New waterfowl class starts Nov. 24

New waterfowl class starts Nov. 24

ByGGBA

Winter is waterfowl season, with millions of ducks, geese and swans arriving in northern California. Our new “Duck, Duck, Goose… Loon?” class starts on Saturday November 24 and includes two Sunday field trips to San Francisco and the Sacramento Delta.

Learn to identify the nearly 30 species in the order Anseriformes (including ducks, geese, swans) that reside or overwinter in California, and learn about the evolutionary adaptations and life histories that distinguish them from other water birds like loons and grebes.

The class will take place from 9 am to 3 pm on November 24 at the new EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park in San Francisco. Field trips will take place on Sunday November 25 (9 am to noon in San Francisco) and Sunday December 2 (10 am to 4 pm, to the Cosumnes River Preserve in the Sacramento Delta).

Class size is limited to 20. Fee: $60 for GGBA members, $75 for non-members. For more information, see the Classes page on our web site. To sign up, please call the GGBA office at (510) 843-2222.

 

Tundra Swan photo by Bob Lewis.…

GGBA supports the SF parks bond

GGBA supports the SF parks bond

ByGGBA

Golden Gate Bird Alliance encourages San Francisco voters to approve Measure B, the $196 million parks bond that will be on the November ballot.

We reviewed arguments both for and against the Parks Bond. Some of our allies make strong cases for opposing the bond, based on the S.F. Recreation and Parks Department’s poor track record on issues important to local wildlife.

However, on balance we feel that the bond provides much-needed funding for city parks and for wildlife habitat — including $6.5 million for natural areas in Golden Gate Park, $2 million for Lake Merced, $4 million for trails, and $35 million for waterfront parks at the Port of San Francisco.

San Francisco’s parks badly need improvement and maintenance. If this measure fails, there won’t be another opportunity to fund parks for a number of years. So we are supporting the bond measure — and then we will keep a close eye on how Rec & Parks spends the money, to make sure that wildlife and habitat get their fair share.

You can read the text of Measure B here.

Other Ballot Measures

As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Golden Gate Bird Alliance can not endorse political candidates. As a local Audubon chapter, we do most of our advocacy on Bay Area issues. So when election time comes around, our focus is on local issues and ballot measures .

In addition to the San Francisco parks bond, our Conservation Committees and Board of Directors reviewed two other local ballot measures. We decided to take a neutral position on both of them:

Oakland Zoo Parcel Tax: Oakland voters are considering Measure A1, a parcel tax that will generate $6 million per year for 20 years. While critics say the zoo is expanding too aggressively into Knowland Park, which contains sensitive habitat, zoo officials say the parcel tax money will not be used for that expansion and will improve  animal care and nature education. GGBA takes a neutral position.

Berkeley Measure T: Berkeley voters are being asked to provide $30 million for improvements in West Berkeley and adjust the zoning to allow for more development.  We opted to stay neutral because the activities that would directly affect Aquatic Park, a local important bird area, have been tabled for decision in early 2013.  We will remain involved in advocating for Aquatic Park in the coming months.…

2013 Birds of the SF Bay Area Calendar!

ByGGBA

Bring the wonder of birds into your office or kitchen with our beautiful 2013 Birds of the San Francisco Bay Area wall calendar!

Cover Photo of Black Oystercatcher by Jerry Ting

 

Enjoy vivid, close-up glimpses of falcons, egrets, warblers and more from the Bay Area’s finest wildlife photographers. (Many of whom you may know from GGBA classes, field trips and events.)

The calendar makes a wonderful holiday gift for friends and family. Buy one for yourself, and then get a couple more as gifts. There could be unexpected benefits: These photos are gorgeous enough to turn even casual nature lovers into birders!

Best of all, the calendar is a fundraiser for GGBA’ conservation and education programs. The photographers have all donated their work. So while you enjoy images of birds all year, your purchase will be working to make the Bay Area a little more bird-friendly.

The calendar costs $20, including sales tax. You can buy it in person at the Golden Gate Bird Alliance office, 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G, in Berkeley (at the intersection with Blake). Or order it securely online by clicking below, and we will ship it to you by U.S. mail for an additional $4.

SOLD OUT!

 

 
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Beginning Birding class starts in October

Beginning Birding class starts in October

ByGGBA

Wish you knew the names of the birds in your backyard? Or the birds you see while hiking or biking? Whether you’re an active outdoorsperson or someone who prefers relaxing on their back porch, our Beginning Birding class can enrich your outdoor experiences and your life.

The class runs for four weeks and includes four evening classroom sessions and four Saturday morning field trips to local parks and wetlands. Instructor Anne Hoff is knowledgeable, passionate about birds, funny and non-intimidating — the perfect introduction to birding.

Class starts on Wednesday evening October 17th at the GGBA office in Berkeley. The fee is $85 for GGBA members, $105 for nonmembers.

For more info, click here. To sign up, call (510) 843-­2222 or email ggas@goldengatebirdalliance.org.

 

(Photo of Northern Saw-whet Owl by Allen Hirsch.)…

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