This Wed 7/15: SF’s Natural Springs & Creeks @ the Exploratorium

[Adrian Cotter]

Hope to see you this Wednesday! 

This will be our first of three summer talks partnering with the Exploratorium Bay Observatory Gallery. Please note the time (a little earlier, and on a Wednesday) and directions. Please also call or email (res...@exploratorium.edu or 415-528-4444 option 5.) ahead to let them know if you are coming (not required but it helps!)

Exploring SF’s Natural Springs & Creeks
Guest Speaker: Joel Pomerantz
7pm Wednesday, July 15th, 2015 (doors after 6pm)
FREE at the Exploratorium Bay Observatory Gallery (see directions at the bottom for details)
reservations: res...@exploratorium.edu or 415-528-4444 option 5.

Which is more likely in San Francisco: wading through a creek or through traffic? Under the right circumstances, either is possible to do. Sometimes, when atmospheric rivers slam the region, we can do both at once, as street gutters fill to capacity. But San Franciscan residents have few if any natural creek experiences. Compare that to the creek-dependent lives of the people that lived here for thousands of years before urban development and you might start to wonder.

Bring your curiosity and wonder for this discussion-oriented presentation by Joel Pomerantz, an independent researcher and publisher of the Seep City water explorations map. He will give tips on reading the landscape in search of water, and tell you where some of our beautiful (if small) springs are.

You can read some of the recent media coverage on wired.com or order a map on his website seepcity.org.

RESERVATIONS AND DIRECTIONS

Reservations can be made at res...@exploratorium.edu or 415-528-4444 option 5.

Please let the Gallery know if you are coming.

The lecture will be at the Exploratorium Bay Observatory Gallery at the back of the museum. The special event entrance is through the gate on the outside of building, past the main entrance (as depicted in the map). Someone should be out front helping guide (the museum itself will not be open). Please visit the Exploratorium website for directions to the museum.

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LECTURE NOTES - JUNE
Marine Mammal Research

http://sfnhs.com/2015/07/13/the-lives-and-deaths-of-california-marine-mammals/

Lauren Rust spoke with us on June 30th at Green Apple Books. She came to talk to us about her work at the Marine Mammal Center, the research they do, and the animals they attempt (and don’t attempt) to rescue.

The Center covers 600 miles of California Coast from Mendocino down to around San Luis Obispo. They care for around 500 animals/year. They might stay up to six months, but usually an animal’s stay is a few weeks to 3 months. 50% are released and 50% end up dying or being euthanized, a few end up in zoos (healthy animals that otherwise can’t be released, for instance if they were blind). They have a big pool for cetacean’s like dolphin’s but usually they serve as triage pass them on to others for longer care.

Their most common animals are California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, and Elephant Seals. Guadalupe and Northern Fur Seals, and Stellar Sea Lions are less common to the Center.

The number of animals they have taken care of over the years has grown since their start in 1975. Their peak year thus far was in 2009 when their new facility coincided with an outbreak. 2015 is close to those numbers and will likely surpass it.

The reason for that is the large numbers of starving young sea lions washing up on California shores. The reason for this influx is water temperature — a patch of warm water known as “the blob” that has been bobbing off the coast of California since 2013 and is now hugging it. The effect of that water has been to inhibit upwelling, which means less phytoplankton, which means less zooplankton, which means less fish, which means… problems for sea lions.

... continued on our website
http://sfnhs.com/2015/07/13/the-lives-and-deaths-of-california-marine-mammals/

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UPCOMING TALKS

Aug 19th – Ian Wren and Brenda Goeden - Sand Harvesting in the Bay (Exploratorium)

Sept 23rd – Bruce Rogers - Bay Area Caves (Exploratorium)

Oct 19th –  Gregory Rosenthal - Kapalakiko: Hawaiian Migrant Workers in 19th-Century San Francisco (daytime talk @ SF Main Public Library)