This newsletter is posted at http://naturenewssf.blogspot.com/ the same day it is emailed to recipients
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. -Albert Schweitzer
1. WalkSF looking for executive director
2. No Wall on the Waterfront mobilization Saturday at noon
3. Stop further Muni service cuts
4. Egret walk at Audubon Canyon Ranch June 15
5. Audubon June field trips
6. The Kingfisher, Mary Oliver
7. Dragonflies in the Mission: where do they come from?
8. Feedback
9. Important questions for immigration reform
10. Boy Scouts expel Kim Kuska/Kirk Lumpkin writes about it
11. Science Saturdays at Mountain Lake
12. CommunityGrows offers Western Addition kids something to do in summer
13. Green Connections design update for Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
14. Forest Service forest plan revision process at Sierra Club June 3
15. SciAm: why internet sucks you in like black hole/trip down alimentary canal
1. Job Announcement for Walk SF Executive Director
Full-time, Permanent Position Starts August 2013
Walk SF is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization to the next phase of its growth, championing safer streets and more walkable, livable neighborhoods throughout the city.
Please share this job description with candidates who have a track record of successful advocacy, fundraising, and leadership.
The position starts in mid-August; applications are being reviewed as they are received.
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2. No Wall on the Waterfront
Please Read & Share. There is a powerful Op-Ed piece about the fraudulent "8 Washington Street Special Use District Petition" in today's San Francisco Examiner. Professor Allan Jacobs, the former Director of the San Francisco Planning Department, took the time to analyze the 13,000 word petition to see whether the purported "parks, affordable housing, and open waterfront" are really in there. Instead, he finds that the measure is poor ballot-box planning policy that would block the waterfront by raising waterfront height limits, reduce open space and recreation, and create exactly zero units of affordable housing on the site. You can read Professor Jacobs' op-ed by clicking here.
Join Supervisor David Chiu for a Campaign Mobilization This Saturday at 12 noon. The petition for the 8 Washington counter-initiative is on the streets right now and we need your help to let voters know exactly what is hidden inside the petition they are being asked to sign. Please join Supervisor David Chiu and the No Wall on the Waterfront Campaign this Saturday, June 1st at 12:00 noon at 15 Columbus Avenue for a Volunteer Training & Campaign Mobilization. After the brief training, if you can volunteer for a few hours we will give you campaign literature and send you to key locations around the city where voters are being asked to sign the fraudulent 8 Washington petition. Voters can make up their own minds whether to sign, but they deserve to know the facts.
Hope to see you this Saturday, June 1st at 12:00 noon at the No Wall on the Waterfront office at 15 Columbus Avenue.
Campaign Office
15 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA
(415) 894-7008 campaign phone
www.NoWallOnTheWaterfront.com
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3. Speak at public hearings---to stop further Muni service cuts.
The Central Subway is overbudget---only 4% contingency remaining ($65 million).
EASIEST SOLUTION IS TO REDUCE COSTS:
Delete the unnecessary 2,000 foot tunnels from Chinatown to Washington Square, saving $70 million. Extract, dismantle or bury tunnel boring machines in Chinatown.
Delete the unnecessary Pagoda Theater Project, saving $9 million or more.
Regards, Howard Wong, www.SaveMuni.com
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4.
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
SCHEDULE OF 5 UPCOMING HEARINGS: See the web site for Hearings on May 29, May 30, June 4, June 11, June 25. Also, see Videos of Speakers at recent hearings and Speaking Points. .
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association Present -
"Elegant Egret Walk" June 15
Stroll through the heronries of Audubon Canyon Ranch with a Farallones marine sanctuary and Audubon naturalist to experience one of the most significant rookeries on the West Coast for these long-legged, plumed beauties. Witness their courtship rituals and learn about their natural history. Find out how Bolinas Lagoon - part of Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary - sustains them and other wildlife. It's a B&B for the big birds!
Optional: afterwards, help remove non-native plants from Kent Island!
$15/person; space is limited.
Contact: Erica Warren, ewarren@farallones.org, 415/ 561-6622 x232
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5. There are lots of June field trips with Golden Gate Audubon Society. Plenty of local trips plus others all over the state:
http://www.goldengateaudubon.org
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6.
