Mary Golden is the Executive Director of the Central Coast Natural History Association, a private nonprofit working in partnership with our local State Parks to support and fund science and nature education from Pismo State Beach to Harmony Headlands State Park. She welcomes stories and comments at MaryGolden@slocoastjournal.com. |
Living on Broken Glass
by Mary Golden
Al Stevens was recently a presenter at one of our Monday morning Mindwalks at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History. He is a retired geologist, and gave us a "brief" geologic history of the Central Coast (read a "'Brief' History of Time").
According to Al, we Central Coasters are literally living on "broken glass," because of the earthquake faults criss-crossing our region. He also says we just keep shaking a little most of the time which keeps us safe from the big one, and that the main north/south plates are moving on average of 4cc a year. Oh, except for 1857 when the fault moved 20 feet after one quake (noted by displaced fences). He said, "Imagine the pressure of that one, if the average yearly movement if 4cc a year."
I experienced my first earthquake last summer in Templeton. I was working on the Save our State Park Campaign about 5:30 in the morning when I heard what I thought was an explosion. Sonic Boom? Diablo?
And then the house started shaking. It scared Boo, my beloved ragdoll cat (read substitute child), so I forgot what I was supposed to do in an earthquake and ran after the cat. It ended up being a 4.8, I think. (Now quit laughing you native Californians.)
Working in the nonprofit world, and working in association with our California State Parks feels like living on broken glass right now. The ground is literally shifting under our feet, and the pressure is building. With the threats to our beloved state parks at an all time high with lack of funding, more projected budget cuts and a huge list of deferred maintenance projects (read, crumbling under our feet), the
future of parks looks grim. We are supporting the California State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 which is being proposed by California State Parks Foundation. The Trust Fund Act
includes the State Park Access Pass at $18/vehicle/year and doesn't include commercial vehicles or RV's. This is a fee attached to your vehicle licensing, so you don't get a literal pass. If you have a California license plate, you then receive free day use at all 279 state parks. The days of free park admission is clearly over, and the average day use for a single park is between $8-15 dollars. Your $18 a year gets you into every park, every day.
Getting the Trust Fund Act passed is living on broken glass. Right now, we are engaged in gathering 700,000 signatures statewide along with the Parks Foundation, Sierra Club, Audubon, and other cooperating associations to qualify the Trust Fund Act for ballot initiative in November. This is the big one. We need help gathering signatures, and when someone stops you at a farmer's market or in front of your grocery store, please take the time to sign the petition. While we can't predict the next time the ground will start shaking, the future of State Parks IS in your hands. If you would like to gather petitions, please contact me at 528.1397. Even committing to a 2 or 3 hour shift once or twice per month is a huge help. Think of the Trust Fund Act as an earthquake retrofit. With all of us working and deciding together to get this passed, we are building an unshakable foundation for our state parks.
Upcoming Mindwalks at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History
March 1, 2010 Dominic Santangelo - California Conservation Corps
Domenic will review the history of the California Conservation Corps, including its work history in San Luis Obispo County. He will also focus on the education and volunteer requirements for corps members.
Domenic has a Bachelor of Science degree from York College in Pennsylvania in police administration with minors in sociology and psychology. He is the Center Director of Los Padres California Conservation Corps.
March 8, 2010 Barb Renshaw - Battle Tactics of Plants
We think of plants as passive, but plants compete fiercely and have evolved an enormous array of both offensive and defensive strategies and tactics. Join us in a “military history of plants."
Barb Renshaw is a California State Parks docent and an amateur botanist. Her decision to focus her passion for art on plants led her to develop a vast working knowledge of local plants and their survival strategies. Barb is a graduate of Stanford University and a former software engineer.
March 15, 2010 Francis Villablanca - The Natural History of the Small Mammals of SLO County
This presentation will cover some of the common small mammals of coastal SLO County. You will learn the names, habits, and general ecology of a number of mammals, with a focus on rodents. In addition, you will learn how some of these rodents play a part in research being conducted at Cal Poly.
Francis Villablanca received his PhD at UC Berkeley. He is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Curator of Birds and Mammals at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo.
March 22, 2010 Lee Thurston - Rock Art of the Chumash "Colors of the Earth"
Hidden within local mountain canyons and interior valleys, a rich artistic heritage is slowly losing a battle of survival. Colors of the Earth looks at the art itself, so that we might appreciate the ingenuity and creative genius of these unnamed artists. Lee shares his experiences and photographs accompanied by Chumash songs of these places, many accessible only by backpackers.
Lee Thurston is a 1971 Cal Poly graduate. He worked for the SLO Ag Commissioners office and has spent 26 years in retail management. He saw his first rock art in 1962 while on an Explorer Scout trip in the Los Padres National Forest. Beginning in 1978, he spent the next 20 years searching out these backcountry art galleries.
March 29, 2010 Jerry Kirkhart - Photo Favorites of Local Photographers
Enjoy the favorite photos of many local photographers. Types of photography will be exceptional flora and fauna including birds, marine biology, botany, macro, telephoto, and night time photos and several surprises seldom seen. Many of the photos are award winners, and you will also enjoy meeting the talented photographers who will be available to answer questions.
Our host, Jerry Kirkhart, is a California State Parks docent and a retired Bio/Zoo College Instructor. His passion for nature and photography blend to bring us this remarkable collection of local talent.
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