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The
Valley Habitat
neighborhood. All friends of the Sierra Club or Audubon are invited. Please bring a favorite dish to share, a beverage or two, your own table settings, and maybe a lawn chair or two if possible. Breaking bread with friends under an oak canopy is an excellent way to start your summer.
A Joint Publication of the Stanislaus Audubon Society and the Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club
How Much Fun Can A Group Have? Its Time for the Yokut Potluck
The buckeyes are blooming. Acorn woodpeckers are cackling. Valley oaks are standing tall. This years Yokut Potluck will be Friday, June 10th, from 6 to 9 PM, in the back garden of Brad and Monica Barker. Their home is at 1305 Edgebrook Drive in Modesto along Dry Creek in Modestos La Loma
View from the Chair: Summer Reading for Nature Lovers --by Brad Barker, Yokuts Chair
Thought you might be interested. Heres some pretty good nature writing (eco-lit?) stuff Ive been reading, potential titles for a summer reading list. The titles include a few nature memoirs and one fine novel tossed in for balance. In no particular order: The View from Lazy Point: A Natural year in an Unnatural World by Carl Safina - One reviewer has called Dr. Safina this generations Aldo Leopold or Ed Abbey. Well, thats a bit over-the-top, but this latest book by the eloquent marine biologist is quite compelling. Safina observes the details of the natural world around him while tackling big questions: How do we enjoy what remains in nature when the magnitude of our ecological crisis continues to grow? The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey Gastropod-lit has arrived. This is the poetic memoir of a bedridden woman whose friend brings her a potted plant with an unexpected addition: a snail. The creature inspires the author to research the natural history of her new companion, and to discover important lessons that can be learned from small packages. Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx - In her first non-fiction book in 20+ years, Proulx documents the troubles of building a home on 640 acres of wilderness straddling the North Platte River in Wyoming. Its a story of wind, water and rock, grasslands and clouds, eagles and elk, Indians and robber barons. Why would anybody live here? she asks. This book is her attempt at an answer. Naming Nature by Carol Yoon - It been said that all nature writers are the offspring of Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who invented the scientific classification of living things. And nature lovers know that learning the names for things helps us to find, observe and understand the natural order. Yoon, a science journalist for the NY Times, presents the history of such naming and classification and the conflicts that arise as biology gets more genetic and molecular and sometimes defies common sense. Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne - Yes, its that David Byrne. The former frontman of the Talking Heads has written a memoir about the joys of urban cycling. For decades Byrne has travelled with a fold-up bicycle and ridden it in cities all over the world. From Sydney to San Francisco, Buenos Aires to Istanbul, his commentaries on city planning and humanpowered transportation and many other topics are insightful and entertaining. The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins - How can nature writers succeed when a huge chunk of Americans deny the basic principles of biology? In this work, Dr. Dawkins takes on the deniers. Some readers dislike his impatience with science-illiterates, but many enjoy his acerbic style. And even detractors admit that Dawkins is a brilliant communicator of scientific ideas. How does the work of Charles Darwin hold up in the 21st century? Read this book. When the Killings Done by T.C. Boyle - In his latest work, Boyle, the master novelist, takes on the prime directive from Genesis where the Lord commands us humans to have dominion...over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Boyles story, set mainly in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, is a clash between a park service biologist and a PETA-style animal activist. The issues raised are challenging, and a major theme is revealed: It aint easy to repair the damage that humans have done to natural habitats.
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The 2011 collaborative Big Year for Stanislaus and Merced counties broke through the 200 species barrier this month. The grand total of species reported for the two counties now stands at 221. That still leaves us with 30 species to go to match the 2009 Big Year total of 251 species. More spring migrants remain to be found, so lets go birding! Look for rare bird highlights elsewhere in this newsletter. For those who post sightings to the Stanislaus or Central Valley list servers, you need do no more, as well check these regularly. Sightings can also be sent to John Harris at johnh@mills.edu.
AUDUBON FIELD TRIP TO CRANE FLAT MEADOW, TIOGA PASS AND MONO LAKE - 6/25 - 6/26
LEADER: Jim Gain 209-602-4596 jimgain@sbcglobal.net (Please email or call to confirm) I will be placing a little more emphasis on photography this trip as there should be pretty good flower displays all around. SATURDAY Leave Stanislaus County Library Parking Lot at 5:45 Arrive at Park entrance (RR) (via Coulterville) roughly 7:45 and head to Crane Flat gas station (15 minutes) at 8:00. LUNCH Olmstead Point LEE VINING - Check in (Yosemite Gateway Hotel - book room asap) eat dinner meet back for evening drive 6:30 to look for Poorwill and Nighthawk. SUNDAY Meet at Lee Vining gas station (Hwy 120 x 395) at 6:30 then head to Bodie LUNCH Lundy Canyon (RR) - birds and blooms until ready to leave for home at 2:30.
The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center is located at 1220 Geer Road; its phone number is 883-9414. From September to April, the centers operating hours are 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. From May to August, the operating hours are 10:00 4:00 p.m. If you would like to bring an injured or sick wild animal to the center, you may want to visit their website to learn about proper transportation and other handling details.
