Shock and Awe, Part II

Last week on the Conservancy’s Silva tract, a Golden Eagle was seen taking a rabbit, not far from several Conservancy field crew. While the Golden Eagle is not one of the NBHCP’s “covered species,” it is pretty rare in this region. It is a very …

Shock and Awe

This morning at the Natomas Farms marsh complex, Dominic Bruno and I saw a long march of river otters cross the all-weather interior service road and into the marsh itself. We were amazed at the size and number of the critters, but the sighting was omi …

Silva Tract Well

When we learned the groundwater well on the Silva tract failed, we only thought the pump motor was old and needed replacing. Since the well provides flushing water for certain of the marsh complexes on the Silva tract, it is not a problem that it is of …

Pesky Varmits

Confounded yet again by beavers plying the water of the Kismat tract. They actually hauled off the 2 x 4 lumber used to back up water in the “double flashboard risers” in what is called Water Control Structure K at the site. Moreover, they destroyed tw …

New Technique Used for GGS Identification

Giant garter snake (GGS) biologist Eric Hansen reported three days ago that in his regular monitoring of GGS on Conservancy preserves, he found a large female in the heart of the Conservancy’s Silva tract. The beauty was found in an area where Eric has …

Preserve Consolidation Initiative and Reasons for it

Conservancy Board member Mike Bradbury recently made an impassioned plea before the Sacramento City Council, urging the largest of buffers between Swainson’s hawk nesting trees and proposed urbanization. He described human intervention and activities a …