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****************************************************************************** VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES (Pages 1-4) ****************************************************************************** AVIAN DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM (ADPP) FIELD ASSISTANTS (Updated 11/12/08) Season: June – November 2009 Time Commitment: 1 times/week; 4-5 hrs each time. (Timing is dependent on high tides within the slough channels.) A commitment to at least 1survey per month over the season is required. The Avian Disease Prevention Program (ADPP) surveys began in June 2009. Please contact the Waterbird Program Supervisor, Caitlin Robinson at [email protected] to find out more about this volunteer opportunity. Description: The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory monitors Alviso, Mallard (Artesian) and Guadalupe Sloughs for the cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale. The municipalities are required to monitor for botulism as part of their permit requirements to release treated fresh water from their water treatment facilities into the sloughs. Under contract, we monitor the sloughs by boat on a weekly basis during periods of warm weather, generally June to mid-November to collect all dead, sick and injured birds in the sloughs. We also collect any dead fish or mammals in order to prevent the spread of botulism. Experience required: No previous experience required. Other Qualifications: Ability to drive a truck and trailer and/or outboard motor is helpful. Must not be afraid to get muddy and/or wet! Must be willing to handle (with proper protection) sick, injured and dead wildlife. 1 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO CONDUCT BANDED CALIFORNIA GULL SURVEYS Needed: Gull re-sighting volunteers beginning in April of 2009 Needed: Volunteers to assist with gull banding from May – June of 2009 This summer of 2008, the Bird Observatory banded California Gulls at a large breeding colony in Alviso as part of an effort to study the impact that will be made when the salt pond levees are breached and the marsh is restored as part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. Since May, we have banded over 275 adults. Now that the breeding season is over, the goal is to find out where these gulls are spending their time. To that end, we are have been conducting weekly gull surveys in Alviso, as well as in other known California Gull colonies and the local landfills. We are looking for volunteers who would like to help out with our gull surveys. Surveys involve checking the area for California Gulls, and getting as good a look as you can at the legs of any California gulls you find to see if they are banded. The gulls we banded this year will have a large black plastic band on the left foot with 3 white numbers that should be readable through a scope. The gull survey areas that we search for banding gulls are: The Alviso salt ponds (especially A6) Alviso Marina County Park (Walking/biking survey access only) Eden Landing Mowry salt ponds Coyote Hills Ravenswood Newby Island landfill And possibly the Palo Alto landfill It is ideal to have two volunteers for each of the above locations, so that people can go out in pairs, or can alternate so that no one has to go out too frequently. All areas aside from the Alviso Marina County Park can be accessed by vehicle. Depending on the area and how many gulls are present, surveys take approximately 30 minutes to over 2 hours. Volunteers are required to survey sites once per week (until the end of August, and once per month for the rest of the fall). Please contact Carley Schacter, Colonial Waterbird Program Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] or 408-946-6548 x 15 for more information. ****************************************************************************** 2 DATA ENRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: GULLS AND LANDFILLS PROJECT (Updated 11/12/08) We are seeking a volunteer to enter data for our Gulls and Landfills Project. The Gulls and Landfills Project examines the breeding and foraging distributions of California Gulls throughout the South Bay salt ponds and nearby landfills to determine the gulls' impact on Forster's Terns, Caspian Terns, American Avocets, and Black-necked Stilts, and to guide support of listed species such as the Western Snowy Plover and California Least Terns. Since 2007, Bird Observatory biologists have visited landfills around the South San Francisco Bay weekly to count gulls and quantify their behavior. Concurrently, select landfills practiced gull abatement to keep gulls from landing there – abatement occurs in the form of pyrotechnics including canons, pistols, and whistles, as well as the use of dogs and falcons. Our biologists are studying the shortand long-term effects of these abatement practices on gull numbers at the landfills and subsequently on how this may affect gull movement and breeding success in the South Bay. Volunteers are needed to enter data collected from this project including count survey data, flyover and behavior data. Commitment: Once per week Database used: Access. (Previous experience with this database is not required.) For more information about this volunteer opportunity, please contact Carley Schacter, Colonial Waterbird Program Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] or 408-946-6548 x 15. ****************************************************************************** SNOWY PLOVER RECOVERY SURVEYOR Season: Spring and Summer or Year-round Orientation/Training Date Range: February/March 2009 (We are recruiting volunteers now!) Time Commitment: Surveys occur once a month, preferably on a high tide. Volunteers choose their own survey dates within a three-day window (usually a Friday-Sunday or SaturdayMonday). Survey duration depends on the site, but plan for about a half-day. Due to bright sun and afternoon winds, surveys are generally best done in the early morning hours. Needed? February 2009 Description: The primary objective of this program is to monitor distribution, abundance and nesting success of the local Western Snowy Plover and impacts to this species from avian and mammalian predators. Data from the monthly surveys, as well as two annual "window surveys," becomes part of a Pacific Coast Region-wide population database. Volunteers can continue to survey plovers over the winter months to obtain information on numbers of wintering and migrating plovers. 3 Experience Required: A one-day training is required for everyone who is going to be surveying for plovers during the breeding season. This includes a presentation by the Fish and Wildlife Service biologist as well as a field trip to see plovers in their habitat. Other Qualifications: Previous experience identifying plovers (such as during normal birding days) is preferred but not required; Ability to drive on dirt roads and possibly walk on uneven surfaces required, depending on the site; Ability to look through a spotting scope for extended periods of time required! Please contact the Waterbird Program Supervisor to learn more about this volunteer opportunity. Caitlin Robinson at [email protected], 408-946-6548 x13. COLONIAL WATERBIRD MONITOR Season: Spring and Summer Orientation/Training Date Range: February – March 2009 (We are recruiting volunteers now!) Time Commitment: Surveys occur once a month for 8 months (twice per month during May). Volunteers choose their own survey dates within a three-day window (usually a Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday). How long the survey takes depends on the site, but plan for up to half a day. Due to bright sun and afternoon winds, surveys are generally best done in the early morning hours especially for gull and tern surveys in open areas along the Bay. Description: SFBBO has monitored colonial waterbirds since 1981. Beginning in early March and continuing through early August we track numbers of breeding herons, egrets, terns, gulls and other birds that nest in groups, or "colonies" around the Bay Area. These numbers add to a database that extends more than two decades, allowing us to document population trends. We also monitor the timing of nesting and evidence of disturbance and predation. Experience Required: An orientation given by SFBBO is recommended for everyone who is going to be surveying for the first time. In addition, a field trip to the site can often be arranged with an SFBBO biologist or a volunteer with previous experience at the site. Other Qualifications: Previous experience identifying the given species (such as during normal birding days) is preferred but not required; Ability to drive on dirt roads and possibly walk on uneven surfaces required, depending on the site; Ability to look through a spotting scope for extended periods of time required! Please contact the Colonial Waterbird Volunteer Coordinator, Carley Schacter for more information about this volunteer opportunity at [email protected] or 408-946-6548 x 15 ****************************************************************************** 4