EBRPD District Plan Survey Call to Action
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EBRPD District Plan Survey Call to Action

ByRyan Nakano

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is preparing a new District Plan and is seeking public comment from Alameda and Contra Costa residents. Make your voices heard and stand up for birds and their habitat by completing the online survey by July 31, 2025. 

The District Plan will be a high-level document,summarizing and mapping existing conditions, identifying trends, documenting staff and community input about the future of the Park District, and providing strategies and priorities to achieve the Park District’s vision. More information about the Plan and the EBRPD can be found on their website. 

With over 126,000 acres of parklands and open space across 73 parks, representing all of our Bay Area ecosystems, these parks provide critical habitat for a huge range of plants and animals. There are many human uses of our park spaces that sometimes conflict with protecting this incredible biodiversity. It’s important that we all speak up for bird and wildlife habitat as we plan for the future of the regional parks. 

You can consider these points when you complete the online survey. Note: your response will have more impact if you put them in your own words. 

1. What is your vision for the future of regional parks in the East Bay?

  • Regional parks should be considered refuges for wildlife and biodiversity as they face the dual threats of habitat loss and climate change. Parklands and open spaces are critically important to providing habitat for wildlife including birds, insects, plants, and other animals, especially in our human-dense urban and suburban areas. Without habitat in regional parks, many indigenous plants and animals have nowhere else to go in the region. Protecting wildlife habitat and biodiversity should be the priority of the District Plan and EBRPD management strategies.
  • Long-term planning and vision should consider impacts of climate change on wildlife habitat. Regional parks should manage parkland to improve our resilience to climate impacts. Climate change will cause sea levels to rise, removing current shoreline habitat. Additionally, both fires and storms will become more frequent and severe, requiring creative management strategies to adapt. 
  • All operational decisions such as trail use and placement, recreational activities, vegetation management, placement of pet areas, new land acquisition, maintenance, and infrastructure, should prioritize protection of wildlife and biodiversity.
  • Regional parks should be places where East Bay residents can experience wild and thriving nature close to home, where low-impact activities are prioritized to protect ecosystems and wildlife. 
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Burrowing Owls

Burrowing Owls

ByRyan Nakano

Burrowing Owls

Burrowing Owls/Patricia Corapi

The Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, ground-dwelling species of owl found in North and South America. Native to open landscapes with low vegetation such as grasslands, prairies, and deserts, it nests in underground burrows abandoned by other animals.1 Southern populations of the Burrowing Owl are year-round residents; northern populations are migratory and fly south to overwinter in warmer conditions.  

Human development-driven habitat loss coupled with population declines of burrowing mammals poses a serious threat to Burrowing Owl populations. Total Burrowing Owl numbers have dropped by at least 33% since 1965. The decline has been particularly steep in California, where numbers have fallen by 60% and coastal breeding populations have been  nearly extirpated.2 As a result, the Burrowing Owl has recently been designated as a candidate species for the threatened and endangered list under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). As a candidate species, Burrowing Owls have the full protection of CESA while the listing process is finalized.

Before extensive urban development, the San Francisco Bay Area’s coastal prairies and grassland provided habitat for both resident and migratory populations of Burrowing Owls. Now, however, the region hosts fewer than 25 resident breeding pairs and  a dwindling number of overwintering birds.3 Protecting the remaining habitat is critical to sustaining their populations and preventing local extinction in the Bay Area.

Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley has remained a Burrowing Owl overwintering ground for over three decades. In 2011, a fence was erected around the Burrowing Owl habitat to protect the owls from human disturbance. Burrowing owls are most likely to nest on open land with little to no visual obstruction4, and the low height and minimalistic design of the fence minimizes habitat disturbance to the owls while serving as a symbolic reminder for parkgoers – especially dog walkers – to be mindful of Burrowing Owl grounds. Although a more robust fence could offer more protection against people and their pets, it would inadvertently compromise Burrowing Owl safety by providing a perching area for known avian predators5 and obstructing the owls’ line of sight, which could discourage them from overwintering in Cesar Chavez Park.

Golden Gate Bird Alliance has worked with the Berkeley Recreation, Parks and Waterfront Department since 2009 to maintain quality habitat for Burrowing Owls at Cesar Chavez and to monitor Burrowing Owl populations along the Berkeley waterfront. Our data, collected with the help of our volunteer monitoring program, has helped us better understand local Burrowing Owl needs and raise public awareness about their conservation.…

Reserve Tesla Park

Reserve Tesla Park

ByRyan Nakano
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In 2021, Golden Gate Bird Alliance and its allies successfully advocated to save the Alameda-Tesla property (Tesla Park) from off-road vehicle use. Now we need your help to convince the California State Parks Department to classify Tesla Park as a Reserve.

Classifying the 3,100 acre site as a Reserve will ensure the parks department prioritizes protecting wildlife, habitat, and cultural and spiritual indigenous resources, while still allowing lower impact activities like; hiking, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, and educational tours.

Tesla Park is home to 35 rare plant species, 7 sensitive vegetation communities and 50 special status wildlife species including the Golden Eagle, making it an important ecological site worth protecting.

Let’s make Tesla Park the first State Park Reserve in the region!

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Take Action for Tesla Park Today

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1. Email California State Parks

Contact California State Parks Department to let them know you want Tesla Park to be classified as a Reserve. Click the button to get an email template with messaging to help you start or see the sample text below!

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Oakland’s bird-safe building rules in the SF Chronicle
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Oakland’s bird-safe building rules in the SF Chronicle

ByGGBA

The S.F. Chronicle ran a nice story on July 8th on Oakland’s new bird-safe building rules, which Golden Gate Bird Alliance suggested and helped develop.

You can read the Chronicle story here.

Or click here for our blog post on the new rules (including a link to the rules themselves), which make Oakland the third major city in North America to adopt such standards.  The other two cities are Toronto and San Francisco.

Thank you, Oakland! And thank you to GGBA staffer Noreen Weeden who worked with Oakland city planners on drafting the rules.…

Lights out for spring migration

Lights out for spring migration

ByGGBA

Spring migration starts on February 15 — with more than 250 species of birds moving through the Bay Area! You can help them complete their long journeys safely by joining our Lights Out for Birds campaign.

Bright lights tend to draw birds off their nighttime migratory paths. They often end up colliding with buildings or circling the lights endlessly until exhausted. But you can help… by making sure building lights are off from dusk until dawn between February 15 and May 30.

  • Employees: Turn out lights in your workplace at night, especially if you work in a tall building or one with extensive glass windows. If you need to work late, use task lighting rather than overhead lighting, or draw the blinds.
  • Building owners and managers: Turn off non-essential lights such as exterior architectural lighting. Inside, consider installing motion sensors or timers to keep lights off as much as possible at night. Not only will you save the lives of birds, but you’ll save energy and money. PG&E offers rebates to companies that want to install these devices.

Help spread the word! We have Fact Sheets, posters and sample social media messages you can download and share. We can even point you to an online Lighting Cost calculator to help estimate how much money and energy you’ll save by turning lights out.

Visit the Lights Out for Birds page of our web site for more information.

Thanks to our partners at the San Francisco Department of the Environment and PG&E for supporting Lights Out and our Bay Area bird populations!

Thanks to designer Leslie Laurien for creation of the Lights Out logo.

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