Author: Mary Hansen

Recently I was in Anaconda, Montana visiting friends. I love the mountains in Montana and birding there is a treat. An eBird list from Anaconda had shown an American Dipper close to where I was, and considering how difficult it is to see our local Dipper, I decided to look for it. The location was a small city park with a perfect fast moving shallow stream running through it, so I followed the stream for about 0.3 miles without any luck. I came to a larger city park with a small, shallow, concrete aeration pond in it. Who should be poking around in this twenty foot diameter manmade pond but the American Dipper. Absolutely not in the place I would have looked for it; all the lovely habitat seemingly ignored for a bit of concrete and water.

This observation dovetailed perfectly with an article in the magazine of the American Birding Association, August, 2021. The author, Brendan Murtha, talks about how birds view habitat and how we do. First, it is important to acknowledge that loss of habitat has proven to be one of the major reasons for the decline in the number of species and the total number of birds. No one can or should dispute that. But Mr. Murtha has come to the conclusion that it is important to “rewild” our urban/suburban environments. By that, he doesn’t mean physically changing the landscape, but changing how we view it. “In an age of increasing urbanization, finding and sharing the wild in developed habitats will be an essential task of educators and conservationists alike; for every person who loses sight of the wild amid habitat loss, many more never find it in the first place.” For those who may never be privileged to see the beauty of the cloud forest in Ecuador, they must be helped to see the “wild” in those places they can explore. I live in an area with a beautiful lake surrounded by acres of wonderful habitat readily acknowledged as a great place to bird. Does that mean that a budding birder or nascent naturalist living in the middle of Los Angeles surrounded by mostly concrete and asphalt cannot, also, appreciate the wonders of migration because the only place available to look for birds is an empty lot with a few trees and some grass? Certainly not as far as the birds are concerned. A tired migrating warbler will look at that grass and those trees as a perfect place to settle for the day. To help those for whom the wild is that empty lot so sparsely green is to introduce not just more people to birding, but to increase the diversity of those who appreciate the beauty of all the world around them. We have to start somewhere, why not the concrete pond in the middle of a city park? The American Dipper found it to be perfect.

Any baseball fan and movie lover knows that this is a “sorta” quote from “Field of Dreams” (the actual quote is, “If you build it, he will come.”). In this case the “they” are the mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains. In my email inbox the other morning was an exciting message from the National Wildlife Federation announcing “the California Wildlife Conservation Board recently approved a $20 million grant to the wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon.” The proposed land bridge has been a joint project of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Park Service, Caltrans and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains.

When the land bridge is finished it will be the culmination of 20+ years of research, fundraising and development. It will be the world’s largest wildlife crossing and will “reconnect an entire ecosystem that has long been fragmented by the 101 freeway”. Fragmentation has not only adversely impacted the mountain lion with P22 being one of its most tragic high profile stories, but studies have shown that the loss of connectivity has affected smaller animals including birds, toads and even bats. The financial goal for the project is $85 million with approximately $73 million raised to date. It is hoped that this ambitious project will be able to start in January, 2022 and be finished by 2023. The Liberty Canyon land bridge is an example to the world of what can be done when people take up the cause for wildlife. More importantly it recognizes how important the natural world is to the well being of all of us whether we are two legged, four legged, six legged, or…

If you would like to donate visit https://savelacougars.org/giving/

I recently passed the local elementary school which was celebrating the return of the students to the campus. That’s a very exciting thing for these students who have had to learn under more than difficult circumstances these past 18 months. The campus was festive-looking with at least 50 mylar balloons and as many, if not more, latex balloons. As much as I enjoy a good party with lots of decorations, balloons cause me angst. While many people are trying to reduce their use of single-use plastic bags, bottles, utensils and straws, balloons are often overlooked.

One of the things I love to do is take Island Packers out of Ventura on the pelagic trips they run several times a year. In the main cabin is a mesh bag full of the mylar balloons they have picked up while out looking for birds or whale watching; I have been on trips where the captain pulled in a dozen colorful balloons. At least they were retrieved before they could become attractive “food” for the local sea life. There are hundreds of photos of albatross, seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, porpoises and other sea life that have starved to death because their gut was full of this undigestible garbage. Mylar balloons have been seen thousands of feet up in the atmosphere with most coming to rest in the oceans, forgotten by the people that had released them in a feel-good celebratory moment. There is nothing to celebrate about the destructive effect these balloons have on the environment.

