Dear Friend,

Summer time! Just in time to kick off our summer fundraiser focused on habitat restoration projects. With bigger and bolder projects in the works, your support goes even further. Summer is also a great time to introduce Bolsa Chica to visiting or new friends, and we've got answers for frequently asked questions on our website. Answers to everything from who owns the land, where can I park, and can I bring Fido. Speaking of parking, there is a safety PSA that the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife recently sent out. You can find the beginning of it below and read the full response on our blog.

Until next time, see you on the trails.

As you may know, our Bolsa Chica Stewards have been working on restoring native plant habitat on a thin stretch of the Mesa since 1996. With the support of membership, the Stewards team has planted 60,000 native plants, built the Mesa trail, created our on-site Growing Space native plant nursery, and brought 32,000 volunteers from the community out to assist in this labor of love. We could not have done this without your support.

Much has happened in these past 29 years, including a 62-acre wildfire on July 26, 2020. California’s wildfires have inflicted tremendous losses, which in turn has led the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to undertake a test site for fire-resilient restoration on the Mesa. It began two years ago, and our Stewards team has been quietly assisting in the early phase of the project. Now, as the Stewards enter their 30th year, we are stepping up to partner with CDFW to restore a 20-acre footprint within the fenced-off part of the Mesa, to nurture a biodiverse habitat that is wildfire resilient.

We will need your support to realize our vision of a fully restored Mesa! To launch our biggest restoration effort yet we need funds to purchase pounds of native seed, tools and equipment to expand our capacity. Your donation now will help launch this effort in the best ways possible, setting the stage for success.

You've got questions, we've got answers to the most frequently asked questions about Bolsa Chica. Common questions we get range from can I ride my bike to who's in charge of the Ecological Reserve. That's why we made a FAQ page on our website so you can find the answers all in one place.

Have a question that's not answered in our FAQ? Email us at Info@BCLandTrust.org!

At the end of May, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Manager Melissa Borde, CDFW, wrote a response concerning the uptick in car break ins at both the North and South parking lots at Bolsa Chica. This public safety announcement is to inform the public about what CDFW is doing to stop and prevent these crimes as well as what the public can do. Read the full response to learn how to prevent and report crime to stay safe from the link below.

July's Animal of the Month: Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles can be found in most of the USA and Canada and favor areas with lakes, rivers, and ocean coastlines. They are uncommon visitors to Bolsa Chica and usually are spotted because of how large

they look compared to all the other birds. The courtship of Bald Eagles is an amazing aerial dance with an eagle pair locking talons in flight and tumbling in the sky doing somersaults. Fish are a major part of

their diet, salmon being a favorite, but they also hunt small mammals, ducks, and birds. This magnificent bird is on the Great Seal of the USA. However, Ben Franklin was against the eagle as a national symbol. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin wrote that the Bald Eagle was “a bird of bad moral character” which stole fish from other birds. Franklin favored the Wild Turkey as a “much more respectable bird and a true original native of America.”

31” long; 80” wingspan; 9.5 pounds

photo: Mike Zampelli

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

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Photo Credits:

Bald Eagle- Tammy Asaki, Child digging- Ryne Wall, Miracles docent with kids outreach table- Jeff Rokos, volunteers on beach- Mike McMahan, landscape-Eileen Rizzacasa, Bald Eagle Mike Zampelli