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Slough Buzz
#141 | August 31, 2015
Elkhorn Slough OtterCams Go HD
elkhornslough.org/ottercam
The Elkhorn Slough OtterCam, which can be viewed at www.elkhornslough.org/ottercam, has been streaming live video from the tidal salt marshes of the Elkhorn Slough to the Web for nearly two years -- and now the OtterCam is even better.
 
Not only has the original Elkhorn Slough OtterCam has been upgraded from standard to high-definition, we have also added a second Ottercam in HD, with generous support from the Acacia Foundation and PBS. Located in key areas of the wetlands where otters often congregate, the two new cameras offer greater image clarity and finer detail for viewing our iconic Monterey Bay marine mammals and a teeming cast of other Elkhorn Slough wildlife. 
Watch the OtterCams Tonight on
The Elkhorn Slough OtterCam HD video streams are featured as part of the PBS/BBC Big Blue Live television and online event, August 31 through September 2 (at www.pbs.org/big-blue-live/live-cams/elkhornslough-otter-cam). Anchored from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the three-day, live televised event highlights the amazing marine life of California's central coast.
No otters? No problem!

With two OtterCams in high-definition, the odds are good that you'll see some of the amazing wildlife of the Elkhorn Slough when you visit our website. But if you live in a distant time zone or you're checking in after dark -- or if the otters just aren't cooperating -- you can still watch the slough's adorable sea otters on ESF's YouTube channel under OtterCam Highlights playlist.
2015 Reserve Open House & Native Plant Fair
September 26, 2015 |  9am-2pm  | Free fun for all ages
Join us at the 2015 Elkhorn Slough Reserve Open House and Native Plant Fair, celebrating National Estuaries Day, Saturday, September 26, 2015  from 9am - 2pm.

Activities include our ever-popular Native Plant Fair supporting the Reserve greenhouse, walks and talks with land stewards and researchers (topics include wildlife viewing, native plant restoration, rainwater capture, sea otter research, "meet the researchers" and more), kids crafts, plein-air painting, and viewing the slough's microscopic life at the Reserve education lab.

So come on out for a day of free fun for all ages at the 2015 Elkhorn Slough Reserve Open House and Native Plant Fair.  You can follow us on Facebook for more details.
Watch Our Calendar for Other Fun Events

Keep an eye on our online event calendar for more details about upcoming Fall events. We have a great schedule on the horizon, including birding walks, kayaking tours, art workshops and more.

For example, if you're interested identifying animals by their tracks, scat and sign, save the date: October 24 -- ESF Animal Tracking Outing.

Registration and details about this event and more will be posted in early September.
Calling all Photographers!
Give the Elkhorn Slough Calendar Contest a Shot
We are now accepting submissions for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation 2016 Calendar photo contest and encourage everyone to submit their favorite photos of the Elkhorn Slough watershed.

Grab your cameras and head out to the beach or the ridge tops, stroll the Elkhorn Slough Reserve's trails or paddle the slough waterway. Snap away at the birds, marine mammals, plants, insects, and of course people.

We welcome photos taken in the watershed within the past two years, but entries are due by September 30!

2015 Photo Contest Winner: Humpback whales outside Moss Landing, photo by Joe Platko
Federal Employee?
Support the Slough through the Combined Federal Campaign

The Combined Federal Campaign is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1 to December 15) support eligible non-profit organizations, including the Elkhorn Slough Foundation.

The code for donors to designate their contribution to ESF is 89064.  Your gifts support our work to conserve, educate, research, and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its surroundings. 

Above: Elegant tern, photo by Jacqueline Deely
Transportation Mini-Grants
Teachers: Apply by September 18! 

Do you know about the ESF Bus Fund? Maybe you heard the story on KAZU or KQED)? Or maybe you made a gift to the donation box at the Visitor Center?

Each year the Elkhorn Slough Reserve hosts nearly 4,000 school students. Many more class field trips would visit if they could afford transportation. So we're helping offset costs with Transportation Mini-Grants ranging from $50 to $300.

Teachers--the application deadline for this year's grants is September 18, 2015!
ESF logo

831.728.5939 |  communications@elkhornslough.org

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The Elkhorn Slough Foundation is a nonprofit, community-supported organization working to conserve and restore Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. The Foundation works with local, state and national constituencies to protect our natural heritage.