Latex balloons are just as bad if not worse. To quote an article on balloon debris, “Unlike Mylar balloons, latex balloons burst in the atmosphere, shredding into small pieces that, when floating on the surface of water, resemble jellyfish or squid. Plastic debris in the ocean can also become coated with algae and other marine microbes that produce a chemical scent, which sea turtles, seabirds, fish and other marine life associate with food. Because they are soft and malleable, latex balloons easily conform to an animal’s stomach cavity or digestive tract and can cause obstruction, starvation and death.

As a result, latex balloons are the deadliest form of marine debris for seabirds. They are 32 times more likely to kill then hard plastics when ingested. Balloons tied with ribbons and strings also rank just behind discarded fishing gear and plastic bags and utensils due to the high risk of entanglement and death that they pose to marine life.”

Contrary to what balloon makers would like us to think, balloons are not biodegradable. If they were made from 100% natural latex they would be, but latex balloons that we buy at the local party store are made from latex processed with dyes, plasticizers and other chemicals making them non biodegradable.

There are alternatives to the release of balloons. Dozens of websites pop up in response to a Google search “Environmentally friendly alternatives to balloons”. I urge you to check them out.
For more info see:

• Odors from marine plastic debris elicit foraging behavior in sea turtles: Current Biology (cell.com)
• Marine plastic debris emits a keystone infochemical for olfactory foraging seabirds (science.org)
• Odours from marine plastic debris induce food search behaviours in a forage fish | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (royalsocietypublishing.org)
• Rubber Jellyfish – proudly supported by the Documentary Australia Foundation (rubberjellyfishmovie.com)

Every day we read about the state of this Planet, our Island Home, and what we are doing to bring Mother Nature to her knees. It’s not easy to stay positive when we learn that three billion birds have been lost since 1970, that climate change is threatening the polar bears of the Arctic regions, and that the humans of these same areas are seeing their lives and livelihoods threatened almost to the point of extinction. So, what can one do as a single individual who cares? In truth, there are hundreds of small acts that collectively can make a difference. Participation is required, however.

There is a website, https://healtheplanet.com/100-ways-to-heal-the-planet, that offers tips to help you get started. As an example, they address noise pollution which they define as unwanted or excessive sound that can have negative effects on human health and environmental quality. It’s as easy as turning off electronics and appliances when not in use. Studies are now showing that noise pollution can be responsible for the delayed nesting of some birds whose songs are at a lower frequency and thus more difficult to hear through low-frequency human noise.

Volunteer for a local organization or cause that aligns with what is important to you. Be the person that volunteers to bring a trash bag on a walk to pick up litter. Your example can be an inspiration to others.

One of the most iconic butterflies from my childhood is the Monarch Butterfly. It’s beautiful pattern of orange, white and black is recognizable to anyone who has spent time out of doors. There may come a time, however, when it will not be so easy to see. The numbers of monarch butterflies has fallen by 90% from its numbers in 1992. The milkweed plant population, indispensable to the monarch, is also down 90%. Milkweed plants are the only source of food for the monarch caterpillar, but these plants are under assault from destruction of habitat through human development and the widespread use of weed killer on the fields where they live. The increased interest in the plight of the monarch as led to an explosion of non-native milkweed that is easier for nurseries to grow and sell. These non-native plants have replaced native milkweed varieties upsetting the local ecosystems.

Monarch butterflies are the only butterflies to make a two-way migratory trip as birds do. Using environmental cues, the monarchs know when it is time to travel south for the winter. Monarchs use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home. There are two primary populations: those from the East coast overwinter in mountainous areas of Mexico in the states of Mexico and Michoacan using the Oyamel fir forests as roosting sites. The monarchs living west of the Rocky Mountains overwinter in California along the Pacific coast near Santa Cruz and San Diego using the eucalyptus, Monterey pines and Monterey cypresses.

Monarch migration is a multi-generational phenomenon that can be explored at https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/. What is important to note is the absolute requirement of the APPROPRIATE variety of milkweed to support these beautiful creatures during their lifecycle. Here in Southern California there are two primary species, the Narrow Leaf Milkweed or Asclepias fascicularis and the California Milkweed or Asclepias californica. These two varieties go dormant in the winter. Information and pictures of these two varieties are available on the website for the California Native Plant Society (cnps).

