Volunteer Newsletter of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Spring 2017

Sloughs News

April 1 Volunteer Appreciation Banquet

See pages 2 and 3 

Cover photo by Volunteer Joanne Ong 

After Spring Showers :

Quick Information Time? Saturday, April 1 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Where? At One Marshlands Road, in the Auditorium of the Administration Building in Fremont

Who? You, your family, and close friends!

RSVP? Please help us keep count by RSVP’ing through Evite. Decide at the last minute if you must!

Information? Contact Paul_Mueller@fws.gov or call 510-792-0222, ext. 361.

The volunteers of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex are invited to our grand spring celebration of your work: the annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on Saturday, April 1 at the Complex Headquarters Building in Fremont! We will be celebrating the end of the drought, the beginning of spring, and your achievements. You do not have to do a thing—just bring friends and family. We will have door prizes, take home gifts, and free food.

The Volunteer Appreciation Banquet Blooms in Fremont!

Consider entering the optional dessert contest with an April Fools twist. There will be prizes for nearly everyone! Check out page three for more information.

Photos on this page by Volunteer Joanne Ong 

Dancin’ Fools’ Dessert Contest

Page 2 

Announcing the 

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WxááxÜà VÉÇàxáà at the  

2017 Volunteer Appreciation Banquet To be held at the Administra on Building in Fremont 

Saturday, April 1, 1:00 pm—3: 00 pm  

Come prepared to enjoy the bouquet of tastes! If you would like to enter a dessert, select one 

of the categories below… or create your own one of kind category. Prizes for nearly all entries. 

The Tilted Classic: Timeless favorites such as jello, cake, or pie—with a surprise. It might not 

be exactly what it appears! 

The Habitat: One might be forgiven for mistaking this for the 

habitats or wildlife found around the complex! 

The Clever Disguise: So you bought it from the store. You can fool 

us that you actually made it yourself with a li le altering! 

The Guilt Trip: Aren’t we fools for lots of chocolate, berries, icing, nuts 

and such. Please overdo any of these. 

The Cheese Cake Category: A li le goes a long way and becomes very 

fulfilling experience for all.  

The Happy Accident: Sure, it looks like you had a kitchen disaster, but that was all part of your 

plan, right? 

The Healthy Alterna ve: Sugar‐free? Gluten free? You fooled us again! 

 

Ques ons? Call Jackie Warren, Visitor Services Intern, at 

(510) 792‐0222, ext. 362. 

Page 3 

Farallon National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Hours Report for Fiscal Year 2016

The Farallon Na onal Wildlife Refuge (FNWR) staff organized 18 volunteers working 608 hours to support refuge opera ons. 

The majority of this consisted of eight volunteers spending a total of 16 days on the FNWR spraying herbicide to control 

invasive plants. Addi onal volunteers spent 56 hours on the island at a  me assis ng with facility maintenance projects.  

There were addi onal volunteers that contributed 32 hours assis ng with logis cs such as driving vehicles to transport cargo 

and personnel, shopping for food and supplies, and packing cargo.  

In the past, the FNWR reported volunteer hours contributed by a 

contracted partner, Point Blue Conserva on Science (Point Blue). In 

addi on to refuge organized volunteers, 14,773 hours of  me is 

contributed by volunteers working directly for Point Blue who are 

sta oned on the remote island refuge year‐round assis ng with and 

conduc ng biological monitoring (13,419 hours). In order to support 

this volunteer effort, Point Blue also manages a volunteer 

organiza on known as the Farallon Patrol, comprised of boat owners 

who volunteer their  me and vessels to support the logis cs of 

maintaining a permanent remote biological field sta on. There are 

also shoppers that volunteer to purchase necessary food and 

supplies and ensure it is delivered on  me to make it on each boat 

trip.  

The FNWR contains a diversity of biota which requires a huge effort 

to research and monitor. Equally challenging is the effort involved 

with maintaining this remote island field sta on. The stewardship of 

the FNWR requires the constant support and assistance provided by dedicated volunteers which ensures that these natural 

resources will remain in perpetuity.  

Group portrait of volunteers and USFWS staff, who contributed to the success of Team Spinach on the Farallon Na onal Wildlife Refuge in March of 2016. From le  to right, Jonathan Shore, Olivia Andrus, Suzy Romanowicz, Marie Strassburger, Peter Winch, Kelsey Richardson and Isaiah Thalmayer. Photo by Marie Strassburger. 

