Friends of the River Banks
  • Home
  • Calendar
  • Priorities
  • About Us
  • What's Out There?
  • Important Issues
  • FORB Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Wildlife Species at SLP
  • Insects at Sutter's Landing Park
  • Education Materials
  • iNaturalist Observations
  • Walk on the Wildlife@

FORB Receives Award During Creek Week Kick-off!

4/21/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
A large group gathered under beautiful sunny skies at Sutter's Landing Park today to kick-off Creek Week's, "Splash Off 2017". Many representatives from local governments and organizations were present and acknowledged for their support of this important annual event. Alta Tura, President of the Sacramento Area Creeks Council welcomed the group and introduced keynote speaker Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. Area City Councilmember Jeff Harris also attended the event. Kevin acknowledged the irony that Sacramento's former landfill now plays such an important role as a jewel of a park adjacent to the American River. He also reviewed ongoing work to improve the Parkway and Sutter's Landing Park including at the state level with new bond funding in the works for the Lower American River Parkway Conservancy formed under his lead with the help of many others.

​This year the Sacramento Area Creeks Council honored Friends of the River Banks for their ongoing work to promote, protect and restore Sutter's Landing Park and the surrounding lower American River Parkway. A beautiful glass award and check were given to FORB to help the groups ongoing efforts. Robert Sewell spoke for FORB and told the story of how a group of midtown neighbors came together over 11 years ago to introduce the public to nature here at Sacramento's gateway to the American River Parkway. FORB continues to hold events on the second Saturday of each month and participates in many other efforts related to Sutter's Landing Park and the Parkway. 

​Come out to help with Creek Week activities, other ongoing cleanup efforts and to appreciate another spring at Sutter's Landing Park. FORB's scheduled event "Bugs" will be held in May.

Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Non-toxic Alternatives to Rodenticides

4/17/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
With all the rains this year, it will be a big year for rats and mice including introduced species that cause problems in urban and agriculture. FORB members have been asked about the risks and alternatives to deal with backyard pest problems from rodents. Here's some recent discussion on this issue.

Unfortunately, it is still too easy to buy toxic baits that can cause much secondary poisoning of wildlife, pets, and even people. Many studies have documented that the anti-coagulants in these baits result in the painful death of native predators including raptors, small and medium sized carnivores and more. Sadly, these are the very species that have evolved to react to increasing rodent populations.

The rain will help increase the population because rodents—and especially roof rats—will have a lot more food in the form of fruit. And the denser vegetation cover (e.g., ivy) will offer refuge. Mice and rats easily adapt to drought, so increased availability of water shouldn’t make much of a difference.

Unfortunately, rodenticide in bait boxes is a convenient way pest management professionals treat rodent infestations in an areawide way. We’d be better off encouraging raptor establishment! It's not too late to take steps to protect our native wildlife from unnecessary poisoning and a painful death.

Fortunately, there are non-toxic alternatives and one of the main things that can be done is to educate people to avoid rodenticides and promote healthy wildlife populations and habitat.

A very reliable web site, Raptors are the Solution includes an alternatives and tips page with very good information. Find some alternatives that best fit your situation and share them with others. Encourage local gardening and other businesses to remove toxic baits in favor of education and other alternatives to more efficiently deal with pest damage.

CDFW  Rodenticides and Wildlife Website



0 Comments

    Author

    various contributors

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Education
    Mushrooms
    Nature
    River
    Swainson
    Wildlife

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.