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OAS News
Notes from OAS President
California Audubon News Blog
Drawing for a Hans Peeters Painting
Here is your chance to win a framed, original painting by world-renowned artist and birder Hans Peeters. The beautiful painting portrays a great-blue heron perched on a log. Other prizes included are tickets to Disneyland, tickets to Beach Blanket Babylon, and numerous gift cards!
The drawing proceeds will benefit the wildlife education and rehabilitation programs at Sulphur Creek Nature Center. To purchase tickets you can come into the center or simply send a check payable to HARD to:
Sulphur Creek Nature Center
Attn: Rose
1801 D Street
Hayward, CA 94541
Tickets are $2.00 each or a book of twelve for $20. Be sure to include your name address and phone number with your order. Volunteers will write your name on the tickets and send you a receipt. The drawing will be held on March 29, 2012. You do not need to be present to win.
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Fall Photo Quiz
Our friends at eBird have created a fun and fairly challenging fall photo quiz. Get your field guides out if you need them! Enjoy!
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/fall2011quiz
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Inside Bay Area Article Featuring Ohlone Audubon's Own - Phil Gordon
Excellent article about OAS's Education Chair, avid birder and overall naturalist.
Download the Inside Bay Area Article here: One-time "Boy Paleontologist" is now senior volunteer
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Recent Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area Settlement
December 11, 2010 - Golden Gate Audubon, Santa Clara Valley Audubon, Mt. Diablo Audubon, Ohlone Audubon, and Marin Audubon joined the Attorney General's Office in negotiating the agreement that addresses the state's need for renewable wind energy and the state's obligation to protect resident and migratory birds. Under terms of the settlement, 2,400 turbines on the hills of the Altamont Pass operated by NextEra will be replaced in the next four years or shut down completely by Nov. 1, 2015.
Read the full artciles online at:
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The Bette Wentzel Memorial Garden
Ohlone Audubon designed and built the beautiful Bette Wentzel Hummingbird and Butterfly garden in memory of our former
president. It was sited in Shinn Park, Fremont many years ago. The garden was designed with plants to attract butterflies and
hummingbirds.
All beautiful gardens need help and we are responsible for the upkeep of ours. We meet each Tuesday morning with the Heirloom Garden Club at 9:30 a. m. to do maintenance work, followed by tea and cookies at noon.
More information can be found on the OAS Garden webpage.
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Feather River Trust Viewing Platform
Ohlone Audubon Society congratulates the Feather River Trust on the creation and placement of the viewing platform at Sierra Valley. The unique design was dictated by the regulations and requirements of the governing bodies. A permanent platform was
impossible so the wheeled version fills the bill admirably. Connecting to the platform are hiking trails enabling a closer look at the thousands of avian visitors to this great basin wetland on the east side of the Sierra.
OAS individuals and field trip groups have visited the area frequently over the past 30years and OAS donated to help produce the platform. A photo of the viewing platform is available in our August 2010 Kite Call.
Don Emery, Editor
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Trust helping to preserve ranchlands -- and wildlife
Local rancher Tim Koopmann's efforts to preserve open rangeland in the Bay Area is highlighted in this article from the Bay Area News Group. Tim has hosted several Ohlone Audubon bird walks to see nesting tree swallows, western bluebirds, golden eagles and more on his ranch.
Download the Inside the Bay Area article here: Trust helping to preserve ranchlands -- and wildlife
Notes from your President - Evelyn Cormier
September 2011
The recent trials and tribulations of BIG OIL have made us much more conscious of the need to develop alternative energy sources. Currently wind, solar, corn, and even shale and tar sands are in the mix. But wait a minute before we rush into developing any of these sources of energy we need to step back and assess the risks involved. I personally remember when the wind turbines at Altamont Pass were installed amid cheers and applause. Little did we know then what we know now. The siting of solar of solar installations need to be assessed for impacts on species habitat, agriculture, and other considerations. Planting monoculture crops of corn can be very damaging to sustainable agriculture. If you ask people around Edmonton,Alberta, Canada, what they think of the damage resulting from mining tar sand is you might get an earful. I am reminded of a lesson I learned riding a horse through a very dry, rocky field in Montana. Before walking over or past a big boulder, she would take her front hoof and give the rock several hard taps. When no snakes appeared we ventured on. She refused to budge until she had checked out suspicious rocks. I guess you might call that horse sense. Maybe we all need a good dose of that when we consider energy alternatives.
July 2011
The Word from Evelyn
Even with all the rain, snow and other out of the ordinary weather Ohlone Audubon Society has had a very good year. We've had great field trips, interesting programs and managed to make progress on several conservation goals. Altamont Pass wind turbine companies seem to be coming to terms with protecting birds, bats, and other critters. Time will tell whether the solutions will be workable. Patterson Ranch will not be developed next to Coyote Hills. We will have to wait to see what happens with the acreage on the west side of Ardenwood Blvd that was set aside for churches and a school. The east side is fraught with problems, another wait and see situation. We are moving ahead on getting a viewing platform built in the LaRiviere Marsh at the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. The Bette Wentzel garden at Shinn Park in Fremont is an ongoing effort to maintain habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies, and of course other birds.
So, on to the future. For next year, we have planned a variety of field trips to old familiar and new places to see birds of all kinds. Great programs are in the offing beginning in September. Habitat preservation is a vital part of what Ohlone Audubon Society is all about. At the moment Caltrans is in the process of trying to widen Niles Canyon, cutting down trees which destroys habitat for birds and disturbs fish in the creek. A very vocal group from Sunol and Niles has spearheaded the efforts to stop Caltrans. You can contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information and possibly get involved.
The Board of Directors meets monthly from August through June to keep abreast of all the various activities our members and friends are getting involved in. The board is in need of a Ways and Means person to be on the lookout for interesting items to make our lives easier or more fun. This may be just the job for you—you know who you are.
The Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas is almost ready to fledge. Many people have worked diligently for a number of years to bring this publication to fruition. Ohlone and Golden Gate Audubon partnered in this endeavor.
As an all-volunteer organization we have accomplished many things and we're not done yet. We hope to see you at all the membership meetings and quite a few field trips, possibly even leading one or two. Happy birding!!
Audubon California Conservation News and Notes
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