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The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation (BLF)
The Great Egret Volume 11 Spring—Summer 2013
Docent-led School and Public Walks, and Club Pelican 2013
Success Continues!
Much has been written lately about our nature-deprived
younger generation. So, one of the greatest rewards of volun-
teering at Batiquitos Lagoon is introducing children to nature.
When a child sees a great blue heron for the first time and says
“wow, look at that”, you know this child will remember it for
a long time. One outing may become the basis for a life-long
interest in preserving nature.
This is the mission of the Docents. We lead walks for school
children from second grade through high school, and occa-
sionally college groups as well. We also lead walks for Dai-
sies, Brownies, Cub Scouts, Girls Scouts, and Boy Scouts.
Thus far in 2013 we have led walks for 311 children. They
come from as far away as Borrego Springs to enjoy the exhib-
its in our Nature Center as well as the sights along the trail. They learn about what makes an estuary, the plants and animals
that live there, the rocks that make up the land, and the various people who have made their home near the lagoon for the past
9,000 years. Every one of our student visitors takes home a copy of our special story book, “One Day at Batiquitos Lagoon”,
written exclusively for us by Cathleen Chilcote Wallace, a Luiseno native storyteller.
A few times each year we are asked to lead walks for adults, typically arranged through one of the nearby hotels. In 2013 we
led a walk for 20 hospitality professionals hosted by Park Hyatt.
In July we led two walks for Park Hyatt guests on July 5 and 6.
The Docents help staff Club Pelican which is held at our Nature
Center each summer. This year there will be 4 sessions totaling
120 children. Each day from 9:00 a.m. to noon, the kids divide
their time between art projects and nature lessons.
We are always on the lookout for new Docents. If you like talking
with children (or adults) about nature and want to help them ap-
preciate the lagoon environment, think about becoming a docent.
We meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 3:00 p.m. in the
Nature Center. For more information you can email me at
[email protected]. I look forward to hearing
from you.
Don Rideout
2
Important Numbers
Nature Center: (760) 931-0800
City of Carlsbad Police Department:
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: (760) 931-2197
Watch Commander: (760) 937-2115
Calif. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife:
Regional Office: (858) 467-4201
CALTIPS: (888) 334-2258
BLF Addresses & Other Information
Mail: P.O. Box 130491
Carlsbad, CA 92013-0491
Website: www.batiquitosfoundation.org
Email: [email protected]
Nature Center Location (Not Mailing Address):
7380 Gabbiano Lane
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Nature Center Hours of Operation:
M-F: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sat-Sun: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Board of Directors & Officers
Fred C. Sandquist - President (2010-2013)
Don Omsted—Vice President (2011-2014)
Yvette Huffman - Secretary (2012-2015)
Kevin Kienast - Treasurer (2012-2015)
Jim Brown (2010-2013)
Don Connors (Honorary - Non-voting)
Paula Kirpalani (2011-2014)
Marty Montgomery (2012-2014)
Don Rideout (2012-2015)
Dr. Anne Spacie (2010-2013)
Newsletter
Fred Sandquist (Acting)
Contact: [email protected]
The BLF—Celebrating over 30 Years of
Stewardship of Batiquitos Lagoon Eco-
logical Reserve (BLER) and Service to
the Community!
This year, the BLF celebrates
a big milestone - over 30
Years of Stewardship of Ba-
tiquitos Lagoon Ecological
Reserve (BLER) and Service
to the Community!
A year or so before our incor-
poration on January 5, 1983 as
a 501(c)(3) not-for profit pub-
lic educational institution, a group of volunteers met
planned, and formed what has become the BLF. The
original foundation plank holders included: Susan John-
ston, Martin Klotz, Charlotte Masarik, Sandi McKinney,
Anne Omsted (wife of current BLF Vice President Don
Omsted), George Shulman, Brandy Steger, Connie Swan-
son, and Ed Wainio.
