Nature Notes - Winter 2020

nature notes WINTER • 2020

CENTRAL COAST STATE PARKS ASSOCIATION

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ere we are transitioning from fall to winter. I hope we see an abundance of rain that will replenish our landscape and wash away the dust.

We recently took a quick trip to visit family in the foothills and we decided to head up to Yosemite for Howland family in Yosemite a few hours. I forgot how much I missed experiencing the change of the season, all the colors of fall and the crisp fresh air. We wanted the girls to experience the magic of Yosemite, to breathe in its beauty and appreciate the grandeur of the rock walls reaching to the sky.

The beauty of Yosemite Valley never disappoints, but I have to say, we were not prepared for the onslaught of complaining that we had to endure on the drive and two mile walk to Mirror Lakes. Regardless of the torture we as parents experiece on these trips, we hope that our kids will remember these experiences with fondness and a sense of nostalgia, as well as an appreciation for the wonder of our natural world.

You can’t deny that the need to expose children to nature is critically important. Technology addiction is an actual medical condition and “nature deficit disorder” is a commonly used phrase. We face threats to our environment like never before and it’s more important than ever that we cultivate future generations of environmental stewards.

I am thankful for the work of the educators in our parks, schools and camps who are passionate about the environment and ignite a flame in our youth that will inspire them to take action to change our world.

As a Central Coast State Parks supporter, you know that visitors of all ages have the opportunity to learn from our docent educators every day in our local state parks. With your year-end gift of $100, $250 or $500, you can make sure our local state parks remain places of wonder and inspiration where year-round educational and interpretive activities are available for all.

Kristin Howland

Executive Director Central Coast State Parks Association

CCSPA is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit. We are one of 85 similar cooperating associations across the state who work in partnership with State Parks. Tax ID #: 51-0198869.

Cover photo ID#237482599 | Adobe Stock Photos

Staff Directory Kristin Howland Executive Director ed@centralcoastparks.org (805) 548-0391 Alissa Maddren Membership and Events Coordinator membership@centralcoastparks.org (805) 548-0384 Sheri Robesky Retail Operations Coordinator store@centralcoastparks.org (805) 548-0392

BOARD MEMBERS Marylou Gooden - Board Chair Cassandra Hammer - Secretary Robert Priola - Treasurer Asit Rairkar - Vice Chair Tyler Conrad - Director Valerie Glahn - Director Elaine Rosenfield - Docent Council President

STATE PARKS LIASONS Danielle Bronson State Park Interpreter II Oceano Dunes District Eric Hjelstrom Superintendent III SLO Coast District

www.centralcoastparks.org

MAKE A DIFFERENCE Are you ready to make a difference? CCSPA is looking for new board members and volunteers! Contact us: ed@centralcoastparks.org

8,000 Number of students who participated in CCSPA’s school group tours and programs in 2019

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Morro bay MUSEUM of natural history winter activities

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OCEano dunes winter activities

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ittle ones age 2 to 6 TUESDAY, 11/26 and their parents, 10:30am to 11:15am grandparents, and/ or guardians, can join TUESDAY, 12/31 park staff on a morning 10:30am to 11:15am filled with adventure during the Oceano Dunes SATURDAY, 1/25 District Little Ranger 10:30am to 11:15am Program. These free 45 minute programs are located outside of the Oceano Dunes Visitor Center and provide an opportunity for little ones to get outside and learn about nature. Each program focuses on a different nature-related theme and include several hands-on learning activities, crafts, songs, and a story.

t has become a tradition to offer programs at the museum during the spring and winter school breaks. These programs are set up on a timetable that includes schools from many surrounding areas, including the Valley and Southern California schools, as well as the local school districts.

This year, Winter Break Programs will be offered at 2 p.m. in the auditorium starting December 21 and run through January 4; not all days are included. There is a $3 entrance fee to the Museum and programs for adults, CCSPA members and children under 17 are free. These programs are family oriented, there is always something for all!

SATURDAY, 12/21

SUNDAY, 12/29

Saturday Scientists: Microblitz

Drawing from Nature

SUNDAY, 12/22

MONDAY, 12/30

Secrets of Sand and Sediment

Tracks and Scat

MONDAY, 12/23

THURSDAY, 1/2

Something about Bones

FRIDAY, 12/27 Puppets-Bucket Monster

SATURDAY, 12/28 Snakes, Lizards and Bugs!