By Jonathan Shore, Wildlife Refuge Specialist, Farallon Na onal Wildlife Refuge 

“Day’s end” and “sunset” photos by Volunteer Suzanne Romanowicz  

Page 4 

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Na onal Wildlife Refuge

Volunteer Hours Report for Fiscal Year 2016

The willingness of employees and volunteers to supervise other volunteers to accomplish a wider range of projects in habitat restora on and a broader delivery of services to visitors, students, and members of the community has led to high numbers of volunteers recruited and a stellar number of volunteer hours reported in the past year. Biologists Rachel Tertes and Ive e Lore o together have used 95 volunteers for wildlife biology surveys and for habitat improvement projects, amassing over 2,500 hours.  Volunteer June Smith, who is in charge of the Na ve Plants Nursery, has directed approximately 135 volunteers – most of them are youth from area schools  ‐ to help out on plan ng, weeding, and seed collec on projects. Carmen Minch and Paul Mueller oversaw more than 400 volunteers. Volunteers conducted visitor programs, worked at special events, and ran the Visitor Center desk. All told the volunteers put in 4,400 hours of work. Volunteers Brian and Katrina Higgins directed close to one hundred volunteers who documented 1,700 hours of community service picking up trash along the levee trails that 

span the southern end of the bay. 

Tia Glagolev, who is the Environmental Specialist for Alviso and Fremont, has recently marked the tenth anniversary of her Habitat Heroes program, where teenage volunteers learn how lead others in their age 

group or younger to take more responsibility for the environment.  Tia designed the Habitat Heroes curricula to give par cipants the opportunity to become role models and run significant parts of a summer camp program. The younger campers o en become so impressed by their slightly older peers that they expressed a desire to come back next year as the Habitat Heroes who run the camp. The youth in Tia’s program build on their experiences by con nuing to volunteer and lead on and off the refuge. Many Habitat Heroes have won awards from other organiza ons for projects that they have conducted in their communi es and have gone on to be accepted at colleges, such as Harvard, MIT, and the University of California. Tia has many other stewardship and environmental educa on ini a ves that take her to other refuges, other schools, and outreach events.  During the past 

year she has supervised about 275 volunteers who given a total of 1,260 hours. 

Another notable supervisor and coordinator of volunteers is Julie Kahrnoff who was for the past few years  worked as an Interpre ve Specialist for the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society at the Environmental Educa on Center in Alviso.  Julie, along with the Director of the EEC, Genie Moore, has created and honed  program that encourages local visitors to become full‐fledged volunteers. Volunteers get the inside track to go on field trips, a end “enrichments” that double as volunteer training, and meet exclusively with the biologists and other staff of the refuge.  The volunteers are encouraged to sign up for any or several opportuni es at the visitor desk, the plants nursery, Ci zen Science wildlife observa on, staffing outreach, and special events. The volunteers do get the chance to feel that they have become part of the local community and the refuge.  Julie followed through by organizing many volunteer apprecia on events such as the Holiday Party and the Ice Cream Social, and went out into the community with her volunteer army. Altogether Julie oversaw about 525 volunteers this past year who have given close to 5,000 hours. 

About 1,750 volunteers donated close to 17,300 hours to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Na onal Wildlife Refuge for Fiscal Year 2016. The employees and volunteer supervisors did a great job in incorpora ng more volunteers into refuge programs. Kudos also go to other supervisors and volunteer partner organiza ons not men oned earlier like Melisa Amato, Aja Yee, Jose Garcia, Mary Deschene, Winnie Chan, Michael Springman, Ellen Tong, Lucinda Ballard, Cheryl Strong, Chris Barr, Anne Morkill, Save the Bay, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory and the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society and their members. All have taken in extra volunteers or have done much work behind the scenes allowing so many volunteers to be here. 

