Weekends in April will feature Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, scheduled through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Volunteers lead walks every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. The day use permit fee is $4.12 per person, ages 16 and older (permits may be purchased on-site). Groups of five or more should notify staff that they are coming and groups of 10 or more can request a separate tour. For more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/lands/places-to-visit/elkhorn-slough-er.
Guided Wetland Tours are offered on various days, by reservation, at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road in Gridley. A wildlife naturalist will lead any group, school or organization on a half-mile route through the diverse wetlands of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. General information includes wildlife identification, behavior patterns and conservation efforts. The experience can be customized to include requested information. The minimum group size is 18 people. For more information, call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.
On Saturday, April 7 Recreational Ocean Salmon Season Opens from Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico Border. All other areas off the California coast will remain closed during the month of April. For more information, visit the Ocean Salmon webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon or call the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429 or the National Marine Fisheries Service Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (800) 662-9825.
Thursday, April 12, join in for the CDFW Conservation Lecture Series, “Areas of Conservation Emphasis (ACE) version 3: A CDFW conservation analysis tool,” 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Natural Resources Building, First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento. As part of the Conservation Lecture Series, Melanie Gogol-Prokurat will present ACE, a non-regulatory tool that brings together the best available map-based data in California to depict biodiversity, significant habitats, connectivity, climate change resilience and other datasets for use in conservation planning. Attendance is free. To register and for more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/lectures.
Scheduled for Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15, it’s the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program Workshop, Elkhorn Slough Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. The two-day workshop, which is designed for middle and high school teachers, combines informative presentations with data collection in the field. Space is limited to the first 25 teachers who enroll. To register, visit www.elkhornslough.org/education-program/teacher-development/ and for more information, contact Virginia Guhin at virginia.guhin@wildlife.ca.gov.
As of Sunday, April 15, the Recreational Groundfish Season opens for all boat-based anglers in the San Francisco Management Area (Point Arena, Mendocino County to Pigeon Point, San Mateo County). For more information, visit the Groundfish Central webpage at http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/groundfish.
Also beginning on April 15, the 2018 hunting items go on sale. Hunters can purchase 2018/2019 hunting licenses, tags, validations and apply for the annual Big Game Drawing. Items may be purchased at CDFW license sales offices, license agents, online at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales or by phone at (800) 565-1458. Sales transactions for the Big Game Drawing applications must be completed before midnight on June 2. Contact a local CDFW license sales office for more information.
