September Special:
Extinction in the Bay Area + Celebrating Local Artists
Volume 96 | September 12, 2022
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ALBANY BULB BEACH COASTAL CLEANUP! |
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When: Saturday , September 17th, 9:00am–12:00 pm
Where: The Albany Bulb, 1 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94706
(You will meet at the end of Buchanan Street and sign in at the circular meeting area, past the bathrooms)
If you had to take a guess, how many microplastics do you think enter the San Francisco Bay each year? Was it over 7 trillion? Unfortunately, that astonishingly high number is correct. According to the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), roughly 7 trillion microplastic particles are entering our beloved waters through stormwater drains every year. That doesn't even account for the millions of other microplastics flowing in through other sources, like treated wastewater.
That's why beach cleanups like this one are important for preserving the health of our treasured coasts. So why not make it a little fun? This month's coastal cleanup is taking place at the enchanting Albany Bulb beach, renowned for its spectacular views, eclectic art, and diverse array of wildlife. It has been loved for decades by families, children, and even dogs! Let's make sure it's not loved by plastic, too. Come and join Wholly H20 (for free!) in the fight against coastal pollution!
You can register for this event here or by using the "register" button underneath the Coastal Cleanup image above.
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What else are we up to? Wholly H20 regularly plans exciting environmental events throughout the year, including other beach cleanups, walking tours, art projects, and nature observations (aka BioBlitzes).
Next month, stay tuned for another beach cleanup, a fun moth night (exploring and learning about different kinds of Bay Area moths) and a tour of Oakland's historic Jingletown neighborhood!
To see our future events, click the link here, or use the button below. If you'd like to get notifications about our events, feel free to use that same link to follow us on EventBrite! Now, onto the history of the Bay Area's wildlife!
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Extinction in the Bay Area: A History |
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The stories of extinct and endangered Bay Area animals, past and present |
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Giant Ground Sloth | Pleistocene Era | Circa 13,000- 11,000 yrs. ago |
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Photo courtesy of PocketSights |
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Lush grasses, fertile valleys, and… bear-sized sloths? That was the reality of living in the Bay Area during the tail end of the most recent ice-age, in an era known as the Pleistocene Epoch. This geological period first started about 2.5 million years ago, and ended sometime around 12,000 years ago. In most of California (especially the Bay Area), this era marked a period of incredible biodiversity. Surprisingly, a snowy wasteland is not what you’d find if you lived in the Bay during the last ice age. Instead, prehistoric animals like giant bison, mammoths, and even saber-toothed cats dominated the verdant landscape. One of these ancient creatures was the Giant Ground Sloth (Megalonyx).
The Megalonyx were a genus of the now-extinct Megalonychidae family. Their ancestors hailed from South America, and evolved as they moved across the continents. These sloths were some of the last prehistoric creatures to arrive in the San Francisco Bay Area, and have also been found in places like Central America all the way up to Alaska.
Giant Ground Sloths had large, sharp claws which were most likely used for defense and grabbing branches. Research suggests they were herbivorous scavengers, with diets that were mainly composed of shrubs and grasses. Unlike the slow, tree-dwelling sloths we know today, the Giant Ground Sloth was a land-residing beast measuring up to 10 feet long with an average weight of about 2,200 pounds! Imagine seeing that in your backyard. Luckily- or perhaps unluckily for some prehistoric animal fanatics- we don’t have to worry about these massive creatures wandering around. Why is that?
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Scientists are conflicted on what actually caused the extinction of these gentle giants, but most believe it was a matter of human predation, climate change, or a combination of both. Carbon dating studies show that the Megalonyx genus of sloths died out around 11,000 years ago, along with pretty much every other large mammal in North America. Interestingly, radiocarbon dating of human tools shows that people with weapons were in fact around at the same time that these animals went extinct.