Birds and Birding

FRIDAY, 1/3 Elephant Seals and Sharks

SATURDAY, 1/4 Marine Invertebrate Animals

central coast state parks HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE EXTRAVAGANZA CCSPA invites you to come and enjoy some light holiday-themed refreshments, learn about your favorite local state park, shop for some holiday gifts and take advantage of exclusive sale items.

MONARCH GROVE

OCEANO DUNES VISITOR CENTER

December 13th from 11am-2pm at Pismo State Beach

December 14th from 12pm-4pm in Oceano

Take a stroll through the Monarch Grove and learn about the migrating Monarchs from the docents while enjoying some light holiday themed refreshments.

Don’t forget to shop the Trailer Store for some holiday gifts and take advantage of exclusive sale items.

Enjoy refreshments, interactive exhibits and participate in kids and family activities throughout the day.

While you are there, peruse the Nature Store for holiday gifts and take advantage of exclusive sale items.

SPOONER RANCH HOUSE December 14th from 11am-2pm in MontaĂąa de Oro State Park

The Spooners are preparing their home for the holidays and invite you to come out to the ranch from 11am - 2pm. Enjoy the tours of the Ranch House with Living History Docents, holiday refreshments, and peruse the Nature Store and do some holiday shopping.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY December 13th from 3pm-5pm at Morro Bay State Park

Holiday sales continue throughout the weekend combined with fun & interactive activities during regular museum hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Shop where your spending goes right back to our Central Coast State Parks!

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24

GREAT WHITE SHARKS Chris Lowe Elias Levy | Flickr

mind walks lecture series announces 2020 lineup

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he Mind Walk lecture series of the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History will present a series of twelve lectures during the winter of 2020. These lectures, given each Monday morning at 10:15 at The Inn at Morro Bay, are devoted to aspects of life on the Central Coast: natural history, cultural history, and topics of current interest. The entry fee is $3.00 per person (CCSPA members at the Otter level and higher receive free entry).

MONDAY, JANUARY 6

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Tracey Vardas

Rob Skillen

MONDAY, JANUARY 13

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR HAZARDS IN SLO COUNTY

PROMOTING THE MORRO: FROM FR. JUAN CRESPI TO E. G. LEWIS – ENVISIONING MORRO BAY FROM 1769 TO 1925 Dan Krieger MONDAY, JANUARY 20

BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS: HOW WE MONITOR REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS Jodi Isaacs MONDAY, JANUARY 13

BIOGEOGRAPHY: WHERE DID OUR ANIMALS AND PLANTS COME FROM, AND HOW DID THEY GET HERE? James Brown MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3

BATS OF THE CENTRAL COAST: NOTHIN’ TO BE A-SCARED OF HERE! Bill Hass MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI ON THE CENTRAL COAST Marjorie Harmon & Melody Mullis | WINTER 2020 - 4

PEDIOCACTUS AND SCLEROCACTUS; A TOUR OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU

GREAT WHITE SHARKS Chris Lowe MONDAY, MARCH 2

THE TSUNAMI THREAT ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST John McCabe MONDAY, MARCH 9

THE HONEYBEE IN THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY LANDSCAPE John Chesnut MONDAY, MARCH 16

THE HISTORY OF CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO Speaker TBD MONDAY, MARCH 23

HOW CENTRAL COAST WOMEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE Marjorie Harmon & Melody Mullis

Minke whales: Numerous but not well known

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inke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, are widespread but not well known to many people. Humpback whales feed off the Central Coast from April or May through October or November. Gray whales migrate past the California coast from December to February going south, and from then through April going north. This means that whales can be sighted off our coast for much of the year. Minke whales may be here year-round, but are not easily observed from shore or even from boats.

The Minke whale is 26-32 ft. long, and females are generally larger, as with other baleen whales. They are black above with gray streaks, and white below.

A white band on the flipper is diagnostic for the species. The curved dorsal fin often appears at the time the whale surfaces to breathe. The species gets its scientific name from its sharply pointed head and rostrum, which has a single ridge from tip to blowholes.