We have come a long way since our star saw it’s first
light! Today we own property (Cholla Point), are near
upgrading our aging 20+ year old construction trailer Na-
ture Center to a modest and modern one, and have be-
come a recognized lagoon steward. Our docents and oth-
er volunteers help us in hosting many educational pro-
grams including public walks and talks, Club Pelican, a
very strong restoration and trail maintenance community-
based hand-on ongoing work event, Boy and Girl Scout
projects, a highly successful environmentally-oriented
school program, many science-oriented programs (e.g.,
bird counts, water quality monitoring, wildlife tracking,
invasive plant identification and management, an intern
program for high school and college-level students), and
many more.
As an all volunteer organization, help us recognize our
key milestone. Become a member of our community
family, become a volunteer, and help us to preserve, pro-
tect, and enhance BLER now and for future generations
to come!
3
From the Desk of the President ….
As you can see, we’re really late in
getting our newsletters out on
schedule and I want to assure you
that we are working on improving
that. We hope to implement an
electronic newsletter in the near
future as a means for improving
communications with our member-
ship and the general public. We
will still provide a hard-copy ver-
sion.
As you can see in the articles in this
newsletter, we have a lot going on, especially with our plans for
installing our new nature center in early 2014. We also are plan-
ning some events celebrating its opening and our 30+ year mile-
stone as a non-profit foundation.
As I’ve indicated in previous newsletter, we remain financially
sound, but, like many other non-profit organizations, are experienc-
ing the impacts of our economic recovery and slow growth as we
emerge from our recession. For an all volunteer organization, that
has presented us with a significant challenge, but we see the signs
of progress and an upward trend.
On the grant scene, we have and continue to do quite well. Over
the past month and a half, we have been awarded or have received
indication of approval for: a Community Wetland Restoration
Grant for $23,300; a San Diego County Supervisor’s Community
Enhancement Grant of $5,000 for our new nature center; review
committee approval of two City of Carlsbad Agricultural Mitigation
Conversion Fee grants for $70,275 (one to cover increased cost of
our new nature center for $49,542, and a restoration grant for
$20,733). We are currently working on an exciting California
Coastal Conservancy Climate Ready grant that is due in late August
2013, with award decision in 2014. The project associated with this
grant will enable us to start to gain data that will help us and stake-
holders begin the process of assessing and planning for the impacts
of climate change at the BLER. More will be reported on these
grants and associated projects in future newsletters.
If you are not yet a member, please consider joining the BLF family
and get involved in preserving, protecting and enhancing Batiqui-
tos Lagoon Ecological Reserve and its associated watershed.
As always, feel free to contact me at (760) 918-2408 or send me an
email at [email protected] if you have anything
you would like to discuss or suggest. 2013 is already a very excit-
ing and busy year for the BLF, and I really appreciate your contin-
ued trust and support in serving you as your President!
…Fred C. Sandquist, President
We Need Your Help!
As with any all volunteer organization, the
BLF depends on our volunteers to fill key
foundation positions in support of our pro-
grams and operations. The following is a list
of some of our key positions that we need
support for. If interested or you would like
further information, please call or leave a
message at our Nature Center ((760) 931-
0800) or send an email to: volun-
Nature Center Hosts
Docents
Volunteer Coordinator/Scheduler
Newsletter Editor
Webmaster/Electronic Media Chair
Fundraising/Marketing
Educational & Marketing Materials
Maintenance
Trail Captains (for Weed-whacking/
Trail Maintenance)
Grant Writers
A special thanks to some of our key partners who
support the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation by
providing us with discounts, critical services, sup-
port, and products that contribute to of our many
programs or provide direct financial support.
These partners include:
Hunter Industries Waste Management, Park Hy-
att, Aviara, Four Seasons Residence Club, Leu-
cadia Wastewater District (LWD), REI Outdoor
School, San Diego, REI - Encinitas, Anderson’s
La Costa Nursery, Wild Bird Center, Hobie Cat,
Life Technologies, Anderson Stationers, Inc.,
Tree of Life Nursery, FedEx/Kinkos, Callaway
Golf , San Diego Horticultural Society, Palomar
Investigative Group, Inc., Point Loma Credit Un-
ion, Diamond Environmental Services, El
Camino Rental, California Department of Fish &
Game, La Costa Resort & Spa, La Costa Glen,
Hunter Industries, CDS Printing, California
Coastal Conservancy, Louise Julig Writing &
Editing, Home Village Realtors, Archer Johnson
Foundation, Joey’s Smokin BBQ, Kinan Events,
and the Coastal Community Foundation.
