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THIS IS THE BOARD NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT ON NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023, BEGINNING AT 1222.
[Roll Call]
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COMMITTEE CHAIR ECKELS PRESENT, DIRECTOR MECURIO.ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, KKI.
ARE THERE ANY MINUTES TO APPROVE FOR TODAY? THERE ARE NO MINUTES TO APPROVE.
WELL, I'M GOING TO START BY DOING, UH, A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH STILL.
THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN HUAN TERRITORY ON THE UNSEATED LANDS OF THE LON
PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTINUOUSLY LIVED UPON THIS LAND SINCE TIME IN MEMORIAL.
THE LANDS NOW ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, ARE THE ANCESTRAL TERRITORY OF THE OHLONE BAY EWOK AND DELTA YUK.
TODAY'S OHLONE BAY EWOK AND DELTA YUK PEOPLE ARE THRIVING VITAL MEMBERS OF THE GREATER BAY AREA COMMUNITY.
THEY REMAIN INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO THE LAND.
THEY HAVE STEWARDED SINCE TIME IN MEMORIAL.
SO PLEASE JOIN US IN RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THIS LAND AND THEIR ANCESTORS, ELDERS, DESCENDANTS, AND ALL OTHER MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UH, I WILL MENTION THAT TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT, AND WE ARE PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING AND HAVE PROVIDED THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMAIL CALL IN PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR COMMENT LIVE VIA ZOOM TODAY.
ALL INFORMATION REGARDING PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETING CAN BE FOUND ON THE AGENDA ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE@EEBPARKS.ORG.
AFTER EACH PRESENTATION, WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM, AND, UH, WE WILL ALSO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY ITEMS, NOT AT THE AGENDA, ON THE AGENDA SHORTLY.
DO ANY OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEETING PROCEDURES? OKAY.
SO, I DO WANT TO ALSO MENTION THAT WE ARE, UH, CHANGING THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA, UH, SLIGHTLY.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE, THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR, UM, TO THE NUMBER TWO ITEM AND MOVE THE NUMBER TWO ITEM TO THE THIRD ITEM.
SO THE, UH, SECOND AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL NESTING OF BLACK OYSTER CATCHERS, WILL BE MOVED TO THIRD, UM, DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES.
SO, UM, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NOT ON THE AGENDA.
ANY REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, THERE ARE NONE.
[Agenda Items]
OKAY.SO WE CAN BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE CHINESE MINING HISTORY AT BLACK DIAMOND, PRESENTED BY NATURALIST ALOFT AND JESSICA COWER.
MEMBERS OF THE, UH, NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, MY NAME IS KEVIN DAMPER.
I'M THE REGIONAL INTERPRETER AND RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER FOR THE SOUTHEAST UNIT.
UH, IN A MOMENT I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING SUPERVISING NATURALIST PEEL LOFT AND, UH, NATURALIST JESSICA COWER FROM BLACK DIAMOND MINES.
PRIOR TO, TO THEM COMING UP AND PRESENTING, THOUGH, I WANTED TO, TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
BEGINNING IN 2012, THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT MADE A VERY CONCERTED EFFORT TO LEARN THE STORIES THAT HAD BEEN HISTORICALLY AND TRADITIONALLY UNDERTOLD WITHIN OUR PARKLAND UNITS.
THIS STARTED THROUGH THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION WORK THAT WE WERE DOING, LEARNING ABOUT OUR STAFF, LEARNING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES, LEARNING ABOUT OURSELVES.
IT GREW AND, UH, EXPANDED INTO BEING ABLE TO TELL THOSE UNDERTOLD STORIES, WHICH INVOLVES AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK ON THE STAFF OF OUR INTERPRETIVE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS SUCH AS COMMUNITY, UH, EXCUSE ME, SUCH AS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATORS, CULTURAL RESOURCES, AND OUR ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT.
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OF THOSE DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE WORK THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TODAY, UH, WITH THE RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH BEING ABLE TO SHARE THOSE STORIES AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT THOSE INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.SO, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE SUPERVISING NATURALIST PEEL LOFT, AND JESSICA COWER TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE AND IS ONGOING AT BLACK DIAMOND.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
WE ARE GOING TO BRING UP OUR POWERPOINT AND START IN JUST A MOMENT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
MY NAME IS PIA LOFT, AND THIS IS JESSICA COWER.
WE ARE REPRESENTING THE NORTHEAST SECTOR WITHIN THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
TODAY, WE WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION WORK THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING TO MAKE OUR PROGRAMS MORE INCLUSIVE AND RELEVANT TO THE EAST BAY DIVERSE POPULATION.
WE WILL USE OUR RESEARCH INTO THE HOSTILE AND UNFAIR TREATMENT OF BLACK DIAMONDS, CHINESE MINORS, AS A CASE STUDY INTO FINDING UNTOLD OR FORGOTTEN HISTORIES, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE STORIES THAT WE NEED TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR PROGRAMS TO BEST SERVE EAST BAY RESIDENTS.
NOW, BEFORE WE DIVE IN, I WILL GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE NORTHEAST SECTOR, AND THEN JESSICA WILL DISCUSS HOW WE'VE BEEN CHANGING THE PROGRAMS AROUND BLACK DIAMOND'S HISTORY.
TO GIVE A MORE COMPLETE NARRATIVE, THE NORTHEAST SECTOR IS LOCATED IN EASTERN CONTRA COSTA AND IS REPRESENTED BY THIS YELLOW OVAL, UM, THAT YOU SEE ON THIS MAP.
AND SO OUR SECTOR RANGES FROM BAY POINT TO MARTINEZ SHORELINE, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CASTLE ROCKS WITH BLACK DIAMOND MINES.
OUR OFFICES IN THE MIDDLE WITH THURGOOD MARSHALL AND CLAYTON RANCH.
AND YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THIS OVAL IS ENCROACHING ON THE DELTA AND DELVAL SECTORS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHARGE OF INTERPRETING THE STORIES OUT OF THOSE PARKS UNTIL BOTH SECTORS ARE ABLE TO GROW THEIR TEAMS. THIS LAND IS ALSO ON BAY OC LAND WHO HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND WHO ARE VERY MUCH STILL HERE TODAY.
AS FOR OUR WORK, UM, THE INTERPRETIVE AND RECREATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S MISSION IS TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S MISSION AND VISION, AND WE DO THAT BY INSPIRING EAST BAY RESIDENTS TO ENJOY AND VALUE THEIR REGIONAL PARKS THROUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ARE EDUCATIONAL, UPLIFTING, AND EMPOWERING.
AND GIVEN THAT THE EAST BAY IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE BUILD OUR PROGRAMS AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PRINCIPLES TO BEST SERVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING AWARENESS AROUND MATTERS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
MANY OF THE PARKS WITHIN OUR SECTOR ARE LOCATED ON LAND WITH DEEP-SEATED STORIES OF DISCRIMINATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE INTERPRET COLONIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL, INDIGENOUS, INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.
OUT AT VASCO CAVES, WE INTERPRET THE DESEGREGATION OF THE MILITARY OUT OF THURGOOD MARSHALL REGIONAL PARK, HOME OF THE PORT CHICAGO 50.
AND MOST RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, RECTIFYING THE SINGLE NARRATIVE ABOUT WHITE EUROPEAN MINORS AT BLACK DIAMOND MINES.
AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE AND HIGHLIGHT THE STORIES OF THE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT WERE PRESENT, BUT EXCLUDED, INCLUDING INCLUDING THE CHINESE MINOR EXPERIENCES.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO HAND THE PRESENTATION OVER TO JESSICA, WHO WILL TAKE US ON A DIVE THROUGH OUR RESEARCH AND EXPLAIN HOW WE ARE CHANGING THE BLACK DIAMOND NARRATIVE.
UM, SO I'LL SHARE A BIT ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES IN THE MOUNT DIABLO COALFIELD, AS WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR.
UM, AND IT IS NOT A TERRIBLY PRETTY STORY, UM, AND HOW WE ARE WORKING TO TELL THAT STORY AS PART OF OUR INTERPRETATION AT BLACK DIAMOND.
SO, AS WE HAVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MOUNT DIABLO COALFIELD, UM, IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE 18 HUNDREDS, UM, STARTING AROUND 1850S, UH, PEOPLE IMMIGRATED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO COME WORK IN THE COALFIELDS, UM, AROUND MOUNT DIABLO.
AND AS PEOPLE IMMIGRATED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE WERE LOTS OF FOLKS WHO CAME TO RESIDE IN THE AREAS AROUND WHAT IS NOW BLACK DIAMOND MINES.
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UM, AND IT WAS, IT'S, IT WAS THE POPULATION CENTER OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AT THE TIME, AND STILL AN AREA THAT HOLDS GREAT DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE TODAY.SO WE HAVE PHOTOS AND ARTIFACTS LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, ON THE SLIDE THAT ARE, THEY GIVE US AN IDEA.
THEY, THEY HELP US, UM, UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE AT THE TIME.
UM, YET A LOT OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ARE FROM A NARROW SUBSET OF THE POPULATION THAT ACTUALLY LIVED AND WORKED IN THE MOUNT DIABLO COALFIELD.
MOST OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND HAVE SHARED HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN A VERY WELSH, UM, AND NORTHERN EUROPEAN DOMINANT, UH, NARRATIVE.
AND THIS NARROW HISTORY DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE AT THE TIME, NOR THE DIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA TODAY.
SO, AS WE WORK TO BROADEN, UM, THIS HISTORY, UH, THAT WE ARE TELLING, UM, WE HAVE LEARNED MORE, UM, ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LIVED, THAT LIVED IN THE AREA.