Also, a study done by biologist David Steadman of the University of Florida, Gainesville, shows that different groups of sloths in regions all around the Americas died out at different times, and they all happened shortly after humans arrived in those specific areas. Other researchers believe this mass-extinction was a matter of changes in the climate that caused shifts in the availability of the sloths’ main food sources or habitat disruption. While these theories are about prehistoric extinction, they’re not so far off from the threats that plague endangered species today. Keep reading to learn more about the extinction of the famed California grizzly, and the soon-to-be-reality for the Bay Area’s wild salmon.
For more on Giant Ground Sloths, check out this link to Wholly H2O’s Walking Waterhoods: Temescal Creek tour. There, you’ll find more on this fascinating creature’s history as well as information about our organization’s exciting Bay Area waterhood tours!
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California Grizzly Bear | 18th-20th Centuries| Circa 75 yrs. ago |
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It’s on the flag, it’s the state animal, it’s the mascot for multiple universities, but it doesn't even exist anymore. Every Californian knows it- the iconic California grizzly bear. The creature that once roamed Bay Area beaches, hunted fish in local creeks, and eventually fell prey to humankind. But what was the true history of the grizzly? How could such a legendary creature go extinct? To better understand this renowned animal’s past, let’s go back in time.
It’s 1849- the prime of the California Gold Rush. You’ve left your Midwestern home in hopes of striking it rich, and now find yourself knee deep in a Sierra Nevada stream, shaking a metal pan back and forth, and eagerly scanning the watery gravel mixture for flashes of precious gold. One of the other miners shouts out, and you look up to see an eight foot tall, brown beast emerging from the woods, claws raking against the ground. Your heart starts to pound, what do you do? Before you can even think, someone else shoots the bear with the newly invented repeating rifle. The massive creature falls to the ground and you continue on in your search for riches.
While this story snapshot is a work of fiction, scenarios just like it played out all the time during the California Gold Rush of 1848. Settlers often shot bears out of fear for their safety, or to protect livestock. And, as more people began coming to California and setting up livelihoods, the grizzlies suffered major habitat loss. Hunting the bears as sport also became a common activity. Two men, Absolom Beasely and Seth Kinman even claimed to have killed 139 and 800 bears, respectively. Hunting, whether for safety or sport, further contributed to the demise of this great creature.
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Prior to the Gold Rush, California grizzlies still weren’t safe from humans. As far back as the late 1700s, the Spanish hunted these bears using poison bait that hung from trees. Further, they would occasionally capture grizzlies to use in bear and bull fights for public spectacle. The giant creatures would be pitted against bulls to see which was stronger. Even more surprising is the fact that these fights were actually commonplace in San Francisco! These gruesome games most often occurred in what are now the neighborhoods near Mission Dolores.
It seems like humans have never been able to leave these fascinating creatures alone. In fact, it is believed that there were once 10,000 bears roaming the area that is now California, but by 1924, all of them had been killed off. Currently, the only California grizzlies still around are the ones plastered across the state flag, artwork, and mementos around the Golden State. Another local species that is slated for a similarly unfortunate fate is California’s wild salmon. Once abundant in the Bay Area, modern-day threats are driving these beautiful fish closer to the brink. Keep reading to learn more!
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California Wild Salmon | Modern Era | Present Day |
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In the time of the grizzlies, wild chinook and coho salmon were abundant in the Bay Area. You could find these fish in almost every creek, stream, river, and watershed across Northern California, and it is said that the salmon was once so plentiful that horses would get scared crossing water, because of the huge amount of fish swimming by. Imagine coming across a stream so full of salmon that you could barely see the color of the water- only shiny silver. That was once the reality of California’s creeks. Now, some streams are completely devoid of salmon, while others are noticing less and less of them returning to spawn. Why? And how can we protect these fish from the same fate as the Giant Sloth and California grizzly?
Historically, wild salmon has been commonly found in rivers throughout the Central Valley, all the way up to Oregon. The chinook and coho salmon have been an important food source for bears, wolves, coyotes, pumas, eagles, and humans for centuries. Unfortunately, they have been in decline since the mid-20th century due to modern-day human activity. Water damming, climate change, droughts, and habitat degradation as a result of land and water developments have pushed salmon populations to the brink of extinction.