4
New Sign & Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project
Completed At Our Cholla Point Property!
Board member Don Connors has been very busy at our Cholla Point property at the northeast end of the
Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve (BLER)! At our trailhead on Arenal Road, he has installed a new
sign to help brand our 18.2 acre property and
make the public more aware of its name. The
signage also includes one of our BLER ap-
proved rules sign.
The site has been landscaped and our plans are
to install more native plants and trees in the
area. While the existing highly disturbed trail
leading down from the trailhead is wet and
muddy in places, our mid and long range plans
are to improve it while protecting the wetland
and coastal sage habitats. The BLF is working
with the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife (CDFW), other regulatory agencies,
and the City of Carlsbad to obtain the necessary
permits to make this trail upgrade - a complicated and relatively long process. We will report progress
on project in future newsletters.
In February 2013, Boy Scout Eagle Scout
candidate Cameron Blue, along with his sup-
porters, restored an area near our Arenal
Road trailhead. This project included clean-
ing and clearing an area, some grading, and
installing a bench with a concrete pad and
brass plaque. Some landscape timbers were
installed to provide access steps. Some na-
tive plants were also installed and a small
wooden access bridge was constructed over
the concrete drainage ditch.
Cameron is with Boy Scout Troop 750 and
has since received his Eagle Scout Award.
Please stop by and check out the results of
Cameron’s work.
Don, our Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project Chainman, has a number of Eagle Scout Projects in the works.
5
Annual Membership and Board of Directors
Election
As required by our Articles of
Incorporation and by-laws, our
Annual Membership Meeting,
including board of director elec-
tions, will be held on Tuesday,
November 19, 2013 at 4:30 p.m.
at our Nature Center, 7380 Gab-
biano Lane, Carlsbad, CA 92011.
The BLF has 9 voting board
members and one honorary non-
voting board member. Board
members are elected to three-year
terms with three positions being
up for election or re-election each
year. Elected board members are
volunteers and receive no pay for
their service. Board members are
expected to assume an active
leadership role on one or more
strategic committees or key sub-
ject areas. This translates into
work outside regular monthly
board meetings.
This year, Board Members Jim Brown and Fred Sandquist are up for re-election. Anne Spacie has indicat-
ed that she will not be running for another term. Each year, the board establishes a Nominating Committee
charged to solicit, vet and recommend candidates for the elections and for filling vacancies that might oc-
cur during the year. This year, Marty Montgomery and Yvette Huffman constitute the Nominating Com-
mittee.
Candidates must be BLF members in good standing (e.g., active members). If you are interested in being
considered for one of the three board positions, please provide the following information: A brief over-
view of your background; employment over the past five years; education; and a brief statement or para-
graph as to why you would like to serve on the BLF board. You may also summarize any volunteer work
you have done for the BLF or other organizations, or other information that you would like the nominating
committee to consider. Board candidates and associated information will be included on a ballot in our
fall 2013 newsletter.
If interested, you should mail or email your interest in being considered as a board candidate to: Batiqui-
tos Lagoon Foundation (BLF), P.O. Box 130491, Carlsbad, CA 92013-0491, or as an email attachment to:
6
New Nature Center Project Update
For many of us involved with replacing our nature
center, it has seemed more like a career than a pro-
ject! From the complicated Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) / Coastal Development Permit (CDP) appli-
cation process, meeting the requirements of the Cali-
fornia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), design-
ing our new structure, and getting our application
through and approved by Aviara Master Association
(the homeowner association which owns the proper-
ty where our nature center is located), and replacing
our electrical service by burying our power cables
and replacing our power transformer, this project
has truly been a leaning experience for those involved! We have had to contract for two additional studies to meet
our CEQA requirements (a Biological Study, done
by DUDEK; and a Cultural and Historical Study by
Gallegos and Associates) and have experienced
increased facility design costs, including our ex-
panded front deck. The good news is that these
cost increases are covered by our grants.