UM, AND SO ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE LIVING IN THE MOUNT ALBA COALFIELD AT THE TIME WERE COMING FROM ALL OVER, UM, AND NOT ORIGINALLY FROM CALIFORNIA, IT WAS THE CHINESE COMMUNITY THAT WAS MOVING TO CALIFORNIA THAT WAS FACING A LOT OF MISTREATMENT, UM, HOSTILITY AND DISCRIMINATION, AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AREA ARE OFTEN STORIES THAT ARE UNTOLD, UM, FORGOTTEN OR NEVER RECORDED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, AS THE NATURALIST OF BLACK DIAMONDS STARTED TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER TO THE HISTORIES OF NON, UH, WHITE EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE AREA, UM, THIS CULMINATED IN A, UH, PROGRAM, A VIRTUAL PROGRAM IN 2021, ABOUT THE CHINESE MINOR EXPERIENCE, UM, AND WORK THAT KIND OF LAUNCHED.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON TODAY, UM, TO DIG INTO SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE TO LEARN MORE.
SO, LIKE MANY OTHERS, UM, THOUSANDS OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AND TO CALIFORNIA AND TO EASTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, UM, DURING THE GOLD RUSH TO MINE FOR GOLD, AS WELL AS MINE FOR COAL IN THE COAL FIELD.
UM, THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN, UH, CONSTRUCTING THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD AS WELL AS RAILROADS LOCALLY AND, UM, LOCAL TO EASTERN CONTRA COSTA, THE DELTA LEVEE SYSTEM.
AND DESPITE A LOT OF THEIR POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS, LIKE I MENTIONED, THEY WERE OFTEN MISTREATED.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO ELEVATE AND HIGHLIGHT THESE STORIES THAT HAVE OFTEN GONE UNTOLD.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THESE STORIES WE'RE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER FROM BITS AND PIECES, FROM CENSUS RECORDS WORKING WITH OUR ARCHIVIST, UM, THE FEW ARTIFACTS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU SEE HERE, THIS CHINESE PICKLE JAR, UM, NEWSPAPER ARTICLES, PULL TOGETHER ALL OF THESE PIECES, UM, TO TRY TO GAIN A MORE HOLISTIC STORY, UH, OF, OF THE AREA.
AND WHAT WE HAVE PIECED TOGETHER IS REALLY A STORY OF EXCLUSION, UM, AND HOSTILITY.
SO YOU SEE HERE JUST TWO OF THE MANY PHOTOS THAT WE HAVE OF THE MOUNT ABLO COALFIELD AND THE TOWNS THERE, LIKE THE TOWN OF SUMMERSVILLE, WHICH IS SITUATED RIGHT WHERE BLACK DIAMOND MINES, UM, HEADQUARTERS IS TODAY.
AND A LOT OF THESE PHOTOS, YOU SEE, A LOT OF THE WHITE WELSH AND NORTHERN EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS WHO SETTLED HERE.
UM, THE CHINESE COMMUNITY WAS PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN AS WELL AS INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
SO THIS IS THE ONE PHOTOGRAPH THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARCHIVES THAT HAS AN INDIVIDUAL PICTURED OF SOMEONE THAT IS OF CHINESE HERITAGE, AND WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUAL ONE STEP FURTHER.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY EXCLUDED THEN, UM, IN ABOUT THE 1870S FROM WORK AND FROM THE MINES THEMSELVES.
SO WE HAVE RECORD THAT THERE WERE CHINESE MINERS.
UM, BUT IN THE 1870S, THE MINERS OF THE BLACK DIAMOND COAL COMPANY ADVOCATED FOR ACTUALLY USING THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK IN THE MINES INSTEAD OF WORKING ALONGSIDE THE CHINESE MINERS.
SO THE BLACK DIAMOND COAL COMPANY STARTED EMPLOYING BOYS AS YOUNG AS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND LET GO OF ALL THE CHINESE MINERS THERE.
SO THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN HELPING ENERGIZE CALIFORNIA WITH THE COAL THAT THEY WERE MINING, UM, THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THAT WAY AND IN THE LOCAL AREA, UM, ANTIOCH, THERE WAS A THRIVING CHINATOWN UNTIL THE 1870S THAT THEN AS HOSTILITY CONTINUED TO GROW, THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF, OF THEIR HOMES WHEN THERE WERE REPORTS THAT A FEW HAD COME BACK, UM, THERE WAS A GROUP THAT GOT TOGETHER AND UNFORTUNATELY BURNED DOWN
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THE ENTIRE CHINATOWN.UM, WHICH ARE, THERE ARE IMPACTS THAT HAVE STILL FELT IN THE AREA TODAY.
AND THIS GREW TO, UM, THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT IN 1882, EXCLUDING ALL OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS FROM THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES, NOT JUST THE LOCAL AREA AROUND EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
HOWEVER, IT WAS DEFINITELY, UM, A EMPHATIC APPROVAL THAT WAS FELT IN SUMMERSVILLE AT THE TIME.
AND UNSURPRISINGLY, THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ALL OF THESE MISTREATMENTS, UM, HAS, HAS CONTINUED.
UM, THIS BILL WAS NOT REPEALED UNTIL 1943.
UM, AND SO WE STILL FEEL THE, THE IMPACTS, UM, ALL OF, OF ALL OF THESE EVENTS, UM, IN THE AREA, THE POPULATION IN THE LOCAL AREA ONLY OF CHINESE COMMUNITIES HAS ONLY REALLY GROWN IN THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS.
SO, MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE HOPING THAT SHARING THESE STORIES TELLS A MORE COMPLETE AND HONEST, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETIMES NOT PRETTY OR HARD TO TELL, UH, HISTORY OF EASTERN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND HELPS US BE MORE INCLUSIVE, WE WANT THE DIVERSE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE COME TO HIKE THE HILLS OF BLACK DIAMOND TO ALL FEEL SEEN AND INCLUDED.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO ELEVATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY AS WE LEARN ABOUT THEM, UM, AND HAVE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERPRETATION TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THESE OFTEN UNTOLD OR FORGOTTEN STORIES.
SO WE HAVE BEEN HOLDING FOR ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH HIKES THAT FOCUS ON THESE STORIES AND THIS PART OF HISTORY, AS WELL AS INCORPORATING THESE PIECES OF HISTORY INTO OUR PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS AROUND THE COAL MINING ERA, UM, AND HOPE TO ALSO INCREASE THE INTERPRETIVE DISPLAYS THAT WE HAVE THAT HIGHLIGHT THIS MISSING PIECE OF HISTORY.
SO THERE IS DEFINITELY MORE RESEARCH TO BE DONE, MORE PIECES TO PULL TOGETHER, UM, MORE TO LEARN AND WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO OUR STORYTELLING.
UM, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THE, THE MORE WE INVEST IN DOING THE RESEARCH, UNCOVERING THESE STORIES, SHARING THE HISTORY, UM, THE BETTER WE CAN SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES AND INSPIRE A FUTURE OF MORE INCLUSION.
SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR HAVING US TO SHARE THIS LITTLE BIT KIND OF SURFACE LEVEL TODAY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, UM, TO SOME OF THE HISTORY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M GONNA SEE IF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, UM, JOHN OR DIRECTOR, THE FIRST THING I WANNA DO IS, IS TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
AND I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH DOING HISTORICAL RESEARCH, AND IT'S THE, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF SUMMARIZED BY ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER, RIGHT? YOU FIND ONE LEAD AND THEN THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER, AND THEN THAT LEADS TO THREE OTHERS.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE GREAT HOPE THAT YOUR FOLKS ARE GONNA BE PULLING THOSE THREADS UNTIL YOU GET TO WHERE YOU, OF COURSE, YOU'RE NEVER REALLY DONE BUT
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE GOT, I, I'M A, UM, I LIKE TO READ ABOUT TRANSPORTATION HISTORY AND, AND EXPERIENCE TRANSPORTATION HISTORY.
SO OF COURSE, I KNEW AS A KID LIVING IN CALIFORNIA THAT THE CHINESE BUILT, YOU KNOW, BUILT THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD.
I MEAN, THEY DID MOST ALMOST ALL THE WORK.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS, LIKE YOU SAY, HAS NEVER BEEN, AND I GREW UP IN THIS, IN, IN, IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
NEVER A WHISPER, NEVER AND NEVER ANYTHING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD BE, I KNOW WE'RE ALL, I'M, I'M SURE WE'RE ALL PROUD THAT, UH, WE'RE FINALLY DIGGING THAT UP AND, AND, UM, KIND OF TRYING TO GET IT.
AND I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU'LL HAVE INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS THERE ON SITE.
SO I, I KNOW THE NEXT TIME I GO HIKING UP THERE, I'M GONNA THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AS I'M GOING UP THOSE TRAILS, I'M LOOKING AROUND GOING, I WONDER WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WERE DOING HERE AND THERE AND, AND EVERYWHERE.
BUT DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE AT ALL OF, OF THE NUMBERS THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO REDUCE IT JUST TO NUMBERS, BUT THAT'S ALL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, UH, THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORKING THERE.
SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM OUR ARCHIVIST
SO IT'S HARD TO PINPOINT LIKE, HOW MANY WERE IN SUMMERSVILLE, HOW MANY WERE IN ANTIOCH, HOW MANY, UM, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THOSE RECORDS, SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY, UM, HOW MANY FOLKS WERE WORKING THE TIME.
THE ISSUES IS ALSO, UM, THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS IN THE CENSUS, UM, DON'T OFTEN SAY MINOR, THEY SAY LABORER.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY WERE IN THE MINES AND JUST WEREN'T CREDITED FOR THEIR WORK OR IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY, UM, DOING
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A DIFFERENT JOB.SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
WELL, YOU KNOW, PART TWO, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, LOVE TO HEAR IT.