The Kingfisher
The kingfisher rises out of the black wave
like a blue flower, in his beak
he carries a silver leaf. I think this is
the prettiest world -- so long as you don't mind
a little dying, how could there be a day in your whole life
that doesn't have its splash of happiness?
There are more fish than there are leaves
on a thousand trees, and anyway the kingfisher
wasn't born to think about it, or anything else.
When the wave snaps shut over his blue head, the water
remains water--hunger is the only story
he has ever heard in his life that he could believe.
I don't say he's right. Neither
do I say he's wrong. Religiously he swallows the silver leaf
with its broken red river, and with a rough and easy cry
I couldn't rouse out of my thoughtful body
if my life depended on it, he swings back
over the bright sea to do the same thing, to do it
(as I long to do something, anything) perfectly.
~ Mary Oliver ~
(House of Light)
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7. On May 29, 2013, at 3:01 AM, Gregory Dicum wrote:
hi jake!
a question that you or someone you know might be able to answer: we've been watching big, beautiful dragonflies visit our small but lush garden here in the Mission, hopefully snatching our overabundance of flies.
but we're stumped about where they are spending their nymph-hood. As far as I know there are no ponds anywhere near here (mission & 21st).
any ideas?
No, but I’ll post your question; you’re almost certain to get advice, probably good.
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8. Feedback
Dan Liberthson:
Just back from Peru and Ecuador, I can attest to the many savory varieties of potato, but was quite taken aback by the national habit of eating rice in addition to potatoes at each meal. I'm amazed the good citizens are not starched stiff!
And how about the glycemic index mentioned in this LTE?
Sir: You praise the potato, but forget its myriad detriments. The potato may be a cheap source of calories, but its high glycemic index and its lucklustre nutrients (which are lessened by cooking) makes it an unhealthy food for today's ever-fattening population.
On May 29, 2013, at 10:03 AM, Craig Dawson wrote:
One of the most lackluster native plants I found on Sutro over many years has been the soaproot. Five years ago I brought home a soaproot bulb after a trail work day where it had been dug up. It has recently begun to reward me with a display of flowers that appear in the late afternoon and remain open throughout the night. I have never witnessed this display before on Mount Sutro because I am normally off the mountain by dusk. There is something very special about plants designed to attract creatures of the night.
Yes, indeed, Craig. They are designed to attract moths to pollinate them, and moths are an important part of a functioning ecosystem. Just to select one consideration: bats fly almost entirely at night, and they need food. (Don’t care about bats? Think mosquitos; we’d be buried under ten feet of them if not for bats--which, btw, is yet another group of animals in deep trouble because of human doings.)
Hans Weber:
Jake, I think I have the attribution on the essay on Nostradamus. It was in the Washington Post on 5 Jan 2013.
Steve Lawrence:
Jake,
In Nature News 5/27, Mr. Kallis makes the good point that a no growth economy should be considered acceptable if inequality is low and living standards are adequate. But is Japan's situation sustainable? I read that half of the government's revenues service its huge national debt, which is more than twice as large as the economy's GDP. The great majority of Japan's debt is owned by Japanese, so at least interest payments go to those likely to spend in Japan's economy. The same is not true of USA's debt. Still, if the economy grows at the rate of population growth, and if debt and inequality are not increasing, why not be happy?
On May 30, 2013, at 8:01 AM, Bert Johnson wrote:
Hi Jake,
I just wanted to let you know that the "People Power" email I sent to you was intended to support a caring relationship between people and our natural environment. When people share a common cause and passion, such as preserving a particular natural area, it is wonderful the way people, plants and animals can come together. This was my intention. If people put into practice rational and caring relationships with their natural environment, they are also apt to be practical and conservative in both their consumption and their ideas on reproductive limitations. Your newsletter is always about people coming together to support these kinds of healthy relationships. My "People Power" message was really and only intended for you, to show you my perspective on how I believe people ought to live and share the planet.
In any case, I am absolutely on the same page that you are. There are just too many people being "produced" in the world today and they are collectively taking a massive toll on our planet with their incessant demands and rate of consumption. People must realize that resources are finite and that we cannot be "entitled" to have as many children and material belongings as we please, regardless of cultural or religious beliefs.
