzel, the Program Manager of the Bay Area Program of the State Coastal Conservancy.  

11:06am:  Sam concludes... applause!

10:53am:  Andrea Mackenzie is opening it up to questions from the group.  By the way, the room is packed with almost 100 people!

10:50am: "I don't think we're going to put anything on the 2012 ballot," said Sam Schuchat.  "That will be discussed at our Board meeting in October, which is open to the public and I welcome you all to attend."

10:44am: We've learned that Hilary Clinton is speaking down the road at the Golden Gate Club.  What are the chances of her coming to the Log Cabin to talk about open space?

10:39am: Sam Schuchat talking about polling results:

10:26am:  Sam enthusiastically welcomed the crowd.  The powerpoint he is going to share today is available on the Restoration Authority's website and also right here: 

 

10:24am:  Andrea Mackenzie, the Chair of the Open Space Council and General Manager of the Santa Clara Regional Open Space Authority, has kicked off the meeting. She welcomed our newest member, Lagoon Valley Conservancy.  We went around the very full room and did introductions.  Then Andrea introduced Sam Schucat of the Coastal Conservancy and Restoration Authority.  

10:00am: Good morning!  Today we are holding our 4th Gathering of the year at the Log Cabin in the Presidio.  This is Annie Burke and I'll be blogging this morning with quotes, photos, and links.  

Today we're taking One Look Back, Two Steps Forward and looking at the past year with the Coastal Conservancy Bay Area Program.  Sam Schuchat, the Executive Officer of the Coastal Conservancy, will speak first about the Restoration Authority and some recent polling.  Then Amy Hutzel, Manager of the Bay Area Program, will lead us on a tour of their work and accomplishments over the past year.  Lastly us chickens from the Open Space Council will talk about what we've been up to.  It's going to be fun.

The program starts at 10am.  Ready?  

Open Space Happenings: 9.14.11

Your weekly helping of Bay Area conservation news and inspiration...

Taking Public Transit to the Trails from Laura J. Lukitsch on Vimeo.

 

• Action Alert for conserving CA's land and waters (CCLT)
• Facing the Future (Audubon Magazine)
• We’re Rich! (In Nature.) (New York Times)
• How nature can help your child (Gulf News)
• We Need To Do More When It Comes To Having Brief, Panicked Thoughts About Climate Change (The Onion)
• Conspiracies Don’t Kill Birds. People, However, Do. (New York Times)
• Coastsiders to make beaches, waterways sparkle (Half Moon Bay Review)
• Mountain lion sightings increase (Press Democrat)
• Editorial: Lundstrom finds perfect reason to leave Larkspur City Council (Marin IJ)
• Unique Opportunity: A chance to preserve Solano open space (The Reporter)
• Volunteerism Protection Bill Authored by Assemblyman Gordon Signed Into Law (Palo Alto Patch)

 

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This is the weekly Happenings, a weekly round-up of news - with some art and fun thrown in - related to the members and friends of the Open Space Council.  

 

Do you wonder if any progress has been made?  Do you need some inspiration?  Our Fall Gathering entitled One Look Back, Two Steps Forward on September 15 from 10am-1pm is for you.  We'll be at the Log Cabin in the Presidio, a free lunch will be provided, and you are invited to come.  Click here to register.

We'll be blogging live tomorrow from the Log Cabin.  Visit this blog and refresh often for pictures, presentations, and the overall low down.

 

Welcome to the Lagoon Valley Conservancy!

We want to welcome our newest member of the Open Space Council: the Lagoon Valley Conservancy!

 Photo: Lagoon Valley Conservancy

 Where is Lagoon Valley?  It's between Fairfield and Vacaville along Interstate 80.  

Click on the map to learn more about the area using Explorer, an interactive mapping tool.

And welcome to the Open Space Council, Lagoon Valley!

 

Be Our Guest: Sonoma Ecology Center and Sediment

Sonoma Creek watershed is home to a cool, green corridor of natural land that links the Sonoma Mountains on the west to the Mayacamas Mountains on the east.  A mosaic of state park, regional park, developmental center, and privately owned natural areas, the Sonoma Valley Habitat Corridor consists of forest, grassland, chaparral, riparian areas, and reservoirs.  Described by the Sonoma Ecology Center’s Christy Vreeland as “the valley’s last dark place at night,” the wildlands of the corridor have been targeted for ongoing protection as habitat for wildlife.  The corridor intersects the Sonoma Valley Landscape Unit identified for the Conservation Lands Network (developed by Bay Area Open Space Council’s Upland Habitat Goals Project) and is essential for the movement of fox, coyote, mountain lion, black bear, bobcat, and other mammals among biodiverse uplands. 

Much has been happening in the corridor lately to keep and increase its value to wildlife and for climate resiliency.  The following is the third and final guest post from the Sonoma Ecology Center.

 

Mill Creek Headwaters

By Rebecca Lawton 

Early in 2011, the Sonoma Ecology Center and California State Parks completed a project in the Mill Creek headwaters of Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen. The project continued many years of collaboration between the Center and Parks, including road-to-trail conversions, mapping and trail planning, stormwater management, and environmental permitting.

One small part of the Mill Creek headwaters project: before (left, July 15, 2010) and after restoration (right, July 27, 2010).  Specialists stopped this gully from further erosion by removing its hydrologic connection to runoff from upstream.

The project was designed to re-establish the natural function of Mill Creek's source springs and headwaters area. The project site, adjacent to Camp Via and the historical orchard on the Sonoma Developmental Center campus in the Sonoma Valley Habitat Corridor, is a spectacular redwood and mixed woodland ecosystem. Mill Creek’s headwaters have degraded over time due to erosion of poorly built access roads and impacts from historical logging and wood-cutting practices.

