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FIELD TRIPS
The following field trips will be offered in association with SCB's 2006 annual meeting. All trips include transportation to and from San Jose's McEnery Convention Center. Please register for these field trips using the online registration system.
The deadline for registering for field trips is 9 June. Trips that do not meet minimum enrollment requirements will be cancelled. Full refunds will be given if a trip is cancelled because of low enrollment.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received on or before 9 June will be refunded in full, minus a $15 processing fee. No refunds will be given after 9 June.
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| courtesy of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve |
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Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
Saturday 24 June, 9:00 A.M.–1:30 P.M. (ending with lunch) or 12:00–4:30 P.M. (beginning with lunch)
$50 (includes lunch)
Maximum 24 participants per trip
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is a Stanford University field station located 15 minutes from campus along the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The area now included within the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve has been used for scientific studies since the opening years of Stanford University. On this tour, you will have a chance to learn about current research activities from principal investigators and graduate students on topics ranging from grassland ecosystem responses to global change (the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment to the effects of the Argentine ant invasion on native ant species and other species of invertebrates. In addition, there will be an opportunity to learn about the watershed management and ecosystem dynamics associated with Searsville Reservoir, a century-old reservoir that is nearing the end of its useful life as a result of continuing sedimentation. Finally, you will have an opportunity to tour the Preserve's nationally recognized and award winning green building, the Leslie Shao-ming Sun Field Station.
Hastings Natural History Reservation
Saturday 24 June, 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.
$125 (includes lunch)
Maximum 28 participants
Hastings Natural History Reservation is a biological field station established and maintained by the University of California, Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology since 1937. Now a part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Hastings has active research programs in terrestrial ecology of the Santa Lucia mountain range in central coastal California. Nestled between three seasonal creeks, Hastings rises from riparian corridors and small level areas with sycamores and valley oak, through chaparral brush and dense coast live oak woodlands, to steep ridges lined with blue oak and ridge tops with scattered valley oaks. Hastings has modern research facilities for up to 40 residents.
We will divide the field trip into two groups. One group will be lead by Dr. Mark Stromberg (Resident Director), who will discuss research on the native grasslands and interactions with the woodland savanna. Another group will be lead by Dr. Walter Koeing (Resident Research Zoologist), who will discuss behavioral ecology of cavity-nesting birds and masting in oak woodlands in California. Each group will have a short walk with stops along the way to see ongoing research projects and to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Quail Ridge
24 June, 7:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.
$125 (includes lunch)
Maximum 28 participants
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Quail Ridge Reserve is located in the Inner Coast Ranges south of Lake Berryessa, an area of extreme topography and Mediterranean climate adjacent to the Central Valley. The reserve flora and fauna are characteristic of much of California: a patchwork of grasslands, woodlands, riparian areas, and chaparral on a series of uplifted sedimentary layers dating from the Cretaceous.
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The most outstanding botanical feature, however, is the abundance of native perennial bunchgrasses. In a landscape that has experienced almost complete type-conversion to non-native annual grasses, the well-preserved grass flora of Quail Ridge is well worth visiting. In addition, a fire that occurred in September 2005 should provide some interesting post-burn flora. The nearly 800-hectare reserve also boasts spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, Berryessa Reservoir, and, on clear days, the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada.
The field trip will include moderately strenuous hikes through most of the vegetation types on the reserve. Bring hiking boots and be prepared for warm weather. Lunch and abundant beverages will be provided.
San Bruno Mountain and Mori Point
Saturday 24 June, 8:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
$40 (includes lunch)
Maximum 18 participants
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Participants will visit two significant natural areas near San Francisco and compare two different models of land conservation and management. Participants first will visit San Bruno Mountain State and County Park. Patrick Kobernus (Habitat Manager, San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan) and Sue Gardner (Director, Site Stewardship Program, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy) will lead a hike and exploration of the coastal prairie grasslands that provide habitat for three federally listed endangered butterflies, the Mission blue (Icaricia icarioides icarioides), San Bruno elfin (Callophrys mossii bayensis), and Callippe silverspot (Speyeria callippe callippe). We will discuss the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan, how it is implemented, and the degree to which it has been successful in protecting and restoring habitat for these endangered species. We will also enjoy lunch at a beautiful overlook point.