There are about 230-280 or more cream-colored baleen plates on each side of the upper jaw.

Like other baleen whales, they may move to cold water in summer and warmer water in winter, while the local population may be here throughout the year.

Winter populations of Minke whales in the eastern Pacific have been observed from Washington state to within 2 degrees of the equator, but appear most abundant near the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara and Ventura.

These small whales are seen alone or in small groups.

In Puget Sound, they occupy home ranges and individual territories, which makes them unique among baleen whales.

Not much is known about their reproduction. Calving has been observed in the tropical Atlantic, but there

are few records for the Pacific. Gestation is about 10 months. A female could give birth every year, but probably does so every other year at most.

Minke whales feed on small schooling fish and krill, Euphausia superba. It appears they breach most often during and just after feeding.

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Minke whales are among the most widely distributed of all whales, and they are common in Central California.

Minke whales were not heavily hunted during past centuries due to their small size, but as larger whales were depleted, modern hunts turned to this species.

Between 1900 and 2000, it is estimated that more than 100,000 Minke whales were killed. Fortunately, international trade in Minke whale products is currently banned under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix I. The few whaling nations have sought to de-list the species, but this level of protection allows them to at least maintain their numbers. They probably are not as numerous as they were before 1900, but are still considered widespread. - Rouvaishyana Sources: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World illustrated, by Pieter Folkens, several authors; Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Eastern North Pacific, Leatherwood, Reeves et al; The Complete Whale-Watching Handbook, B. & A. Wilson

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Can birds smell?

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verall, the answer is yes. Olfactory receptor genes correlate with the number of different smells perceived. Only 40% are functional in humans while the majority are functional in birds.

The size of the olfactory bulbs in the brain is also correlated with the genes. According to Audubon magazine, the bulbs take up 3% of songbirds’ brains and 37% of seabird brains. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the ability to smell came from dinosaur ancestors. The first birds had very large olfactory bulbs and the neornithenes even better. This allowed for better foraging that perhaps helped them survive the Cretaceous mass extinction.

The sense of smell, besides detecting aromas, is used in some degree to select mates, forage and locate nesting spots. European starlings select aromatic leaves for their nests. Honeyguides in Africa can smell beeswax to find the beehives. Kiwis smell for earthworms.

Woodpeckers smell the formic acid of ants and the scent of bark beetles and termites. Vultures can smell mercaptans given off by decaying animals and from petroleum spills. Storm petrels use smell to find their burrows at night on forested islands.

Many experiments have been done on tube-nosed birds. Dimethyl sulfide is a gas emitted by phytoplankton when krill eat them. This smell draws the birds across the open seas to find the krill. Albatross are known to follow scents for up to 12 miles across the ocean’s surface!

So even though most of us hardly notice a bird’s nostrils most birds are actively using them. - Claudia Freitas

Becky Matsubara | Flickr

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Devra | Flickr

winter Bird festival 2020

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he annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival is set for Jan. 17-20, 2020. Each year the Festival offers more than 130 field trips, workshops, lectures, and special presentations about birds, bird habits and habitats, conservation, and closely related natural history topics. For the 2020 event, there will be 25 new events including presentations on the topic of falconry.

An important aspect of each Festival is Family Day on Saturday, Jan. 18, starting at 9:30 AM, a half-hour before open hours at the Museum of Natural History, and lasting until 3:00 PM. This series of activities introduces children and their families to birds and birding. We are literally building a future for bird awareness and bird conservation.

The Bird Festival Bazaar is open to the public, and does not require Festival registration. It includes equipment vendors, books, art, and more. It’s held at the Morro Bay Community Center on Kennedy Way. Hours are 12:00 noon-4:30 PM on Fri., Jan. 17; 10:00 AM-5:00 PM on Sat., Jan. 18; and 10:00 AM-4:00 PM on Sun., Jan. 19. The Bazaar is closed after that and does not open on the final half day.