While milkweed has become a popular plant available at most plant nurseries, these two varieties are not always readily available. Varieties sold at most nurseries are popular because they offer year round color meaning they do not go dormant in the winter. These particular non-dormant varieties can be host to a parasite called  Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE). Monarchs  infected with large number of this parasite will likely not emerge from the chrysalis stage to continue their migration or, if the parasite load is less, will be less likely to migrate successfully.

To learn more about the beautiful monarch butterfly and how you can help as well as information on the appropriate varieties of milkweed visit these websites:

• https://journeynorth.org/monarchs
• https://www.monarchwatch.org/
• https://www.cnps

In December it looked like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) might actually survive the past administration intact. Such was not the case, unfortunately. To quote natlawreview.com: “On 7 January 2021, the Trump administration finalized a new rule that limits the scope of the MBTA. Under the new rule (which President Biden has already directed the Department of the Interior to review), the Fish and Wildlife Service has declared that the MBTA covers only intentional, and not incidental, take of protected birds, memorializing a memorandum that was rejected by a federal court last August. The new rule — if it withstands legal challenges and efforts by the Biden administration and Congress to reverse it — significantly reduces the activities that would result in liability under the Act, and as a result, reduces the risks businesses and developers face.” The result, also, puts birds more at risk even as we must face the fact that three billion birds have been lost since 1970 due in large measure to degradation and loss of habitat, as well as predation by domestic and feral cats. To read more on the consequences of the gutting of the MBTA, I refer you to the National Law Review website. The good news is several states and environmental groups have begun work on legal challenges to the new wording of the MBTA.

In other news, the county of Los Angeles has passed legislation to protect the native toyon and elderberry under the Los Angeles Protected Tree Ordinance (PTO). These plants are not only California natives that are fast growing and drought tolerant, but they are very important as major contributors to erosion control after a fire. It would be exciting to see the county of Ventura pursue the same protection as we face an increase in the cycle of drought and wildfires because of climate change.

In a recent posting from the California Native Plant Society (cnps.org), the wholesale poaching of native California Dudleya has become a multimillion dollar problem. In an effort to stop the poaching, California Assembly member Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) has introduced AB 223. The bill “gives law enforcement officials and district attorneys the tools necessary for prosecution, and enforces penalties that are large enough to deter poachers…and make sit explicitly unlawful to steal and sell Dudleya taken from state, local or private lands, and establishes strong penalties for violations.” As noted in the CNPS article, more than half of California’s species of the Dudleya are ranked as rare. Please consider writing to your local state Assembly members in support of AB 223. These include: Steve Bennet (D) for the 37th district, and Jacqui Irwin (D), for the 44th district.

I’m sitting at my computer on the last day of a year that defies description. I will be glad to see it end. Good things have happened this year, though; it just seems harder to remember them sometimes.

In 2020 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA passed in 1919) was in jeopardy as the federal government proposed changes that would effectively gut this 100+ year old law. In response the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other environmental groups as well as thousands of individuals vigorously opposed the changes, putting their opposition into words and public comment. In August, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni issued a ruling striking down the governments opinion that the MBTA did not prohibit “incidental take,” a term for the unintentional but foreseeable and avoidable injury or killing of birds, often through industrial activity. In practical terms, British Petroleum would no doubt not have had to pay for the catastrophe to birds and wild life from the Deep-water Horizon explosion.

This past spring, in our own backyard, the Los Padres Forest from highway 33 to Reyes Peak has been threatened with an extensive logging plan. In information released by the Los Padres Forest Watch “The Forest Service announced plans to selectively log old-growth forest and clear chaparral across 755 acres deep in the Ventura County backcountry. The agency quietly released the proposal in late May amid a pandemic, economic crisis, and period of civil unrest, offering the public a single 30-day period to submit comments. Officials indicated that they hope to use a loophole to approve the project without an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.” The federal government was surprised by the large number of people who took the time to comment on this project and actually extended the public comment period by several months. While this project is still in the works, it is hoped that the incoming administration will actively work to roll back the legal loopholes that threaten an area of such importance as the Los Padres Forest.

As individuals we can and do make a difference. As part of your New Years resolutions this year read the local and national news, write to your congressmen, communicate with your local representatives of governmental agencies, maintain an active watch over what is important to you. It is never enough to say someone else will take care of it.