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| courtesy of Victoria Harris |
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After lunch, we will visit Mori Point, a 45-hectare coastal parcel recently purchased by the U.S. National Park Service. This disturbed coastal bluff is home to the federally listed endangered San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) and red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii). A special tour of the site will highlight both trail and restoration plans, with an examination of challenges and opportunities. The role of community engagement will also be considered during the walk.
South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project—Conservation Challenges and Opportunities
Saturday 24 June, 8:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Free
Maximum 40 participants
| The South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project involves the restoration of more than 6000 ha of former salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay. Long managed for salt production, these ponds were purchased by the state of California and by the federal government in 2003. The newly acquired lands are managed by the California Department of Fish and Game as part of the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
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Planning is currently underway for what will be the largest wetland restoration project ever planned on the west coast. The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project will integrate restoration with flood management, while also providing for public access, wildlife-oriented recreation, and education opportunities.
Given that 85–90 percent of the historic tidal marshes in the San Francisco Bay–Delta Estuary have been filled or significantly altered over the past two centuries, this project will significantly enhance the value of the estuary to numerous species, including several critically endangered species dependent upon San Francisco Bay salt marshes, such as the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) and California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus). However, project planning must also consider the habitat needs of species that have adapted to use of the artificial salt ponds, including the federally listed Pacific coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni). The South Bay hosts regionally significant numbers of migratory and wintering shorebirds and waterfowl, many of which use both tidal habitats and the salt ponds. Given the diverse nature of the species using the South Bay (and their habitat associations), the scale of project, and the diverse stakeholder interests, this complex project is challenging from both a conservation and public participation perspective.
The field trip will be led by members of the Project Management Team, including representatives of the California Coastal Conservancy, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and California Department of Fish and Game, as well as representatives of the project's consultant team. The trip will visit several South Bay locations, including some of the project's former salt ponds at Eden Landing and the Refuge, existing natural tidal salt marsh, and several examples of tidal marsh restoration projects (including one recent restoration project in a former salt pond). Participants will witness the degraded condition of existing tidal marsh in the South Bay, observe the wildlife use of both tidal marshes and salt ponds, discuss the challenges, opportunities, and trade-offs inherent to the restoration project, and observe the quality of restored tidal marsh that has been achieved by past projects using various restoration strategies.
Growing More than Things: Agriculture and the Environment
Thursday 29 June, 8:00 A.M.–8:00 P.M.
$100 (includes lunch and dinner)
Maximum 45 participants
Agriculture is not only about growing food—it is an important shaper of our world. What do we know about what we eat? How much we know will influence what we buy, and what we buy will influence what is grown and how it is grown. Visit farms and fields and learn about the diversity of local agriculture in mediterranean California. Learn about agricultural diversity on the urban edge, and how markets for organic, natural, and specialty products are affecting agriculture and the environment. Hear directly from the farmer and rancher what they are doing to cope with our changing society, and the opportunities and constraints these changes bring to agriculture. Tour a specialty farm growing Asian vegetables, melons, and chili peppers. Experience the use of compost material to support mushroom production, and find out what and how local vintners are producing. Visit with a rancher whose cattle not only work to maintain viable open space but also promote habitat for special status species. We will enjoy a box lunch during the trip and finish with a barbeque.
This field trip will be led by Lynn Huntsinger, Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley and Sheila Barry, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Santa Clara County, California.
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| courtesy of Lynn Huntsinger |
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Birding Transect of San Francisco Peninsula
Thursday 29 June, 7:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.
$80 (includes lunch)
Maximum 20 participants
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Join San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory biologist and international bird tour guide Alvaro Jaramillo for a full day of birding in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. On a continental level, the San Francisco Bay area is a diverse region in terms of climate and bird habitat. The San Francisco Peninsula, which has a moist coastal slope and a much drier bay side slope, is especially diverse. Our aim will be to cross the San Francisco Peninsula from the bay side to the ocean side, stopping at various sites to sample and highlight the array of local birds and their resources.
