Dear Friend,

This August is going to have two supermoons, the second one called a Blue Moon because it is the second full moon within one month. This Blue Moon will be the closest the moon will come to Earth in 2023 (the closest out of the four supermoons in 2023). Now how does this relate to Bolsa Chica you may be wondering. Well, the moon basically controls the tides through its gravitational pull. Supermoons, being closer to the Earth, have a strong affect creating stronger high tides with plunging low tides the next morning. These won't be as drastic as CA King Tides, with the next King Tide being Jan. 11-12, 2024, but there will still be a noticeable contrast from the usual tidal ebb and flow.

Besides this fun little astronomical fact, this enewsletter also talks about the idea of nature conservation on a global scale and what actions BCLT takes to do our part, an entertaining and educational hiking story in our latest blog post, happy nesting news, and an updated post about the reptiles of Bolsa Chica. Share these stories with your friends and watch out for the moon!

If you like our e-newsletters please consider sharing it with your friends and family. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to catch our weekly "Wildlife Wednesdays" and current events as we share with you what we see and find every week!

World Nature Conservation Day was a few days ago on July 28th, but it's a message we should carry with us all year.

Bolsa Chica is just one 'little pocket' of open space, but it's vital to so many species, habitats, and people. The reality is that islands of open space between swaths of human development including agriculture, buildings, and even roads, are incomplete and struggling. We not only need larger open spaces, but we also need to connect these islands that already exist to create more sustainable and healthy habitats and species. It's a day to remember that nature conservation starts at home but should ultimately be connected to the larger goals of global conservation.  

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust stands up for larger conservation efforts. We stood against the Poseidon Desalination project in Huntington Beach on environmental grounds, work with the Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks with the OC Green Vision Plan and the 30X30 campaigns, and even went to bat to help save Banning Ranch from development. We run beach cleanup events in the winter, and partner with Surfrider during the summer to pick up trash before it goes out to the ocean. We also support state propositions that would help Bolsa Chica and other environmental projects throughout the State.

Donate today and join BCLT's passionate community of members preserving and restoring Bolsa Chica as well as actively promoting larger conservation efforts throughout Orange County and California. We are in this together and can't succeed without your support. Please donate today. Thank You!

www.BCLandTrust.org/donation

In June, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust partnered with Irvine Ranch Conservancy to host a comprehensive interpretive hike for a handful of their volunteers at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (BCER), and it was a hit.

The IRC manages 40,000 acres of land in collaboration with various public and private landowners. The area spans from the Santa Ana mountains above the City of Irvine to the sea in the City of Newport Beach. IRC offers amazing free interpretive programs to enhance the public’s experience and connection with nature with the support of a dedicated crew of 400+ volunteers. In an effort to broaden the knowledge and understanding of their volunteers, the IRC looks to connect them with various habitats around Orange County. Bolsa Chica was a perfect choice as it offers a unique learning opportunity.

At 8:00am on a cool, overcast June morning as the sharp cries of terns swirled overhead, a small group of 16 people met...

Some good news about CA Least Terns at Bolsa Chica! Nest Site 2, with the highest number of nests out of all the nesting sites, had no depredation events in 2023! That means the nests on that site were not attacked by predators. This will have a positive effect on the nesting success of the CA Least Terns at Bolsa Chica for 2023, and hopefully encourage the birds to come back to nest here next year.

Nest Site 2 is the site that the Bolsa Chica Land Trust Stewards helps CDFW manage in preparation for the nesting season by removing vegetation and cleaning it up. CA Least Terns nest on open sandy ground in little depressions they scrap with their feet. The eggs are perfectly camouflaged with black and off-white speckles. The chicks match their eggs and are adorable puffballs.

📷 CA Least Tern chicks from 2023

credit to: Melissa Borde-CDFW

Ever wondered about the cold-blooded among us at Bolsa Chica? The reptiles that crawl, slither, and swim the bays mostly unseen by people who are usually looking far into the distance? Compared to the over 200 species of birds that visit the wetlands there are only a handful of reptiles.

One of them is venomous, but another one eats the venomous species for lunch. Another one has a strange relationship with Lyme disease, while one species likes to play rock-paper-scissors.

In our updated blog post, you can learn more about these and the other reptiles you might perchance to see while roaming the trails at Bolsa Chica. We also added more photos in the photo gallery to better highlight these beautiful creatures.

August Bird of the Month: Canada Goose

Millions of these large geese inhabit all of North America and some have become urban residents of city parks. The sight and sound of numerous Canada geese flying in a vee formation, sounding out their mellow “hwonk” every morning and evening is a daily winter event in Huntington Beach. They have become more common at Bolsa Chica in recent years, including setting up nests, even along the trails. 

45” long; 60” wingspan: 9.8 lbs

photo: Katrina Plummer

Reminders When You Visit Bolsa Chica

Here are some things to remember during your visit:

• Please stay on the trails. Not only could you disturb nesting birds, but snakes are often not far off the trails.
• Enjoy the flowers, but please do not pick them.
• Do not feed the animals.
• Do not litter. Please pack out your trash, including food scraps.
• No bikes or ebikes.
• No dogs.
• No drones.
• Enjoy being with nature!
• If you see any BCLT Stewards working along the trail, say hi! We are happy to answer any questions.

Support Bolsa Chica Today!

Questions? Email us at Info@BCLandTrust.org or call (714) 846-1001

Photo Credits:

Great Blue Heron banner- Sean Cribbs, Black-necked Stilts, Canada Goose- Katrina Plummer, CA Least Tern chicks- Melissa Borde, Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes- Xuyen Jimmy Doan, sage- Jane Lazarz, Stewards- James Huang, Miracles docent with kids- Bequi Howarth, Bridge tour, Elegant Terns on beach- Marinka Horack, snowy bridge- Eric Benson