We now see the light at the end of the tunnel and
are planning to be able to install our new facility in
the February - March 2014 timeframe. We will be
asking our docents and other volunteers to help us
plan for furnishing our new nature center, design-
ing new displays and helping our with our move.
The physical removal of our old nature center and the installation of the new one will be a challenge and we will be
looking for help with our volunteers and friends.
This article includes architectural renditions of the front and back of our new facility. The interior design is depicted
in the lower right picture. As you can see, our facility includes a large open area with two skylight, a modern re-
stroom, a service center with a sink and where we will have a refrigerator, microwave, and hot water and coffee mak-
er. We will have an office with a window so our hosts
can see visitors when they enter, and a working and
storage area. Our new nature will have central heating
and air conditioning. Our attached garage will have a
roll-up garage door and allow us to store our John
Deere trail vehicle. It will also have space for us to
have a workshop and area to store our equipment and
tools. We are considering adding windows and an ex-
haust fan air circulation and cooling system. We plan
to install an updated security and video monitoring
system for both inside and outside security purposes.
Our new deck will be large and be great for people to
sit and enjoy the view! As we approach our installa-
tion date, we would welcome your help in our transi-
tion to our new nature center.
7
8
9
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 2013
Sat, Jul 27th:
BLF Volunteer
orientation for
people interest-
ed in joining the
all-volunteer
BLF family. A
general over-
view of the Ba-
tiquitos Lagoon
Ecological Reserve (BLER) and Marine Protected Area
(MPA), its resources, and the many volunteer opportu-
nities available will be presented. Take home reference
material will be provided. 12 Noon – 1:30 P.M.
Mon - Fri, Jul 29th - Aug 2nd 9 A.M. to Noon: Club Pelican
Summer Camp for ages 7 to 9, BLF Nature Center,
Gabbiano Lane. (Fee charged; register through the
City of Carlsbad.)
August 2013
[Mon - Fri, Jul 29th - Aug 2nd 9 A.M. to Noon: Club Pelican
Summer Camp for ages 7 to 9, BLF Nature Center,
Gabbiano Lane. (Fee charged; register through the
City of Carlsbad.)]
Sat, Aug 3rd: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Mon - Fri, Aug 5th - Aug 12th 9 A.M. to Noon: Club Pelican
Summer Camp for ages 9 to 12, BLF Nature Center,
Gabbiano Lane. (Fee charged; register through the
City of Carlsbad.)
Fri, Aug 9th: Bird Count. 7:30 A.M. All are welcome; bring
binoculars. Meet at the Gabbiano Lane trailhead.
Sat, Aug 17th: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Sat, Aug 24th: BLF Volunteer orientation for people inter-
ested in joining the all-volunteer BLF family. A gen-
eral overview of the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Re-
serve (BLER) and Marine Protected Area (MPA), its
resources, and the many volunteer opportunities avail-
able will be presented. Take home reference material
will be provided. 12 Noon – 1:30 P.M.
September 2013
Mon, Sep 2nd: Labor Day. Nature Center open from 9
A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Wed, Sep 4th: Docent Corps Meeting. 3 P.M, BLF Nature
Center. Everyone welcome to attend.
Sat, Sep 7th: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Fri, Sep 13th: Bird Count. 7:30 A.M. All are welcome; bring
binoculars. Meet at the Gabbiano Lane trailhead.
Tue, Sep 17th: BLF Board Meeting. 4:30 P.M., the BLF Na-
ture Center.
Sat, Sep 21th: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Sat, Sep 28th: BLF Volunteer orientation for people inter-
ested in joining the all-volunteer BLF family. A gen-
eral overview of the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Re-
serve (BLER) and Marine Protected Area (MPA), its
resources, and the many volunteer opportunities avail-
able will be presented. Take home reference material
will be provided. 12 Noon – 1:30 P.M.
October 2013
Wed, Oct 2nd: Docent Corps Meeting. 3 P.M, BLF Nature
Center. Everyone welcome to attend.