By Paul Mueller, Volunteer Coordinator for the San Francisco Bay NWR Complex 

Page 5 

In our group of six, we lost three long time volunteers in 2016, but we still managed to make a positive impact cleaning up the refuge and the bay. Marge and Larry Kastner picked up enough trash to fill 17 truckloads before they retired this year. They borrowed the refuge truck and hauled in ten of those truckloads themselves. Dean Nishimura took out the Chevy truck seven times and hauled out seven full loads before he moved out of the Bay Area. Among the remaining volunteers, Brian and Katrina Higgins picked up 15 truckloads of trash. Steve Curts drove the truck and picked up ten truck loads worth of the refuse that the Higgins bagged. The Higgins themselves got the truck on five occasions removing five loads. We had a lot of other volunteers helping us out. The court ordered community service volunteer program wound down at the beginning of 2016 with the last two of its volunteers completing 50 hours of trash pickup. Our group also supported the major refuge cleanups on Earth Day with a few dozen volunteers, and a major Coastal Cleanup with 250 volunteers. In 2015 we removed 72 truckloads of trash, and had 652 hours of community service volunteers. Before that from 2007 to 2014 our band of volunteers removed 288 truckloads of trash along with over 3,000 hours coming from community service volunteers. Let’s add this up. This makes a total over the last ten years of 392 truckloads of trash removed from the bay. Let me pause and take a break. Whew! After ten years and many days of hard work removing trash that had been piling up for decades, the refuge marshes and shores are now relatively clear of debris. The plants are growing again and the wildlife has better places to thrive - free of broken up piers with nails, sharp metal, broken glass, abandoned boats, dumped tires, thrown out construction materials, floating plastics junk, and a gauntlet of other refuse. You name it; we probably picked it up! It is time to celebrate as a group. However, we know that more truckloads of trash continue washing down the creeks from our cities. Yes, trash also just blows in or falls from our bridges and

ends up in the marshes and shores of our refuge. You would be surprised how much of that just floats in the water and gets pushed in by the tides and winds to the south end of our large bay. Without a continuous effort to remove the trash, some areas will become trash heaps again endangering the reestablished wildlife habitats. If there were some way cities could install devices to capture the trash, that would eliminate a large percentage of the garbage coming in. While prevention is key, we will still end up needing to pick up trash by hand. The current refuge management does recognize the situation, and wants to put more resources into keeping the trash from overwhelming the environment. However, the number of employees available is just a few at best for an area spanning 30,000 acres. The FWS personnel will probably still depend heavily on volunteers working at organized events, and independently but under the auspices of staff. Some trail users also pick up trash they see along the trails, and every piece of trash removed helps.

 2016         Don Edwards Refuge Refuse Removal Review 

By Volunteer Brian and Katrina Higgins, Volunteer Coordinators of Hike, Bike and Clean 

Never venture off the trails to pick up trash without signing up to volunteer. We will give you information about areas that are closed off a few feet away where endangered species need their own space for natural recovery. For information about volunteering officially, call Paul Mueller at 510-792-0222, ext. 361.

Marge and Larry Kastner 

are champions at picking 

up trash. Marge on one 

occasion put together 

furnishings that washed 

up against a levee for an 

impromptu outdoor 

break room.  

The monster truck (le )

and Dean Nishimura 

(below) with a bay 

weathered lawn chair. 

Page 6 

Potential Opportunities Visitor Center Information Desk* We are looking for individuals to help us man the visitor center by greeting visitors and keeping the center looking nice. You will be an important staple of our team! 

  Native Plants Nursery* Work with our nursery doing weeding, pruning, and planting. Help make the refuge more beautiful! 

*Attending Fremont Volunteer Orientation is highly recommended 

Nature Store Coordinator  

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is looking for a volunteer coordinator for the Nature Store. They need an individual who will use their energy to review, update and enhance the store’s current inventory. Nature Store sales are one important way to enhance people’s connection with our wildlife and its habitat. Below are some essential functions of the position:  Assist the Wildlife Society and Refuge personnel in recruiting volunteers capable of greeting refuge visitors and handling nature store financial transactions. 

Assure the training of new Nature Store volunteers.  Update a nature store operations manual and assist in developing nature store volunteer duties and procedures. 

Assure the maintenance of a nature store volunteer schedule with a six‐month horizon.  Coordinate with and report to the Wildlife Society’s Program Coordinator.  Inventory management – the volunteer will figure out how to entice people to the store by encouraging and sharing curiosity for the natural world. 

Previous retail experience preferred. Minimum six‐month commitment.  

