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FORB Hosted 15th Annual New Years Day Celebration at Sutter's Landing Park!

1/3/2020

Reflecting on why nature is important and what we must do to protect and preserve it. Dale

Clear blue skies greeted the many folks that came out to enjoy another FORB New Years Day Celebration. Well over 50 people came, including many return visitors and some first time attendees. Everyone had a very good time enjoying oatmeal cookies, hot cocoa or coffee, wildlife viewing and being out in nature. The group also left the area cleaner than they found it too collecting litter as they walked. We hope to see you there next year and hopefully at one of our upcoming second Saturday events sooner. Photos and captions by Robert unless otherwise noted.

Thanks to all who came and made it a special and memorable start of the year!

A Friend of the River Banks, FORB!
Robert

Thanks to all who made clean up a part of our New Year River Walk!

It was another great turnout from our community and of old and new neighbors reuniting! Some neighbors children were little toddlers crawling in the sand years ago and are now young adults!

What a start to the New Year! JoEllen

A male Common Goldeneye Duck. They can fly up to 40 miles an hour and their wings make a distinctive whistling sound!

Great Blue Heron

Male & female Bufflehead Ducks. The name “Bufflehead” is derived from "buffalo-head," for the male’s odd puffy head shape.

Female Goldeneye Duck

A small flock of Goldeneye ducks

The is a courting display made by the male, they flip their heads back against their backs and (to me) make a croaking sound! :-)

Ducks joined the walk! JoEllen

This old Cottonwood finally gave in to many years of river flow not to mention a lot of rope swinging activity. Dale

Two young adventurers who have enjoyed many FORB NY Day events already! Dale

Turkey Vultures, one is sunning it feathers

A White-tail Kite! In the U S they can only be found in the west, mostly along the coast, in central Ca. and the Gulf coast of Texas.

The end of a sunny New Years 2020 morning at SLP!

Happy group enjoying an early New Years Day at Sutter's Landing Park! Dale

Team Otter Completed Another Annual Wildlife Count At Sutter's Landing Park!

12/19/2019

The report for this hearty group was submitted along with all the other teams up and down the American River Parkway and will be compiled to give an overall look at the health and distribution of birds and other wildlife. This is a great example of citizen science and the data is shared in eBird where it is available to anyone who can study it or use it to plan a future outdoor experience. Thanks Team Otter!

American River Parkway--Sutter's Landing Park
Dec 8, 2019
09:00
Traveling
1.00 miles
90 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Team Otter
Sutter’s Landing Park
9/8/2019
number of team subunits=4
Participants:
Robert Sewell
Asli Mete
Kevin Baker
Jane Taylor
JoEllen Arnold

2 coyote
1 gray squirrel
One 2 ½ foot long salmon swimming slowly upstream.
Sign of beaver feeding precious night at shoreline: stripped branches in the water with tooth marks, drag marks from branches into the water, wood chips in the water
Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.9.6 Build 18

40 Canada Goose
30 Mallard
17 Northern Pintail
10 Bufflehead
40 Common Goldeneye
1 Common Merganser
2 Pied-billed Grebe
50 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
7 Mourning Dove
1 Anna's Hummingbird
2 California Gull
3 gull sp.
1 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Snowy Egret
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
2 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
4 Black Phoebe
7 California Scrub-Jay
30 American Crow
1 Oak Titmouse
5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 Bewick's Wren
26 European Starling
3 Northern Mockingbird
1 House Sparrow
5 House Finch
6 White-crowned Sparrow
7 Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 California Towhee
3 Spotted Towhee
25 Western Meadowlark
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Number of Taxa: 37

FORB Annual "Welcome the Salmon Back" Event by Dale

10/14/2019

A calm early fall day on the lower American River

Just before the start of the event. Note the heavy trampling with soil and root damage...

What if the Salmon Return and No One Greets Them?

FORB held its annual October event at Sutter’s Landing Park on the American River Parkway on Saturday, October 12th. This annual event welcomes the salmon back from their long journey to grow to adults at sea and return home to spawn. It’s one of FORB’s many popular events over the years with ideal weather, cookies, coffee, water, educational materials and games including an environmental education program led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This year there was also a volunteer work party to continue to remove trash, weeds and other invasive plants that continue to increase.

