Dear Friend,

Summer is finally here and so is the sweltering heat. Please remember to stay hydrated and wear a hat while enjoying the sunny and stunning views from Bolsa Chica. On particularly clear days, you can even see the full outline of Catalina Island.

In other news, we have a new blog post about the different habitats found at Bolsa Chica and did you know we are on iNaturalist? We also want to take a moment to thank all the corporate and other special groups who have come out to volunteer with the Bolsa Chica Stewards so far this year.

Until next month, happy Independence Day, and see you on the trails.

Do you know the habitats that make up the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve? Obviously, the water takes up a good chunk of that, but you may be surprised at what else you can find. Learn about these habitats in our newest blog post.

"Today is a beautiful day to wander the trails and explore at least 5 different habitats, don’t you think?

And look, you don’t even have to drive way out into the mountains or desert in order to take some deep breaths in nature. Because Bolsa Chica is right here in the midst of a bustling beach town tucked among houses, eateries and coffee shops just a few minutes from downtown Huntington Beach.

Here at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (BCER) you can immerse yourself in rich, vibrant wetlands filled with birds, marine creatures, mammals, reptiles, and fragrant native plants and still have time to go shopping.

But wait, what were those “5 different habitats” mentioned above?"

Thank you to all the corporate and special volunteer groups who have come out to volunteer with the Bolsa Chica Stewards!

• AXA XL

• Hyundai

• Boldyn Networks

• Google

• American Society of Civil Engineers

• Edwards Lifesciences

• Coast Community College

• GPI US (Japanese high school exchange program)

We appreciate all your hard work, enthusiastic attitude, and all-round participation in our Bolsa Chica habitat restoration efforts.

Part of our habitat restoration project, that goes beyond the physical planting, is educating and introducing folks to the importance of native plants and why we do habitat restoration at Bolsa Chica. We hope to inspire group volunteers to incorporate this new understanding into their everyday life, at home and at work.

If you have a corporate or other type of group that wants to give back to the community through habitat restoration, email Beverley at Beverley@BCLandTrust.org. We always love having enthusiastic groups come join us for some outdoor hands-on volunteering.

One of the best nature apps out there is iNaturalist. iNaturalist has both the 'iNaturalist' app, as well as the 'Seek for iNaturalist' app dedicated towards nature exploration. In general, the purpose of these apps is to be: an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature.

And we're on it! Follow us to join our journey of exploration as we document what we see while we're doing hands-on restoration, giving free tours, and so much more. The app is available for free on both Google Play and Apple App Store.

Remember when you visit Bolsa Chica to bring cameras, binoculars or even hand-held magnifying glasses to aid in your observations. Sound a little intimidating? No fret, start out easy by playing our free I Spy Game (www.bclandtrust.org/free-downloads). It's seasonal and in comes in different languages.

July's Bird of the Month: Belted Kingfisher

The red, white, and blue female Kingfisher is more colorful than her male counterpart, who is only blue and white. Kingfishers are often seen on poles looking down into the water searching for aquatic prey. Their diet also includes mice, young birds, reptiles, and insects. Kingfishers have a very distinctive, entertaining, and loud rattling call. Found all over North America, many Belted Kingfishers are year-round residents of the contiguous USA. Some migrate and summer in Alaska and Canada, and others may winter in Mexico and the Caribbean.

13” long; 20” wingspan; 5 oz.

photo: John Hannan

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 or ebikes.
• 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!

Questions? Email us at Info@BCLandTrust.org or call (714) 846-1001

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Photo Credits:

Osprey- Eileen Rizzacasa, coastal strand- Jeff Rokos, group collage- Beverley Hansen, Stewards in volunteer, sunset- Bequi Howarth, Miracles docent with kids, outreach table- Jeff Rokos, volunteers on beach- Mike McMahan, Belted Kingfisher- John Hannan