YOU JUST ANSWERED, UH, PART OF MY QUESTION.
I THINK I WAS CURIOUS OF WHAT YOU'RE FINDING IN THE CENSUS RECORDS.
YEAH, SO A LOT OF, UM, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN THE CENSUS IS IT IS A LOT OF LABOR.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S NOTED DOMESTIC SERVANT OR, UM, LA YOU KNOW, WORKING IN THE LAUNDRY.
SO THE, THE OCCUPATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GATHER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BUT EVEN THE NAMES, UM, I'VE BEEN LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE NAMES THAT ARE HARD TO TRACE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO LEARNING, YOU KNOW, DIGGING INTO PULLING THOSE THREADS RIGHT, CAN BE CHALLENGING.
UM, AND LIKE PIA SAID, EVEN SOME OF THE LABOR, LIKE WE KNOW THAT THERE WE'RE MINERS WORKING IN THE COAL MINES, BUT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS IN THE CENSUS RECORD OF THAT.
UM, AND SO, AND THEN WE'RE LEARNING, THERE'S, LET'S SEE, WHERE AM I IN, UM, IN THIS SLIDE HERE, DOWN IN THE LOWER RIGHT, UM, THE BITS THAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED, UM, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE, IT'S A MINING BOARDING HOUSE, SO IT SAYS MINOR'S BOARDING HOUSE.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND JUST RECENTLY AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS, UM, THAT THERE WERE TWO, UH, CHINESE MEN WHO WERE WORKING AS COOKS IN THE BOARDING HOUSE.
SO THEY WERE ALL LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH, UM, SOME OF THE MINERS.
SO JUST LITTLE BITS AND PIECES LIKE THAT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF PULL ALL THOSE THREADS TO START TO TELL A MORE COHESIVE STORY WHERE WE CAN.
I, I ALSO JUST, UH, WANTED TO MENTION HOW PROUD I AM OF THE WORK YOU FOLKS ARE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT THAT IN LARGE SWATHS OF THIS COUNTRY, THIS WOULD BE OUTLAWED BY THE STATE BECAUSE WE'RE A PUBLIC AGENCY.
AND, UM, THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, PURSUE UNCOMFORTABLE HISTORY FREELY AND OPENLY AND WANTING TO, UH, IS SOMETHING OF PRIDE TO ME.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THIS WORK IS SO INCREDIBLY, UH, IMPORTANT.
AND I'M ALSO VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT'S, IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HAVE A TRUTHFUL AND ACCURATE COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY, UM, AND NOT JUST THIS SORT OF TINY, TINY PIECE OUT THERE THAT, THAT DOESN'T REFLECT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
UM, AND, AND I, I ALSO APPRECIATE, AND, AND ONE OF YOU SAID THIS, THE, HOW THIS CAN ALSO HELP EVERYBODY FEEL, UM, SEEN AND INCLUDED IN THE PARK'S HISTORY IF, IF THEIR STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED IS, IS ACTUALLY OUT THERE AND INCLUDED.
SO, I APPRECIATE YOU, I KNOW IT'S HARD WORK, AND I APPRECIATE YOU PULLING ON THOSE LITTLE THREAT THREADS AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT DETECTIVE WORK TO, TO FIND OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
UM, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU, YOU HADN'T FOUND ANY, UM, UH, CHINESE IMMIGRANTS LISTED AS MINERS.
UM, AND DID YOU COME ACROSS, UM, WELSH OR OTHER NORTHERN, NORTHERN EUROPEAN PEOPLE LISTED AS MINERS? OH, INTERESTING.
SO THEY ARE LISTED AS MINERS, BUT THE CHINESE ARE JUST LISTED AS LABORERS.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF RECORDS THAT, UM, IT'LL SAY MINOR AND IT'S USUALLY WELSH, SCOTTISH, UM, AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE THEIR, THE MINOR DESIGNATION AND THEIR OCCUPATION.
THANKS, THANKS AGAIN FOR EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
AND JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, WE DO THINK THAT THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER BECAUSE OF THE PROTESTS THAT THE, UH, WHITE EUROPEANS HAD.
UM, AND THEY WENT ON STRIKE YEAH.
I, I THINK THAT'S A, A DEFINITELY A, A FAIR DEDUCTION
BUT, AND I THINK IT'S ATROCIOUS THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BOYS AS YOUNG AS EIGHT WERE WORKING IN THE MINES AND, AND REPLACED THE, THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WHO HAD COME TO DO THAT WORK.
I, I, IF I MIGHT HAVE, OH YEAH.
MM-HMM,
SO I KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED ALL AROUND, WELL, WITHIN, FROM WITHIN THE, THE REGIONAL PRESERVE.
AND, AND I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I, IT'S,
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IT'S, I KNOW YOU CAN, YOU CAN USUALLY TELL IF IT'S RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DISTINCT, RIGHT? THE POTTERY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.IS THERE, ARE THERE PRETTY GOOD, UM, EXAMPLES OF THOSE SORTS OF ARTIFACTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED? THAT'S IT.
SO WHAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED SO FAR THAT WE HAVE IN THE ARCHIVES THAT WE THINK IS PART OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY ARE THESE TWO ON THE RIGHT UP HERE.
SO THE PICKLED THE CHINESE PICKLE JAR THAT YOU SEE KIND OF ON THE RIGHT MIDDLE, AND THEN THE CHINESE COINS THAT ARE ON THAT RIGHT UPPER HAND.
WE'RE GONNA, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE MOVING THE THIRD AGENDA ITEM FORWARD.
SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR, UM, OUR PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND AS WE, AS WE START TALKING ABOUT AGENDA ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR NEXT YEAR, I WANNA JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENT CHAIR NEXT YEAR AND POSSIBLY DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND SO, UM, SO WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'M CERTAIN THEY'RE GONNA WANNA HAVE SOME SAY IN THIS AS WELL, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY TEE UP SOME IDEAS AS THE COMMITTEE DID LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.
THERE'S SO MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES, UM, FOR THIS COMMITTEE THAT IT'S GOOD TO, GOOD TO SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT IT.
I'M THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF ACQUISITION, STEWARDSHIP, AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, IN YOUR PACKET, UH, YOU SEE MULTIPLE SCHEDULES.
YOU'LL SEE, UH, UH, OUR PROPOSED PLAN AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND ALSO, UH, PUT THIS DOWN HERE, UH, PAST THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'VE HAD AND ALSO WHAT THE BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED OR REQUESTED.
SO I DON'T HAVE THAT, I DON'T HAVE HARD COPY OF THAT.
SABRINA, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE ONE.
YEAH, I THINK THEY WERE, THEY WERE SENT OUT.
KEN SENT THEM OUT SEPARATELY FROM THE PACKET.
SO YOU PROBABLY HAVE 'EM IN YOUR EMAIL, BUT SA SABRINA CAN FORWARD.
I, I DO, BUT I MEAN, FOR PURPOSES OF NOW, WELL, YOU, YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT ON YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN, THAT'S FINE FOR ME, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT IN MY PACKET.
SO LAST YEAR I STARTED IN FEBRUARY AND, UH, ASSUME THIS ROLE ON, ON THESE TOPICS AND THE TOPICS THAT WERE ALREADY, UH, LAID OUT.
AND ALSO, I REVIEWED, UH, A LOT OF THE REQUESTS FROM, UH, PRIOR YEAR.
I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, UH, REQUEST NOVEMBER, 2022.
THAT CAME FROM THE BOARD AS A LIST OF, UH, I'M SORRY, KEN, I JUST REALIZED I FORGOT TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY PUBLIC ITEM, UH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE LAST ITEM.
UH, ANY, UH, OF THE, UH, UH, DRAFT PUBLIC, UH, TOPICS THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT THE BOARD, UH, IS INTERESTED IN.
AND, UH, I WENT THROUGH THAT LIST AND WORKED WITH MY STAFF AND TEAM, UH, TO GENERATE WHAT DID WE DO SO FAR OFF THAT LIST? AND ALSO, WHAT CAN WE DO NEXT YEAR? UH, WE HAVE FOUR MEETINGS.
AND USUALLY THESE MEETINGS, YOU CAN PROBABLY HAVE AROUND THREE TO FOUR TOPICS.
UH, GIVEN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE HAVE, UH, AND THE DEPTH OF EACH TOPIC.
SOMETIMES TOPICS CAN TAKE A QUITE A WHILE.
UH, UH, MAYBE A LOT OF DIALOGUE.
UH, SO THAT WOULD LEAVE US ABOUT WHAT, 12 TO 16 TOPICS PER, UH, FOR THE YEAR TO, UH, TO GET THROUGH WITH THE, UH, UH, AT THE COMMITTEE.
THREE OF THE TOPICS, WE HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR.
SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, THREE OF, UH, OF THE TOPICS, THE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS, THE IPM ANNUAL REPORT AND THE FREE ROAMING CAP POLICY.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THAT PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.
SO THOSE ARE THREE TOPICS, THAT'S JUST MANDATORY.
AND WE HAVE THAT SCHEDULED OUT.
[00:30:01]
OH, THIS IS DIFFERENT.AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TOO, BUT THIS IS, OH, HE, HE'S IN, HE'S IN THIS ONE.
OH, IS THIS DIFFERENT? YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
SEE IF I CAN GET THIS MORE VISUAL FOR YOU, IF YOU CAN SEE THAT.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE PROPOSED FOR THE YEAR, UH, TOPICS BASED ON, UH, INPUT FROM THE BOARD, UH, FROM NOVEMBER, 2022.
AND, UH, WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, AND OF COURSE, WHAT WE WANT TO PRESENT GOING FORWARD.
NOW, THESE ARE TENTATIVE PLANNED, UH, AND IT'S FLEXIBLE.
