Hanging in a blanket of blackened space is a great blue earthen ball
that is swelling with oceans;
that is sprouting mountains that break the clouds;
that is watching dunes roll across deserts a grain at a time;
that is fracturing the floor with saplings soon to become the latest forests;
that is teeming with life.

If you look closely you’ll realize it is an “X” in the map of our universe.  I glanced at the legend and I think you should too.  It marks the spot.

I am here.
“You are here.”

On Saturday, July 24th, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network has officially been given an opportunity to make its mark.  The “X” falls on Earth Island Institute as the Board of Directors approved the adoption of my burrowing owl project…our burrowing owl project.  And I think it is a great fit that will allow us to spread our wings in the name of conservation.

 “For 25 years, Earth Island Institute has been a hub for grassroots campaigns dedicated to conserving, preserving, and restoring the ecosystems on which our civilization depends.

Our Project Support program acts as an incubator for start-up environmental projects, giving crucial assistance to groups and individuals with new ideas for promoting ecological sustainability. Since our founding, we have provided fiscal sponsorship to more than 100 projects around the globe.”  Earth Island Institute

Turning back to the analogy, it might seem complex, but the manual is pretty simple.  We’ve just made things a bit complicated over time. We’ve added sticky notes that say “I owe you,” scribbled on it, fixed tears with duct tape instead of transparent adhesives, and made it difficult for subsequent generations to clearly see the instructions.  But through all the clutter I can still distinguish the text and I hope you can too.

Let’s continue to work together, put burrowing owls on the map, and Unite our Communities for Wildlife and Habitat Preservation.  I’m looking forward to it!

Sincerely,

Scott

It’s never too early to start planning for the next great event and of course we all need the extra time to add them to our calendars.  So here is the first of many reminders about the upcoming meeting of the California Burrowing Owl Consortium.

Our host, Sonoma Birding, is working on an exciting venue and I am looking forward to seeing you there.  And of course meeting all of you in person, talking burrowing owls, and sharing my presentation and conservation ideas.

Sept 11th (Sat) – California Burrowing Owl Consortium  (10:00AM- 3:00PM)

The fall event is hosted by Sonoma Birding at the beautiful Viansa Winery and Wetlands:

25200 Arnold Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476

Both the science and citizen science community are most welcomed.  The agenda will include presentations by experts, breakout sessions, a panel discussion and reception. Your $30 entrance fee also includes lunch.

Make checks payable to:  Viansa Winery
Mail payment by Monday, Sept. 6, 2010 to:  Sonoma Birding, PO. Box 1621, Sonoma, CA 95476

Phone Tom Rusert at 707-939-8007 or email sonomanature (at) gmail (dot) com with suggestions or questions.  Come and Celebrate Sonoma’s Good Nature!

I’m a big proponent of getting people involved in conservation and wildlife stewardship.  Sometimes it means picking up trash and debris on our beaches while other times it requires us to become a bit more boisterous and take an active role as our cities expand.  And one quote says it all…

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.

Edmund Burke

Over at Ecosystem Gardening, Carole Brown is advocating for the exact same thing; the creation of wildlife habitat.  However, it involves a unique spin by getting people involved in converting their yards and properties into sustainable garden ecosystems.  And in an era when habitat loss and fragmentation are leading causes for the decline of biodiversity, our gardens may actually play a vital role in the establishment of much needed wildlife corridors.  Thus, I was excited and flattered when Carole asked if I wanted to address the topic with a guest post.

Here is an excerpt to get you started but wander on over and check out my post “Combating Habitat Fragmentation with Garden Corridors.”

Individually our eco-friendly gardens may be an island refuge, but when linked together with other sustainable landscapes we effectively create much needed wildlife corridor routes.  In the classic sense, these corridor routes provide a means by which animals may move with minimal resistance between two geographic locations.

But, on a local level corridors provide suburban, urban and rural passageways in which species can travel from one habitat to another or from one isolated fragment of original territory to the next.  We cannot eliminate urban sprawl, but we can certainly try to mitigate the consequences.

I’m still here.  Once you add up the many hours I’ve been spending putting together a nationwide ocean conservation project, the launch of a burrowing owl conservation organization and visiting the Northern California coastline in the Mendocino vicinity, it becomes obvious that I simply ran out of time.  Plus I have two German shorthaired Pointers that are always in dire need of a good run, or two, or three.

And when I looked at the calendar I couldn’t believe we are already in mid-July.  So while I gather some thoughts on wildlife conservation, enjoy a few pieces of feathered eye candy that I’ve crossed paths with recently.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to put down the conservation hat for a few hours and simply explore nature’s transition from spring to summer.  And with the passing of the summer solstice the season decided to introduce itself in a rather unfriendly fashion to the eastern side of the Bay Area as the mercury climbed into the nineties.  I’m definitely  a cooler climate aficionado, but absolutely love everything about the Hawaiian islands so forgive the hypocrisy.

But as soon I stepped into the so-called wild I cracked a smile; the wildlife was abundant.  Ducks led trails of fuzzy young, geese herded goslings to the water’s edge and beyond, juvenile green herons were honing their foraging skills, a cottontail escaped the morning heat under a shady tree, dragonflies zipped amongst the reeds, belted kingfishers teased me with potential photo opportunities, an otter inconspicuously navigated a pond and crossed paths with a muskrat, turtles rested on logs, and a young raccoon stepped quietly through the wetlands in an effort to avoid detection. 

Although my day eventually came to end, it was indeed the beginning for so many animals that were embarking upon their first summer and learning the skills necessary to succeed in life.  So I hope you enjoy a few photos of my encounters with wildlife youngsters.

It’s an interesting concept, but it does make perfect sense.  And I’m always in the mood for incorporating a well abused movie line to help frame an environmental point.  Borderline cheesy perhaps, but I cannot refrain myself so just roll your eyes and stick with me.  If you build it, they will come.  But instead of a mystical ball field and long lost father, it’s all about ecosystem gardening and wildlife.

If you build a suitable habitat the wildlife returns.  I’m not sure if Carole Brown was the one who coined the phrase Ecosystem Gardening, but it was one that I’ve become fascinated with simply for the fact that it embodies and promotes an idea anyone can implement on any scale.  According to her website Ecosystem Gardening, Carole has “spent almost 20 years as a consultant designing, installing and maintaining wildlife gardens for people who want to share their space with birds, butterflies, frogs and toads, bats, reptiles and amphibians, and yes even insects.” 

And sharing my space with wildlife is exactly what I wanted to accomplish.  As neighborhoods continue to pop up and habitat continues to diminish, fragmentation proliferates.  Thus it becomes even more important for all of us to get on board with the creation of habitat corridors.  Just imagine the bounty of life that would become our literal neighbors if entire neighborhoods would think in terms of creating ecosystems.

Well, after a couple of years of on and off again tinkering, my wife and I put the finishing touches on our space and within the last month had our backyard certified as a wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Foundation.  And it felt good to know that we greatly exceeded the requirements as we checked off categories spanning Food Sources, Water Sources, Places for Cover, Places to Raise Young, and Sustainable Gardening.  As butterfly bushes are now reaching skyward at a height of 11 feet and blueberries are now recognizable as edible fruit, we are pleased to find that life is making use of our suburban sanctuary as squirrels, butterflies, birds, and frogs explore a place they can call home.

So what are you waiting for?  Explore Ecosystem Gardening, create wildlife habitat, and protect the environment today!

Although the saffron finch is native to South America, it was introduced to Hawaii in the 1960s by man.  So here’s to a colorful, invasive species,  not quite wordless Wednesday!

There’s an eviction looming on the horizon, but the residents don’t see the signs.  An earthmover and bulldozer sit temporarily idle on a newly paved road.  Homes are in various stages of development a block away.  A sales center adorned with colorful flags and signs branded by the company’s name have settled on a gravel laden lot.  There is a hodgepodge of empty parcels including undisturbed habitat, farmland in the midst of returning to its pre-agricultural state, land that had been graded just prior to the housing crisis, and property in which streets have been etched into the surface but are yet to be installed.  A streetlight flashes on and off while waiting to be programmed to control future traffic.  One, two, three, ten and perhaps more than twenty burrowing owls perch along fresh sidewalks, rest atop water pipes, stand guard on a chain-linked fences, and occupy burrows peppered throughout the impending human sprawl.