Video clip taken during the scheduled FORB Salmon event

This years event was no different except for one thing. Nobody came for the event. There were likely a number of reasons including key FORB volunteers being away due to family emergency, illness, and busy lives. The volunteers that were able to come (Tom, Molly and Betsy), arrived early for a work party to continue clearing the Sutter’s Landing Park gateway to the American River Parkway which has been neglected allowing invasive weeds to spread as increasing numbers of people visit the area but leave their garbage, dog waste and other trash behind.

The gateway area looks much better now but is missing most of the native plants that were planted there with a grant to establish the gateway. Weeds are an ongoing problem but may be more under control with continuing hard work. Leaks in the irrigation system have been fixed and city Park staff continue to drop off and pickup a trailer for all the weeds and invasive plants being removed. The riverbank was cleaner too with only a single bag of trash and another full of recyclable bottles and cans removed today. That included rusty bottle caps, broken glass, hooks and fishing line, cans, bottles and more. Dog and human waste was avoided where encountered. The edge of riverbank is exposed now due to low flows of warm water which is not as good for salmon and all the dogs and human activities have trampled the bank and lowered the quality of habitat for returning salmon. The bank edge is about a foot lower and trampled mainly by all the off-leash dogs that are usually present. The roots of the remaining riparian trees are exposed by this trampling. There are also many signs of recent fires along the river edge and very little understory growing under the remaining trees. Human and dog activity was very limited today, probably in part due to the presence of CDFW staff and materials for the FORB event.

The river area site was cleaned up and ready as were the CDFW staff who set up an educational table of wildlife specimens, exhibits and information as well as layout a scavenger hunt for the kids who never came. There were no actual event attendees today but people did come by for other reasons and often stopped briefly. On the positive side, there was more time to share information and plan future events while gradually a few families and other visitors stopped by incidentally. There were very good discussions about salmon, the need not to feed wildlife, where animal skins and skulls come from, why it is important to clean-up after visiting nature and more. All volunteers and incidental visitors left with smiles on their faces and maybe a cookie or two. The same was true at the parking lot above where free coffee, water, cookies and information greeting those that wandered by on their way along the Parkway. Seeing volunteers cleaning up the area and answer questions seemed to inspire some pride and friendliness too. What it would be like if there was a kiosk occupied regularly by volunteers with information, suggestions, extra eyes out for illegal activity and maybe some water and a cookie? The lack of a bathroom continues to be a major shortcoming and the port-a-potty over at the dog park is too gross to be used except in an emergency.

Clearly, there is much to think about for future FORB events. There still seems to be great value in these events, even when they aren’t attended because of all the secondary benefits and incidental opportunities to inspire others to appreciate nature. Meanwhile, downstream at Discovery Park, the “AfterShock” heavy metal rock concert likely sold out for its now expanded 3 days along the river. An estimated 90,000 people were expected there this year. 66,000 people sold out last year’s event and paid at least $66/day. How much, if any of that money goes to benefit the Parkway or restore the damage that comes with so many people? Very little it seems and instead of making a huge event pay its true cost, the County is pursuing a grant from the Lower American River Conservancy to restore the picnic area. The Conservancy is supposed to provide funds for Parkway preservation, conservation, acquisition and restoration. Imagine what could be done to protect and appreciate the Parkway if such funds were used to benefit wildlife, habitat, nature/open spaces and encourage appropriate recreation and appreciation there? Something seems at least out of balance and maybe just wrong.

Meanwhile, the salmon as well as all the other wildlife that count on the important habitat in this area did just fine without us...

CDFW staff Chris and Greg were ready with a wide range of information and activities including a scavenger hunt.

Very quiet here today but usually there is much more activity.

Close-up of exposed tree roots and trampled soil

Gateway area with recently fixed leak and mostly native plants remaining after cleanups

Gumplant coming back but unfortunately area is often used as a "bathroom" by public...

FORB's "Dragons & Damsels" September Event Photos

10/11/2019

FORB's September "Dragons and Damsels" event was another amazing day searching for damselflies and dragonflies. Greg Kareofelas, our expert leader, told wonderful stories about these fascinating creatures and we had a cadre of excellent hunters to bring him examples for identification. All the insects were released unharmed after being documented for posterity including several that were somehow incredibly caught by hand!

Thank you, Greg, and all the enthusiastic dragon hunters who came out.

FORB Climate Walk Event & Invasive Plant Work Party Reports and Important FORB/FOSL Update

8/16/2019

Invasive Plant Removal Work Party Sat, Aug 10th & 17th, at Sutter’s Landing Park

Last weekend we held a very successful work party. About a dozen hard-working enthusiastic people pulled star thistle—8 large garbage cans and 2 tarps worth! We’re going to do it again Saturday August 17th…and you’re invited!!

