Global Big Day & Oso Flaco Update🐦

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Wester-Tanager

Global Big Day is May 9th!

Global Big Day is an annual celebration of birds.  You can even participate from the safety of your own home! Just look out your window or in your yard, and report what you see and hear to eBird. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes in your backyard counts. 

The goal is to reach 100,000 checklists in just 24 hours – can we do it??

Learn more about Global Big Day here.

Photo: Western Tanager, Credit: Charles A. Cagara / www.MagicalLightPhotography.com

A Feathered Flurry of News

Birds, birdwatching, Santa Barbara Audubon, and Eyes in the Sky have been in the local news lately! In case you didn’t see the articles, below are links to them.

 Many thanks to these local writers and publications!

April 15 – Independent, Tyler Hayden: “Backyard Birding Really Helps Being Stuck at Home”
April 23 – Independent, Letter to the Editor by Katherine Emery:  “Happy Birding”
April 29 – S.B. News Press, Marilyn McMahon: “Eyes in the Sky and Birds on the Fist for Audubon Volunteer”
May 1 – Noozhawk, Brooke Holland: “Forced to Wing It, Museums and Programs Keep Animals Well Cared For During Pandemic”

Five Years in the Making...

A draft Restoration Plan for the Refugio Oil Spill!

Next Wednesday, May 13th, the Natural Resource Trustees, a group of seven agencies and the University of California, will host an open house at two time slots to outline the draft Refugio Beach Oil Spill Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and then open it up to a question and answer session with attendees. During this open house, and until June 8, you can submit written comments on the plan (available here).

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 
1:00-3:00PM and 6:00-8:00PM
Registration is required. Go here to register.

Oso Flaco Update!

Least-Tern

The Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area (OFLNA) is a birding hotspot within the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) in San Luis Obispo County.

OFLNA continues to be threatened by the State Park’s proposed Public Works Plan (PWP) for the ODSVRA.  Morro Coast Audubon Society (MCAS), the lead Audubon chapter addressing this serious issue, submitted the attached letter to the State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, opposing the following:

  • Camping and support facilities
  • New 40 acre OHV Trail
  • Widening of Oso Flaco Road
  • New southern entry point and OHV staging area at, or near, Oso Flaco Lake

The draft Environmental impact Report and Habitat Conservation Plan can be accessed here.

The public comment period on the Ocean Dunes Habitat Conservation Plan has been extended.  Verbal comments will be taken Wednesday, May 13, 2020, via a Zoom meeting starting at 5:00PM.

If you wish to provide verbal comments at this meeting, you must register in accordance with these instructions.

You can ask questions prior to the meeting and have them addressed during the meeting by sending them to:  email hidden; JavaScript is required

Written comment on the Draft EIR may be provided via email to: email hidden; JavaScript is required.  Comments must be provided as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00PM June 1, 2020.

Many thanks to Doug Tait, MCAS Conservation Chair, for providing this update. Please contact him at email hidden; JavaScript is required if you have questions or want to know how you can help.  Doug also suggests following the “Friends of Oso Flaco” Facebook page for updates as well.

Watch for your membership renewal, in the mail this month!

Dolores Pollock
President
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
email hidden; JavaScript is required
santabarbaraaudubon.org/