Volunteer opportunities at San Pablo Bay

Audubon California and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are looking for volunteers to help us prepare for tidal marsh enhancement project in the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge that is set to begin this fall. Starting this month there will be ample opportunities to volunteer on-site and help us complete bird, vegetation, and small mammal monitoring there.

This will be a great opportunity to experience the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and participate in some of the important work that Audubon California is doing up there. It should also be a fun adventure to count salt marsh harvest mice, hear Black Rails, see the arrival of migratory shorebirds, and taste the pickleweed.

• Vegetation surveys will occur July 28-31. Surveys will take place in the morning (7 a.m. to noon to avoid overheating.
• Small mammal trapping: We will be studying small mammals August 4-7 and possibly August 11-14. Non-lethal traps will be set, baited, and checked daily. Trap checking takes place at dawn, trap baiting at dusk.
• Shorebird counts will be conducted on one day either Aug. 12-13 or 27-28. The exact date will be dependent on weather conditions. Subsequent surveys will occur monthly through April 2009. Surveys will take place in the morning, generally beginning around 8 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. to optimize viewing conditions.
• Planting of native plants along levees to will occur Saturday, Oct. 18.

The Refuge will provide most supplies, however volunteers should bring rubber knee boots, sunscreen and sun-protective clothing, water, and snacks. Binoculars are required for shorebird counts. A 20-power spotting scope and field guides are useful for shorebird counts, but can also be provided by the Refuge.

To RSVP, please contact Mike Perlmutter, Bay Area conservation coordinator for Audubon California at (510) 601-1866, Ext. 231 or by email at

Please let us know which opportunities interest you and your level of experience, as well as your availability. Meeting times will vary, but generally we will meet at the San Pablo Bay NWR Refuge office at 2100 Highway 37 (approximately 1/4 mile east of the Lakeville Hwy (116) intersection.