Amigos de Bolsa Chica

Join us this Thursday (1/21) for our Amigos Live Webinar featuring Diane Alps! Everyone is welcome, just register in advance. https://us02web.zoom.us//tZUuceuuqDwiHNQrNhQoCXHkqw8o-oQLy

Let’s get together for World Wetlands Day! @nbconservancy is hosting a new event to celebrate #worldwetlandsday2021 Register for Zoom webinars and learn about the different wetlands around the world, what makes them unique, and common challenges these vulnerable habitats face.

An Osprey breakfast Photo: @jayvarch

We are happy to announce that, from now through June 2021, we’ll be a recipient of the Buffalo Exchange Tokens for Bags program. That means you can donate to us just by shopping at Buffalo Exchange Costa Mesa! Instead of a plastic bag, the Tokens for Bags program gives every customer who makes a purchase one token worth five cents (the cost to produce a bag) to donate to one of several nonprofits, such as Amigos de Bolsa Chica!

Diving into the new year! Did you know, California Brown Pelicans can dive from 60 feet in the air? Photo: @jayvarch

Attention Educators! In order to continue serving students and teachers during this challenging time, we decided to offer a free Self-Guided Tour, a free Virtual Wetland Tour and Educator’s Guide. Both tours can be modified to meet your grade level needs. Virtual Tour Guides are also available to visit your class to accompany the video tour.... For more info, check out- https://www.amigosdebolsachica.org/virtual.php

Amigos de Bolsa Chica is a non-profit volunteer organization formed in 1976 by a group of local residents to protect the Bolsa Chica wetlands from development. Concerned about the loss of wetlands, we pledged to protect, preserve and acquire the Bolsa Chica and surrounding open space and to provide education about the importance of wetlands. We achieved major reductions to the development plans and spearheaded an effort that resulted in the state's acquisition in 1997 of 880... acres of wetlands. The public now owns over 1200 acres of wetland/lowland. Trails include a footbridge over the wetland where visitors can observe underwater life, see many kinds of marsh plants and a wide variety of birds. #bolsachicawetlands #protectwetlandhabitats #protectwetland #amigosdebolsachica

Looking forward to safely being together in person again! In the meantime, here’s a throwback of one of our bird walk cleanups. #amigosdebolsachica #protectwetlandhabitats

Least Tern nesting #birdsofbolsachica

Beautiful Bolsa Chica at sunrise. Photo: @620squirrel

Step outside and enjoy some fresh air at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve! Being a year-round home for nesting birds or rest point for birds during migration, there is plenty to see at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. Bring family and friends (while safely social distancing) to this special place but please leave pets at home! Photo: @a_viduetsky

Volunteer Spotlight- Meet Joana Tavares! The Amigos first encountered Joana when she was hired to develop curriculum for what would eventually be our @amigosflow program. Apart from being a marine scientist and a marine policy expert, Joana was hired because of her endless energy and enthusiasm.... Joana has taught both Amigos and students about the importance of phytoplankton, co-produced our 40th anniversary documentary film, Saving the Bolsa Chica, assists with writing grants, and helped us adapt to the sudden stay-at-home orders by planning a few activities such as webinars and the Summer Institute for Educators- to name a few. All while working towards her PhD in Earth System Science at UCI. She is truly a rockstar. We are so thankful to have you Joana and it’s a pleasure watching you achieve great things in and out of Amigos!

Another beautiful Reddish Egret. Photo: @jayvarch

Join us tomorrow (10/08) at 7pm!

Interested in a Virtual Wetland Tour of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve? Head to https://www.amigosdebolsachica.org/virtual.php for info!

Early bird gets the fish? Photo: @jayvarch

Join us next Thursday (10/08) at 7pm for another Amigos Virtual Naturalist Night featuring Friends of Ballona Wetlands! Everyone is welcome, just register in advance. https://us02web.zoom.us//tZwvdu-opjovG9zo4o_KyqvVGWtASiH6X

A white-crowned sparrow! Adult sparrows have very bold white and black strips on their head. Immature sparrows on the other hand have similar patterns but their strips are brown and gray instead of black and white.... Look for these little sparrows in places where safe tangled of brush mix with open or grassy ground! Photo: @browngirl_birder

Incredible shot by @bird_alicious

This month, more than 4000 volunteers have cleaned almost 28,000 pounds of trash from local neighborhoods, parks and waterways. This litter would have otherwise flowed into storm drains and creeks, traveled to the beach, and polluted the ocean. There's still time to take action! Remember to download the free Clean Swell app to record data and make your cleanup count, and to use the hashtags #ProtectYourHappyPlace and #amigosdebolsachicacoastalcleanup on social media.