From our blogs

Become a San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society Docent

We need a volunteer to lead tours or community service projects on the refuge.

We often receive requests from companies wanting to offer their employees a team-building experience by learning more about the refuge or by participating in a group project (especially around Earth Day).

As a San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (Society) docent, you would give introductory talks and lead the groups on a guided walk or service project. Contact: mary.deschene@sfbws.com or 510-792-0222 ext.364.

The Great American Campout

Never camped before but looking to learn? Join us as we pitch a tent and campout for wildlife! You will learn the fine skills of the great outdoors with your family as you enjoy the wetlands of the bay. All camping gear is provided by Bay Area Wilderness Training whose primary goal is to get youth outdoors!

No experience necessary or camping gear needed. Please check out the registration page for more information at: https://gaceec.eventbrite.com.

San Francisco Bay Area voters pass Measure AA for a clean and healthy Bay

A poster for the Yes on AA campaign by Save the Bay. Photo courtesy Britta Heise via Twitter.

A poster for the Yes on AA campaign by Save the Bay. Photo courtesy Britta Heise via Twitter.

Measure AA, a tax measure on the ballot for the nine counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay, was approved with a 69% Yes vote on June 7, 2016 election day. The measure will raise $25 million in annual revenue over 20 years through an annual parcel tax of $12 assessed on property owners falling within the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. The $500 million total revenue is earmarked "to protect San Francisco Bay for future generations by reducing trash, pollution and harmful toxins, improving water quality, restoring habitat for fish, birds and wildlife, protecting communities from floods, and increasing shoreline public access." The measure includes independent citizen oversight and annual audits to ensure transparency. It also mandates that all funds stay local.

2016 Marsh-In Summer Day Camp • August 1 - 6, 2016

A FREE summer camp filled with fun activities, games, crafts, and adventures.

Date and Time
  • August 1 - 6, 2016
  • Grades 1-6: Monday - Wednesday 9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
    • Monday - Bird Day
    • Tuesday - Fish Day
    • Wednesday - Mammal Day
  • Grades 4-6 only: Overnight 6:00 p.m. Thursday - 9:00 a.m. Friday
    • Overnight - Night hikes, star gazing, sleeping under the stars and ice cream making!
Location

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental Education Center
1751 Grand Blvd, Alviso, CA 95002

National Fishing & Boating Week • June 4 - 12, 2016

National Fishing & Boating Week - June 4 - 12, 2016

Learn how to fish on the Dumbarton Fishing Pier in Fremont!

Saturday, June 4, 2016 9:00 a.m. – noon

Have you ever wanted to try fishing but didn’t know how to begin? Learn the fundamental basics of catch-and- release fishing at the Dumbarton fishing pier! Discover the types of wildlife living in the San Francisco Bay, learn the safety and ethics of fishing, and then try your luck out on the pier with our fishing poles.

This event is free! Space is limited to 50 people. All equipment will be provided. Please come on time. Register at donedwardsfishing.eventbrite.com or call 510-792-0222 ext. 362 for reservations.

Volunteer Opportunities: Summer 2016

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Opportunities: Summer 2016 at the Environmental Education Center (Alviso, California).

If you have an interest in wildlife and their conservation, enjoy working with people, and are enthusiastic and dependable, the Environmental Education Center’s Volunteer Program is for you! As a volunteer, you’ll receive on-the-job training from staff and other volunteers in the project area you choose.

Project areas are: restoration projects, information desk on weekends, interpretive programs, school field trips, and citizen science/community service.

Prior to volunteering at the Environmental Education Center, you must attend a Volunteer Orientation. You can also attend the orientation just to see what opportunities there are, and if it is the right fit for you.

An Adventure-a-thon to Protect the Tuolumne River

Explore the Tuolumne River watershed by land and by river this summer, 2016 while raising funds and awareness for river stewardship and restoration.

The Tuolumne River Trust hosts rafting, backpacking, canoeing, cycling, kayaking and fly fishing adventures.

Details: https://bylandandbyriver.org

At Farallon Islands, man meets nature, on nature's terms

The Farallon Islands, part of San Francisco, are home to the largest colony of nesting seabirds in the contiguous United States. Credit Joshua Hull/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Farallon Islands, part of San Francisco, are home to the largest colony of nesting seabirds in the contiguous United States. Credit Joshua Hull/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Bonnie Tsui writes in today's New York Times Sunday Travel section:

San Francisco these days doesn’t feel so wild to me, but then I step off its shores and head out into the bay. I think about how stunning it must have been when explorers first arrived at its mouth. People commute mindlessly over the Golden Gate Bridge day after day without realizing that whales, sea lions, seals and harbor porpoises congregate here still. Venture a little farther out from shore, to the Farallon Islands, and you get a sense of what it was like to truly feel wild, remote, at sea.

California 2016-2017 Duck Stamp Art Contest

Lesser snow goose at the Salton Sea, California. Photo by Alan Vernon courtesy Wikipedia.

Lesser snow goose at the Salton Sea, California. Photo by Alan Vernon courtesy Wikipedia.

Artists are invited to submit their original artwork to the 2016-2017 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will accept submissions from May 13 through June 13.

The contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older as of March 4, 2016. Entrants need not reside in California.

The winning artwork will be reproduced on the 2016-2017 California Duck Stamp. The top submissions will also be showcased at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show in July.

The artwork must depict the species selected by the California Fish and Game Commission, which for the 2016-2017 hunting season is the lesser snow goose.

National River Cleanup Day • May 21 2016, 9am – 12pm

Saturday, May 21, 2016 is National River Cleanup Day. Come help out with litter collection as we join others around the world in an effort to keep our rivers clean. Together with other concerned citizens, we’ll pick up trash and tidy up a local body of water. Come with a hat, sunscreen, and a great attitude, and we’ll provide the rest.

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