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Introduce your child to bird watching and learn how the Christmas Bird Count contributes to conservation at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Coyote Hills Regional Park on January 21, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Go with an experienced birdwatcher and count all the birds you see. We will reconvene at the Don Edwards Refuge to tabulate our data and report our findings.

Recommended for ages 8-16. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Driving to specific birding sites may be necessary. Bring binoculars if you have them, water, and a bag lunch.

Register at http://xmasbirdcount4kids.eventbrite.com.

Meet at the Visitor Center in Fremont at 2 Marshlands Rd, Fremont, CA

Snowy Plover chicks banded at the leg. Credit Sebastian Kennerknecht Photography for San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.

by Karine Tokatlian, Plover Program Director and 'Protect Our Plovers' campaign organizer for San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

In 2017, SFBBO will be going into our 14th year of monitoring Western Snowy Plovers in the San Francisco Bay area. But this year is different: we have no funding for research at their most important breeding site, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve. In the current climate of conservation uncertainty, we are turning to you, the scientific and environmental community, for help to continue our research to save these birds from extinction. Our campaign launches today, December 15, 2016. Visit https://www.generosity.com/animal-pet-fundraising/protect-our-plovers to help us raise $25,000. Even if you are unable to donate, sharing this information with friends and family would be greatly appreciated.

by Ceal Craig

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Friends Group for the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, authorized by Congress to support the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society seeks to nurture in the public a sense of understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuges, their natural and cultural history, and to support the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.

We envision wildlife and its habitat thriving in a healthier San Francisco Bay area as a result of increased citizen stewardship of the environment.

Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, the Society is supported by over 2,000 individual members and by donations and grants from corporations & foundations. The Wildlife Society operates bookstores at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Refuge Visitor Center in Fremont and the Environmental Education Center in Alviso.

Following a meeting of the Board of Directors on October 19, 2016, Renee Fitzsimons is the new Vice President while Debra King is secretary. Two slots on the Board of Directors remain open.

We are looking for more Board of Director members, in particular people with a legal background and business financial experience. Please contact Cecilia (Ceal) Craig at ceal.craig [@] sfbws [dot] com if you want to chat about these opportunities.

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board presented the 2016 Dr. Teng-Chung Wu Award to the City of San José for its innovative pollution prevention activities.

Kerrie Romanow, director of San José’s Environmental Services Department, accepted the award for the City on September 14, 2016 at a ceremony in Oakland, California. “This prestigious award recognizes the strong partnerships that San José has developed to help keep our creeks and Bay clean; we’ll continue to grow our efforts and keep up the momentum by looking for new ways to protect the environment and serve our community ,” Romanow said.

SFBWS Board of Directors President Cecilia (Ceal) Craig at the 2016 WuHoo Awards. Credit San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.