Bert: The only thing I will take exception to is the last paragraph. I used to say things like “they are taking a massive toll” &c. I have changed that to “we are taking a massive toll”. Although my lifestyle is modest by current standards in this country (some might even call it spartan), I am by no means guiltless and have indulgences. I think it healthy for all of us to recognize our role. I’m sure you do, but it doesn’t show in your language.
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9. CAPS TV ads ask if adding 33 million more foreign workers and $6.3 trillion in welfare for illegal aliens is your idea of immigration reform
Senator Marco Rubio’s immigration reform bill is based on the premise that there’s labor shortage in America. But there are still 20 million Americans looking for work, more than one million in his own state.
Rubio says his bill will secure the borders. What he doesn’t say is that securing the borders will only happen if Congress approves funding to do so. That never happened after the 1986 amnesty. Most of the same enforcement provisions in Rubio’s bill were also in the 1986 amnesty bill and were never enacted.
Rubio says there are no giveaways in the bill but the Heritage Foundation estimates it will cost taxpayers more than $6.3 trillion dollars in welfare, social security and entitlements. Rubio also neglects to mention in his ad that his bill will give work permits to 33 million more foreign job seekers in just the next ten years.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has increased the enormous length of the "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill to more than a thousand pages during the markup process.
Californians for Population Stabilization
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10.
Dear Jake,
I thought that your readers might be interested in this recent SF Chronicle article since the California-listed rare plant Dudley’s lousewort (Pedicularis dudleyi) is also found in San Mateo County at Portola State Park:
http://cironline.org/reports/boy-scouts-put-rare-plant-danger-4557
Between 2009-2011, the leadership of Monterey Bay Area Council (now called the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council) actually operated a covert illegal selective logging and milling operation of old-growth Douglas-firs and redwoods at Camp Pico Blanco in Big Sur to acquire funds to try to erase a million dollar debt so they would not lose their BSA charter. This Little Sur watershed contains the southernmost stand of old-growth Douglas-fir and redwood habitat, a designated environmentally sensitive habitat, home to spotted owls, ringtails, the federally threatened steehead, and the California-listed rare plant, Dudley’s lousewort. William Randolph Hearst purchased this land in November 1921 to preserve its abundant growth of virgin trees, and he donated it to the MBAC in July 1948 with the implied understanding that it remain primitive; because of this, MBAC’s first Scout Executive Alfred Young wrote in his 1963 book Men in the Making- “Today, Pico Blanco Scout Reservation stands on this land, set aside to the sole end that it be preserved as a primitive area where the American boy can have the inestimable experience of untouched wilderness and unspoiled natural beauty.” Although Scout Council obtained a County Rebuild Permit to remove 41 “hazardous” trees damaged in the 2008 Basin-complex Fire, the Council leadership also used this permit as a cover to illegally remove dozens of additional healthy old-growth landmark trees (most of which had not even been touched by the 2008 fire) that were not marked for removal or listed on this permit. Several of these trees were cut at the most-important Dudley’s lousewort site, found behind the Camp’s kitchen (in 2011, this site contained 46% of these California-listed rare plants, which only totals 2,233 individuals); the slash and logs from these illegally cut trees were piled on top of 13 of these rare plants, burying them for 8-months; nine of these rare louseworts eventually died. Nearly 500 recent environmental violations have been carefully documented. These acts were so egregious and unscout-like, that the Council leadership decided to cover-up these misdeeds at all cost, sacrificing the Scouting ideals as well the possible continued existence of a rare species in the process. Similar to the Catholic Church sex scandal, this cover-up has now reached the National BSA office and the Chief; the Council Scout Executive largely responsible for these illegal activities was just transferred to Sacramento, where he is now the Director of Field Services for the Golden Empire Council, overseeing several scout camps.
Interestingly, this $1 million debt occurred because of another illegal act committed at Camp Pico Blanco in June 2002 which resulted in killing 30 Federally threatened Steelheads; to avoid a $396,000 fine and prevent this act from going public, the MBAC agreed to install a fish ladder and modify the dam's spillway; this project was reported to cost more than a $1 million:
http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Political-pull-helped-fix-Scouts-dam-problem-3174459.php#page-4
In summary, this Scout Council recently committed 500 environmental violations to acquire funds to repair the debt caused by breaking an earlier environmental violation, just so they could retain their charter in an organization that once stood for integrity and being good environmental stewards.