This invasive plant doesn’t belong along our American River Parkway and grows quickly in disturbed areas excluding native species and changing the ecosystem. The regular monthly FORB event on the same day focused on climate change and the river and why habitat restoration is even more important in a changing climate.

Friends of Sutter's Landing Landscape Committee is hosting another Saturday workday this coming Saturday, August 17, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am with cooler temperatures expected. We will meet in the parking lot in front of the Sutter's Landing Skateboard Building, gather our tools, and walk down to the Parkway restoration site we worked on last Saturday, and we made a noticeable dent in the star thistle invasion at this site. The Landscape Committee is inspired and energized to keep on truckin'.

Please bring leather gloves, and tools such as rakes and shovels. A hat and long sleeves make the work more comfortable also. I'll make sure we have lots of water (bring your own container if possible)!

Volunteer Waiver Forms are required and I will have those ready to be filled out and signed. Contact me if you have any questions.

Your Parkway Pal,

Betsy Weiland, Landscape Committee
Friends of Sutter's Landing
flweiland@yahoo.com
(916) 488-3894

Report from Climate Change on the River
by Laurie Litman

Star thistle isn’t the only threat to our river ecosystem. Perhaps the biggest overarching threat to the future of all natural ecosystems—and human life as well—is climate change. On Aug 10 we gathered at the river, enjoying the shade and birdlife, and had a great discussion about the climate crisis and what we can do about it.

Climate change is accelerating. It is a threat multiplier, and is already exacerbating many problems. With higher temperatures there will be less water stored in the snowpack, so more water will come downhill during big storms, increasing the risk of flooding and leaving less water available later in the summer. Precipitation patterns are becoming more unpredictable, with greater chances of long-term drought. Excess heat will affect plants and animals; warmer waters are bad for salmon and other species. Sea level rise will affect the Delta. Public health issues and social inequities will increase.

What can we do to stop climate change? The reason the climate is changing so rapidly is due to the increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. This is a simple physics/chemistry issue: as we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), molecules of CO2 and other gases are released into the atmosphere where they act as a blanket, or greenhouse, trapping heat. The remedy is to stop burning fossil fuels and lower our carbon emissions every way we can.

The good news is: we know what to do about climate change. The bad news: political will is still lacking. It’s up to us to lead our leaders and demand they make the changes necessary for a safe climate future.

Some things you can do:
• Talk with others—there has been a huge effort by the fossil fuel industry to portray climate change as a political issue and so people are reticent to talk about it. Start the conversation and let your friends and family know how concerned you are.
• Cut your own personal emissions. Drive less, fly less, electrify your home, cut your use of plastics, consume less, eat lower on the food chain,…
• Help your place of work, school, church, etc. cut their emissions.
• Let your representatives know that the climate crisis is a top priority to you and that you expect them to step up and take bold action. We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground and rapidly transition to 100% renewable energy.
• Get involved with an organization working on climate issues (350sacramento.org is one place to start).
• Vote for the climate—we must elect leaders who have the courage to step up to the biggest challenge humankind has ever faced.

FORB and FOSL: Update

Friends of the River Banks (FORB) has been leading monthly gatherings at the river for about 14 years. Friends of Sutter’s Landing (FOSL) was formed to advocate for this stretch of the American River. FOSL recently got its 501c3 status and now FORB will become an educational program under FOSL. These changes will open up more possibilities for restoration work, advocacy, and other improvements/protection/stewardship of Sutter’s Landing. This is a great time to get involved. If you would like to be part of the newly empowered FOSL, please contact Sean, sean.ward@dtiinnovations.com.

FORB Sutter's Landing Plant Walk with Brian Collet" by Lyvonne

7/4/2019

This June, we had quite an adventure treasure hunt for plants during our monthly FORBS walk. We saw many native species and learned a lot about the history of many of the plants we see and take for granted every day, like the Manzanita and the Wild Grape both are native and were used by the Indians for food, fires, ropes and basketry. we can’t forget the blue elderberry which are also a native species. Some tribes used elderberry for food and the wood for making bowls the hollow stems where are used as tobacco containers, pipes, clappers and flutes were also made. The plant was also used for medicinal purposes such as for fever reduction and as a blood purifier.