Questions? Please contact Mary Deschene at mary.deschene@s ws.com 

Stewardship Days If you are interested in improving the refuge for visitors and for wildlife alike, join us at the Visitor Center for a stewardship project. We will do either a trash cleanup or a planting/weeding project. Dress appropriately for the task and for the weather. We will have gloves to lend and will provide the tools. Bring your own water bottle. Meet in the parking lot at the Visitor Center. Driving an additional 2.5 miles may be required since the project may be at a different location.  

For more information, or to make reservations, call 510‐792‐0222 ext. 361.  

Saturday, March 11th, April 8th, and May 6th. We start at 9:30 am and finish up around noon.

Fremont

Volunteer Orientation

Saturday, April 8th 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Questions? Please contact June Smith at wildflowers560@gmail.com 

Questions? Please contact Paul Mueller at 510‐792‐0222 ext. 361 or 

Paul_mueller@fws.gov 

Page 7 

Volunteer Opportunities: Restoration Project Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to work on the EEC's ecotone habitat restoration project. In the fall and winter, volunteers plant natives and in the spring and summer volunteers pull various invasive species to ensure that the native plants thrive!  

Training: Volunteer orientation and on the job training is provided.  

Questions: Please contact Hope Presley at 408‐262‐5513 ext. 104 or Hope.Presley@s ws.com 

Additional Requirements: All ages are welcome, but remember it is physical work, primarily outdoors.  

Hours: Work is done Tuesdays from 9:30 am ‐ 2:00 pm. 

Weekend Information Desk Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to tell our story to visitors, field questions, answer phones, and check out our discovery packs and binoculars to visitors. 

Training: Volunteer Orientation and a one hour information desk training. Two half days per month for a six‐month commitment is required.  

Questions: Please contact Hope Presley at 408‐262‐5513 ext. 104 or Hope.Presley@s ws.com.   

Hours: Shifts are from 10:00 am ‐ 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm ‐ 5:00 pm on Saturdays. 

Citizen Scientists Plant Monitoring Program: Help us monitor plants, birds, monarchs, reptiles, and/or the weather!  

Training: For Volunteer Orientation, one hour of instruction and in the field training with biologists and experienced volunteers is provided. Two half days per month for a six‐month commitment is required. Questions: Please contact Hope Presley at 408‐262‐5513 ext. 104 or Hope_Presley@s ws.com .  Dates & Hours: Dates and hours are flexible.  

Butterfly Garden Manager:  A volunteer experienced in California native plants is needed to keep the education center’s demonstration garden thriving. The position will require managing the nursery and developing a plan for the 1.5 acre garden.  

If you have an interest in wildlife and their conservation, enjoy working with people, and are enthusiastic and dependable, the Environmental Education Center’s Volunteer Program is for you! As a volunteer, you will receive on‐the‐job training from staff and other volunteers in the project area you choose.  

Alviso

· You must attend a volunteer orientation. · You must attend the scheduled trainings. 

· You must meet the age requirements for the program. 

History: Volunteers established this garden to provide critical habitat for songbirds and butterflies, and to demonstrate how to garden for wildlife using beautiful California native plants without the use of herbicides. It contains mature specimens of Ceanothus, fuchsia‐flowered gooseberry, pink flowering currant, buckwheat, toyon, and black sage in a natural setting  

To Apply: Please send resume and letter of interest to Hope Presley at Hope.Presley@s ws.com. Additional Requirements: One day a week for a three month commitment.  

Hours: Hours are flexible. 

Warm Springs Docent: Volunteers are needed to give public tours of the Warm Springs Unit of Don Edwards SF Bay NWR (Warm Springs). Warm Springs is a vernal pool grassland in South Fremont with beautiful vernal pool flower blooms in April. This area is otherwise closed to the public.  

Training: Docents will be trained by Warm Springs staff and will attend at least two tours prior to leading a tour.  

Questions: Contact Ivette Loredo, Wildlife Refuge Specialist at Ivette_Loredo@fws.gov Additional Requirements: We are looking for docents who can lead two ‐ four  tours on weekends (two tours can be done in one day) in mid‐April and make at least a two year commitment. Tours are two hours long and limited to 20 participants. 

Hours: Typically tours are offered at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm and last two hours. 

Outreach Volunteers: Help us get out into the community and spread the word about one of the bay area’s best kept secrets – the Refuge!  