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electric, septic, and telephone installation, the permanent home of their dream opened in 1992. Recently, a Boy Scout Eagle Project expanded into an adjoining acre for a deer yard. The personnel are comprised of an executive director, two part-time animal care coordinators, and a cadre of volunteers who work four to six-hour shifts at the center. Naturally, they couldnt operate without the willingness of members of the community who bring in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals on virtually a daily basis. In 2010 alone, the center received 1,881 animals, and 1,561 of those were birds ranging in species from Turkey Vulture to Rufous Hummingbird, and in number from one Poorwill to 112 Northern Mockingbirds. The fates of these birds vary from those that cant survive, those that can be successfully released or placed in other facilities, and those that remain at the shelter for their own safety or because theyre not native species. Last year, the Wildlife Care Centers success rate
(released, placed or held over) was 72%, a strong number for rehabilitation. A few permanent resident birds will often be brought to schools by docents for a wildlife presentation. These include Hopper the Raven, which has been at the center since 1997, and Beau the Crow, which recognizes individuals and is quite socialized. Other birds that may be seen in a travelling show are Curley, the Barn Owl that has bonded to humans; Oscar, the Burrowing Owl rescued from a barbed-wire fence; Jet the Kestrel, Titus the one-eyed Great Horned Owl, and Carson the Redtailed Hawk. Those birds may be the stars of a school show, but the bulk of the work involves acts of triumph that the public never sees, such as when a healed bird is returned to the wild and flies out of its cage, into the life cycle of nature again. When we consider that someone cared enough to bring that bird to those who continued to care, we may feel there is hope for us hazardous humans after all.
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Vice President: Eric Caine 968-1302 (ericcaine@sbcglobal.net) Treasurer: David Froba 521-7265 (froba@comcast.net) Secretary: John Harris 848-1518 (johnh@mills.edu) Membership: Revolving San Joaquin River Refuge Field Trips: Bill Amundsen 521-8256 (birdscouter@prodigy.net) Other Field Trips: TBA Christmas Bird Counts:
Harold Reeve 538-0885
How to Join Audubon To become a member of the national Audubon Society, which entitles you to receive Valley Habitat and Audubon Magazine, send your check for $20.00 to: National Audubon Society Membership Data Center P.O. Box 51003 - Boulder, CO 80323-1003 Visit our web site at www.stanislausbirds.org
Wed. July 20 - Sunday July 24 Backpack 2B Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne,Yosemite (Yokuts)
This classic hike begins at Tuolumne Meadows and follows the Tuolumne River downstream to Pate Valley, and ends with a 3700 foot ascent (wahoo!) to White Wolf. Our 32mile moderate/strenuous adventure begins with a stop at Soda Springs in Tuolumne Meadow, passes by a mini-devils postpile, magnificent cascades (including Waterwheel Falls), swimming holes, and ancient rock art. Bears and rattlesnakes likely. Joint dinner commissary. Limited to 9 experienced backpackers. Contact Elaine Gorman at 209.524.7630 or vevado@yahoo.com.
Saturday, June 11 Day hike (1A) Pinecrest Lake, Highway 108 (Yokuts)
This easy 4-mile loop around Pinecrest Lake will help to get us ready for some serious hiking later on in the summer. We will take an additional 1.5 mile detour to check out Cleos Baths, to watch the Stanislaus River tumble and race down the canyon. Bring water, lunch, hiking shoes/boots, $$ for carpool, rain gear and other essentials. Meet at Dennys in east Oakdale at 8 am, McDonalds in east Sonora at 9 am. Contact leaders Elaine Gorman (209.524.7630 or vevado@yahoo. com) or Alan Bernikoff (209.7685881 or abernikoff@gmail.com) to sign up.
This beginner to intermediate backpack trip in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Area of Stanislaus National Forest involves a moderate hike of six miles, round-trip, and 500-600 feet gainat anelevation of approximately 6100 feet. Most mosquitos will be gone by late July and wildflowers in the meadows shall be lush with blooms. Spend Saturday resting and swimming at the campsite or take a five-mile easy day hike to nearby Wheats Meadow. Individual commissary required on this trip. Meet at the East Sonora Burger King restaurant onMono Way, 8 a.m., to car pool to the Wheats Meadow trailhead near the Clark Fork/Middle Fork Stanislaus River. Reservation required. Contact leader, Frank Oyung, (209) 962 -7585, or email, frank-oyung@ sbcglobal.net
Come to Clair Tappaan Lodge to attend a weekend of interactive learning, networking with leaders from all Sierra Club outing programs, and of course, lots of fun. The purpose of this training is to provide new and veteran leaders the skills to plan safe, happy and inspiring outings that promote the conservation mission of the Sierra Club. This workshop also provides the opportunity to share new and engaging trip ideas and learn about other leadership opportunities within the Sierra Club. Please contact Elaine Gorman at vevado@yahoo.com, 524-7630, if you are interested in becoming a Yokuts Sierra Club outings leader.