Registration began in early November. Please note that many Festival events fill up within a few minutes of online opening, but some events will still have room on the first day. For more information, visit w w w.morrobaybirdfest ival.org

Pismo State Beach Welcomes Back the Monarchs

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alifornia State Parks Volunteers and staff are happy to see the arrival of over 3,000 monarchs at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove so far this season. These butterflies migrated thousands of miles from Canada and the Pacific Northwest to join us here on the California coast this winter. These particular monarchs are part of the Western monarch population. The Eastern monarch population, on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, migrate all the way to Mexico! We will be able to enjoy the monarchs at Pismo State Beach through the month of February.

will take place on Saturday, February 1st, 2020 (event time TBD). For more information about the monarchs or upcoming events, please contact the Oceano Dunes District office of Interpretation at 805-474-2664.

The grove is bustling with butterflies and visitors and we want to invite you to come out and see us. The grove is staffed Monday through Friday from 11am to 2pm with a talk at noon, and weekends and holidays from 10am to 4pm, with talks at noon and 2pm.

During open hours we will have viewing scopes available so you can see the beautiful monarchs up close, as well as the Monarch Mercantile where you can purchase lovely butterfly-themed souvenirs. Mark your calendars for our Monarch Day Celebration which

our Nocturnal Neighbers

Now there is a new Adventures With Nature Program that brings the raccoon into focus and reviews the complete natural history of this highly intelligent animal. Long term Pismo Docent, Peggy Coon, shares numerous photos that enhance our understanding of this handsome and curious mammal.

You will learn all about the physical characteristics of raccoons, range and habitat, observe tracks and scat, and learn about their family tree. Ms. Coon, who has studied raccoons for over 25 years, also reviews the use of raccoon pelts in history, the coonskin hat and presents how raccoons are hunted today and the types of dogs that are used to “tree” a raccoon.

If you are having problems with raccoons that have become pests, there will be a discussion on how such problems can be humanely handled.

David Slater | Flickr

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accoons, Proc yon lotor, are certainly abundant throughout San Luis Obispo County and in most parts of the United States.

Even with their abundance, we usually don’t see them since they are most active at nighttime and blend in well with their surroundings.

So come hear one of our newest Adventures With Nature talks, which will now be presented quarterly at Guiton Hall next to the Oceano Dunes Visitor Center just off Pier Avenue in Oceano. This is one of the many AWN talks/walks given in the south part of our county by Pismo Docents.

This talk is rated “G” and children in grammar school, who love animals, will certainly enjoy this active talk loaded with photos. Look for the next talk, “Our Nocturnal Neighbor, the Raccoon” on our monthly AWN Calendar shortly after the - Peggy Coon first of the year and quarterly thereafter. | WINTER 2020 - 7

Central Coast State Parks Association PO Box 445 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 (805) 548-0390 centralcoastparks.org

BECOME A NEW OR RENEWING CCSPA MEMBER All members receive a copy of Nature Notes quarterly newsletter, a 10% discount on Wild and Scenic Film Festival tickets and discounts at participating Public Lands Alliance stores. Additional benefits include: $50 Otter

$25 Hummingbird

$75 Raft of Otters

$100 Coyote

H Two vouchers for

H Free admissions for two

Family Membership that includes two adults and unlimited kids 17 and under.

All benefits of Raft of Otters membership, plus:

H 10% discount at all

H Four vouchers for

All benefits of Otter membership, plus:

Cream Social at MontaĂąa de Oro

admission to the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History CCSPA nature stores

adults to the Mind Walks Lecture Series

admission to the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History

H 10% discount at all CCSPA nature stores

H Invitation to the Ice

H 15% discount at all CCSPA nature stores

H Explore Parks Passport discount coupon book

$250 Monarch

$500 Gray Whale

$1,000 Oak Grove

All benefits of Coyote membership, plus:

All benefits of Monarch membership, plus:

All benefits of Gray Whale membership, plus:

H Invitation to Afternoon

H Invitation to Martini de

H Invitation to a behind-the-

with the Monarchs at Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove

Morro

scenes tour of Hearst Castle

H An exclusive holiday

shopping night at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History

Membership level: _____________________ Membership amount: $ _________________ I would like to make an additional donation to CCSPA in the following amount $ __________ Total enclosed: $ ________ Name (to be displayed on membership card(s)): ___________________________________ Street: ____________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________________________ Phone: _________________________ Email: _____________________________________

$1,500 Keystone (Corporate Sponsorship)

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Please make checks payable to CCSPA and mail to: CCSPA, PO Box 445, SLO, CA 93406.

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