Guided Wetland Tours, by reservation, are offered on various days at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, 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.
Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. 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 onsite). Groups of five or more should please 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.
Statewide Trout Fishing Regulation Meetings continue during April. CDFW is hosting a series of statewide meetings to inform the public and seek input on the proposed new statewide changes for trout fishing regulations. CDFW personnel will be available at information stations to answer questions and listen to stakeholder interests, needs and ideas. For more information, including dates and locations of upcoming meetings, visit https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/public-comment-sought-on-statewide-regulation-changes-of-trout-season and www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/inland/trout-plan.
The California Invasive Species Action Week’s Youth Art Contest is now open. Youths in second through 12th grade can begin submitting entries for the California Invasive Species Action Week’s Youth Art Contest. This year’s theme is “Say No to Nutria” and features a new invasive species in California. Participants can help inform people of the danger posed by nutria. Artwork might be an identification guide, an illustration of nutria’s biology or impacts, a public service announcement, or a graphic showing how one could search for nutria. All types of media are welcome, including drawings, paintings, animations, comic strips, videos, public service announcements and campaign posters. Submissions must include a completed entry form and be received by May 3. For more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/invasives/action-week/poster-contest.
Saturday, April 6 — Snowy Plover Mud Stomp, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. Join Carleton Eyster, a Western Snowy Plover biologist with Point Blue Conservation, to view these federally threatened birds as they begin nesting. As participants walk the muddy mudflats, their footprints will create depressions for nesting sites, and camouflage for eggs and flightless chicks. Registration is required for the free event. For more information and to register, visit www.elkhornslough.org/events/snowy-plover-mud-stomp. For additional information, contact Ariel Hunter at ariel.hunter@wildlife.ca.gov.
Monday, April 15 — 2019 Hunting Items On Sale. Hunters can purchase 2019/2020 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.
Wednesday, April 24 — CDFW Conservation Lecture Series, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. “Statewide Research Informs Regional Conservation Priorities for Mountain Lions in California,” presented by Dr. Justin Dellinger, Natural Resources Building, First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento. As part of the Conservation Lecture Series, Dellinger will discuss recent efforts to understand abundance, habitat use, genetics and the health of mountain lions across California, and CDFW’s role in mountain lion conservation and management. Attendance is free. To register and for more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/lectures.
Saturday, April 27 — Gray Lodge Clean-up and Field Day, Plus Annual Public Meeting, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley. The morning clean-up and field event is conducted in partnership with California Waterfowl Association (CWA), and will include both habitat and maintenance projects followed by a lunch sponsored by CWA. All family members are encouraged to participate, and bringing work gloves and wearing appropriate footwear is recommended. At 1:30 p.m., CDFW will hold its annual public outreach meeting regarding the Gray Lodge and Upper Butte Basin wildlife areas. The meeting at the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area’s Main Office Building is held in accordance with state law (Fish and Game Code, section 1758). For more information, call (530) 846-7500 or email glwla@wildlife.ca.gov.