According to the State of Salmon in California, coho and chinook salmon (along with steelhead) are only able to access about 65% of their historic spawning range. This means that they are now unable to return to spawn in vast regions that were previously available, limiting the number of newborn salmon each year. However, even the areas that the salmon still spawn in are being threatened. These fish require clean beds of gravel to lay eggs, but lately have been struggling with stream beds that are full of sediment. This sediment suffocates the eggs and renders them unable to hatch. During the summer months, climate-change induced droughts have caused streams to dry up, leaving less open habitat for the salmon. In addition, year-round human water usage has changed the flow of these streams, making migration anywhere from difficult to impossible.
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However, there is still hope for these beautiful Bay Area creatures. They have already made a promising comeback in some NorCal creeks earlier this year in January. Late 2021 rainfalls also helped reduce drought conditions, and have allowed greater support for coho salmon populations in the Lagunitas area. There are also currently federal and state recovery projects underway, as well as a number of other restoration campaigns that are working to restore and protect salmon populations in Northern California. One of these is Turtle Island Restoration Network’s SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network) program, which advocates for policies aiming to protect endangered coho salmon in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed. You can check out their website and donate to the cause here. The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is also doing similar work in the Monterey region for salmon and steelhead, which you can view on their website.
Even here at Wholly H20, we work to connect citizens to their local watersheds, and teach the importance of water management, local ecosystems, and green infrastructure through engaging educational programs. By learning about your local water community, you are already taking a step forward towards mindful environmental practices that indirectly work to help endangered species, like California’s wild salmon. If you’d like to support us, please visit our website. Your donations are what make our work possible, and allow us to continue our programs that educate communities about these vital topics, and we are grateful for your kindness.
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Celebrating Bay Area Artists: Laura Cunningham |
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Photo of Laura Cunningham |
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You might have spotted her art previously throughout this newsletter, but now it’s time to meet the woman behind the paintings. For this month’s Artist Spotlight, meet Bay Area native Laura Cunningham, naturalist and self-taught painter!
Laura grew up in the East Bay Area and attended the University of California, Berkeley where she majored in paleontology. “I actually wanted to major in art,” Laura mentions. She goes on to explain that Berkeley didn’t have the type of art program she was looking for, so she chose to pursue science. “I’m glad I did, because then I went into a science illustration program at UC Santa Cruz.” This program led her to work at a science illustration contracting job, while at the same time partaking in wildlife biology work during the summertime. Laura’s background in science and historical ecology is what inspires her work today, which you can see reflected in her many paintings and sketches.
“I thought it was really interesting to be able to portray the natural world in a visual way,” Laura remarks, when talking about what inspired her to begin her career in art. “I was always just drawing things even since I was a kid… I think I was always just into art,” she reminisces.
Laura is self-taught in oil-painting; most of her artistic works consist of oil-on-canvas, as well as oil-on-cotton-rag, sketches, and a number of other media forms like ink, charcoal, and pastels. When talking about her early painting days, Laura says that used to buy artbooks and visit museums to study other painters' methods and see how she could incorporate them into her own work. She bases her technique mainly on classical European landscape painting, particularly French styles.
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“I’ll have an idea pop into my head about a painting, and then I’ll do what I call ‘thumbnail sketches’ which are just these tiny, quick, little messy sketches to try to get the idea onto paper," Laura reveals when describing her creative process. She adds that she will often go through many different sketches until she settles on an idea. Once she’s decided, Laura explains that she then does a larger pencil sketch before applying color, most likely with oil paints.
A common theme that you’ll find looking through Laura’s portfolio are paintings inspired by California’s history. When talking about these types of works, Laura explains, “[The paintings] are informed by all sorts of things, like historical accounts, explorer diaries, interviewing indigenous elders who have long oral traditions and memories…they’re just visual hypotheses.”
Laura enjoys combining historical information with her own creative visions to produce art that reimagines California’s past. This blending of times old and contemporary creates stunningly unique visuals, with which Laura aims to inspire others.
