January Blue Heron eNewsletter http://sfnature.org

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SFNE Blue Heron Newsletter, January 2008

 

http://sfnature.org

 

1. Thank You to Our Volunteers, Donors, and Foundation Partners

2. Endangered Species Big Year Project

3. Upcoming Lectures

4. School Program

5. SFNE in action at the Endangered Species Big Year Kickoff

6. Birding for Everyone

7. Support SFNE

 

Thank you to our volunteers

 

Thanks to our dedicated corps of volunteers who have served in

classrooms, led school field trips and have served in our public

programs. In 2007, we served more than 3,500 people in our programs

— connecting our community with nature, our urban parks and open

spaces.

 

Many thanks to our donors and foundation partners

 

Thank you to our generous donors for your financial support. We rely

on your donations to run and grow our programs.

 

Thanks to our foundation partners for their support:

 

Adobe Foundation

 

Bothin Foundation

 

ERM Foundation

 

Jiji Foundation

 

Lee Family Foundation

 

Leocha Fund

 

Kimball Foundation

 

Morris Stulsaft Foundation

 

San Francisco Parks Trust

 

We are excited about our new programs in 2008, including science

education for underserved fourth- and fifth-grade students and

collaborative programs with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Endangered Species Big Year.

 

 

 



 

SFNE Executive Director Nancy DeStefanis visits with San Francisco

Zoo volunteer John Flynn and Sequoia, a 19-year-old female bald

eagle, at the Endangered Species Big Year kickoff.

 

 

Endangered Species Big Year Project

 

In spite of the blustery weather that ushered in the new year, the

2008 Endangered Species Big Year contest got off to a great start

this month. About 250 people showed their support for national parks

and concern about endangered species by braving the rain and wind to

look for the threatened western snowy plover at San Francisco’s

Ocean Beach as part of the Big Year kickoff on Sunday, Jan. 6.

 

The Endangered Species Big Year is a race to be the first in 2008 to

view all 33 of the listed species found within the Golden Gate

National Recreation Area and complete 33 conservation action items to

aid the recovery of these important species. A number of groups,

including San Francisco Nature Education, are collaborating on this

contest as a way to help connect visitors with the unparalleled

natural resources the GGNRA offers and participate in their

preservation.

 

San Francisco Nature Education volunteers set up spotting scopes at

the Big Year kickoff and helped participants, including a number of

children, find plovers on the beach. Special thanks to volunteers

Jack Baird, Tina Lui, Judith and Richard Finn, and Tom Prete.

 

“It was wonderful to see such a strong turnout at the Big Year

kickoff,†said SFNE Executive Director Nancy DeStefanis. “We were

thrilled to meet so many people and help them start their Big Year

checklist by observing snowy plovers right on Ocean Beach.â€

 

GGNRA Superintendent Brian O’Neill spoke at the kickoff event,

praising local residents for supporting the park and noting that the

Golden Gate National Parks contain more endangered species than any

other unit of the National Park System in continental North America.

San Francisco Supervisor Sean Elsbernd attended as well.

 

Watch upcoming issues of SFNE’s Blue Heron Newsletter for

announcements of more Big Year field trips and events sponsored by

San Francisco Nature Education and other groups.

 

Upcoming Lectures

 

January 22, Tuesday, 7:30PM — Free Program

 

Great Blue Herons of Golden Gate Park with Nancy DeStefanis

 

Magnificent photos of the Great Blue Heron Colony by James Sullivan,

Nature Photographer

 

Golden Gate Audubon Society Hall of Flowers

 

San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park

 

Entrance at Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way

 

 

February 21, Thursday, 7:30-9:00PM — Free Program

 

Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 with Nancy DeStefanis

 

Lecture/Slideshow and musical performances on ukelele

 

Learn about the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 in

San Francisco’s Marina District.

 

Only the Palace of Fine Arts remains, and it is now undergoing

renovation.

 

The Hawaii Pavilion at the 1915 Exposition introduced the ukulele and

the music of Hawaii to the world.

 

Ka’ala Carmack, Honolulu-born, is an accomplished musician and

singer. He is the founder and instructor of the ukulele and Hawaiian

singing ensemble J-Town Hui, and will perform songs with many of his

students.

 

If the audience had been able to squeeze into the Hawaii Pavilion 92

years ago, this is the music they might have heard!

 

Randall Science Museum, 199 Museum Way, Corona Heights, San Francisco

 

 



 

Ukulele lady Nancy DeStefanis

 

School Program

 

We are excited to announce an expansion in our school program to

serve fourth- and fifth-graders. We will be conducting science

education in the classroom with owl-pellet dissection, and taking the

students to Crissy Field to view the wildlife in the lagoon and the bay.

 

SFNE in action at the Endangered Species Big Year Kickoff

 

 



 

SFNE volunteer Tina Lui helps a young participant spot western snowy

plovers at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach at the 2008 GGNRA Endangered

Species Big Year kickoff event Sunday, Jan. 6.

 

 



 

Approximately 250 people braved windy and rainy weather to look for

western snowy plovers at Ocean Beach, with the help of spotting

scopes and SFNE volunteers.

 

Birding for Everyone

 

Family Nature Walk

 

Join us for our guided nature walks on the first Saturday of every

month at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, 10 a.m. until noon.

Visit our Web site for more details.

 

http://www.sfnature.org/programs/bfe.html

 

Upcoming Dates: Feb. 2 and March 1 (Rain cancels.)

 

January 5, 2008 Trip Report

 

Birding for Everyone was cancelled because it was, unfortunately, a

rainy and stormy day. We look forward to seeing you on our February

and March walks (weather permitting).

 

Although the bad weather cancelled the January walk, we did get some

good publicity from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle’s 96

Hours section. Reporter Paul Kilduff wrote an article on Birding for

Everyone, including a link to the SFNE Web site.

 

A brief excerpt from the article:

 

“With all the distractions of the great indoors, instilling a sense

of wonder about bird life to kids may seem a little far-fetched —

that is, unless Nancy DeStefanis has anything to do with it.â€

 

The article is online at:

 

http://tiny.cc/OEu2Y, or http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/

c/a/2008/01/03/NSL2U64IM.DTL & hw=Birding+for+Everyone & sn=001 & sc=1000

 

 

Support San Francisco Nature Education

 

Your Donations Make a Difference!

 

Our engaging public and school programs couldn’t exist without

generous contributions from people like you.

 

Would you please send in a contribution today?

 

Please mail contributions to:

 

San Francisco Nature Education

 

3450 Geary Blvd. Suite 208

 

San Francisco, CA, 94118

 

Or Donate online at our website!

 

 

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San Francisco Nature Education

3450 Geary Blvd.

Suite 208

San Francisco, CA 94118

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