I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH A BLANK SLATE SAYING, TELL US EVERYTHING YOU NEED, UH, AS OPPOSED TO, HERE'S SOME IDEAS AND SOME THOUGHTS MAYBE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UH, AND MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ADD.
BUT ALSO KEEP IN MIND, THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE OFF IF THE TOPICS ARE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE SHIFT AND PIVOT THESE, UH, TOPICS AROUND, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AREN'T ON HERE, WE TRY TO SPREAD THIS OUT ON, ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT, UH, TOPICS FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, TO THE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND, UH, HISTORICAL RESOURCES.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT ON THIS CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR YET, AND WORKING WITH, UH, PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS SOME HISTORICAL RESOURCES.
AND A COUPLE OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE PRESENTED, UH, FROM, FROM THE, THE COMMITTEE, UH, LAST YEAR WERE, UH, ARCHIVES AND HISTORICAL TOPICS, UH, BY BRENDA AND ALSO THE TOUR OF THE ARCHIVES.
UH, I DO UNDERSTAND WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT THAT TOUR OF THE ARCHIVES, MORE OF A BOARD TOUR.
SO WE'RE PULLING THAT FROM THIS COMMITTEE AND JUST DOING THE BOARD TOUR.
SO THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT, UH, IN, IN EACH CATEGORY THAT I SAW, WE WERE, WE DID AS A BOARD TOUR, OR THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO AS A BOARD TOUR, AS A FULL TOUR.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT AS A COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU LOOK AT THESE PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS IS A PROPOSAL.
UH, AGAIN, UH, PEOPLE'S AVAILABILITY.
WE HAVEN'T PUT THE PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER.
WE'RE WORKING ON THE DETAILS OF THAT.
SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE LONGER.
AND WHO KNOWS, SOMETIMES WE MIGHT HAVE TO SHIFT THE TOPIC OUT TO, UH, ANOTHER DATE.
I SEE SABRINA'S PASSING AROUND, PRINTED COPIES OF, OF THE INFORMATION.
I'M GONNA PULL THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE I WANNA SHOW YOU THE ADDITIONAL TOPICS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
THIS PRESENTATION IS A LIST OF ADDITIONAL ITEMS, AND THOSE ARE, I CALL IT THE PARKING LOT ITEMS. THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING COMES OFF THE, THE CALENDAR FOR THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE CAN MOVE IN THERE.
AND, AND, OR IF WE LOOK AT, AND, AND AS I TALK TO THE STAFF AS THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER, IF I SEE THERE'S TIME AVAILABLE, I CAN ADD ANOTHER ITEM FROM THAT PARKING LOT LIST UP, UH, INTO THIS, UH, PRESENTATION INTO OUR LIST.
AND BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY CONCERNS FROM THE BOARD? SO, UM, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE THE GOAL OF HAVING CULTURAL ITEMS ON EVERY MEETING HAS BEEN FULFILLED HERE AS I, AS I, AS I SEE IT.
SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I WAS READY TO
I WAS READY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT
UH, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO, EVEN THOUGH I JUST DID.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL ITEMS, THE FIRST ONE ON THERE, SERPENTINE PRAIRIE UPDATE REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, SO, SO DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR ROSARIO AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR SKYLINE GARDENS.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR BOARD REPORTS AT THE LAST MEETING, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT EAST BAY MUD IS DOING UP ALONG ABOVE FISH RANCH ROAD AND SKYLINE.
UM, NO, CHRISTIE PEAK, WHERE THEY WERE DOING SOME RESTORATION WORK THERE.
AND WE'RE, WE, WE, WE BOTH, UM,
[00:35:02]
RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS A VERY, UM, A VERY EFFECTIVE PROJECT AND VERY SUCCESSFUL.AND, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THAT.
AND SO IT, IT, THIS VERY SIMPLE THING IS, UM, TO JUST FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANY, UM, WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT OUR STAFF CAN LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THOSE LESSONS LEARNED CAN BE APPLIED TO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
'CAUSE IT'S THE SAME, IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF, IT'S THE SAME GOAL TO RESTORE THE, THE, THE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT, BUT, UH, AND IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE I, I, AS SOON AS I GOT THE INVITATION TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE SERPENTINE PRAIRIE.
'CAUSE WHEN I WAS ON THE PAC IS WHEN THAT WAS ALL GOING ON, AND, AND WHEN IT, WHEN IT BEF UM, WHEN IT ACTUALLY WAS, WAS IMPLEMENTED, AND, AND I GOT TO THINKING, WELL, GEE, I WONDER WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH THAT.
SO I WOULD, I'M GLAD IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING.
'CAUSE I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I FOUND CHALLENGING FROM THIS PAST YEAR IS, UH, THAT WE'RE OVERCOMING HERE, UH, ESPECIALLY UNDER, WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP, IS TO EXPOSE, SHOW THE WORK WE'RE DOING, UH, WHAT WE'RE LEARNING AND, AND REALLY JUST, I WOULDN'T CALL IT MARKETING, BUT JUST THIS IS, LOOK AT THE GREAT WORK WE'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THEN LET'S DO THE SHOW.
LET'S, LET'S GET OUT AND, AND GET IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND SHOW, AND ALSO SHOW THE CHALLENGES.
I MEAN, THIS IS NOT ALL JUST BY SITTING HERE AND SAYING, WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S GREAT.
WE GOTTA SHOW, HERE ARE SOME ISSUES.
AND WE'RE BRINGING IT TO THE, THE, TO THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, AND POSSIBLE IDEAS.
MAYBE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT COME LATER TO A BOARD.
UH, I ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL WORKING ON THIS, UH, AGENDA AND I'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, WITH, WITH THE MEMBERS HERE, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT.
WE DID THIS PAST YEAR, WE DID A LOT OF INFORMATIONAL, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME DECISIONS, SOME, SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MOVING SOMETHING FORWARD TO THE BOARD, UH, FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO YEAH, NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING, WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
IT HAS TO BE A MIXTURE OF, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL, WE ALL WANNA FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THREATS THAT, THAT EXIST OUT THERE.
AND WE PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THEM ALREADY, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS A RED FLAG WAVED AROUND.
SO, OR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE DID SOMETHING.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE DRAFTS I HAVE SONO GATHERING OF WAS AT 28.
COULD YOU EXPAND ON WHAT THE SONO GATHERING TOPIC IS ABOUT? NOW, THE NUMBERS ON HERE, THEY'RE JUST LISTED.
THEY'RE NOT, I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS BY PRIORITY, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST LISTED ONE THROUGH 28, SO IT DIDN'T MOVE UP BECAUSE OF PRIORITY.
SO I, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT IT.
UH, WELL, WHAT WE DID WAS REACH OUT TO, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR PARTNERS.
YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT MORE, MORE IN DEPTH, BUT REACHING OUT TO OUR, OUR DIVISIONAL PARTNERS ABOUT, UH, WHAT CAN WE BRING FORWARD? WHAT'S SOME IDEAS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIMEFRAME, UH, TO DO A PRESENTATION.
BUT KEVIN, YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
UH, THE SONO GATHERING WAS ONE OF THE, UH, TOPICS THAT I ADVOCATED TO HAVE COME FORWARD HIGHER ON THE LIST.
IT IS, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE LONGSTANDING SONO SPECIAL EVENT THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN KNOWN AS THE HOOT NANNY.
AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, IT HAS, UH, MORPHED THROUGH OUR, UH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK, AND THE UNDERTOLD STORIES INTO THE SONO HERITAGE FESTIVAL.
UM, AND WE HAVE PILOTED THOSE CHANGES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND IT'S AT A POINT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, EXPAND UPON THAT AND SHARE MORE WITH ALL OF YOU, WHAT WE ARE DOING AS WE GO INTO OUR 90TH YEAR, SOME OF THE SUCCESSES AND SOME OF THE AREAS FOR CONTINUED GROWTH OF THAT, UH, THAT EVENT AND HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE MERGING AND MATCHING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS THAT HAVE A HISTORICAL CONNECTION TO SNO AT THAT ONE, UH, EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE COLLECTIVE HISTORY.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HOOT NANNY IS.
WHAT DOES IT BECOME UNDER THE SCENARIO YOU JUST DESCRIBED? FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS? THE HOOT NANNY FOCUSED PREDOMINANTLY ON THE EARLY, UM, AMERICAN HISTORY, THE AMERICANO PERIOD, UH, OF CALIFORNIA, THE CALIFORNIA PI, CALIFORNIA, AND, UH, AMERICANO HISTORY AT SONO.
THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE, THE CONNECTIONS WITH THE ECMA, UH, AND WITH THE OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THAT ARE, ARE CONNECTED TO SONO ALSO INCLUDES THE SPANISH HERITAGE.
AND WE'VE BEEN BRINGING IN, UH, MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, DIFFERENT MUSICAL GROUPS, DIFFERENT STORYTELLING, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SHARE ALL OF THOSE CULTURES AND HISTORIES AND
[00:40:01]
THE CURRENT DAY CONNECTIONS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH THE PARK.SO WE HAVE HAD, UH, A AWFUL LOT OF PROGRAMMATIC EXPANSION THERE.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT AND SHOW HOW THAT, THAT VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM OF THE HOOT NANNY, WHICH IF YOU GO BACK FAR ENOUGH, STARTED AS A COWBOY POETRY FESTIVAL, UM, HAS MORPHED INTO SOMETHING THAT CELEBRATES ALL OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE A STRONG CONNECTION TO THAT PARK.
LOOK FORWARD TO IT, AT LEAST WATCHING IT.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THIS LIST AND FOR THE, UM, PROPOSED AGENDA PLAN.
I THINK THIS IS, IS VERY HELPFUL AND CERTAINLY A LOT TO COVER.