“I hope people will understand the amazing legacy of California’s past. I mean this rich biodiversity and abundance… and water was everywhere. We’re having such problems with water right now.” And she’s right- according to the State of California’s Drought Action page, almost the entire state is facing moderate to extreme drought conditions, and it has not been getting better as the summer wears on. Laura goes on to explain more about lost knowledge, such as how indigenous tribes had managed fires for thousands of years, and emphasizes the importance of rediscovering those forgotten lessons.
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As Laura reflects on her time as an artist, she says, “I’ve learned so much about how other cultures look at landscapes and how people perceive things. I also think the art helps communicate the writings of the past.” Laura’s art is certainly very inspiring, and her dedication to history and the arts is clear throughout her works.
“It’s that same stereotype,” she jokes. “A picture can tell a thousand words. [Art] is just another way of communicating and educating people, and sharing information in a way that's easily understood.”
To close, Laura states, “I hope that my book and art show that the past has lessons we can learn from…I think illustration and painting can help bring that to people. I like my art to be educational.” The book she mentions is an artbook filled with her own paintings and writing called A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes in California published in 2010. In the book, she uncovers the stories of California’s rich, and often forgotten ecological history, while showcasing paintings that connect with these historical accounts. While the book is now out of print, you can still view many of Laura’s gorgeous works, and read more about her as an artist on her website, lcunningham-art.com.
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Join us as a P/T Program Manager
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Project Manager Job Description
Are you great at managing people? Reviewing work weekly? Running weekly meetings with groups of interns? Do you love the Bay Area ecosystems and want to learn more and contribute your skills? This position has funding for 7-10 hours a week at $25/hr. Must make a minimum of a 6-month commitment.
Here's the story:
We are creating super cool online and in-person creek tours for creek watersheds the San Francisco East Bay. We have a team of 15 people working on producing content for the tours, with students from UC Berkeley making up the bulk of the team each semester. The interns do a combination of online research and actually walking/biking the creeks and taking pictures to add to online maps as points of interest. These tours will be so useful to folks stuck at home, and also for those who live nearby who may not be able to safely walk sections of the creeks. We're targeting middle schools and high schools along the creeks to include in this project with a curriculum provided.
This is a multi-year project that includes managing folks, managing technology, working with partners, and working with our web designer. We already have the systems set up, and the flow of work, so we need someone willing to step up take over for the existing project manager, who is moving to Massachusetts.
We're looking for someone who is a capable and enthusiastic manager, takes initiative, is a solid decision-maker, good team communicator, excellent editor, speaks and reads English well, and cares about each team member's success. There are a lot of moving pieces so you need to be organized, detail-oriented, and be able to meet with the interns on a regular basis. Loving creek ecology isn't a bad add-on.
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Our lives depends on healthy watersheds, and Wholly H2O depends on YOU!!!
Support Wholly H2O as we plan so many more events over the next year, like our super interactive watershed tours and BioBlitzes! We will (re)use your donations to pay a research-trainee to help us document the history of BIPOC groups in the East Bay!
Wholly H2O creates educational content that connects YOU to the watersheds you live in, and we love doing what we do! No matter how much you decide to donate, you will make an impact on what we can accomplish. Click the button above to contribute a tax-deductible donation or check out our fundraiser on our Facebook page!
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Our Interns Do Really Cool Stuff |
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We always have a pod of 10-15 interns researching creek histories, creating wildlife guides, editing livestreams, writing copy for our watershed tours, and more. We promise you will never be bored - lend your skills or add your curiosity to our work!
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Wholly H2O catalyzes dynamic, informed connections between people and their watersheds that yield proactive and appropriate water management through conservation and reuse. Our watershed-positive educational programs engage Californians in community , citizen science, art, and green infrastructure education.
Our activities - waterhood tours, bioblitzes, painting underground creeks on street surfaces, Moth nights, and art events - are bringing waterhoods to life for hundreds and hundreds of water users around the San Francisco Bay area. Join us for an event, follow us on social media, volunteer or intern (as 16 dedicated souls are doing right now) or donate to our fun and innovative work. (We love matched donations from your workplace!)
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