Cal Coast Bioblitz this Saturday! |
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Snapshot Cal Coast Bioblitz at MLK Shoreline |
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When: Wednesday , May 18th, 9:00am–12:00 pm
Where: MLK Junior Shoreline Center, 7250 Doolittle Dr, Oakland, CA 94618
Join Wholly H2O for another super fun BioBlitz along the California coast! The California coast has its unique biodiversity and ecosystem in the world, and May is the perfect time of the year to explore and observe the beauty of nature. Dedicated community/citizen scientists have already documented 487 species in the area, with 150 species of birds, MLK Junior Shoreline Center which includes the Ridgway's Rail (Rallus obsoletus), Willet (Tringa semipalmata), Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa), and more.
During the BioBliz, we'll spend the first 2.5 hours observing and recording, and the last half-hour looking at our observations together and making sure they get added to iNaturalist. Join us to learn more about the area in which you live, the watershed, and the ecosystem residents!
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THE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OF FROG PARK AND LITTLE FROG PARK |
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Meet a Temescal Watershed Expert:
Jon Bauer
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For this month’s newsletter focused on Temescal Creek, it is only fitting that we spotlight Jon Bauer, an expert on Temescal Creek and the main guide for Episode 2 of the Walking Watersheds series!
Before working for East Bay Municipal Water District (EBMUD) as Principal Management Analyst, Jon did Master’s Thesis for the Department of Geography at San Francisco State University. In this research, Jon delved into the history and hydrology of the creek, specifically focusing on how the faux creek in Little Frog Park reflects the disappearance and memorialization of creeks in urban settings.
Frog/Little Frog Park is located in the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt which extends over three blocks, following a segment of the Temescal Creek. What is not obvious when the narrow and shallow creek is flowing is that the water for Temescal Creek is actually pumping water from the buried Temescal Creek flowing down from Lake Temescal. Jon refers to it as a “potemkin creek”, inspired by the metaphor of a Potemkin Village, to illustrate its masked artificial nature. In fact, he called his thesis “Potemkin Creek: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Nature.”
The creek had been turned off for a number of years but was turned on recently again by Alameda County Flood Control, working with members of Friends of the Rockridge Greenbelt or F.R.O.G. Often determined by the cleanliness of the stream bed as well as the water quality of Lake Temescal which is impacted by sewer overflows or stormwater, the creek is turned on in the morning and off in the evening during the non-rainy months.
Many may not notice or question that the creek usually flows for part of the day only from spring through fall during our dry season. This inverse hydrology, and the fact that the channel is much too shallow compared to other East Bay creeks with similar drainages, piqued Jon’s interest and ultimately led him to write his thesis. While outdoors or visiting new areas, Jon often finds himself surveying the water features, seeking out traces of the past such as contours of the land that might indicate old river beds. Jon’s work illuminates how hybrid landscapes where nature and humans overlap demonstrate how society absorbs supposedly natural features into its urban narrative. I highly encourage you to visit his website on the creek and begin to explore your connection to landscapes, artificial and natural alike.
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Jon has worked at the EBMUD for 15 years where he has occupied many fascinating roles and has been involved in ground breaking projects. He was a part of the transformation of the wastewater plant into a “green factory.” In 2012, EBMUD became the first wastewater treatment plant in North America to produce more renewable energy onsite than is needed to run the facility! The plant captures and uses the biogas generated from microbes that digest biodegradable waste to fuel the site, and it sells excess energy to the Port of Oakland.
Another interesting program Jon oversees is the endangered species protection program through EBMUD’s Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank (ORCB). Through the sale of mitigation credits, the ORCB protects endangered species such as the Alameda Whipsnake and the California Red-legged Frog. The credits offset ecological losses due to development and fund the protection of these endangered species for the future. Currently, Jon is the Principal Management Analyst for EBMUD’s Water and Natural Resources Department, focusing on the financial aspects of resource management. Responsible budgeting and spending is essential in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the agency and its ability to realize its goals and mission.
Outside of his work, Jon is still very connected to water and nature. As a result of his work and advocacy in the organization Greywater Action, Jon owns the first permitted residential greywater system in the East Bay! Jon was an essential force in pushing California to adopt a code that legalized the permitting of residential greywater systems. He is also a part of Trees for Oakland which plants public trees to grow the urban forest. Jon likes to backpack and is chipping away at completing the 800-mile Arizona Trail. He enjoys long hikes out in Morgan Territory and the North side of Mt Diablo to train during the “off-season”– but to Jon there’s never really an off-season because there’s always an opportunity to get outside!
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Species Highlight:
California Newt
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This month’s highlighted species is the California Newt which can be found in Temescal Lake and Frog park and Little Frog Park (when they’re turned on)! Mark Brest Van Kempen (see his artist profile below) created a series of “discovery scopes” along the Richmond-Temescal Greenbelt path. These Discovery Scopes are interactive guides to Temescal Creek's history and native species. If you peer into the telescope, you can observe bronze sculptures of various species. The California Newt discovery scope is located in Little Frog Park.
