Events Calendar
Location: San Leandro Library, 300 Estudillo Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577
Speaker: Gerry McChesney
The central California population of Common Murres (Uria aalge) suffered a rapid decline in the mid-1980s when thousands of birds were killed in a nearshore gill-net fishery and an oil spill. A colony of about 3,000 murres on Devil's Slide Rock, San Mateo County was extirpated. A heroic effort using social attraction (murre decoys, recorded calls and mirrors) to restore the colony began in 1996. Now, the colony is restored to it's former numbers. Efforts are now focused on protecting the colony from disturbance. Gerry McChesney will talk about this fascinating restoration project and the current status of the Common Murre population in central California.
Gerry McChesney is a Wildlife Refuge Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. He has spent much of the last 30 years studying seabirds throughout California, including colony surveys, breeding biology, at-sea distribution, and restoration. Gerry has managed the Refuge's Common Murre Restoration Project since 2002.
Directions:
San Leandro Library: Karp Room
https://www.sanleandro.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=24859
https://goo.gl/maps/JZissDVNz8y
From I-580, take the Estudillo exit. Follow Estudillo to the library on the right.
From I-880, take the Davis Street exit, head east, passing under BART track. Go through light at E. 14th St. (Davis becomes Callan). Continue 1 1/2 blocks to the library on right. We will meet in the Karp room.