I am also enclosing a wonderful poem about Dudley’s lousewort, written by the well-known Berkeley poet, Kirk Lumpkin. He has given permission for you to publish this in your newsletter. Thanks Jake.
Warm regards, Kim Kuska
Kim Kuska
1918 W. Thurman Avenue
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-1206
kim2292@att.net
The Dudley’s Lousewort
for Kim Kuska & the Dudley’s Lousewort
Though unfortunately named the
“Dudley’s Lousewort*”
with its population
even more diminished
than its more
dramatically named
relative the
“Indian Warrior,”
is no less
full of life than
any other
species.
And though not officially so
it is in fact
an endangered species,
apparently failing
to adapt
to the changes
our culture has made
to the mixed
Redwood/Douglas Fir forest
of small parts of
the Northern California coast
that are its only
home.
And you might ask,
like the Boy Scout executive
asked my friend,
“What good
is the Dudley’s Lousewort?”
And I might reply,
if not too taken aback,
that the
Dudley’s Lousewort,
though small and subtle
is a lovely thread
in an ecosystem
we are unraveling
everyday
and a golden
opportunity
to learn
how if we can save
this small fellow being
we still might learn
to save ourselves.
"Currently known to be found in only 2 small isolated areas: in and around Portola Redwoods State Park and along the North Fork of the Little Sur River near Big Sur. The Pico Blanco Scout Camp in the Little Sur watershed contains nearly 50% of the total population, which was only 2,233 Dudley's in 2011."
by Kirk Lumpkin
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11. Mountain Lake
SCIENCE SATURDAYS at the LAKE: An Academic Talk and Discussion Series for the Public
First Saturdays of each Month, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, meet at the beach steps Mountain Lake south shore.
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS DURING THE TALK!
This Saturday, the Presidio Trust begins a lively series of talks by scientists studying topics relating to Mountain Lake and its ecological restoration. On the first Saturday of every month, gather at the lake to hear researchers from a variety of disciplines talk on topics ranging from Archaeology to Zooplankton. Here’s a chance to ask the experts your questions about the science being done to save this precious San Francisco natural wonder!
Click Here For Map
Click Here For More Information
This Saturday, June 1st, 2013, 1:00PM – 2:00PM:
“INTRODUCTION TO REINTRODUCTION: The future of wildlife restoration at Mountain Lake”
JONATHAN YOUNG, Presidio Trust and San Francisco State University
Jonathan Young is a Presidio Trust Natural Resources intern and graduate student at San Francisco State University. He currently studies amphibian conservation at SFSU, and has been involved with Presidio native habitat restoration for the last three years.
Once dredging at the lake is complete and the botanical foundations of the Mountain Lake ecosystem are reestablished, several species of wildlife once common at the lake will be reintroduced. Planned reintroductions include native fish, freshwater mussels, aquatic turtles, and several species of amphibians.
Jonathan’s graduate work is focusing on the recent emergent pathogen of amphibians (Chytrid fungus) and its implications for urban amphibian conservation projects. Jonathan’s work informs an emerging field of research that is being called urban ecology.
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12.
www.communitygrows.org
This is the last week of school for most kids in the city. Hooray! But for the kids we serve, all from low-income households, too often summer is a bleak stretch of days without anywhere to go or anything to do.
With your help, CommunityGrows offers a summer solution! We provide free summer programs to underserved children and youth from San Francisco’s Western Addition, the great majority of whom live in public housing developments.
In just a few months, we'll serve more than 200 children in an enriching summer environmental education program help at the Koshland Park Community Learning Garden and at partner agency sites (such as Rosa Parks Elementary School and Hayward Rec Connect) throughout the Western Addition. Instead of sitting in front of a TV, these kids will be outside in one of our community gardens learning how to plant, cultivate and harvest garden vegetables. And they'll learn about the science behind it all! This program truly helps combat the "summer learning loss," which is experienced at a higher rate among minority and low income students.
