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Coastal Watershed Council August 2011 e-Newsletter |
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Hello Friends of the Coastal Watershed Council, Nonprofits like CWC are constantly focusing on the bottom line, whether that means working towards our mission, or bottom line finances. Last month I shared the exciting news that CWC finished our fiscal year June 30 in the black. In these days, that's cause for celebration. Our Board of Directors will be celebrating that accomplishment, and looking forward to the coming year, during our fundraising dinner Sept. 18 at Main Street Garden Cafe. Buy tickets now or see below for details. There are certainly other ways to think about the bottom line, beyond finances. At our recent Board of Directors retreat, CWC took some time to reflect on how we're measuring progress towards our mission. We're constantly striving to identify measurable progress in our work. As we work to preserve and protect coastal watersheds, do you have ideas on how we can measure progress in our three core programs: monitoring, stewardship and education? If so, we want to hear them. E-mail me or call (831) 464-9200) to share what's on your mind. In the coming months I'll share more about this effort to evaluate CWC's progress. Please chime in! Already a month into this next fiscal year, CWC has lots of great news to share, and opportunities galore for your involvement. Please read on for the details, and we hope to see you all soon in your favorite watershed!
Greg Pepping
Executive Director
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Preparing for First Flush 2011 - Training in Early September!
 Even though we are in full summer mode, preparations have begun for the 2011 First Flush event, which will occurr during the first significant rain this fall.
During the summer pollutants build up on our roofs, street surfaces and driveways. During the first rain these collected pollutants and debris wash into storm drains and often straight into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. First Flush participants collect water samples that are professionally analyzed for non-point source pollutants like bacteria (E. Coli, total coliform), nutrients (nitrate, orthophosphate, ammonia) and metals (copper, lead and zinc).
First Flush is your opportunity to get educated about common urban pollutants and what you can do to help lessen your impact on water quality. Our trainings provide information about these pollutants and professional water quality training to prepare for the event.
Classroom Training Date: Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Meeting Place: City of Capitola, Council Chambers, 420 Capitola Avenue
Dry Run Training Date: Saturday, September 10, 2011
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Meeting Place: Teams will meet at pre-assigned storm drain outfalls
Contact Debie Chirco-Macdonald at djchirco@coastalws.org or (831) 464-9200 to sign up for this exciting event!
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2011 Trees to Sea Explorers Camp a Huge Success
Thanks to a grant from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and a generous donation from the Hawley Family Foundation and others, 48 youth ages 9-12 spent a week in July exploring local watersheds at CWC's Trees to Sea Explorers Camp.
 With new stainless water bottles and camp shirts in hand, Explorers rode the metro bus to Henry Cowell for t-shirt fish printing, a BMI study, water quality monitoring and educational games. The day ended with a ride back to town on the Roaring Camp train. 
On Day 2 campers sharpened their survival skills with Adventure Out where they learned to build debris shelters, make fire with a bow drill and purify water using hot rocks. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve provided the perfect place to spend Day 3 studying mud flat habitats, tide changes, and looking under the microscope at macroinvertebrates from the slough. Campers also participated in albatross bolus dissections and were surprised at what they found!
An albatross chick can only produce a bolus when it fledges (at 160 days old). Until then its stomach must hold all the undigestible stuff from what it  eats (normally squid and fish eggs). The small partition holds squid beaks; the larger holds plastic. All from a single bolus! 
Day 4 - back to the Slough for a day of kayaking and animal watching with Kayak Connection. We had some tired folks on the bus ride home! 
Our final day of camp was spent on the O'Neill Sea Odyssey catamaran where after hoisting the mainsail Explorers did a plankton tow, learned about navigation, and had an ocean ecology lesson. Their sail was followed by lunch and watermelon, a beach clean-up and the signing of their Pledge to Protect the Watershed.
CWC was pleased to have partnered with the Santa Cruz Boys & Girls Club, O'Neill Sea Odyssey, Adventure Out, Kayak Connection, Community Bridges Lift Line and local state parks to provide these youth with a memorable and educational introduction to our coastal watersheds.
We would also like to give a big THANK YOU to our amazing volunteer camp guides: Dylan Avatar-Arnold, Danielle Lynch, Tamara Jones, Susanna Langstaff and Elizabeth Rose.
In addition to the Monterey Peninsula Foundation grant, and the donation from the Hawley Family Foundation, CWC has received donations from businesses and individuals like you. It's not too late to give your support: you can still sponsor a child in this special environmental education camp. Donate on-line right now, or contact Greg Pepping at (831) 464-9200 or gpepping@coastalws.org for more information.
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Main Street Cafe to Host CWC Fundraising Dinner
The Coastal Watershed Council Board of Directors is hosting a fundraising dinner to support CWC's unique mission of preserving and protecting coastal watersheds. Main Street Garden Cafe at 3101 North Main Street in Soquelwill be the site of the event, scheduled for Sunday, September 18, from 5-8 pm.
The evening will include live music, a silent auction and raffle, and dinner from locally-sourced organic food. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased through CWC's website at coastal-watershed.org. Buy your tickets now as we're hoping this event will sell out. Funds raised will support CWC's efforts to preserve and protect our local watersheds through community stewardship, monitoring and education. Thanks in advance for supporting this fundraiser!
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Urban Watch Continues into August & September 
The City of Capitola's Urban Watch program will continue to monitor four storm drain outfalls and three Soquel Creek sites throughout the summer months. There's still time to get on board!
The Urban Watch program provides an opportunity for volunteers to learn about everyday impacts on water quality and become better educated about pollutant sources in our local watersheds.
Volunteers are trained to measure field parameters, collect water samples and run field tests for chlorine and detergents. Contact Debie Chirco-Macdonald at (831) 464-9200 or djchirco@coastalws.org to sign up for a field event.
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Water Tours & Films Return
The Coastal Watershed Council announces the following list of water tours and water-related films. The City of Capitola supports this effort by CWC to engage our local population to get outdoors, have fun, and learn about our watersheds and how to protect and preserve them - CWC's mission!
Water Tours
Thurs. Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m. - Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project's fish hatchery in Davenport - A tour of the entire hatchery!
Sat. Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m - Lower West Branch of Soquel Creek & Bargetto Winery - Learn about riparian corridors, pools, riffles and run in a canyon-like topography. Second stop is at Bargetto Winery, where the conversation continues as we enjoy wine and overlook the creek from the deck.
Sun. Oct 2 & 9, 9 a.m. to 12 noon - Seining for fish on Soquel Creek Lagoon - Get as wet as you want to as CWC volunteers assist Don Alley and his team in their annual fish seining effort in Soquel Creek Lagoon. Handle fish, clip pelvic fins (and learn why this is done), and help in the effort to calculate how many fish are out there. You can attend either Saturday, or both days!
Sat. Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Lower East Branch of Soquel Creek - Continue your education about fish habitat further upstream on Soquel Creek, including discussion and viewing of increasing gradients, changing stream temperatures, and how this all impacts fish.
Water Films
Wed. Dec. 7, 7-9 pm - Rivers of a Lost Coast
Wed. Jan. 25, 7-9 pm - Watershed Revolution
Space for some events is limited so please RSVP to Greg Pepping at gpepping@coastalws.org or (831) 464-9200 to reserve your spot on these free tours. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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