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with Pulaskis, Bill cut down the large RO shrubs which lined the Escalante. Standing knee-deep in the cold water, the swampers would pull the cut material into the river. The rest of us hand-sawed through smaller stands of RO, and sprayed the stumps with an herbicide -- ironically named Habitat. We cleared around the larger diameter RO, preparing the area for future chainsaw crews. Our efforts were further challenged by the vast amount of flood debris which had piled up on the upstream side of the vegetation. Expletives were often heard as we were repeatedly stabbed and slashed by the 2to 4 thorns. As we tiredly gathered our tools at the end of the day and headed back to camp, we felt a sense of accomplishment as we walked through the RO-free riparian zone. Our group swelled to 10 as Michael M. joined us on the 2nd day of work. Obtaining drinking and cooking water, preparing dinners, and washing pots for a group this large were monumental tasks. We crossed the river to get spring water, hauling a dozen 1.5-gallon containers back-and-forth. Someone was often at the industrial-strength Katadyne water filter, purifying drinking water. John S. and I were the dinner cooks, and kept everyone fortified with Tortilla Soup, Mac n cheese with smoked ham, mashed potatoes with chicken/vegies/ gravy, and Rice Krispy treats. One consequence of our invasion of our camp spot, which saddened me a bit, was that we soon had numerous trails from kitchen to tent to the Escalante. In the evenings, we usually stayed up a while to catch the first stars, enjoy the light of the waxing moon, tell jokes, eat popcorn, and when Bill wasnt repairing equipment, listening to his tales of canyoneering in the desert. Our camp activities were often accompanied by the gobbling of wild turkeys. One afternoon, Bill took us on a field trip to a couple of nearby side canyons. We had the privilege of seeing ancient, undisturbed Anasazi granaries, which contained centuries-old corncobs, with the mud cement showing fingerprints that were left behind during construction. We also saw a beautiful pot, continued on page 7 .......
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broken into a couple of large pieces. Walking several hundred feet above the Escalante, we were treated to magnificent views of the river and the stunning red and orange sandstone. On our last day, after an early visit to our camp by the Easter Bunny, we hiked out along the eastern side of the river. We hiked by large patches of purple vetch and ready-to-bloom cacti. Our friction walking skills were tested on the steep Wingate sandstone ledge. The weather had warmed up during the week, plus we were now climbing over 1000 feet, so we gladly took a break at Fence Canyon where we checked out some petroglyphs of bighorn sheep and turkeys. After lunch, we made our final ascent to the trailhead. Back in Escalante, Tom took off to make it back home by midnight. The rest of us showered and enjoyed dinner together before we left for California. Abrazos y besos to Paul Plathe for organizing this fun and worthwhile outing. His leadership is admirable. Ranger Bill Wolverton inspired us all with his dedication to re-wild the Escalante by removing Russian Olive. To mis hombres on the outing......Thanks a bunch, I had a blast, and I look forward to next years trip. To learn more of Bills project, and how you can volunteer, go to http://www.math.utah.edu/%7Esfolias/ canyontales/wolverton/articles.php. If you are interested in joining Paul next year, you can contact him at gorgescramble@comcast.net.
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Check out our Website: http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/yokuts To send stories to the Habitat, e-mail: nan38@sbcglobal.net
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Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club Audubon and Sierra Club Scholarship Recipients
John Cardoza, Hughson High School Senior, is the 2011 recipient of the Bob Corey/Paul Illick Memorial Scholarship. His environmental conservation project involved constructing 3 owl boxes and placing them on local farms. Owls will be attracted to the boxes and help with rodent control. John plans to attend Modesto Junior College in the Fall. Ana Gonzalez, an architecture student at California College of the Arts, is the recipient of the Donna Durham Memorial Scholarship. The goal of her project was to design an environmentally-conscious public space in San Francisco. She included native plants, natural lighting, and water conservation. Ana will continue her studies at CCA in the Fall. Our local Sierra Club and Audubon groups are pleased to recognize these students for the work they have done in support of the environment. As they continue their education we hope that they will stay involved in conservation and environmental efforts. Join us in congratulating these students at our June 10 potluck.
Ansel Adams Exhibit at Turlocks Carnegie Arts Center September 10, 2011 - January 8, 2012
The inaugural exhibit at the new Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock will be Ansel Adams CALIFORNIA. This will be the first show dedicated to the California works of Adams and will include many images of central California not previously exhibited. Curated by Jeanne Falk Adams, Ansel Adams daughter-in-law, the exhibit opens on Saturday, September 10, 2011 and runs until January 8, 2012. Gallery lectures will be given during the day on Saturday September 11th, and at 2 p.m. that afternoon Michael Adams, Ansel Adams son, will deliver the lecture. The Carnegie will also be offering additional lectures, tours, art classes, and workshops related directly and indirectly to the exhibit throughout the fall. More specific times for the lectures will be in the September Habitat and in other local papers.
The
Valley Habitat
JUNE 2011