UM, SO I JUST, SO ON YOUR ADDITIONAL ITEMS LIST, I, UM, AM, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE ACADEMIC CONNECTION AND HISTORY THERE, THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, UM, AS WELL AS THE SHORELINE PREPAREDNESS FOR SEA LEVEL RISE.
I THINK THAT ONE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE, THE FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN.
I KNOW THAT'S, I, I KNOW THAT I DON'T THINK, JUST THINK THAT, BUT RIGHT.
BUT, UM, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE FOR THE FULL BOARD.
I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE FULL BOARD, AND THAT WAY WE COULD ALSO HAVE SOME OF THE, I, I KNOW THIS IS A VERY SORT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY, UH, EFFORT.
SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY, UM, FROM YOUR FOLKS, BUT THEN ALSO HOW THAT'S IMPLEMENTED ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE.
AND, AND OF COURSE, THE, THE PLANNING AND WORK THAT CHIEF TYLEE AND HER TEAM DO AS WELL.
SO THAT, THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE, THE FULL BOARD TO DO OUTSTANDING.
I NOTICED YOU HAD A, A NUMBER OF, UH, ITEMS ON OUR NATIVE PEOPLE UNDER THE CULTURAL RESOURCES ON THE LIST.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OVERLAP THERE, BUT, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UM, SOME COMBINATION OF THOSE TOPICS THAT, THAT WE CAN, I THINK ALL OF US ARE VERY EAGER TO, YOU KNOW, LEARN MORE ABOUT POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS TO, TO LOOK AT, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE INTERPRETIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMMING AND, UM, AND YEAH, AND, AND THE UPDATES ON THE, ON THE CURRICULUM AS WELL, EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM.
SO, UH, ALL OF THAT IS, IS GREAT STUFF.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF IT.
SO
SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, THE, WITH THE, WITH RESPECT TO THE OLE GATHERING, THAT SOUNDS REALLY TERRIFIC.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK, BE SURE WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT'S GONNA BE SCHEDULED FOR, TO INVITE THE FULL BOARD.
'CAUSE I THINK ALL OF US WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO GO, AND IF IT'S A PUBLIC EVENT, THEN I, I WOULDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US TO GO.
'CAUSE THAT SOUNDS, YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD PERSONALLY LOVE TO GO AND I SUSPECT MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO GO AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS IT.
BUT THIS IS VERY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE SORT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S ON DECK POTENTIALLY FOR NEXT YEAR, AND, UM, RIGHT.
I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT ON, IN APRIL AND JULY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF TOPICS IN THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WASN'T ON THE ASK, BUT THE, THE DISTRICT PLAN, AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT'S THE JOURNEY WE'RE GOING ON NEXT YEAR.
WE CAN'T IGNORE IT AS A-N-C-R-C MEETING, UH, TEAM ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, UH, UH, DISTRICT PLAN.
SO WE PUT THAT IN THERE SO WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATIONS.
UH, AND DEPENDING OF COURSE, HOW LONG THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS GO, WE CAN ADD, UH, ADDITIONAL TOPICS UP IN, WITHIN THERE.
'CAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE IT, YEAH, NUMBER THREE, RIGHT? WELL, YOU HAVE IT TWICE.
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS WITHIN THE DISTRICT PLAN.
ONE IS THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, THE OTHER ONE IS THE PRIORITY CONSERVATION AREAS.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE FLEXIBLE AS, AS IDEAS AND, AND AS THE YEAR GOES ON, SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ALL OUR ATTENTION ON, AND WE WILL, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY, UH, BRING THAT FORWARD.
DID YOU, DID EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE PLAN? NO.
ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO MIGHT DAVIS RUNNING A LITTLE BEHIND.
SO, UH, I DUNNO IF YOU WANT TO LIKE, TO TAKE A FEW MINUTE.
[00:45:01]
HE WILL BE ABLE TO GET HERE IN ABOUT, ABOUT 15 MINUTES.IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU GUYS? YEAH.
SO WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND, UM, WE'LL BE BACK AS SOON AS OUR, OUR NEXT PRESENTER ARRIVES.
I UNDER I DO UNDERSTAND HE HAD A CONFLICT AT THE RIGHT.
I'M, UH, DAVID JOHN COOPER, EY CERTIFIED.
I'M DAVE EY, UH, CERTIFIED WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, UH, EAST BAY PARKS.
QUACK, IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WORK FOR THIS AGENCY FOR 35 YEARS AND TOUCH EVERYTHING WILD FROM A FERRY SHRIMP TO A GRAY WHALE.
I'VE JUST COME BACK FROM THE 30 30 WHERE I GOT TO MEET JOHN JARVIS, WHAT AN INSPIRING SPEECH TODAY THAT HE GAVE, AND I HOPE TO EQUAL THAT FOR YOU TODAY.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA START OFF A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TALKING ABOUT, UH, THIS BIRD, THE BLACK OYSTER CATCHER.
UH, IT'S A SPECIAL STATUS BIRD, UH, HOW IT NESTED WITH THREE LISTED SPECIES AT THE HAYWARD REGIONAL SHORELINE THAT INCLUDED THE CALIFORNIA EAST TURN, WESTERN SNOWY PULLOVER AND, UM, BLACK SKIMMER.
I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OYSTER CATCHERS EAT.
THEY REALLY DON'T EAT OYSTERS.
UH, THEY EAT SNAILS AND CLAMS AND MUSSELS.
AND THIS WORK IS REALLY DRIVEN BY, UM, THE RECOVERY PLANS, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE CALIFORNIA EAST TURN AND THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER, AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE AGENCIES, UH, TO HELP BETTER MANAGE THESE RESOURCES.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL GET STARTED.
UH, THIS WORK IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UH, OF, OF SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS.
FIRST ONE ON YOUR, UH, RIGHT IS MR. BEN PEARL, WHO AT THE TIME WHEN WE STARTED THIS STUDY IN 2020, WAS THE PLOVER RETURN BIOLOGIST AT SAN FRANCISCO BAY BIRD OBSERVATORY.
AND HE'S WORKED ON SNOWY PLOVERS FOR NINE YEARS, AND HE'S NOW THE SENIOR ECOLOGIST AT HT HARVEY.
ON YOUR, UH, LEFT IS SUSAN E. RAMOS.
SHE'S ONE OF OUR TALENTED NATURALISTS.
SHE'S WORKED HERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND SHE WAS ACTING WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT IN, UM, 2022.
AND IT WAS KIND OF IRONIC BECAUSE SHE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT MARINE BIOLOGY, AND WE HAD TO IDENTIFY ALL THE THINGS THAT OYSTERS CATCHES READING.
SO IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A DIVINE KIND OF APPOINTMENT, IF YOU WILL.
SO ALL, ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO, UH, CERTAINLY A LARGE PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, UH, THESE LAST THREE AND A HALF DECADES HAS BEEN INVOLVING THE PUBLIC IN OUR WORK.
AND, UH, THIS WORK WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS.
UH, THE ISLAND THAT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, IT WAS REALLY BUILT BY BUCKETS AND SAND, UH, PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.
AND TODAY, THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST, UH, LEASE.
TURN COLONY HAS A HIGHEST DENSITY OF WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY, AND CERTAINLY THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE REGION.
SO MORE THAN 7,000 VOLUNTEERS HAVE HELPED ON THIS PROJECT, UH, SINCE WE STARTED THIS IN 2000 AND, UH, ALMOST 41,000, UH, HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA THANK ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS WORK POSSIBLE.
AND THEN A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN THE PARK DISTRICT IS COLLABORATIVE.
WE HAVE OVER 16 DIFFERENT PARTNERS THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT.
EVERYBODY FROM THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, UH, USD WILDLIFE SERVICES.
I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIST, BUT CERTAINLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYERS IN THIS GAME TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR LEASE TURNS AND WESTERN SNOWY PLOVERS AND BLACK SKIMMERS AND OYSTER CATCHERS, AND CERTAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED IN A, A REALLY, UH, REMARKABLE CONSERVATION EFFORT.
SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BLACK OYSTER CATCHER.
THIS BIRD IS BASICALLY THE SIZE OF A CROW OR RAVEN.
SO I WANNA PUT THAT RIGHT UP FRONT TODAY.
SO IT, IT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT, UH, BEAK, IT'S BASICALLY THE SIZE OF A CROW OR RAVEN.
AND THOSE ARE TRADITIONALLY PREDATORS OF THE BIRDS I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO IT IS A BEAUTIFUL RED BILL, UH, RED BILL, UH, A CHISEL SHAPED BILL TO POP THE MUSCLES OF A, OF A MUSCLE OR CLAM TO CONSUME IT.
AS I SAID IN MY INTRODUCTORY NOTES, THIS IS SPECIAL STATUS BIRD IN OUR, OUR COUNTRY, CANADA AND MEXICO.
REALLY DUE TO THE SMALL GLOBAL POPULATION, THERE'S, UH, BETWEEN 10 AND 12,000, UH, BLACK OYSTER CATCHERS IN THE WORLD.
SO THEY'RE VERY DEPRESSED, UH, BREEDING POPULATION, LONG-LIVED BIRDS, AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY LIMITED TO THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL SO THEY CAN BE DISTURBED.
UM, HUMAN DISTURBANCE, UH, ON, ON A ROCKY COAST,
[00:50:01]
UH, UH, PREDATORS, UH, A WHOLE SO HOST OF PREDATORS FROM NATIVE TO OVER ABUNDANT PREDATORS TO NON-NATIVE AND CERTAINLY OIL SPILLS CAN HAVE A PLAY A BIG ROLE IN, IN THEIR SURVIVAL.LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK.
