Regional Parks
Alamo • Danville • Blackhawk • Diablo • San Ramon
VALLEY
Inside this month...
THE
SENTINEL always for the community VOl 22 nO 4
Look inside
for this Activity Guide
East Bay Regional Park District Regional in Nature Activity Guide
april 2017
www.valleysentinel.com
SPOTLIGHT
SRVUSD Teachers of the Year
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DANVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 70
SRVUSD Board President Mark Jewett, Kelly Giotta, Marissa Ware, SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s (SRVUSD) Board of Education recognized Kelly Giotta and Marissa Ware as the 20172018 Teachers of the Year. Giotta is a 6th grade Core teacher at Gale Ranch Middle School in San Ramon. Ware is a 2nd grade teacher at John Baldwin Elementary School in Danville and a District See TEACHERS page 9
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4 Days Diablo is a “Gently Roughing It” small group camping trip held each spring that leads you on a 30-mile adventure on the Diablo Trail. Hikers journey through rarely seen Mount Diablo landscapes, led by expert naturalists, botanists and birders. This year’s trip filled up quickly, so make a note now to sign up for next year! If you’re looking for a day hike, Save Mount Diablo also hosts a free guided public hikes, walks and tours series, “Discover Diablo” with events held twice monthly. For information, call Save Mount Diablo at (925) 947-3535 or visit www.savemountdiablo.org.Photo by Scott Hein, Nature Photographer and Save Mount Diablo Board President.
Double-crested Cormorant By James Hale
The Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is a fairly common and conspicuous sight on open water areas, throughout Contra Costa County, that can provide sufficient fish. It is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds, and related to pelicans. They are widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico, near rivers and lakes and along the coastline. Five subspecies are recognized. The Double-Crested Cormorant is a dark, black bird with webbed feet and set-back legs, which are adaptations to their diving habits. Juvenile birds are grayish for the first two years, particularly on the throat and underside. The birds grow darker with age. They may be up to a yard long with a wing span reaching up to five feet in length, and up to six pounds in weight. The sexes are not sexually
dimorphic. They often may be seen swimming partially submerged.The long, slender bill is sharply hooked for capturing fish and other prey.
the birds are agitated or during the breeding season. The Double-Crested Cormorant flies low over the water, with its bill tilted slightly upward, and the
The facial skin and throat pouch are bare, and a very colorful, orange year-round. The double, sagittal head crests are wispy white and particularly prominent when
distinctive kinked thick neck. The Double-Crested Cormorant was first described by Rene Primevere Lesson in 1831. Its generic scientific name is derived from the
Greek words for “bald” and “crow”, or “raven”. The Latin epithet auritus, for “eared”, refers to the nuptial crests, which are beautiful white plumes. DoubleCrested Cormorants hunt by swimming and diving, as they pursue their diet of fish. When opportunities arise, they will also consume frogs, snakes, crayfish, and other prey. The Double-Crested Cormorant is capable of diving up to twenty-five feet for more than one minute as it pursues fish. In parts of the Orient and Japan, captive cormorants are used for commercial and subsistence fishing. The birds are tethered with a loose noose around their neck so that they won’t escape or swallow the fish.
This month’s Special Sections: Kids’ Camps page 8 - 9 Spring Home & Garden page 10
See CORMORANT page 15
Celebrate
Earth Day April 22