By Lauren Woodfill On trips out to Point Pinole, one of the most exciting sights can be the swoop of an osprey over the water. They have been known to nest the old pier pilings sticking out into the San Pablo Bay, and with a sharp eye and some patience, you can sometimes spot one perch on the top of the pilings. How can a bird often called a “seahawk” or a “fish hawk” not be incredible? Found on all continents except Antarctica, ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, are the second most widely distributed raptor species, after the peregrine falcon. Raptors are birds of prey, hunting small animals …
Ebb & Flow
The Newsletter of The Watershed Project
TWP’s Watershed Science Programs: Inspiring the Next Generation of Watershed Stewards
By Phaela Peck At The Watershed Project, we strive to offer high quality watershed education to K-12 students at Title 1 schools in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. One way that we do this is through emphasizing science in our programs. Science is the study of the natural world and we connect students to their local environment through the lens of observing and investigating natural phenomena. The Watershed Project programs focus on learning about locally relevant phenomena, such as: Why was there a huge die-off of Olympia oysters at our Point Pinole oyster reef between Fall 2016 and …
Enjoy the Bay: Favorite Hiking and Picnic Spots
By Nikki Muench I’ve spent nearly 20 years hiking all over the Bay Area, typically within a two-hour-maximum drive radius to take advantage of day hike opportunities, so this month I’m sharing a couple of my favorite spots to hike and picnic that highlight some of the fantastic views in the East Bay. Seaview Trail in Tilden Regional Park has a summit spot that gives you an amazing view of San Francisco, and on a clear day, you can actually spot the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The vista is about 1-1.5 miles straight up the trail from Quarry parking lot (there will be a bench on your right, …
Water Quality Monitoring: Inspiration and Connection at River Rally
By Helen Fitanides Last week several staff from The Watershed Project attended River Rally, a national conference for river and water champions. We had the opportunity to learn a lot about other watershed and water groups across the country and how our mission fits in with theirs. This collaborative energy is an important part of our work that is often overlooked in the daily scramble to get everything done. There are more than 5,000 citizen science programs in North America, involving more than 100 million people, and we can advance faster if we work together and share our successes and …
What’s in Your Watershed: The Bellowing American Bullfrog
By Lauren Woodfill While conducting a trash assessment in a Contra Costa Creek last week, out of the corner of our eyes we noticed what looked like a fish poking its head out the water, taking a gulp of air. Upon closer inspection, it turned out not to be a fish, but instead a huge tadpole, dotted with black spots and around 5 inches in length: an American bullfrog tadpole. American bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana, are native to southern and eastern United States, but has been introduced across the country and into western states, including California where it is …
Earth Day Events: Celebrate the Earth!
Where will you be this Earth Day? Come join The Watershed Project at our Earth Day festivities in North Richmond and Albany on Saturday April 21st. We have family friendly activities and service projects for you to give back to the Bay and have fun! North Richmond Earth Day Cleanup Saturday April 21th, 2018, 9:00 am – 11:00 am Wildcat Creek at Verde Elementary School, 2000 Giaramita St., Richmond Register Today! Celebrate Earth Day by helping clean our urban creeks! Join The Watershed Project and Contra Costa County in North Richmond, and help clean up Wildcat Creek at Verde …
The Block Ambassadors of North Richmond: A Model for Positive Change
By Paula White This article focuses on a few special people who live in the Wildcat Creek watershed, which drains North Richmond. For over a year, eight people have served as Block Ambassadors for their community as part of The Watershed Project's program in North Richmond. The North Richmond Community-Based Cleanup and Outreach Program‘s mission is to keep the streets clean and safe for the children who walk from Verde Elementary School to the Shields-Reid Center's after school program. We talked with a few of the Block Ambassadors about their work. Todd Lemonte Warner Sr. has lived in …
Education Corner: Spring 2018 is All About Plants
By Phaela Peck It’s Spring, hooray! The winter has much to offer in terms of appreciating the outdoors, but for many of us, Spring brings a sense of hope and new beginnings -- and a renewed interest in nature exploration. This Spring, I am particularly focused on plants. Perhaps it is because I recently moved and am learning about my new environment, or because I’m starting a large vegetable garden for the first time, but, whatever the reason, Spring 2018 is all about plants! Below are several ways to explore, discuss and learn about plants. Note that I’m an educator, not a botanist. All …