SO THE BIRD IS UNCOMMON IN ITS RANGE, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, IF WE GO OUT ENJOYING NATURE IN OUR PARKS AND GETTING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, UH, BIRD ENTHUSIASTIC, EXCITED WHEN THEY HEAR THE SOUND OF A, A OYSTER CATCHER, IT'S, AS I SAID, IT'S TYPICALLY ONLY FOUND ON THE ROCKY INNER TIDAL AND, UH, TYPICALLY ON OUR OUTER COAST, AND ONLY FOUND IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA OF THE SIX BIRDS THAT USE THIS TYPE OF HABITAT.
THIS IS THE TRUE BAROMETER OF THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL.
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE OF THOSE SIX THAT ACTUALLY LIVES THERE YEAR ROUND AND BREEDS THERE.
UH, THE BLACK OYSTER CATCHER, I MEAN THE, THE BLACK TURNSTONE, THE RUDY TURNSTONE, THE SURF BIRD, THE WATERING TA, THEY'RE ALL JUST VISITORS HERE FOR THE WINTER AS WELL AS THE SURF BIRD.
SO IT'S, UH, TO SORT OF HAMMER THE POINT HOME.
UM, IT'S COMPLETELY, UH, DEPENDENT ON THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL.
IT IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE WAVE OFF SHORELINES.
AND IT CERTAINLY CAN BE IMPACTED BY HUMANS.
IT CERTAINLY CAN BE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHAINS.
AND SEA LEVEL RISE, AS I SAID, IT, IT FORGES ON, ON SEA MUSSEL AND BAY MUSSEL.
IT DOESN'T EAT OYSTER CATCHERS.
IT USES THAT BILL, UH, TYPICALLY HUNTING THOSE, UH, THOSE MUSSELS OR BIVALVES TO HALVES.
UH, WHEN THE WAVE SPLASHES, THE, THE SHELL OPENS, AND THAT'S WHEN THE OYSTER CATCHER GOES FOR THE, THE GRAB ON THE MUSSEL OR CLAM.
AND THESE, UH, MUSSEL OR CLAMS ARE TYPICALLY 47 MILLIMETERS.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, 25 MILLIMETERS EQUALS ONE INCH.
SO THEY'RE FORGING ON THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF INCHES IN SIZE.
UH, NESTING HABITAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL, UH, BEACHES WITH EXPOSED HEADLANDS.
AND THEY CERTAINLY LIKE A GRADUAL SANDY SLOPE.
AND I WANT TO SORT OF POINT THAT OUT NOW BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TURN COLONY IN A LITTLE BIT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A GRADUAL SANDY SLOPE THAT'S PROVIDING HABITAT FOR THEM TO NEST.
SO NOW WE HAVE FOUR SPECIAL STATUS BIRDS.
UH, I HIGHLIGHTED THIS AND MADE THIS BOLD BECAUSE IN THE LITERATURE AND OTHER OBSERVERS, UH, IT'S BEEN OBSERVED THAT ADULT OYSTER CATCHERS WITH THAT POWERFUL BILL WILL ACTUALLY STRIKE AT YOUNG BABY GOALS THAT COME TOO CLOSE TO THEIR NESTS WITHIN, UH, A FEW FEET.
AND THEY HAVE NESTED WITH ARCTIC TURNS, SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY HIT ARCTIC TURNS.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE GROUNDWORK OF WHY WE WERE STARTING THIS RESEARCH.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA GO ON? AND THEN WE KNOW THAT, THAT FROM THE LITERATURE THAT MEMBERS, UH, PAIR FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'LL RETURN TO THE SAME SITE AND THEY MAY BREED IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OTHER PLAYERS OF THE GAME HERE.
UH, THE CALIFORNIA LEASE TURN, THIS IS OUR SMALLEST TURN IN NORTH AMERICA.
I AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT THE ANGEL TURN.
IT HOVERS IN THE AIR, IT DIES, IT'S CAT FISHES.
IT'S GOT THAT BEAUTIFUL YELLOW BILL.
UH, WE'VE GOT A PICTURE HERE OF A PARENT FEEDING A YOUNG, AND THEY DO THAT VICTORY CHA CH CHACH WHEN THEY FEED THE YOUNG AND TAKE OFF.
SO THIS IS A SPECIAL STATUS BIRD.
IT'S BEEN ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST SINCE 1970.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIRD THAT'S, UH, THE ORIGINAL 20 THAT WERE PART OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, INCLUDING THE PEREGRINE FALCON, UH, BROWN PELICAN BALD EAGLE.
SO 53 YEARS LATER, IT'S STILL ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
UH, IT'S A MIGRATORY BIRD, UH, WINTERS ALL THE WAY DOWN IN SOUTH AMERICA.
AND, UH, BAJA AND THE NORTHERN PART OF ITS RANGE IS OUR PARK DISTRICT OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.
UH, THIS BEAUTIFUL BIRD, UH, IT'S, UH, FOUND AT CROWN BEACH RIGHT NOW IN THE WINTERTIME WITH THAT, UH, CAMOUFLAGE BROWN BACK AND THE DARK BILL AND INCOMPLETE BLACK CIRCLE IS OUR FRIEND, THE WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER.
UH, ANOTHER ICON OF THE, OF, OF OUR, OF OUR BIRDS.
UH, THIS IS A FEDERALLY THREATENED SPECIES, AND IT'S A CALIFORNIA SPECIES SPECIAL CONCERN, WHICH HAS A FULL RECOVERY PLAN WRITTEN FOR IT.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY PARTNERING IN THOSE EFFORTS.
POPULATION IS EXTENDS FROM WASHINGTON ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BAJA CALIFORNIA, AND IT'S A COASTAL BIRD.
AND THIS, I MEAN, I LOVE ALLBIRDS.
UH, THIS ONE IS KIND OF LIKE, UH, POETRY IN MOTION.
IT HAS VERY LONG DARK WINGS, BROAD SLOW FLIGHTS FORAGES IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, LATE EVENING.
IF YOU NOTICE THAT BY COLORED BILL, THE LOWER MANDIBLE, THE LOWER PART OF THE BILL IS MUCH LONGER.
IT DRAGS THAT THROUGH THE WATER LIKE A FISHING LURE, GRABBING FISH.
THIS IS OUR FRIEND, UH, THE BLACK SKIMMER.
IT'S, UH, WE'RE AT THE NORTHERNMOST PART OF ITS RANGE, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.
UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF BLACK SKIMMERS, UH, NESTING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AT OUR LOCATION.
AND LIMITING FACTORS HERE, HABITAT LOSS
[00:55:01]
AND EROSION OF NESTING ISLANDS WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY BREED.SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY.
UH, WE WANT TO SUPPORT, UH, US FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PLANS FOR BOTH THE LEASE TURN AND SNOWY PLOVER BY MONITORING AND MANAGING HABITAT, UH, BREEDING HABITAT FOR THESE BIRDS.
AT HAYWARD, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE STEWARDSHIP ROLE AND WILDLIFE, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE, UH, UNDER UNDERGOING INVESTIGATIONS REALLY TO FACILITATE, TO HELP MOVE THESE, UH, RECOVERY PLANS FORWARD, PUT THE BEST SCIENCE FORWARD TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THE SURVIVAL OF THESE THREE LISTED BIRDS AND H HELP AID IN THEIR RECOVERY.
AND THEN REALLY TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED, UH, WITH THE BLACK OYSTER CATCHER, UH, NEAR THOSE THREE SPECIAL SPA SPECIES.
AND THEN TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN PLANNING, UH, PREPARING TO ASSIST RECOVERY OF THESE BIRDS.
SO OUR LOCATION IS LET ON THE RIGHT HAND PART OF HAYWARD IS STANDS FOR LEASE TURN.
THAT'S WHERE OUR COLONY IS LOCATED.
ALAMEDA, THAT IS WHERE THE FORMER NAVAL AIR BASE IS.
THAT'S THE LARGEST COLONY IN THE RANGE.
AND THESE TWO COLONIES PRETTY MUCH, UH, PROVIDE A LOT OF FLEDGLINGS TO THE STATE NUMBERS THAT ARE AROUND 6,000.
SO IT'S ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE BAY.
UH, WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT TURN TOWN.
OH, UH, WE MANAGE IT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
AND, UH, I MAY HAVE SAID, UH, THIS HAS THE HIGHEST BREEDING DENSITY OF, UH, CALIFORNIA LEASE TURNS ANYWHERE ON THE WEST COAST AT 276.
SO JUST ROUND UP 280 NESTING PAIRS PER HECTARE AT A HECTARE EQUALS 2.5 ACRES.
SO QUITE A REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE SITE.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY THE SITE'S IMPORTANT.
THERE'S OUR FRIEND, THE CALIFORNIA EAST TURN SINCE THE START OF THIS WORK, UH, TURN STARTED NESTING THERE.
IN 2005, WE'VE HAD OVER 1400 LEASE TURN NESTS AND WE'VE PRODUCED 1,435 FLEDGLINGS.
AND WHAT MAKES THAT SIGNIFICANT IS STATEWIDE.
IT TAKES FIVE PAIRS OF LEASE TURNS TO MAKE ONE FLEDGLING.
AND OUR PARK AGENCIES, ONE PAIR IS MAKING ONE FLEDGLING.
SO WE'RE PROVIDING A LOT OF BIRDS TO HELP MOVE THIS SPECIES FOR, UH, FORWARD TO POSSIBLY BE DELISTED, DELISTED, MAYBE IN MY CAREER,
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR FRIEND, UH, WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER, THEY NEST COOPERATIVELY WITH THE LEASE TURNS.
AND THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER TOPIC OF WHY THEY NEST THERE, UH, WITH THE, THE, THE LEASE TURNS.