Now that the project is completed and has cured through its first winter of wet storms, it will continue to become established.  Redirecting stream flow back to its natural beds will help keep stream habitat sediment free downstream.

The project was supported by the California Coastal Conservancy and the State Wildlife Conservation Board. The Center and Parks obtained funding for the project, designed the stream rehabilitation plan, held public and stakeholder meetings, oversaw the work done by contractors, and conducted pre- and post-project environmental monitoring.

The project reduces the cubic yards per year of sediment contributed to Mill Creek, tributary to steelhead-bearing Sonoma Creek.  For decades, Parks has been proactive in reducing the Total Maximum Daily Load of sediment supplied by its properties—frequently in headwaters areas like Mill Creek in need of repair from past, impactful land uses often predating park ownership. 

Signage for the completed project tells of improvements to aquatic and other habitat that result from road recontouring.

 

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One of our strategies is to serve as the voice of our members, a strategy based on the belief that by working together we can achieve more.  We want to raise up the stories of special places and the people who are working tirelessly to keep them special.  To that end, we will share the words of our members with guest bloggers over the next few months.  Our first guest is the Sonoma Ecology Center and we thank them for telling their stories here!

 

Open Space Happenings: 9.7.11

Your weekly helping of Bay Area conservation news and inspiration...

Do you wonder if any progress has been made?  Do you need some inspiration?  Our Fall Gathering entitled One Look Back, Two Steps Forward on September 15 from 10am-1pm is for you.  We'll be at the Log Cabin in the Presidio, a free lunch will be provided, and you are invited to come.  Click here to register.

 

• Rational Economic Reasons Spur New Mode of Transportation (CityBiz)
• Livermore eyes Doolan Canyon to Dublin's surprise (Mercury News)
• Food Ark (National Geographic)
• A tale of grape versus redwood (LA Times)
• Smaller salamander protection zone unveiled for Sonoma County (Press Democrat)
• GETTING OUT: Thanks to the people behind Bay Area's beautiful coastline (Morgan Hill Times)
• On Outdoor Experience and Environmental Values (New York Times)
• Get Green When You're Blue: Nature's Remedy for Depression (Huffington Post)
• BART board appoints new general manager (The Daily Californian)
• East Palo Alto's Cooley Landing park project gets big boost (Mercury News)

 

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This is the weekly Happenings, a weekly round-up of news - with some art and fun thrown in - related to the members and friends of the Open Space Council.  

 

Be Our Guest: Sonoma Ecology Center and GIS for fish

Sonoma Creek watershed is home to a cool, green corridor of natural land that links the Sonoma Mountains on the west to the Mayacamas Mountains on the east.  A mosaic of state park, regional park, developmental center, and privately owned natural areas, the Sonoma Valley Habitat Corridor consists of forest, grassland, chaparral, riparian areas, and reservoirs.  Described by the Sonoma Ecology Center’s Christy Vreeland as “the valley’s last dark place at night,” the wildlands of the corridor have been targeted for ongoing protection as habitat for wildlife.  The corridor intersects the Sonoma Valley Landscape Unit identified for the Conservation Lands Network (developed by Bay Area Open Space Council’s Upland Habitat Goals Project) and is essential for the movement of fox, coyote, mountain lion, black bear, bobcat, and other mammals among biodiverse uplands. 

Much has been happening in the corridor lately to keep and increase its value to wildlife and for climate resiliency.  The following is the second of three projects that the Sonoma Ecology Center is sharing here on the Open Space Council blog.  

Combining Science and Geographic Information Systems to Prioritize Restoration Activities

By Deanne DiPietro and Rebecca Lawton

Sonoma Ecology Center's Research Program is working on a strategic approach to reduce the amount of sediment in Sonoma Creek caused by streambed and bank erosion by using Geographic Information Systems to analyze the best scientific information available.

Watershed maps never fail to capture the students’ imaginations in the classroom.

Sonoma Creek has been identified as having unnaturally high levels of sediment, a problem that negatively affects steelhead spawning and rearing habitat and is a sign of a watershed in distress. Creeks that are eroding their channels more rapidly than is natural are doing so in response to land use changes.  Certain changes bring an increase in speed and volume runoff, resulting in less water moving slowly through the system for use by animal and human residents of the valley. Water that remains longer in the system has a chance to seep into the ground, recharging the aquifers that feed our creeks and wells during the summer.

A plan for prioritizing sites for restoration work is under way.  The Center is using Geographic Information Systems to examine the stream network’s characteristics combined with the nature of the underlying soil and stabilizing vegetation to point out problem areas where the creek is under pressure to erode. The effort will enable restoration specialists to work more effectively on improving our watershed’s ability to support native fish and provide us all with surface and groundwater, especially important in a changing climate.

A pilot site-prioritization project funded by the San Francisco Foundation identified several headwaters sites in the Sonoma Valley Habitat Corridor in need of restoration; early grazing, logging, and woodcutting affected these uplands areas, accelerating erosion in channels downstream.  The current project will add to those sites through a watershed-wide look and intensified modeling effort.

The Center’s Research Program is drawing on its long history of studying Sonoma Creek as well as the work of other experts who are advising us as we build the data necessary to help us prioritize restoration sites. Optimizing opportunities for improving habitat is another criterion that will go into planning our strategic approach, making scarce restoration dollars go as far as they can!

 

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One of our strategies is to serve as the voice of our members, a strategy based on the belief that by working together we can achieve more.  We want to raise up the stories of special places and the people who are working tirelessly to keep them special.  To that end, we will share the words of our members with guest bloggers over the next few months.  Our first guest is the Sonoma Ecology Center and we welcome them to this space.