Slough Buzz #146   |   News & Updates from the Elkhorn Slough Foundation   |   March 2016
Sea Otters: Good News for the Estuary
Furry Ambassadors Benefit the Environment and Economy
KION story about sea otters at the Reserve
Southern sea otters are great news for Elkhorn Slough -- adorable ambassadors that grab our attention, boost the economy, and support the ecology of the estuary.

As a recent KION news report shows, sea otters are iconic and charismatic, capturing the hearts and minds of tourists, wildlife viewers, and researchers alike.

Reserve researchers discuss the role of otters in the estuary ecosystem. (Courtesy of Erika Zavaleta/UCSC)
Sea otters are also a top predator in the estuary, keeping the estuary's ecosystems healthy and balanced.

Research Coordinator Kerstin Wasson and citizen scientist Ron Eby talk about this equilibrium in a video segment for Ecosystems of California by UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Professor Erika Zavaleta.

Of course, for up-to-the-minute video of sea otters in the wild, you can always watch the live stream from our very own high-definition Elkhorn Slough OtterCam!
Spring into Action
Upcoming Activities & Events at the Slough
Mud Stomp for Snowy Plovers (4/2)
Pull on your rubber boots and help Western snowy plovers start a successful nesting season!

Since 2002, Western snowy plover biologist Carleton Eyster of Point Blue, has led this annual cooperative effort to create shallow depressions in the mudflats to provide nesting habitat and cover for the tiny shorebirds.

This free, public event takes place on Saturday, April 2 from 9:30 am-12:00 noon at the CDFW Moss Landing Wildlife Area, on the east side of Highway 1 just north of the Elkhorn Slough .

Attendence is limited to 40 participants, so attendees must register in advance. For more information or to register today, visit our online event calendar. 
2015 Cleanup volunteers (Photo by Rex Sanders/KUSP)
Elkhorn Road Spring Cleanup (4/16)
Celebrate Earth Day and keep trash out of the slough! Last year the crew removed more than 4,720 pounds of trash from the Elkhorn Slough watershed.

For an inside scoop (so to speak), enjoy KUSP's piece about last year's spring cleanup.

All are welcome! Meet on Saturday, April 16 at 9:00am at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road. For more information, call (831)728-2822.
Spring Kayaking with ESF (4/17)
Join ESF as we launch from Moss Landing Harbor on a morning paddle on the Elkhorn Slough. You'll have opportunities to view Southern sea otters, seals, sea lions, pelicans and more as you glide along the slough's calm waters.

Our guided tour is scheduled for favorable tides on Sunday, April 17 from 8:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

Space is limited! Register today or get more information through our online event calendar!
"Take it Outside, California!"
Wildflower Walk with ESF (4/30)
Join ESF for a wildflower walk on our Porter Ranch property, as part of the inaugural Take it Outside California! weekend, or by the California Council of Land Trusts.

A working cattle ranch for more than a century, these conserved lands bloom with a stunning show of wildflowers each year. Land Stewardship Director Kim Hayes will help us find and identify the property's native wildflowers, and will offer a glimpse into the innovative research and techniques the Foundation uses to restore healthy coastal prairie habitat.

The ESF Wildflower Walk takes place on Saturday, April 30 from 10:00 am - 12:00 noon. Space is limited! Register today or get more information through our online event calendar!
ELKHORN SLOUGH RESERVE & ELKHORN SLOUGH FOUNDATION
Evenings at the Estuary 
Special Guest Speaker
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 5:30 - 7:00pm
About Lyme: What You Need to Know
Jo Ellis, Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are serious and can lead to significant health issues -- but don't let apprehension stop you from enjoying the natural wonders of Elkhorn Slough!

Jo Ellis from Bay Area Lyme Foundation will share simple ways to reduce your chances of being bitten, how to identify symptoms of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and to create "tick-safe zones" around your home. 

FREE! No registration required -- for details about this and other upcoming events in the 2016 Evening at the Estuary series, visit our online calendar and follow us on Facebook.
Elkhorn Slough Reserve |  1700 Elkhorn Rd, Watsonville |  www.elkhornslough.org
Bringing Students to the Slough  
Change Agents for the Future of Conservation 
Young people are the future of conservation. But transportation costs can be a significant hurdle for schools planning field trips to the slough.

This school year, 300 fourth-graders from schools in Castroville, Las Lomas and Watsonville will be able to visit Elkhorn Slough Reserve, thanks to a $7,680 Open OutDoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation, as part of the White House's Every Kid in a Park initiative. The award funds bus transportation to the Reserve, providing opportunities for local students to learn about the estuary, wildlife, and watershed in their own backyard.

National grants are important, yet they're only part of the solution. You can make a difference locally by contributing to the Elkhorn Slough Bus Fund donation box at the Reserve Visitor Center.

This year, our very own Elkhorn Slough Bus Fund awarded transportation grants to nine schools. The first buses arrived this month, bringing more than 70 students to explore the wonders of the slough. These children would not have been able to visit without the change -- from loose coins to large bills -- that visitors like you contribute to the Bus Fund. Thanks for being a change agent!
Go for Gold:
Walk for Elkhorn Slough Foundation in the 36th Annual Human Race  

Whether you're an avid walker, runner -- or just looking for a fun way to support a good cause -- the 36th Annual Human Race, coordinated by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, might be a golden opportunity.

Event registration opens on March 26, and the 5-mile coastal walk (along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz) takes place on May 7-- so join the fun, and raise funds and friends for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (Agency #670).
Harlan's Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis harlani),
photo by Jane Rudebusch
Slough Sightings 

Spring is in the air: wildflowers are blooming and swallows are circling above the Reserve. To mark the change of seasons, enjoy a couple unusual sightings from the last months of winter.

Harlan's Hawk
Reserve Naturalist Jane Rudebusch spotted an unusual, dark brown hawk near the Visitor Center  in late January. Local birding experts confirmed it to be a Harlan's Hawk -- a subspecies of Red-tailed hawk from Alaska that migrates through central California in winter but almost never reaches the coast. This was only the second recorded sighting in Monterey County (with the previous sighting being in 1977)!

Mantis Shrimp
6-inch mantis shrimp (Pseudosquillopsis marmorata) in a 5-gallon bucket. Photo by Rikke Jeppesen.
On an afternoon field trip with students from the Estuary Explorers club,  Reserve Ecologist Rikke Jeppesen found something in her crab traps that she'd never seen before:

... a gigantic mantis shrimp (Pseudosquillopsis marmorata). It is rare in Southern California, so it might be yet another critter that got up here with the warm waters of El Niņo.

According to my shrimp and crab book, it 'emerges at night to prey on bivalves and other organisms that are smashed by blows from the claws.' Luckily, my sixth sense told me not to handle this critter. It's size was definitely at the upper end of its size range too, probably about 150 mm (6 in).

To learn what we're seeing at the slough, visit our Sightings blog and follow us on Facebook. Even better: stop by for a visit!
Elkhorn Slough Foundation   |   www.elkhornslough.org

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