BUT SINCE 2008, WE'VE HAD 56 NEST, WE'VE HAD SEVEN EIGHT FLEDGLINGS, AND I WAS JUST AT THE RECOVERY MEETING YESTERDAY FOR SNOWY PLOVERS.
AND, UH, IT'S RIGHT AROUND 0.6 FLEDGLINGS PER PA PER MAIL.
SO WE'RE OVER THAT, WE'RE ONE AND A HALF FLEDGLINGS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, A VERY SIGNIFICANT SITE.
AND OF COURSE, THE ELEGANT BLACK SKIMMER, A LOT OF NESTS THERE.
69 NESTS, UH, ALMOST ONE AND A HALF FLEDGLINGS PER PAIR.
SO THE HAYWARD COLONY TURNED TOWN IS PROVIDING A LOT AS FAR AS, UH, HELPING ALL THESE BIRDS MOVE TOWARDS SOMEDAY, UH, MAYBE BEING DELISTED.
OKAY, NOW THE BLACK OYSTER CATCHER, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT MEASURING REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS? WELL, WE LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THE NESTING.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE CALENDAR LIKE? UH, CLUTCH SIZES, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY EGGS ARE THEY LAYING, HATCHING SUCCESSES, ONE EGG HATCHES.
WE GOT 50%, WE HAVE THREE EGGS, WE GOT 33%.
AND WE DO THIS ALL BY A PERMITTED BIOLOGIST.
WALKING THROUGH THE COLONY, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE ADULT THERE, UH, GUARDING, UH, THE CHICK, THE LITTLE CHICK IS THERE RIGHT BELOW THE LEGS.
AND THEN WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE EATING.
AND WHAT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT THESE BIRDS FLY ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE ROCKY RIP WRAP OF THE BAY SHORELINE, WHERE THE BAY TRAIL IS, AND THEY'RE PLUCKING OYSTERS AND CLAMS, AND THEY'RE FAIRING THEM ALL THE WAY BACK AND PROCESSING THEM ON THE TURN ISLAND.
SO LIKE, GO SHOPPING AND THEN COME BACK AND YOU COULD SEE THE BROKEN BIVALVES AROUND THAT FAMILY PICTURE.
THERE YOU GOT, UH, MUSCLES AND, AND CLAMS LAYING THERE, RIGHT WHERE THE PARENT HAD JUST RECENTLY FED THE CHICK.
OKAY, SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESULTS, UH, OF THIS STUDY? WELL, YOU SEE, THIS IS YOUR TYPICAL TEASPOON.
IT'S, AND THE OYSTER CATCHER EGG IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A TEASPOON.
AND THAT TERRACOTTA PIPE IS A LEASE TURN, UH, CHICK SHELTER.
THOSE ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE CHICKS FROM NORTHERN HARRIERS OR GAN FALCONS, OR RED-TAILED HAWKS OR GOLDS OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT TRY TO TAKE THEM.
SO THE OYSTER CATCHERS FIRST SHOWED UP IN 2022, JUNE, JUNE 6TH, THEY LAID TWO EGGS AND ULTIMATELY PRODUCED ONE FLEDGLING.
AND THEN I WANNA SHOW YOU THE MAP.
I REALIZE IT'S SOMEWHAT SMALL HERE.
ALL THE PURPLE OR PINK DOTS ARE LEASED TURNS.
AND THEN THE RED CIRCLE IS WHERE THE OYSTER CATCHERS, UH, WERE NESTING ON THE EAST EDGE OF
[01:00:01]
THE, OF THE ISLAND.I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A POINTER, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE NEST IS.
AND THAT WAS A VERY BROAD, UH, FLAT SLOPE WITH LOTS OF SAND AND OYSTER SHELLS.
AND THROUGH OBSERVATIONS OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, WE SAW NO INCIDENT OF AN OYSTER CATCHER JABBING ITS BILL AT A A BABY TURN, A BABY PLOVER OR SKIMMER CHICK THAT WANDERED TOO CLOSE.
NOW I WANNA SHOW YOU, UH, THE NEST CHRONOLOGY, UH, SEQUENCE.
THE ORANGE, UH, IS THE LEASE TURN NEST, UH, THE BLACK CIRCLE IS THE BLACK SKIMMERS.
THE, THE, THE GREEN TRIANGLE IS THE SNOWY PLOVERS, AND THE PURPLE IS THE OYSTER CATCHER.
AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE IS THAT ALL THE LEASE TURNS STARTED TO SHOW UP.
THE BLACK SKIMMERS SHOWED UP, THE PLOVERS SHOWED UP, AND THEN THE OYSTER CATCHERS SHOWED UP.
SO THE OYSTER CATCHER THIS YEAR SHOWS UP AFTER ALL THESE THREE LISTED BIRDS ARE THERE.
SO IT'S, LET'S JUST HOPE IT WORKS.
IF I TOUCH IT, IT WORKED ON MY COMPUTER UP IN THE OFFICE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN YOU HELP ME OUT HERE? YEAH.
SHOULD, UM, SHOULD, SHOULD BE ABLE JUST TO TOUCH THE ISLAND AND, AND, AND MAKE THE, MAKE HIM SHOW UP.
I MEAN, TECHNOLOGY HAPPENS AND, UH, WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS THAT, UH, LEASE TURNS AND SKIMMERS AND PLOVERS WOULD SHOW UP AND THEN THE OYSTER CATCHERS SHOWED UP.
LET'S GO TO THIS YEAR'S NESTING SEQUENCE THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THEY, THE PAIR RETURNED, THEY DECIDED TO LAY THREE EGGS IN PRETTY MUCH THE SAME EXACT LOCATION, JUST A SLIGHT ALTERATION OF THE WAY THE NEST IS LOCATED.
UH, THEY LAID THREE EGGS AND ULTIMATELY, UH, ALL THREE EGGS HATCH.
BUT THEY ALL ULTIMATELY PRODUCE ONE FLEDGLING.
AND HERE AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE LAST YEAR WE HAD 144 LEASE TURN NEST ON THE ISLAND.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THE SKIMMER, UH, SET UP SHOP RIGHT ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THAT BROAD FLAT.
AND AGAIN, WE SAW NO INCIDENTS OF, UH, TURN PLOVER SKIMMER, UH, BEING DAMAGED BY A EAST TURN.
SO THIS WAS GONNA BE THE SAME THING AS, UH, 2022.
WITH THE EXCEPTION I WAS GONNA SHOW YOU THAT THE SKIMMERS SHOWED UP AND THE OYSTER CATCHER WAS EARLY THERE IN MAY, SET UP SHOP HAD BABIES, AND THEN THE, THE LEASE TURNS SHOWED UP, AND THEN THE PLOVERS SHOWED UP.
SO WE'LL JUST MOVE ALONG LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIET.
SO THERE WAS FIVE FORAGE ITEMS THAT THE OYSTER CATCHER EATS.
AND AS YOU REMEMBER, THEY DON'T EAT OYSTER CA THEY DON'T EAT OYSTERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE JAPANESE LITTLE NECK MADE UP ALMOST 50% OF THE DIET RIB MUSCLES AND CLAMS. AND ONCE AGAIN, THESE BIRDS ARE FLYING OUT, GRABBING THESE FOOD ITEMS AND BRINGING 'EM BACK TO THE NEST SITE.
SO THE ROCKY, UH, RIP WRAP ON OUR SHORELINE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THIS LOWER PICTURE JUST SHOWS YOU, UH, DIFFERENT CLAMS AND, AND MUSCLES THAT WERE OPENED UP BY THE OYSTER CATCHER TO FEED THE YOUNG.
SO HERE WE'VE GOT, UH, UH, A PARENT OYSTER CATCHER AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN.
UH, WE'VE GOT A TEENAGER OYSTER CATCH CATCHER FALLING ALONG UNDERNEATH THE, THE TILE THERE, YOU'VE GOT A, A, A, A BABY OYSTER CATCHER, UH, SIBLING THAT IS STILL AWAI TO HATCH.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE IS THAT THEY ARE CARRYING THESE WHOLE MOLLUS, THESE WHOLE CLAMS, THESE WHOLE, UH, MUSSEL FROM THE SHORELINE, ANYWHERE FROM TH YOU KNOW, 300 YARDS TO 800 YARDS AWAY TO FEED THEIR YOUNG.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE YOUNG THERE.
THIS IS TURN ISLAND, WHERE THE ORANGE.IS.
AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THIS BIRD FLY ALL THE WAY OUT HERE.
HOPE YOU CAN SEE MY FINGER OUT TO THIS ROCKY RIP WRAP TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 300 METERS AWAY TO PULL A CLAM OR OYSTER OFF OF A ROCK.
OR IT'S GONNA FLY ALL THE WAY OVER HERE, ALMOST 800 METERS AWAY, OR 800 YARDS AWAY TO PULL A CLAM OR OYSTER OFF.
SO, UH, DISCUSSION WISE, WE'VE GOT A NICE OYSTER CATCHER HERE.
OYSTER CATCHERS ARE SOMEWHAT COMMON ALONG OUR PACIFIC COAST.
AS I SAID, IN THE WORLD, THERE'S BETWEEN 10 AND 12,000
[01:05:01]
OF 'EM.THEY, THEY'RE LONG LIVED BIRDS.
THEY HAVE A SLOW REPRODUCTIVE RATE.
UH, THERE'S ONLY A FEW LOCATIONS THAT THEY BREED IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
UH, SO OUR SITE IS QUITE, QUITE SIGNIFICANT IN THE PAPER THAT, UH, I BELIEVE IS PART OF YOUR PACKET.
WE GO INTO GREATER DETAIL IN THAT, THAT, UH, WHERE THEY, WHERE WE'VE KNOWN THAT THEY'VE NESTED ELSEWHERE.
UM, THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND CERTAINLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY THAT THEY ARE MOVING INTO THE BAY.
