LAKE COUNTY
Real life Great Horned Owl soap opera
The Feb. 18 monthly Zoom program meeting for the Redbud Audubon Society will feature Karla Bloem, Founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. Bloem will also have a live Great Horned Owl to accentuate her program.
A real-life soap opera has played itself out over the past 15 years between over 25 captive and wild Great Horned Owls that have formed the basis of an in-depth vocal study on the species. Viewers will experience owl dating, divorce, territorial defense, and more as they learn about owl’s wide variety of vocalizations, and what they mean. Ruby the Great Horned Owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.
Karla Bloem acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004. Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa. Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal, and India. Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC Network’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”
For all Redbud Audubon’s Zoom programs, participants are asked to register so the host can send you the link for the meeting. To register for the program, go to www.redbudaudubon.org., click on the current newsletter and use the link in the newsletter to connect to the registration form. After the form is completed and submitted, the meeting host will send you the link to the meeting. “This is a very simple and easy process, so please join us!” Redbud Audubon president, Roberta Lyons, urged.
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LOWER LAKE
AMIA receives grant to partner with State Parks in restoring entrance meadow at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) has received a $9,026 grant from California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) as part of its Wildfire Resiliency and Prevention program. The grant will allow AMIA to partner with the Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) in restoring and rehabilitating the entrance meadow that first greets visitors to Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, which burned in the 2016 Clayton fire.
The project, which will begin with a prescribed burn at the park, focuses on making the park more resilient to the ever-increasing wildfires that are being caused by climate change, as well as educating the public about what can be done to reduce the risk from wildfire, including the planting of native plants.
“The project will help create a defensible space around the park’s historic ranch house and barns through the clearing of non-native species and overgrowth and the replanting of native grasses, shrubs, and trees,” explained Henry Bornstein, AMIA Grant Director. “At the end of the project, the entrance meadow will be restored to a more natural state and a native plant demonstration area will be created where visitors can compare the treated native entrance meadow to the adjacent untreated areas, and learn about the advantages of native plants in the control of wildfires,” added Bornstein.
In describing the joint AMIA/State Parks project, Matt Teague, State Parks Northern Butte District Superintendent stated that “State Parks and AMIA have continued to work together on projects which further enhance visitor experiences at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. This project will provide an excellent opportunity to educate users of the park on the benefits of native habitat as it relates to wildfire intensity and management.”
“AMIA is grateful for the financial support of CSPF that will allow this project to help protect the park’s historic ranch house and barn complex, as well as creating an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of native plants in reducing the risk of wildfire,” stated AMIA President Roberta Lyons.
AMIA is a non-profit association cooperating with State Parks to support promote educational and interpretive activities at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. For information about Anderson Marsh State Historic Park or AMIA, please visit www.andersonmarsh.org or contact AMIA at either info@andersonmarsh.org or 707-995-2658. Information about the California State Parks Foundation can be found at www.calparks.org,
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CALIFORNIA
Free online commercial Cannabis permitting workshop March 4
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division (CalCannabis) and State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) are hosting a free online commercial cannabis cultivation permitting workshop on Thursday, March 4, 2021 from 9 to 11 a.m. Webcast link: https://video.calepa.ca.gov/
The free workshop is ideal for new and existing commercial cannabis cultivators and consultants. Those interested in attending can use the link below to watch the webcast – no registration is required. Closed captions will be provided.
Questions can be submitted in advance of the event by sending an email to askcannabis@wildlife.ca.gov with “Cannabis Webcast” as the subject line. Questions not answered during the webcast will be forwarded to the appropriate agency for a response.
CalCannabis will provide an overview of the state’s cannabis cultivation licensing program and review the requirements for commercial cannabis farming. CDFW will cover permitting, use of the online notification system (EPIMS) and compliance requirements. The State Water Board will review the cannabis policy and permitting process for both the Division of Water Quality and Division of Water Rights. Other regulatory agencies will also present.
For more information about becoming a licensed commercial cannabis farmer and for an overview of the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace/Metrc System, please visit the CalCannabis website at calcannabis.cdfa.ca.gov, call (833) CALGROW (225-4769) or send an email to calcannabis@cdfa.ca.gov. To report suspected illegal cannabis farming or related complaints, call the CalCannabis toll-free hotline: (833) WEED-TIP (933-3847).
To learn more about the State Water Board’s role in cannabis cultivation permitting, please visit waterboards.ca.gov/cannabis. For permitting and compliance assistance, send an email to dwq.cannabis@waterboards.ca.gov or call (916) 341-5580 (Cannabis Cultivation General Order), or send an email to cannabisreg@waterboards.ca.gov or call (916) 319-9427 (cannabis cultivation water rights).
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