In Memoriam: Allen Hirsch

In Memoriam: Allen Hirsch

ByGGBA

Golden Gate Bird Alliance  is grieving….  We’ve lost our friend and an esteemed Board Member who passed away unexpectedly on December 20, 2015.  Allen Hirsch helped advance our work in numerous ways, including with his much admired photographic skills.

You’re invited to view some of Allen’s wonderful bird photographs in an online memorial gallery:

goldengatebirdalliance.org/allen-hirsch/

You’re also invited to join us at his memorial service on Thursday January 7th at 3 p.m., at the church where Allen was an active and beloved congregant:

Piedmont Community Church
400 Highland Ave.
Piedmont, CA  94611

Allen’s family has asked for donations in his memory to the church or to Golden Gate Bird Alliance. Click here if you wish to make a donation to GGBA in Allen’s memory.

 

 

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Renew your membership for 2016!

Renew your membership for 2016!

ByGGBA

Golden Gate Bird Alliance membership operates on a calendar year basis — so unless you renewed in the past couple of months, your membership expired on December 31, 2015!

Renew or join online now to ensure that you don’t miss any GGBA benefits during 2016:

  • Free admission to our monthly Speaker Series.
  • Subscription to our quarterly Gull newsletter.
  • Discounts on birding classes, pelagic trips, and merchandise in our online store.
  • Discounted subscription to Bay Nature magazine.
  • Fun events like field trips, Christmas Bird Count, and Birdathon.
  • Last but not least, the satisfaction of being part of a community that cares about and works to protect Bay Area birds!

When you renew or join, please consider joining as a Wildlife Guardian with an automatic monthly payment of $10, $20, or $30.  This is a great way to maximize your support for Bay Area birds… while spending less than if you were to buy a cup of coffee each morning.

Join Now

Thank you for your support! We look to sharing a year of great birding and great companionship with you.…

New! Birds of Golden Gate Park field guide

New! Birds of Golden Gate Park field guide

ByGGBA

Identify and enjoy the Birds of Golden Gate Park with our new pocket field guide! Laminated and folding to a size of 8 by 4 inches, this guide won’t get creased or soiled while you’re in the field. It’s perfect for beginning birders, out-of-town visitors to Golden Gate Park, or anyone who doesn’t feel like lugging a full-size field guide with them.

The guide features thumbnail images of 120 of the most common species found in Golden Gate Park, along with their size, scientific name, ID tips, and the season they are typically present.

To order, call our office at (510) 843-2222 during business hours.

The guide is a perfect holiday gift for friends and family who live near Golden Gate Park, even if they aren’t birders… yet.  😉

Cost is $6.95 plus tax/postage; Golden Gate Bird Alliance members receive a discounted price of $6.00. Order securely online or pick up a copy at our Berkeley office or our monthly Speaker Series.

Birds-of-Golden-Gate-Park-S(w)…

Share your love of birds: volunteer!

Share your love of birds: volunteer!

ByGGBA

Want to share your love of birds and nature with other people ? Volunteer with Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s youth or adult education programs in 2015-16!

We’re holding trainings during September for volunteering with either our award-winning Eco-Education program in elementary schools, or our Burrowing Owl docent program in Berkeley.

Eco-Education

Eco-Ed student learns to use binoculars / Photo by Eva GuralnickEco-Ed student learns to use binoculars / Photo by Eva Guralnick

Our Eco-Ed program works throughout the school year with low-income elementary schools in Oakland, San Francisco, and Richmond, providing classroom instruction and field trips. We need people to help during weekday field trips to local parks with 3rd through 5th graders. No prior experience is necessary – just a love of nature and children. You can choose the city and dates to fit your schedule.

Join in the fun this coming school year by attending one of our upcoming trainings, which run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Choose ONE of the following sessions:

  • Thursday Sept. 3 at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond
  • Wednesday Sept. 9 at Arrowhead Marsh, MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland
  • Monday Sept. 14 at Pier 94 in San Francisco
  • Tuesday Sept. 15 at Point Pinole in Richmond

To sign up for a training or for more information, contact Anthony atad******@********************ce.org.

Click here to see what it’s like to go on an Eco-Ed field trip!

Burrowing Owl Docents

Burrowing Owl docents introduce passersby to the small population of owls that overwinter at Cesar Chavez Park along the Berkeley waterfront. Docent training happens just once a year. This year’s training is on Saturday September 26 in Berkeley.
Docents monitor with the goals of:
  • Protecting the over-wintering Burrowing Owls and encouraging their propagation.
  • Educating the public about the presence of Burrowing Owls and the need to protect them and coexist with them.
  • Encouraging the protection of grassland bird species.
  • Helping these charismatic little owls stimulate public interest in bird conservation.
  • Collecting data on Burrowing Owl numbers and their human visitors.
Docents commit to shifts of an hour or more, at least once every two weeks from October through March. To sign up, email nw*****@********************ce.org.
Docent Doug Donaldson helps a park visitor spot Burrowing Owls / Photo by Ilana DeBareDocent Doug Donaldson helps a park visitor spot the owls / Photo by Ilana DeBare Eco-Ed Director Anthony DeCicco and students at Point Pinole / Photo by Eva GuralnickEco-Ed Director Anthony DeCicco and students at Point Pinole / Photo by Eva Guralnick
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Bird the world with us in 2016

Bird the world with us in 2016

ByGGBA
Secretary Bird from South Africa trip by Adam RileySecretary Bird from South Africa trip by Adam Riley

Just announced — our lineup of amazing international birding tours for 2016!  Make this the year to fulfill your travel dreams. Explore the birds of the Amazon rain forest. View African elephants, lions, vultures and Secretary Birds on safari. Make new friends while sighting Elegant Trogons and Vermilion Flycatchers in southeastern Arizona. And more….

Our 2016 destinations include:

Costa Rica
South Texas
Southeast Arizona
Southern Oregon
South Africa
Amazon Ecuador
Oaxaca, Mexico

Golden Gate Bird Alliance birding travel offers expert naturalist guides, comfortable lodging, seamless logistics, and great companionship.

See the Travel page of our web site for descriptions and photos of our 2016 trips. Or click here to download a brochure that you can print out and share with friends.

Elegant Trogon by Bob LewisElegant Trogon (Southeastern Arizona trip) by Bob Lewis Resplendant Quetzal (Costa Rica trip) by Elizabeth LauerResplendant Quetzal (Costa Rica trip) by Elizabeth Lauer…

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