A few other natives we saw and discussed included the Box Elder, Cottonwood and the ValleyOak all used either as food, medicine or to make canoes, bowls and other useful tools. these plants are all native to this area. We learned a lot thanks to our very knowledgeable guide, Brian Collett. Thank you Brian! (Photos by Kathy Kayner!)

Join us on our July second Saturday adventure walk the topic will be bugs! fun for kids of all ages!

"Bat Night" returns!

7/4/2019

A great mix of parents with children along with other very interested adults came out for the very popular FORB evening "Bat Night" that local bat expert JoEllen Arnold once again hosted. The stories, close up observations and searching for wild bats is always very popular and this was no exception. Photos below by Robert Sewell.

More great photos from the event can be seen here: FORB Bat Night 2019

A Wonderful "Welcome the Swainson's hawks" event 4/13/19 by Lyvonne

4/16/2019

Friends of the River Banks (FORB) had a wonderful "Welcome the Swanson's Hawks" event at Sutter's Landing Park on 2nd Saturday this month. Julie Cotton, Asesa Jones, and Bryanna Allen from the Davis Raptor Center brought 2 beautiful captive and unreleasable Swainson's hawks, "Grasshopper" and "Whistler", for us to admire and learn about. Swanson's hawks are back in our area now and they should start nesting soon. We should see babies in about one to one and a half months from now. We learned that Swanson's hawks can migrate as much as 6,000 miles from Alaska to Mexico or Argentina. They have lost much of their breeding grounds to agriculture and we are fortunate in that a 70 mile area around Sacramento is one of 2 areas in Northern California where they come back every year to nest.

We also saw 3 Swanson's hawks circling and vocalizing overhead during our event! These hawks mate for life usually and both parents take care of the young chicks. They have a rapid 6 week growth cycle and then they are ready to fly away until next year.

Thanks to the Davis Raptor Center for making this another great event and all the important work they do. We also want to thank Jude Lamare & Jim Pachl for joining us at this event and for their unending support and work as "Friends of the Swainson's Hawks" to save these raptors and their habitat. Thank you also to "Save the American River Association" (SARA) and the "Sacramento Audubon" chapter for their participation and sponsorship of our event. About 30 people enjoyed a beautiful day and participated in this popular FORB event. Thanks also to Robert for capturing the event in these photos.

FORB found forest therapy at Sutter's Landing Park by Kathy

3/9/2019

*Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest. Shinrin-yoku is a term that means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing." It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.*

Today, we were led into “the Forest” at Sutter’s Landing Park by Molly McBride, a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide and passionate lover of the Sacramento and American Rivers.

After a small trek deeper into the forest, Molly instructed everyone to split into two’s and pick a spot be it near the river or in front of a tree. One person would stand behind and ask the person in front (what do you see and what do you feel as you look deeper into your subject?) Molly and Travis both saw a squirrel traversing an Oak tree eating it’s delicious buds!

Others were amazed with seeing rain drops fall into the river but not on them! And another person noticed the movement of the trees and how that movement was mimicked when she looked into the river.

Our final instruction was for each of us to go off on our own to either sit or stand and contemplate a tree, the river or the grass. A few people went toward the river and were gifted by the sight and sounds of a Sea Lion swimming downstream!

We gathered together to share our sights, sounds and feelings of whatever we were admiring over a cup of hot Chamomile Tea and some treats. A toast was given to all that Sutter’s Landing Park with some of the tea poured onto a flowering plant near the trail.

I believe we all left inspired, joyful, grateful and happier because of this wonderful experience. Thank you so much Molly for introducing us to Shinrin-yoku and for inspiring us to be present with Nature and all that it has to offer us!

Respectfully,

Kathy

FORB went Mushroom hunting on Feb. 9th…rain and shine!

3/9/2019

Ryan always has lots of wisdom to share and draws a crowd like this one from a previous event.

Fungi love the rain and so do we!! No matter what the weather decided to provide, FORB turned out in large numbers again for another great mushroom hunt on Feb 9, at 10 am. Ryan LaPorte took us around Sutter’s Landing in search of fascinating fungi on his birthday no less! Happy birthday Ryan and thanks for sharing your knowledge and passion for native fungi.! Join us in this fun adventure next year (perhaps with proper raingear).

The photos that follow were taken by Robert and clearly tell the story of how much fun and knowledge was shared again on this very special and popular FORB event. Don't miss it next year!