AND THIS COULD BE A RESPONSE TO, TO CLIMATE CHANGE OR SEA LEVEL RISE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, THE EUROPEAN BLACK OYSTER CATCHERS, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR, UH, TO, TO THE OUR BLACK OYSTER CATCHER, ITS YOUNG, WILL RETURN TO THE RELATIVE SAME SPOT, UH, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WHERE THEY WERE RAISED.
AND IT, WE IN OUR PAPER, SUGGESTS THAT THESE BIRDS MAY HAVE COME FROM EDEN LANDING 'CAUSE THERE WAS, UH, SOME BIRDS THERE THAT NESTED, UH, SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR THAT PRODUCED.
WE KNOW THAT BIRDS WILL USE THE SAME SITE AND REP RE UH, CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
AND WE KNOW THAT MUCH OF THEIR FORGING HABITAT IS ON ROCK RIP WRAP THAT'S, UH, SPLASHED BY WAVES.
AND WE MENTIONED HOW THE ADULTS WILL PULL WHOLE MOLLUSKS HULL CLAMS OFF THE SURF ZONE AND FEED THEM, CARRY 'EM TO FEED THEIR YOUNG.
AND AT THIS SITE, OUR BIRDS ARE FEEDING ON A LOT OF, UH, CLAMS, UH, JAPANESE LULAC CLAM, UH, WHICH IS A NON-NATIVE CLAM RIB MUSCLES, AND, AND BEN BENT NOSE CLAM.
SO THE SUMMARY OF THIS WORK, I, I REALLY WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOWER PICTURE.
HERE YOU SEE A HAPPY FAMILY PHOTO, UH, MOM AND DAD AND A TEENAGE OYSTER CATCHER RUNNING AROUND.
AND ON THE VERY LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE A SNOWY WHITE BIRD WITH A BLACK LINE ABOVE ITS FOREHEAD AND ITS WINGS ARE KIND OF STUCK OUT LIKE IT'S BROODING SOMETHING.
SO OUR, OUR SUMMARIES WHY THEY, THEY, THEY'RE KNOWN TO NEST THEIR GOALS AND TURNS, AND THAT IF THEY GET WITHIN NINE FEET OF THEM, UH, THEY, THEY CAN POKE AT 'EM WITH THEIR BILL.
WE DID NOT SEE THAT, UH, HAPPENING, UH, WITH OUR CALIFORNIA LEASE TURNS OR, UH, WESTERN SNOW LEAF PULLOVERS OR BLACK SKIMMERS FOR THAT EFFECT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SNOWY PULLOVER RIGHT THERE.
SO NO INCIDENTS OF THEM, UH, DEPRECATING ANOTHER LISTED SPECIES.
SO IN SUMMARY, UM, THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE USED TO HELP INFORM, UH, THE FEDERAL RECOVERY PLANS, THE STATE RECOVERY PLANS FOR, UH, THE CALIFORNIA EAST TURN, SNOWY PLOVER, AND BLACK SKIMMER.
UH, AS WE LOOK AT THE FUTURE AND AS WE PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE, AND I'VE MENTIONED IN YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE OUR, OUR SCIENTIFIC PAPER ON THIS.
AND AS, AS WE REALLY SORT OF TIE INTO THE 30 30, UH, INITIATIVE AND WHAT THE PARKS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE IN 2030 AND CONSERVING LAND, THE OYSTER CATCHER'S ASKING US A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
YOU, YOU CAN SEE IT'S RIGHT AT THE HIGH TIDE LINE HERE, AND WE'VE GOT THE CITY BY THE BAY.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE REALLY HOLD FOR THE OYSTER CATCHER AND ALL OUR WILDLIFE? AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND, UM, USE THE BEST SCIENCE TO PUT FORWARD TO HELP SOLVE THESE CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE.
UM, DIRECTOR MECURIO, DIRECTOR COFFEE.
I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
DAVID, FIRST THANK YOU FOR BREAKING AWAY FROM THE TILDEN EVENT AND, AND COMING DOWN FOR US.
UH, I PRESUME THEN THAT YOU WILL BE WORKING ON THAT VERY ISSUE, WHAT THE FUTURE IS FOR ALL THESE SPECIES, UH, AS WE DEVELOPED A HAYWARD, UH, SHORELINE THAT PLAN, THAT MAJOR EFFORT TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE FOR SEA LEVEL RISE AND, UH, THE CHANGE IN THE DISCHARGE FROM THE, THE, THE PLANT NEARBY, I THINK IS WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
I JUST RECALL THAT IT'S A, A MAJOR PROJECT WHICH PRESUMES SEA LEVEL RISE AT THAT SITE, AND YOU WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PLANNERS TO, UH, ACCOMMODATE THESE SPECIES.
I, I I WOULD VENTURE THAT'S A MAJOR PROJECT.
THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT AND QUESTION.
UH, WE HAVE A COLLABORATIVE WORK GROUP, UH, LOOKING AT THAT, LOOKING AT, UH, AT THE HYDROLOGY HOW THE WATER'S GONNA CHANGE OUT THERE.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE LEVEL OF THE LEVEES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE CURRENT ISLANDS AND HOW WE'RE GONNA, UH, MODIFY AND, UM, UH, COPY THE SUCCESSOR AT THAT LOCATION AND DUPLICATE IT CLOSE BY.
[01:10:01]
HAVE ANOTHER TURN OR PLOVER COLONY, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO, UH, BE PLANNING, UH, FOR SEA LEVEL RISE AND MOVING INLAND.SO WE'RE GONNA BE CREATING NEW ISLANDS CLOSER TO, UM, TO THE, THE, THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PLAN OF LOOKING AT IT IN 2050, WHAT, WHAT THAT BAY SHORE MAY LOOK LIKE, AND THEN HOW ALL THE LISTED SPECIES OUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY HOW THE SO SNOWY PLOVER AT LEAST TURN, ADAPT AND THE SKIMMER.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TRULY GENETIC SALT MARSH HARVEST MICE AT THAT LOCATION.
AND, AND THAT HABITAT IS SO VERY RARE IN THE PARK DISTRICT, AND IT'S SUCH A TREASURE TO HAVE THE ONLY ENDEMIC MOUSE, UH, THAT CAN DRINK SALT WATER AND STAY ALIVE FOR 275 DAYS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE COMPLETE PICTURE OF ALL THE UNIQUE WILDLIFE THERE AND TO PLAN AHEAD AND THEN HOW THEY FEED, I SUPPOSE.
'CAUSE THE RIP, THE CURRENT RIP WRAP WILL BE UNDER WATER AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? THE CURRENT RIP WRAP WILL BE UNDER WATER.
AND ONE OF THE, UH, STRATEGIES FOR THOSE ISLANDS IS TO CREATE A RIP WRAP TO SLOW DOWN, UH, OR CURTAIL WAVE FETCH, UH, WIND-DRIVEN WAVES ONTO THOSE ISLANDS, WHICH CAUSES A LOT OF EROSION.
AND ONE OF THE PLANS IS, UH, TO CREATE BREAKWATERS OUT OF ROCKS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, I GUESS I CAN, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO THE REGULATORS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE SPECIES AND THE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SPECIES TO USE THAT, SUCH AS THE OYSTER CATCHER SAYING, HEY, WE'RE CREATING MORE FORGING HABITAT AS WELL, WE'RE CREATING MORE NESTING HABITAT FOR THESE, THESE WILDLIFE AS WELL LOOKING, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, ALL OF WHICH IS REALLY WONDERFUL WORK.
AND UH, I MENTIONED EARLIER, EARLIER PRESENTATION HOW PROUD I WAS OF THE WORK THEY WERE DOING, UH, OUT AT BLACK DIAMOND.
YOUR WORK, YOUR PUBLICATIONS ARE, ARE CERTAINLY TOP OF THE LIST WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS THIS PARK DISTRICT DOES THAT WE ALL CAN BE VERY PRIDEFUL OF.
YEAH, I'LL PIGGYBACK ON THAT AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR DOING THIS WORK AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE ON, ON THE, ON THE CASE, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, AND THAT THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, UM, I, I KIND OF VIEW MY PART OF MY SITTING ON THIS BOARD AS BEING LIKE THIS BIG LONG SEMINAR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS PART 37 RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU JUST GAVE TODAY, UM, REALLY GREAT.
I HAD DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE BIRDS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTING.
UM, AND YOU MADE IT INTERESTING.
AND, UM, I, I THANK YOU FOR THAT AND, UM, THANK YOU.
WELL, THANKS, UH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
I REALLY, IT'S, IT IS VERY EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT THESE BIRDS COMING BACK AND THE, THE SUCCESS WITH THEIR REPRODUCTION AND HIGHER SUCCESS IN ELSEWHERE.
SO THAT'S JUST REALLY FABULOUS, UM, NEWS AND FOUND THIS VERY INTERESTING AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL, UM, CAN YOU SEND US YOUR SLIDES AS WELL, BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE THE REPORT, BUT, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE ALL THOSE REALLY.
YEAH, I'M SURE SABRINA, WONDERFUL PICTURES THAT YOU TOOK
SO, UH, DID WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS, THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[Committee Comments]
SO DO WE HAVE ANY, DO EITHER OF YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FOR TODAY'S MEETING? NO.WELL, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, WE CAN ADJOURN.
BUT BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST THANK EVERYBODY, UM, FOR, FOR YOUR WORK, UM, KEN AND YOUR TEAM AND, AND CARLA AND SABRINA AND EVERYBODY WHO'S, WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS WORK.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND REALLY A PRIVILEGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THESE AREAS AND ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE, MORE ACTION ITEMS TO BRING TO THE BOARD AS NEEDED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO INVENT THEM, BUT IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP MOVE FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD REALLY BE WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, THANK YOU ALL AND UM, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING.