• Explore the wildlife of Napa River

    ByGGBA

    Join Golden Gate Bird Alliance and Dolphin Charters on Saturday April 12 as we explore the wetlands and wildlife of the Napa River. This is a slice of the Bay Area you will never see from the highway!

    Starting at the historic Vallejo waterfront, we’ll view numerous Osprey nests at Mare Island. Then we’ll into a world of vineyards, backwater homes and some of the largest contiguous marshes in the Bay Area, rich with ducks, grebes and raptors. Learn about one of the largest tidal marsh restoration projects in the country.

    Cost: $75 for GGBA members or $85 for non-members. Saturday April 12, trom 10 a.m. to 2:30 pm.  Click here to sign up. Don’t wait – this trip will fill up fast!

    Dolphin Charters is generously donating all proceeds from this trip to Golden Gate Bird Alliance as part of Birdathon 2014!

    Osprey nesting at Mare Island / Photo by Dianne Fristrom from GGBA' 2013 Napa River tripOsprey nesting at Mare Island / Photo by Dianne Fristrom from GGBA’ 2013 Napa River trip Marsh along Napa River / Photo by Dianne FristromMarsh along Napa River / Photo by Dianne Fristrom

     

    Swallow nests on a bridge over the Napa River / Photo by Dianne FristromSwallow nests on a bridge over the Napa River / Photo by Dianne Fristrom

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  • Great Backyard (Family!) Bird Count – Feb. 15 and 16

    ByGGBA

    Join Golden Gate Bird Alliance and our partners as we engage in the annual nationwide citizen science event, the Great Backyard Bird Count!

    We’re offering two dates and two locations for this free event – Saturday February 15 in Oakland and Sunday February 16 in San Francisco. Details below.

    Kids and family members will survey each site to record the incredible birdlife. During lunch the group will work together to input the data collected into Cornell Laboratory’s eBird.The results will be seen instantly on the website’s graphs and compared with other young scientists across the nation–cool stuff! 

    East Bay:

    Saturday 2/15 at Lake Merritt in Oakland. 
    9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
    Group lunchtime included. Bring your own lunch.
    Meet at the Rotary Nature Center.

    Download a flyer to share with friends by clicking here: GBBC Lake Merritt 2014

     
    San Francisco:

    Sunday 2/16 at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens.
    9 a.m. to noon
    Group lunchtime included – bring your own lunch.)\
    Meet at the front gate of the garden in Golden Gate Park, 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way.

    Golden Gate Bird Alliance will have quality binoculars and field guides available. Restrooms and water faucets available on site.

    Questions? Email Anthony at adecicco@goldengatebirdalliance.org.

    Download a flyer to share with friends by clicking here: GBBC SF flyer

     

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    Spring 2014 Gull is available

    ByGGBA

     

    Gullcover_Spring2014

    The new edition of The Gull newsletter for Spring 2014 is now available online. Read it to learn about how GGBA’ bird monitoring programs are making a difference for at-risk species such as Burrowing Owls, Snowy Plovers, and Least Terns.

    You can also get the latest scoop on Birdathon 2014; birding in McLaren Park; and Beguiling Bushtits. And of course it includes the calendar for our Speaker Series in April, May and June!

    Click here to read it:  Gull_Spring2014

    Note: Because this is a large file, it may take a minute or two to download. Be patient!   🙂

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    Dog Management in the GGNRA

    ByGGBA

    Golden Gate Bird Alliance has long advocated for reasonable management of on- and off-leash dogs in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Current dog-related recreation is managed under the 1979 Pet Policy, which is not a legal regulation and which fails to protect wildlife, habitat, and park visitors.

    In 2013, the National Park Service released its revised proposed Dog Management Rule and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to manage dog-related recreation in the GGNRA. The proposed rule is the biggest accommodation for on- and off-leash dogs in the National Park System.

    The proposed Rule allows for four off-leash dog areas and 21 miles of on-leash dog recreation in the San Francisco portion of the GGNRA. No other National Park allow off-leash dogs, and most limit on-leash dogs to a few paved trails.

    GGNRA needs to accommodate many users -- families, cyclists, dog owners and nature lovers, as well as wildlife. / Photo by Allen HirschGGNRA needs to accommodate many users — families, cyclists, dog owners and nature lovers, as well as wildlife. / Photo by Allen Hirsch

    Golden Gate Bird Alliance supports better regulation of dogs in the GGNRA. While we believe that the proposed regulation is a good first step, the proposed rule does not adequately protect park resources.

    We encourage you to share your opinions and experiences with the National Park Service. Click here to file an online comment. The NPS is accepting comments through February 18, 2014.

    In our comments, we will emphasize the following points: 

    • The GGNRA should provide more opportunities for visitors to recreate in the GGNRA in San Francisco without interacting with dogs.  Currently, the Preferred Alternatives only provide a few areas where visitors, including those with small children, may go without having to interact with dogs. Many parents and grandparents have told us they will not take children to areas where there are many off-leash dogs. This is not fair to community members that have a right to enjoy the park without fear or discomfort due to the presence of dogs. 
    • Off-leash areas should be well defined by a physical barrier. Park visitors should have the choice of interacting with dogs during their park experience, rather than having the choice made for them. Clearly defined on- and off-leash areas will allow dog owners and other visitors to know where dog-related recreation is appropriate. It will also better protect sensitive wildlife and habitat resources, reduce conflicts with other users, and allow for less controversial enforcement of the new rules. 
    • The SEIS fails to establish that “voice control” is a valid method of controlling off-leash dogs.
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