Sat, Oct 5th: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Sat & Sun, October 5th & October 6th, 2013: Eighth Annual
Kayak Batiquitos Lagoon Clean-up Event. First launch-
ing at 7:30 A.M. each day at the La Costa Avenue / I-5
Park and Ride. More information to come!
Fri, Oct 11th: Bird Count. 7:30 A.M. All are welcome; bring
binoculars. Meet at the Gabbiano Lane trailhead.
Tue, Oct 15th: BLF Board Meeting. 4:30 P.M., the BLF Na-
ture Center.
Sat, Oct 19th: Weed-whacking/trail Maintenance. 9 A.M. - 12
noon. Volunteers meet at BLF Nature Center.
Sat, Oct 26th: BLF Volunteer orientation for people inter-
ested in joining the all-volunteer BLF family. A gen-
eral overview of the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Re-
serve (BLER) and Marine Protected Area (MPA), its
resources, and the many volunteer opportunities avail-
able will be presented. Take home reference material
will be provided. 12 Noon – 1:30 P.M.
10
Eighth Annual Kayak Batiquitos Lagoon 2013 Cleanup
Event Please plan to join us and support the Foundation and help keep this North San Diego County healthy
and pristine for all of to enjoy! We expect to open online registration in August through our website,
www.batquitosfoundation.org. Due to other commitments, staff availability, and scheduling conflicts
with our event dates, Hobie Cat had to cancel support-
ing our event this year. They have supported the BLF
for seven years and we look forward to their possibly
rejoining us in 2014. We are working on getting one or
more organizations to fill our needs for Saturday, Octo-
ber 5th. Our event is still on!
Last year some families were disappointed our mini-
mum age requirement was 16 and above. This year, we
plan to reduce the age minimum to at least 10 years of
age, and perhaps even lower. We want to make our an-
nual event more family-friendly! Whatever the final
minimum age limit is, we will still require a parent or
guardian to be present in the kayak. As in the past, eve-
ryone on the lagoon MUST wear an approved Personal
Flotation Device (PFD) for their safety. Thanks again
to REI, friends and other organizations, we will be of-
fering single and tandem kayaks for use. Those who
have their own kayaks may again register and use them
during our launchings. We will provide transportation
assistance for getting kayaks to the launch site.
The registration fee will again be $50 per person and
goes towards supporting the BLF’s operations, pro-
grams, projects and other activities. This fee is consid-
ered a donation to us and is tax deductible.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering to help with our event should send an email to
[email protected] or call our Nature Center at (760) 931-0800 and
someone will get back to you.
If you own one or more kayaks and would be interested in letting us use them during our event, we
would be most appreciative! This will enable us to offer more kayaks per launching. If interested in
providing kayaks, please send an email to [email protected] or call our
Nature Center at (760) 931-0800 and we will work out the details with you.
This is our 30th year as a foundation preserving, protecting, and enhancing Batiquitos Lagoon Eco-
logical Reserve and supporting our community. Please help us make our key fundraiser again a suc-
cess!
11
12
Membership
Membership in Batiquitos Lagoon
Foundation is a great way to support our ef-
forts to maintain and improve this beautiful
natural resource.
Annual memberships are available in the
following categories:
Student/Senior Citizen $15
Individual $20
Family $30
Sponsor $60
Patron $160
Business Assoc $250
Sustaining $500
Join & pay via bank debit or major credit
card through our website
www.batiquitosfoundation.org Memberships and donations are tax deducti-
ble.
REMINDER TO MEMBERS: Check the expiration date at the top of your mailing label to find out when you need to renew your membership.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID ENCINITAS, CA PERMIT #471
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation P.O. Box 130491 Carlsbad, CA 92013-0491
The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation was established on January 7,
1983 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, dedicated to preserving,
protecting, and enhancing the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Re-
serve and its associated watershed, riparian, coastal sage and up-
land habitats.
NATURE CENTER HOURS
Monday—Friday: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
For information:
Visit our Website: www.batiquitosfoundation.org
Call: (760) 931-0800
Email: [email protected]