Training: Volunteer Orientation, outreach training and Refuge 101 training are provided. Questions: Please contact Hope Presley at 408‐262‐5513 ext. 104 or Hope.Presley@s ws.com .  Additional Requirements: One event per quarter (four total) is required for a one year commitment. 

Hours: Hours can vary depending on the event.  

Volunteer Orientations 11:00 am to Noon

Meet in the auditorium of the Environmental Education Center in Alviso.

Applications provided at orientation.

Saturday, April 8th 2017 Saturday, May 6th 2017

Remember: Please go to a volunteer orientation to become a volunteer at the EEC!

Volunteer Requirements for the Alviso Area 

Page 8 

San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society

WANT TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS? Did you know that there are various ways individuals can volunteer in support of the Refuge? You can volunteer for the Refuge directly, or for the Refuge Friends organizations: San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (SFBWS, or the Society), Friends of San Pablo Bay, or Friends of Alameda National Wildlife Reserve.  

Becoming a member or volunteering with a Friends Group is another way the community can help support the San Francisco Bay NWR Complex. For almost 30 years SFBWS has been an active support organization for the SF Bay NWR Complex, and is now one of the first groups in the nation to convert to a formally designated Refuge Friends group under 

the new Fish and Wildlife Service Friend’s agreements.  

The Society contributed to the accomplishment of the refuge mission for the past 29 years through (1) nature store sales, the proceeds for which underwrite the publication of the Tideline newsletter, (2) environmental education programs including Watershed Watchers and Living Wetlands, (3) special projects, such as the EEC’s LitteratiTM Exhibit, and the interpretive exhibits and signs at the Visitor Contact Stations, and (4) special events, including volunteer recognition gatherings ‐ to name just a few. Now the focus is on supporting education and stewardship, and growing the organization to meet the upcoming needs of the Refuge as they develop.  

This is a call‐out to folks who want to become more involved in several on‐going efforts in the long‐term stewardship of wildlife refuges. We are re‐inventing ourselves, and now is a good time to jump in with new ideas and energy for the things you want to do.  

We are looking for everyone from board members, to committee chairs and committee members, to people who want to volunteer for specific tasks. We also welcome those who want to help by donation, and through establishing a membership. See www.s ws.com/donate 

We have opportunities in various areas:  

Volunteer Recruiter ‐ to help build our volunteer team;  Accounting or other Office tasks;  Events ‐ We are planning a 30th Anniversary this summer; Visitor Center information desks ‐ providing refuge information to 

visitors, along with Nature Store sales assistance; Committees ‐ We are looking for volunteers to help on different task‐

focused committees related to membership/volunteers, marketing/communication, board governance, and the Nature Store; 

Nature Store Coordinator – Nature Store sales are one important way to enhance people’s connection with our wildlife and its habitat, see page 7. 

Contact info:  San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society ‐  Mary Deschene, mary.deschene@s ws.com Friends of San Pablo Bay – Fran <franmctamaney@comcast.net> Friends of Alameda National Wildlife Reserve – Susan Euing, susan_euing@fws.gov, will put you in touch with Lorene.  

Page 9 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!

And so have the flowers!!

TIME AGAIN FOR THE ANNUAL

COUNTING OF OUR TWO ENDANGERED

PLANT SPECIES AT ANTIOCH DUNES

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE!

We will be conducting our 2017 plant surveys of our two endangered plants, the Contra Costa Wallflower (left photo)in April and

the Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose (right photo) in May at the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in Antioch. It’s a great

opportunity to visit a special place that is not always open to the public. There are plenty of wildflowers and butterflies to enjoy.

Please feel free to share this information with others who might be interested. Here's the lowdown:

WHEN? Contra Costa Wallflower surveys: Wednesday and Thursday, April 26 and 27, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose surveys: Wednesday and Thursday, May 24 and 25, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

WHO? USFWS staff and adult volunteers who love to get out of the office/house and enjoy nature. We’d like to have 10-15

people per day. Training done on-site that day.

WHAT TO WEAR, BRING and EXPECT? Long pants (there can be scratchy plants and stickers), layered clothing, sturdy

walking shoes, lunch and water bottle, sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and gaiters if you like to use them to keep plant parts out

of your socks Raingear is optional (you never know). Morning temperatures can be chilly. We walk all day (with several

breaks) on mixed, sometimes hilly terrain, with some plants/trees to step over, under and around. That means good exercise,

fresh air, wildlife and wildflowers to see and enjoy.

