Repairs to the levee at Whistlestop Lagoon will begin in August

In August, the Reserve will be making significant improvements to the levee at Whistlestop Lagoon. The levee doubles as the trail to Hummingbird Island, which may need to be closed while work is underway.

The project will repair the levee and remove impaired culverts—pipes that carry water through the levee. This will stabilize the trail and provide safer access to Hummingbird Island. The culverts are being replaced to help restore natural tidal dynamics, improve water quality, and increase access for aquatic wildlife.

The work might take a few months to complete, but it will be well worth the time and inconvenience. We are sorry for any short-term inconvenience caused by the long-term enhancement of habitat at Whistlestop Lagoon.

While the work is going on, there are still many trails to explore on the Reserve —we hope to see you here!

Scholarship winner Maria Barrera has a hands-on experience at the Reserve's Visitor Center (Photo courtesy of Camp SEA Lab)

ESF established the "Elkhorn Slough Foundation Conservation Education Scholarship for The Les Strnad Award" in 2012 to honor the contributions of Les Strnad to science education and wetland conservation in Monterey County. Each year we present the award to young people from underserved communities, granting them full scholarships to Camp SEA Lab's weeklong "Elkhorn Slough and You!" day camp.

This year, ESF awarded scholarships to seven local youth, allowing them to attend Camp SEA Lab and explore Elkhorn Slough this summer. This will be their first experience at the slough.

The students explored Elkhorn Slough on foot and by kayak, learning about the estuary, its watershed, and the incredible diversity of plants and wildlife that depends on the slough. They identified native plants and wildlife, investigated the microscopic world of plankton, encountered seals and sea otters, and helped restore precious wetlands.

"We saw a shark's fin," exclaimed an enthusiastic young camper. Another student jumped in to add, "And we found an owl's feather in the barn!"

Asked to name her favorite camp activity so far, 11-year-old Cristda Cano wasted no time. "Kayaking—and we're going again tomorrow!"

You can read more about the story in our press release.

Corporate volunteers from Intuit help Reserve staff collect seeds of blue wild rye, a native perennial bunchgrass.

Seed collection is a vital component of restoration work on and around the Reserve. Different plants go to seed in different seasons throughout the year. In summertime, staff and volunteers are busy collecting seed from native grasses, such as blue wild rye, California oat grass, and California meadow barley. By propagating native plants with seeds collected from our watershed, we hope to encourage hardy strains that are already well adapted to our climate, soils, and other local conditions, as well as ensure we are restoring with Elkhorn Slough native plants.

Both ESF and the Reserve participate in seed collection, and we share with one another to cultivate a stock of seeds and plants we can depend on for stewardship projects. The results pay big dividends when we need specific types of native plants to stabilize soils, prevent the spread of invasive non-native plants, or to restore damaged landscapes.

We thank the many volunteers who help with seed collection and all our critical restoration work.

Myotis bats in rafters of a structure on the Reserve

While working on a structure, Reserve staff found about 60 Myotis bats roosting in the rafters.

Myotis bats eat insects and help keep agricultural pests in check. After finding the bats, Reserve staff put up bat houses to provide additional roost sites. As an added bonus, the bats provided us with a respectable pile of guano (also known as bat poop)—an excellent nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

We're planning a fantastic lineup of events and excursions for our fall calendar, featuring perennial favorites and some new offerings, too. Below is a preview of events on the horizon. For more details, watch future issues of Slough Buzz or check our website later this summer.

On September 22, in celebration of Sea Otter Awareness week, we'll be holding a kayak trip followed by a screening of the independent feature film Otter 501, which co-stars ESF Outreach Coordinator Katie Pofahl. Katie will join participants on the water and in the screening room. This a fun way to learn more about Elkhorn Slough and both the stars (human and otter) that are still hanging out at Elkhorn Slough.

Learn about native plants, buy a few of your own, and support Elkhorn Slough's greenhouse at the Reserve's Native Plant Fair, scheduled for October 5.

We have a bird watching walk slated for the morning of November 9. In the meantime, you might want to check out the Monterey Bay Birding Festival, which runs September 12-15. For more information about the festival or to register, visit www.montereybaybirding.org.

Finally, sometime this fall (we are waiting for the trees to tell us) we are planning to hold a special acorn collection and propagation workshop. The ESF "Land Dude" himself, Ken Collins, will be sharing his knowledge on how to turn tiny acorns into mighty oaks.