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We first will work our way up the east side of the San Francisco Peninsula "Skyline," the northernmost extension of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where we will stop to observe birds in mixed oak woodlands. Here we may encounter typical California species such as Nuttall's Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, and the oak-specialist subspecies of the White-breasted Nuthatch along with more widespread western species such as Lazuli Bunting, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Scrub-Jay, and Ash-throated Flycatcher. We then will cross the ridge and head down the coastal slope, stopping in mesic groves of Douglas fir and redwoods where we may encounter Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Steller's Jay, and the western Winter Wren. Closer to the coast we will visit alder and willow riparian forests where Wrentit, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Wood-Pewee, Purple Finch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Hutton's Vireo are common. At the coast we will stop at rocky beaches where we may see Pigeon Guillemot, Brown Pelican, Western Grebe, Black Oystercatcher, Western Gull, and if we are lucky, a Marbled Murrelet. Returning to San Jose we will stop at the Palo Alto Baylands, a superb salt marsh where we may encounter the elusive California Clapper Rail (pictured above) as well as various shorebirds including American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt. The day promises to be full of interesting sightings and a quick but thorough tour of avian diversity in the San Francisco Peninsula.
| courtesy of Grey Hayes |
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Exploring the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed
Thursday 29 June
8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.
$45 (includes lunch)
Maximum 150 participants
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This field trip will provide an excellent perspective on the diversity of central California's species and vegetation communities as well as the complex challenges that conservationists face in this "biodiversity hotspot." If you are interested in watersheds, land trusts, reserve design, fire and urban-wildland interface, or invasive species, this field trip is well suited for you. You'll be joined by local naturalists, biologists, researchers, and community members so that you will have both an in-depth and a broad perspective that is so rare when visiting an unfamilar place.
The Elkhorn Slough is the second-largest tidal estuary in California and home to sea otters as well as sharks, skates and rays; it is one of the west coast's premier birding locations. At the same time, the Slough is highly impacted by agriculture, unnatural tidal flux (harbor dredging / sediment transport alteration), and non-native species. The area is a successful experiment in non-profit land trusts working in conjunction with state and federal agencies to secure and restore land. The Slough's uplands host significant areas of threatened "maritime chaparral," which harbors numerous endemic plant species including dominant shrubs in the Ericaceae (Arctostaphylos).
Join Dr. Grey Hayes, Kenton Parker, and Eric Van Dyke from the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve on a two-part field trip. First, we'll explore the tidal wetlands of the Elkhorn Slough where we'll learn about many of our tidal wetlands conservation issues: tidal scour, invasive organisms, nutrient fluxes, and so forth. Next, we'll explore the upland maritime chaparral where we'll learn about fire-dependent ecosystems, habitat change, and fragmentation. We'll view endangered shrubs and majestic evergreen oaks while discussing the interplay of these communities through time.
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Monterey Bay Whale Watching
Thursday 29 June, 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.
$80 (includes boat fee and lunch)
Maximum 150 participants
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| courtesy of Grey Hayes |
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Join biologist Brad Keitt and Sanctuary Cruises for a four-hour to five-hour cruise on the Monterey Bay, one of the most productive marine areas of the Pacific Coast. The Monterey Bay submarine canyon is easily as big as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, with currents that produce an upwelling of life that feeds pods of dolphins, whales, and seabirds. While on the tour, we may be lucky enough to see blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales, minke whales, humpback whales, killer whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Risso's dolphins, and northern right whale dolphins. No doubt we also will see sea otters, harbor seals, and sea lions.
Our leader Brad and the boat crew will assist with identification of birds and mammals and Brad will speak to us about various conservation activities around Monterey Bay, including
• Beach COMBERS (Coastal Ocean Mammal / Bird Education and Research Surveys), a volunteer program to collect birds and mammals washed up in the bay and analyze mortality events.
• Leatherback turtle tagging project. Leatherbacks arrive in September and October and are tagged to track their movements back to breeding grounds.
• Sooty shearwater satellite tagging program. Scientists monitor the movements of our most abundant tourists, the two million sooty shearwaters that come up from New Zealand breeding grounds and spend the summer in Monterey Bay, using satellite tags to track movements along California coast and then back to New Zealand.
• White shark tagging. Sharks are increasingly rare, and their habits are not well documented. Groups of researchers work in the Monterey Bay to tag and track great white sharks to better understand their movement patterns, social and natural history, and geographical range.
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