Slough Buzz
No. 140 |  July 3, 2015
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The mission of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation is to conserve and restore
Elkhorn Slough and its watershed.
The accreditation seal recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.
Celebrate the 4th of July with a visit to Elkhorn Slough Reserve!
Happy Independence Day!

Reserve Open Regular Hours on the 4th of July

 

Celebrate Independence Day with a visit to the Elkhorn Slough Reserve.  We will be open regular hours on Saturday, July 4.  As usual, the Reserve will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 9am-5pm, and closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The mechanical transplanter is significantly faster and less labor intensive than planting grass seedlings by hand.

Watching the Grass Grow

Partnering to Restore Native Grasslands   

 

Land stewards from the Reserve and Foundation are working together to expand the native grass farm on ESF's Iniguez property. Using a tractor and a mechanical transplanter, the restoration team has planted about an acre of native grasses to supply future grassland restoration efforts with seed sourced from our local watershed.

 

More than 40,000 seedlings -- including blue wild rye, California brome, purple needlegrass, California Oat grass, and tufted hairgrass -- have been propagated at the Reserve greenhouse, with around 25,000 planted so far.

Last year's calendar featured a breathtaking shot of a humpback whale just outside the mouth of the slough (Photo by Joe Platko).

Set Your Sights on the

2016 Calendar Photo Contest 

Calling all photographers! The 2016 Elkhorn Slough Calendar Photo Contest is underway. Grab your camera and capture the spectacular scenery, people, plants and wildlife that make Elkhorn Slough and its watershed such an amazing and vibrant place.  

 

Winning entries will be featured in our full-color 2016 Elkhorn Slough Foundation calendar. The top two entries will win a special tour of Elkhorn Slough. Two additional runners-up will win annual passes to the Reserve.  

 

All proceeds from the calendar benefit ESF's work to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. Deadline for entries is September 30. Visit our website for more information or to submit your winning shot!
A Southern sea otter mom and pup float near the Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam
A Southern sea otter mom and pup float near the Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam.

A Focus on Sea Otters 

Slough Neighbor Raises Funds for HD Otter Cam

ESF member and neighbor Kristi van Greunen enjoys tuning in to the Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam, which streams live video of endangered southern sea otters in our tidal marshes of the slough. The Otter Cam allows researchers and citizen scientists alike to observe sea otter behavior up-close, without interfering in natural behaviors -- not to mention the fact that the otters (especially the pups) are just plain adorable.

 

Knowing that ESF plans to acquire a high-definition web camera to improve the quality of our observations and our ability to share video of the otters in their native habitat, Kristi was inspired to take action. She started a crowd-funding campaign  to help fund installation, maintenance, and streaming of a new high definition Elkhorn Slough Otter Cam.

 

You can learn more at www.gofundme.com/seaotters.  We're grateful for the enthusiasm of neighbors like Kristi, and for our amazing community of members and supporters.
As part of a survey of sensitive freshwater species, a researcher returns a salamander to a newly restored pond on the Reserve.

Capturing Water for Wildlife, Part 2 

Sensitive Species in Freshwater Ponds

In a previous issue of Slough Buzz, we described one way Reserve stewards are capturing rain to support wildlife, by supplying our wildlife guzzlers. But we're also collecting rainwater to conserve freshwater habitat, which has declined in our watershed over the last 150 years, as have the diverse communities of plants and animals that depend on them.

 

The Reserve's researchers and land managers have been working to restore freshwater ponds known to have supported sensitive species such as Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders, Tiger salamanders, California red-legged frogs, and Western pond turtles.

 

Reserve Manager Dave Feliz explains in his blog, Dave on the Trail: "We haven't had standing water on the surface for four years due to the drought. We embarked on a project to construct ponds and install pond liners to hold water more efficiently. We also devised ways to capture rainwater and store it for future use."

 

The results have been exciting. Researchers identified larval salamanders in the new ponds -- the first record of breeding California tiger salamanders on the Reserve and the first documented evidence since 2011 of breeding Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders.
Save the date! We will host our Reserve Open House & Native Plant Fair on Saturday, September 26. We look forward to seeing you!

Coming this Fall!   

Open House & Native Plant Fair (9/26) ... and more    

 

SAVE THE DATE

On Saturday, September 26, the Elkhorn Slough Reserve will celebrate National Estuaries Day with our annual Reserve Open House and Native Plant Fair featuring microscope labs, nature walks, science and restoration talks, and a slew of crafts and activities for the whole family. And our ever-popular Native Plant Fair offers incredible opportunities for friends and neighbors to find locally-sourced native plants and a wellspring of plant and garden expertise.

 

ESF EVENTS  

As always, the Foundation will offer an exciting lineup of Fall events, including kayaking, birding, walks, and special talks. Stay tuned to our online calendar for details! If you have an idea for an event you'd like us to try, please let us know! We're always exploring new ways to share the wonders of Elkhorn Slough -- drop us a note at communications@elkhornslough.org with your idea. 
Owl in the family (Photo by Shirley Murphy)
Whooo?
Sightings at the Elkhorn Slough 
 
In the Elkhorn Slough Sightings blog, longtime volunteer and birder Shirley Murphy tells a charming tale of a family of Great Horned Owls nesting in the old dairy barn in the Reserve. When a baby owl fell from the next box platform, it was taken to the SPCA of Monterey County for care.  But there's a surprise twist to the story ... read the happy ending in Sightings.