WHERE? Antioch Dunes NWR (Contra Costa County) – See Directions below.

You can sign up for one or more days. For inquiries and to RSVP, please contact Susan Euing by email at

susan_euing@yahoo.com or call office at 510-521-9717. Sign up early and tell your friends!

Directions

Antioch Dunes NWR (Contra Costa County) – There are two separate units, Stamm and Sardis, about one mile from each other. If lost or your plans have changed that day, please call Susan at 510 377 5928.

From 680 heading north in the Walnut Creek/Concord direction take Highway 242 E, which will lead you onto Highway 4 E towards Pittsburg/Antioch. Continue on Highway 4 to Antioch.*

From 680 heading south in the Benicia/Martinez direction take Highway 4 E towards Pittsburg/Antioch.*

*From here, see directions below for the day you will be going.

WEDNESDAYS: Surveys will be held at the Stamm Unit at 501 Fulton Shipyard Road in Antioch, 94509.

At Antioch, take A Street/Lone Tree Way exit and go left under freeway. Proceed about one mile on A Street and then go right onto Wilbur Avenue. At Fulton Shipyard Road (first light) go left. Cross the railroad tracks and you will see a large brown refuge sign (2nd driveway on right). Park along refuge fence line.

THURSDAYS: Surveys will be held at the Sardis Unit at 1551 Wilbur Avenue in Antioch, 94509.

At Antioch, take A Street/Lone Tree Way exit and go left under freeway. Proceed about one mile on A Street and then go right onto Wilbur Avenue. Proceed on Wilbur about one mile, cross over a concrete bridge and look for two large PG&E towers on left. The entrance gate will be on the left between the two towers. See the large brown refuge sign next to gate. Turn left into entrance and park at the bottom of driveway.

An och Dunes Na onal Wildlife Refuge Page 10 

By Susan Euing, Wildlife Biologist  

Spring 2017

Litterati Project UpdateLitterati Project UpdateLitterati Project Update

Sloughs News is edited by Paul Mueller and Laura Mello. Contributions came from Hope Presley, Genie 

Moore, Mary Deschene, Jonathan Shore, Susan Euing, Paul Mueller, Brian and Katrina Higgins, Joanne Ong, 

Marie Strassburger, Suzanne Romanowicz, Kirsten Wahlquist, Leah Mould, and Julie Karhnoff.  

Habitat Restoration Volunteers Needed in Alameda 

Volunteers are needed for habitat improvement projects at Alameda in a closed off area that used to be part of the old Naval Air Station. Volunteer projects occur usually on the second Sunday of each month and run from 9:00 am to noon.  Contact Leora Feeney for more information and confirmation of this month's event at leoraalameda@att.net . 

The Santa Clara Valley Water District Pollu on Preven on Don Edwards Trash Clean‐up conducted by the San 

Francisco Bay Wildlife Society and the Watershed Watchers program has entered a new phase. 

The San Jose Conserva on Crew finished 20 days of clean‐up in the Don Edwards south bay, led 

by Opera ons Coordinator Olivia Andrus using iPads to photograph and 

upload more than 12,000 pictures of trash onto the Li era TM website. We 

removed over two tons of trash, including many small pieces of micro‐trash 

that are o en mistaken as food by wildlife. Using the Li era  app to 

categorize (and pick up!) trash is a fun way to get involved and help keep our 

wildlife habitats clean. See Li era .org for more informa on.  

The next phase will include the construc on of a high‐quality mobile display 

which will be used to teach people about the problems trash pollu on causes, 

and carry the work and learning forward into the future.  We plan to spread 

the message and method to the community, other loca ons within our Refuge complex, and 

possibly to other Refuges na onally. Join us in ongoing volunteer clean‐ups. Schools, scout 

groups, families, company groups, and others can join at the Environmental Educa on Center in 

Alviso. Contact Hope Presley, our new Watershed Watchers Interpre ve Specialist, if you or a group would like to 

par cipate: hope.presley@s ws.com, 408‐262‐5513, extension 104.  

The Volunteer Appreciation Banquet Blooms in Fremont

After Spring Showers :

See Pages 2 and 3