Dear Erin,

As the first rays of the sun light up the mesa, the flowers wake from their slumber. The sunflowers, poppies, lupins, blue-eyed grass, fiddlenecks and more open their petals to embrace the new day. Spring is in full bloom at Bolsa Chica, and like the flowers, the Land Trust embraces the opportunities to add beauty, healing, and resilience to Bolsa Chica every day. Read more about what's happening in our 'Music from the Mesa' newsletter, volunteer opportunities and come say hi at our Earth Day event!

If you like our e-newsletters please consider sharing it with your friends and family. You can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook to catch our weekly "Wildlife Wednesdays" and current events as we share with you what we see and find every week!

We are absolutely delighted to inform you that our Miracles of the Marsh 3rd grade educational science program is back with 11 schools already registered for on-site tours. After nearly two years of offering our materials virtually, this spring 630 students will be visiting Bolsa Chica and participating in our Miracles program. Our docent team has reassembled, with some new materials, and are ready to go!

BCLT continues to introduce hundreds of students to the waters, food web, birds and plants, history, and beauty of Bolsa Chica. The pandemic has been incredibly challenging for our docent team and not all our docents are able to return for various reasons. Therefore, we are looking for new amazing volunteers to join our Miracles of the Marsh docent team! The more docents we have, the more children we educate! Our amazing team will train and guide you through the process.

If you are interested in becoming a docent, please contact Beverley Hansen at Beverley@bclandtrust.org and (714) 846-1001.

Come visit us out on the mesa on Earth Day Friday April 22, 2022! We will have maps, bird guides, stickers, general information about Bolsa Chica and more! There will even be interactive displays great for the young and old alike. As always we love to answer questions and share our love of Bolsa Chica with our awesome community.

What: BCLT Earth Day event

Where: Our Growing Space plant nursery on the mesa

When: Fri. April 22 at 8:00am-3:00pm

Free tours along the Mesa Trail starting from the nursery at 10:00am and 1:00pm

Mini tours of the nursery throughout the day

Stay informed by following our social media pages.

BCLT's Quarterly 'Music from the Mesa' Newsletter is now available to read on our website. Filled with important updates on our programs and projects, launch of our new research program and the completion of the Sustainable Alternative Study. It also covers how Bolsa Chica will be impacted by climate change, how the Pathways to 30X30 in California could support Bolsa Chica, and an update on the Oil Spill. Of course, beautiful full color photos grace the pages from top to bottom as well.

April Bird of the Month: Belding's Savannah Sparrow

The Belding’s Savannah Sparrow is a subspecies of Savannah Sparrow in danger of extinction because 90% of its habitat, California salt marsh, has been destroyed by development. Bolsa Chica has one of the rare remaining habitats left where this bird can flourish. During the spring mating season, the high-pitched song of the Belding’s Savannah Sparrow can be heard all along the inner part of the loop trail.

5.5” long; 8.75” wingspan; 0.7 oz

photo: Steve Smith

Reminders When You Visit Bolsa Chica

Here are some things to remember during your visit:

• Please stay on the trails. Not only could you disturb nesting birds, but snakes are often not far off the trails.
• Enjoy the flowers, but please do not pick them.
• Do not feed the animals.
• Do not litter. Please pack out your trash, including food scraps.
• No bikes.
• No dogs.
• No drones.
• Enjoy being with nature!
• If you see any BCLT Stewards working along the trail, say hi! We are happy to answer any questions.

Support Bolsa Chica Today!

Photo Credits:

banner, Miracle docent teaching, table display- Bequi Howarth, Earth Day 2021- Jeff Rokos, wetland landscapes, PCH trail, bridge- E. Chin, Stewards- James Huang, Miracle docent with kids, Elegant Terns on beach- Marinka Horack, Belding's Savannah Sparrow- Steve Smith