"going to the garden in the summer makes me feel in a happy way because I get to do fun activities like finding flowers and eating sorrel" -Shaima, 8 years old
Our programs don't end when youth reach high school because we know the teenage years can be especially hard for kids from low-income neighborhoods. That's why our successful and highly-praised BEETS program (Band of Environmentally Educated and Employable Teens) continues with a summer session where we teach job-readiness skills in a supportive, fun and culturally-appropriate environment, even with wilderness adventures and overnight camping.
Won't you consider giving underserved kids a special summer? Our goal is to raise $10,000 and 100% of your donation will underwrite the costs of CommunityGrows summer programs, so please be as generous as you can.
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13. San Francisco Planning Dept - Upcoming Green Connections Events
Join the Green Connections’ project team for two upcoming community events: June 5th in the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill and June 11th in Bayview Hunters Point. We invite you to join us and share your ideas on a design concept for your neighborhood!
For more information about Green Connections, visit our project web page:
http://greenconnections.sfplanning.org
Green Connections Concept Design in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill
Date: Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Time: 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: University of California San Francisco, 3rd Floor Conference Room
654 Minnesota Street, San Francisco, 94107 (map)
Please join the Planning Department for a project update on the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill concept design. The team will present design concepts and next steps for linking the Potrero Hill Recreation Center, with the Dogpatch Commercial District and Warm Water Cove Park.
For more information on the Green Connections Concept Design in the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill Project, contact:
Paul Chasan, 415-575-9063, paul.chasan@sfgov.org
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14. Sierra Club and Forest Service join in forest plan revision process - join them
The Forest Service is embarking on a revision to the forest plans on the Inyo, Sierra and Sequoia national forests. After these plans are revised, they will move northward and revise other forest plans in the Sierra Nevada. A variety of organizations have been working together with Sierra Forest Legacy to identify issues and make recommendations on how best to revise the plans. This coalition developed a strategy National Forest in the Sierra Nevada: A Conservation Strategy (http://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/Resources/Conservation/Biodiversity/SN_Conservation_Strategy%20revised.pdf).
A couple of weeks ago we met with California Native Plant Society and others in Visalia to begin talking about the forest plans and our collective ideas about conservation. If you are interested in learning more about the forest plan revision process, the Sierra Club and Forest Service are co-hosting a meeting in San Francisco on June 3. See flyer below for details.
Join us on June 3 for a presentation about California's national forests and learn how you can help protect these spectacular places.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about these fabulous forests and how you can get involved in efforts to protect and restore them. We'll be joined by speakers from the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and Defenders of Wildlife.
Here are the details:
WHAT: An evening about California’s national forests. Speakers from the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, and Defenders of Wildlife. Refreshments will be provided.
WHEN: Monday, June 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sierra Club, 85 Second St, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA [map]
RSVP: http://action.sierraclub.org/CANFmeeting
Questions: Contact Sarah Matsumoto at sarah.matsumoto@sierraclub.org
As the climate continues to change and temperatures around the nation rise, our national forests are more important than ever. Forests are the lungs of the planet, keeping our air clean and cool, while also providing 47% of our state's water.
National forests are also a huge asset for California’s economy -- providing nearly a million jobs and generating $5.3 billion in state and local tax revenues.1 People from across the world are drawn here to experience wonders like the giant sequoias -- and maybe even catch a glimpse of a big horn sheep, California spotted owl, or Pacific salmon.
But we can only ensure that our forests will be able to continue to provide for our people and wildlife if we take steps now to protect them.
RSVP today -- join us on June 3 to learn about our state's magnificent national forests and what we can do to protect them and the future of California.
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15.
TECHMEDIANETWORK: Why the Internet Sucks You in Like a Black Hole
A lack of structural online boundaries tempts users into spending countless hours on the Web
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=60&ms=NDE2MTMzNDQS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTg5NTc3MjQ4S0&mt=1&rt=0
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MAGAZINE: Mary Roach Takes a Trip Down the Alimentary Canal
Mary Roach's new book, Gulp, explores our inner tubes
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=27&ms=NDE2MTMzNDQS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTg5NTc3MjQ4S0&mt=1&rt=0
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