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Dear Friend,
Happy holidays! It's officially December now, so dust off that Ugly Christmas Sweater and fry up the latkes, it's Yuletide season! If you need a small break from shopping and baking, check out our free tours and restoration volunteer days this month; see dates below under Volunteering Opportunities and Free Tours. Feel free to wear your Santa hats or reindeer antlers to those events to make it more festive. Our office will be closed starting Dec. 20th until Jan. 3rd in the New Year. That means, get your calendars orders in ASAP! We also have other goodies that make great gifts in our online catalogue.
As is customary, our annual Year-end Letter from our President is now digitally available and will soon hit mailboxes. You can read the full version from the button below.
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?
Happy Hanukkah, Winter Solstice/Yule, Kwanzaa, and Merry Christmas one and all!
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!
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Year-end Letter from the BCLT President | |
As the holiday lights twinkle around us, and the year comes to a close, now is the time many look to give to causes which touch their hearts. This year, we ask that you consider a gift to the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. Bolsa Chica is a place of solace in nature, where wonder and curiosity take flight on the wings of the birds that call it home.
Yet, it takes a great effort to care for Bolsa Chica. While we do partner with the State on restoration projects, sustainability planning, and outreach, we need your help to continue that care. As with most of California’s open spaces, State funding does not go far enough. BCLT’s role is to go further, to help re-establish thriving native habitat, protect nesting sites, and educate the next generations in the science and history of Bolsa Chica. We cannot do this without your support.
By giving to the Bolsa Chica Land Trust this year, you are directly helping our local environment, and our community. Your support means that we can continue our success and do even more for Bolsa Chica.
| BCLT's Wings Over Bolsa 2024 Calendar | |
**Order now to get it in time for the holidays!**
Filled with beautiful photographs, all taken here at Bolsa Chica, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust's 2024 Wings Over Bolsa calendars are now available!
Created with photographs from more than 30 generous photographers, the calendar highlights some of the amazing wildlife that we all love. Our fabulous Calendar Committee folks go the extra mile: creating informative captions for the larger photos and matching the photos on each page with the animals you may see that month at the Reserve, and in their corresponding plumage. Wings Over Bolsa brings the natural wonders of the Reserve into your home or office.
With your donation of $15, you will receive one calendar, a donation of $60 will get you five calendars – so you can share your support of Bolsa Chica with your friends. Shipping costs are included.
A huge “Thank You!” to all of the photographers for sharing these wonderful images with us all!
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The BCLT office will be closed on the following days.
- December holidays and New Year: December 20th to January 3rd, 2024
The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset for everyone to freely visit and explore. We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
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Support our ongoing efforts by committing today to donate monthly to our 23 listed species. It’s easy; just visit www.BCLandTrust.org/donation, select or create a donation and then hit “Yes! Make my donation a monthly recurring donation!”
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$25 helps pay for 5 native sage plants we use to restore the mesa to native habitat for the endangered California Gnatcatcher bird through our habitat restoration Bolsa Chica Stewards project.
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$50 can pay for a box of student workbooks so each student in the Miracles of the Marsh education program gets a free book.
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$100 helps buy equipment needed for restoration and scientific research.
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$250 supports a bus of disadvantaged students in Title 1 schools to come to Bolsa Chica to experience our coastal ecology from our amazing education docents.
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$1000 spearheads and facilitates the development of large long-term sustainability projects like the Tern Nesting Island Restoration Project or Sustainable Alternatives Study.
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VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES AND FREE TOURS | |
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BCLT Stewards Habitat Restoration Volunteering
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Dates
Sunday Dec. 3rd, 9am- 12
Saturday Dec. 16th, 9am-12
Pre-registration and sign up on our website is required. Capped at 50 volunteers for each event.
Email Beverley at Beverley@BCLandTrust.org for more details
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Miracles of the Marsh Docent Volunteering
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Contact the office for more information
Beverley@BCLandTrust.org or 714-846-1001
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BCLT Outreach and Free Public Tour
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Dates
Sunday Dec. 10th, 10am-12
Sunday Dec. 17th, 10am- 12
Contact the office for more information
Bequi@BCLandTrust.org or 714-846-1001
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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.
How: Please email Mike at Mike@BCLandTrust.org to volunteer.
*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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December Bird of the Month: Golden-crowned Sparrow
This Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives in early fall to its coastal California wintering grounds and can be found mixed in with flocks of White-crowned Sparrows scratching around to forage for seeds and insects. California sagebrush, with its seasonal feathery gray-green leaves, is a perfect perching spot for this mostly secretive sparrow. One of the larger sparrows, it has a yellow forecrown and a wide black eyebrow. They migrate later in the spring to breed in shrubby tundra habitats near the coast and in the mountains of Alaska and northwestern Canada.
7.25” long; 9.5” wingspan; 1 oz.
photo: Wayne Miller
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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.
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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:
Brown Pelican banner- Jodi Newell, Calendar Cover- Alan Wendell, Sunset- Bob McCaw, sage- Jane Lazarz, Stewards- Erin Chin, Miracles docent with kids- Jeff Rokos, Elegant Terns on beach- Marinka Horack, snowy bridge- Eric Benson, Golden-crowned Sparrow- Wayne Miller
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