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Dear Friend,
Happy New Year! First, we want to thank everyone who donated towards our Year End fundraiser. Honestly, we couldn't do our jobs without community support from people like you. So, our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks.
Second, our public events calendar is up for the whole year to make it easy to join a free tour or volunteering event. Third, speaking of volunteering, join us as we take the next big step in our habitat restoration project in 2026! Volunteers are essential for restoring the Mesa to thriving native habitats. Lastly, this is our last call to order our 2026 'Wings Over Bolsa' calendars before they fly away for good.
Until next time, see you on the trails.
| | 2026 Public Events Calendar | |
Planning out your schedule with all the fun, maybe new, events you want to attend in 2026? We've made it easy to add our free public events to your calendar for the whole year! From volunteering to nature tours, each month's dates are listed all in one place in an easy to print PDF.
You can also find our public events with more detail on our online Calendar of Events. The events can be added to your personal calendar directly from the event page too! In addition, the entire year's worth of events (PDF) can be found at the bottom of this online calendar as well.
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In 2026 we will focus substantial effort inside the fence on the Mesa. Thousands of plants being grown at our nursery right now will be planted by hundreds of community volunteers this spring. This is our first major boots-on-the-ground planting inside the fence, and we are so excited to begin this next chapter of our habitat restoration project!
Do you want to be apart of this next chapter in our restoration efforts? You're in luck! We have weekend and week day volunteer opportunities every month. From watering plants, sowing seeds, weeding invasive species to planting the native plants in the ground, we have something for everyone.
Visit our Habitat Restoration page to learn more about our habitat restoration work and how to get involved.
| Not Too Late to Grab the 2026 Calendar | |
It's not too late to grab one of our 'Wings Over Bolsa' 2026 calendars!!
*all photos were taken right here at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
*13-month format
*major holidays and moon phases each month
*educational captions
*printed with soy inks on recycled paper right here in OC
Grab one before they fly away. Only $20 donation per calendar, or order 4 get 1 free deal!
| | We are always interested in hearing from you dear readers. What content do you want to see, and how often and where (inboxes, social media, physical mailings) do you want us to reach out to you? Any other comments or suggestions? If you like our e-newsletters please consider sharing it with your friends and family. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn to catch our weekly "Wildlife Wednesdays" and current events as we share with you what we see and find every week! | | | VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES AND FREE TOURS | | |
BCLT Stewards Habitat Restoration Volunteering
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Dates
Sunday Jan. 4th, 9am- 12
Saturday Jan. 17th , 9am- 12
Pre-registration and sign up on our website is required. Capped at 50 volunteers for each event.
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Miracles of the Marsh Docent Volunteering
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“Miracles of the Marsh from Wetlands to Wildlife” is our elementary school education program which brings children to the Bolsa Chica. Our docent-led tour focuses on plant life, wildlife, and history. Join our dedicated and fun team as we educate our local 3rd graders to the wonders of Bolsa Chica.
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BCLT Outreach and Free Public Tour
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Dates
Sunday Jan. 11th, 10am-12
Sunday Jan. 18th, 10am- 12
Monthly free guided walking tours of the Bolsa Chica wetlands and mesa. Learn about the history of Bolsa Chica, its wildlife, and plant life with a Bolsa Chica Land Trust docent.
Or, come hang out at our table and help spread the word about the cool and important elements of Bolsa Chica as an Outreach volunteer! Interested in becoming a docent volunteer? Shadow one of our docents to get started.
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November - March
Beach Clean Ups
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When: Every Monday at 8:30am from November to March
Where: 20th Street entrance to Huntington City Beach
Who: Everyone! Most of the supplies are provided, but if you want, please bring a reusable bucket or bag, and gloves.
*If you have a group that you want to bring, please email Info@BCLandTrust.org and we can work to accommodate your group.*
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January's Animal of the Month: Northern Pintail
The Northern Pintail is found all winter-long at Bolsa Chica. The male has a beautiful chocolate brown head, long white neck and breast, and a slender body with a long pintail. The female is brown, has a gray bill, and a shorter tail. The males give a whistle call while the female calls out with quiet quacks. When foraging for food, Northern Pintails dabble in shallow water for small fish, snails, tadpoles, and crustaceans, but they also feed on seeds and insects. They fly north in spring and summer to breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada, and many winter in California, Mexico, and South America.
21” long; 34” wingspan; 1.8 pounds
photo: Brian Goebel
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Reminders When You Visit Bolsa Chica
Here are some things to remember during your visit:
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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.
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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! | |
The mission of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust is the acquisition, preservation, and restoration of all of Bolsa Chica and the education of the public to its natural wonders and cultural significance.
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Photo Credits:
landscape- Ram Vasudev, 2026 Calendar- Brian Goebel, restoration volunteering- E. Chin, beach clean up, Tabling and Stewards- Bequi Howarth, Miracles docent with kids outreach table- Jeff Rokos, volunteers on beach- Mike McMahan, landscape-Eileen Rizzacasa, Northern Pintail- Brian Goebel,
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