The California newts (Taricha torosa) have dark backsides, orange undersides, and orange skin around the bottom of their eyes which makes them easily distinguishable. They are around 4 inches long and are endemic to coastal California. (Don’t confuse them with the Sierra Newt which has been its own species since 2007!)
In the winter, the California newts migrate to water for breeding, usually the same body of water in which they hatched. They occupy a diverse range of habitats including woodlands and chaparrals, with close proximity to ponds and creeks. The newts munch on earthworms, snails, woodlice, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, crickets, and other invertebrates. If you are ever in Frog Park or Little Frog Park, especially after a heavy rainstorm, make sure to keep an eye out for them. However, keep dogs away and do not touch them because they are poisonous! The glands in the skin of California Newts secrete the potent neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, the same toxin found in pufferfish and harlequin frogs.
Tilden Park closes its South Park Drive from November through March from cars in order to look out for these small and mighty creatures during their annual migration. Unfortunately, in other areas the California Newts are being massacred in large numbers by cars during their migrations. Read here to learn more about how a Newt Patrol in Santa Clara County is documenting this tragedy and advocating for the protection of California Newts. Next winter, watch out for California Newt Xsings!
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Artist Feature:
Mark Brest Van Kempen
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If you have ever walked along the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt, you might have noticed some large concrete pillars. Those were created by the local artist Mark Brest Van Kempen in 2009 for the Temescal Greenbelt Project, sponsored by the Oakland Art Commission. The Discovery Scopes are interactive guides to Temescal Creek's history and native species. If you peer into the telescope, you can observe bronze sculptures of various species including the Calippe Silverspot Butterfly, Cooper's Hawk, Pacific Chorus Frog, and the California Newt featured above. One Discovery Scope also pays an homage to the native Ohlone people, featuring a mortar and pestle.
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MBVK has created many other artworks related to the environment, using the landscape itself as inspiration and sculptural material. Mark pushes the boundaries of art, often creating on-site art pieces that are fused with the landscape. One of his pieces captures the slow decay of a pine tree in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The dead tree is fastened together by a metal clamp and rod framework that props up detached pieces. After a year, the sculpture is removed and the tree continues to decay naturally. This project explores natural forces such as evaporation, erosion, growth and decay. While this project shows the glaring divide between nature and man-made materials, others attempt to mimmic organic shapes and forms in nature.
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In his public art proposal for the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Wyoming, Mark designed a series of sculptural habitats that are integrated into building's architecture. He wanted to highlight that buildings can be designed for human use and also function within the context of the greater ecological web around them. Instead of a building contributing to habitat loss, he envisioned a building that could provide habitats for other species. For example, a rock sculpture with outcroppings and internal mazes that can provide shelter for Eastern Fence Lizards. He even proposed the inclusion of a hinge so that one could look inside the "rock" for study and education. Much of Mark's work provokes the onlooker to engage with his art physically or abstractly. In a sense, his work combats a sense of egocentrism. Mark places nature at the forefront of his work, while at the same time commentating on human's complex relationship with nature.
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Mark has taken on many large-scale projects involving social-justice issues including his Free Speech Monument on UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza. It was installed in 1991 and won a national public art competition to commemorate the 1964 Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley. The art piece is a 6-ft. wide granite circle with a 6-inch hole in the middle filled with dirt. A ring carved into the granite reads: “This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation and shall not be subject to any entity’s jurisdiction.” The free space serves as a gathering point where people can express their freedom of speech. The Free Speech Monument, represents another living artwork. The people who interact with it keep the spirit of the Free Speech Movement alive.
Currently, Mark is an adjunct faculty member at the California College of Arts and the San Francisco Art Institute. He has a very impressive curriculum vitae and I strongly encourage you to check out his website. On it, you can find all of his projects as well as many periodicals written about him and his work.
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Research BIPOC History in East Bay Watersheds
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This position is for someone who is passionate about historical research, and more specifically the discovery and inclusion of BIPOC histories in the San Francisco East Bay. Working with a historian and oral history expert supervisor, you’ll be trained in how to conduct archival research, how to find photographs, how to search social media sources, as well as how to conduct in-person interviews with current residents of the watersheds. This work includes research into the creek's history, community groups, and activities, restoration activities, social and environmental justice as well as writing text and gathering existing images for website.
You'll be doing online research, going to archives at the Oakland Library and East Bay Regional Park District, as well as a host of museums and historical societies, and once ready, conducting some interviews. We greatly BIPOC people to apply for this role.
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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 on-line 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 a UCBerkeley class making up the bulk of the team each semester. The interns do a combination of online research and actually walking/biking the creeks 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 be able to safely walk sections of the creeks. We're targeting middle schools and highschool along the creeks to include this 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 it is stepping in to 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 as well as more bioblitzes! We will (re)use your donation to pay a BIPOC 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 below to contribute a tax-deductible donation or check out the Facebook page for our fundraiser!
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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 and 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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