There’s evidence that evictions have been here before, which has now been confiscated as spoils of war.  Obviously the attempt at burrowing owl eradication did not take.  Obviously the consultants failed to adhere to an eviction policy designed to prevent owls from returning. Obviously the owls will have to undergo the trauma and danger of yet another removal. And as I traversed the landscape I realized I had been here before.  The location is different, but the situation is the same.  It’s burrowing owl eviction déjà vu and I don’t like what I’m seeing.

However, there is a silver lining so to speak.  It’s not much but I have breeding season on my (our) side for the moment.  It’s better than nothing; it’s better than the status quo that has been allowed to proceed unfettered for years in California.  The good news is that the word is getting out and the plight of burrowing owls is spreading.  People are taking notice and an interest by providing tips and sighting reports.  And that’s exactly what we need to ensure future protections.

Unfortunately future protections will not save these owls so I am now looking for something a little more immediate.  I crave long-term solutions, but will settle for short-term action if it means these neighboring raptors will not become a statistic in the Bay Area’s recent 28% burrowing owl population decline.  So a visit to the Planning Department to review the Environmental Impact Reports was warranted.  If only it contained the answer to the burgeoning burrowing owl issue that is plaguing Contra Costa County.  Instead I stumbled upon Department of Fish & Game inconsistencies that make me wonder if there is a lack of policy understanding within the agency, if there is an attempt at disseminating propaganda, if consultants are completely misinformed, or if it is simply a little bit of everything designed to mislead the public and help developers instead of working for species conservation.  Whatever the reason it is completely unacceptable and it solidifies my resolve to make sweeping conservation changes in this state.

But while I formulate my plan of action, nature moves forward as intended.  A lone kestrel swoops down at a burrowing owl standing guard in front of its burrow.  A black-tailed jackrabbit explodes from the brush and disappears within seconds.  California ground squirrels dart for cover and sound the alarm as I sidestep growing tumbleweeds.  A burrowing owl crouches in an effort to blend with the dirt and weeds, and a plastic bag rolls across the site; reminding me that these owls are surrounded by urbanization and yet another illustration of habitat lost.

The more I write, the more I divulge and the more it become apparent that I’ve always had a fascination with wildlife.  As a teen my room was a menagerie of wolves and other animals.  But luckily for my parents it was not a menagerie in the classical sense of the definition (i.e.  a place where wild animals are kept or exhibited), but adhered more to a varied collection. But now that I think about it perhaps it was actually a place for animals as I had a 55 gallon saltwater aquarium, a 35 gallon brackish water tank, and a ~30 gallon rainforest setup that housed a number of tree frogs and newts (yeah it was humid at times!).  Now that I’ve cleared that up, in lieu of movie and 90s rock stars posters, my walls showcased four framed wolf posters and my shelves supported some various wolf sculptures.  You can’t go wrong with Canis lupus as far as I’m concerned or Canis latrans for that matter.

Well I’m not actually planning to discuss the ins and outs of wolf and coyote conservation, which is urgently needed, but I wanted to pass along some information I received from my friends at Project Coyote.  So let’s give the month of June to the wolves or to the coyotes…OK dogs for simplicity’s sake!

Project Coyote is excited to sponsor three San Francisco Bay area evening engagements (June 24, 25, or 26th) with two of the foremost wolf experts in North America. 

Wolves hold an almost mythical status in the cultural history of Europe and North America. For centuries they have been the subject of fairy tales and folklore, embodying mystery, cunning, and threat. People are drawn to their beauty, intrigued by their behaviors, and sometimes fearful of their presence. Now as wolves make a come-back in parts of the lower 48 their proximity continues to captivate, fascinate and incite debate.

Dr. Paul Paquet and Dr. Marco Musiani have made the study of wolves their life’s work and are experts in wolf behaviour, biology, habitat, and most particularly in the relationship between wolves and people. They will be sharing their stories, their research, and their observations in three free public talks.

Check out the Project Coyote Sponsored Wolf Event Flyer