Dear Friend,

The highly anticipated 2023 Wings Over Bolsa calendars have arrived!  The cover is graced with a beautiful female Belted Kingfisher and inside you'll find other amazing Bolsa Chica wildlife.  We also have other new gifts to celebrate our 30th anniversary this year.  Do you know any science researchers who are looking for new research sites?  The Research department is currently accepting research proposals for this upcoming season.  And of course, a very Happy Halloween to you!

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!

The 2023 Wings Over Bolsa Calendar is now in stock on our website! The price is the same as last year at just $15 donation per calendar. We also have the 5-pack special again (buy 4 calendars, get 1 free). Follow the directions on the description to get the automatic discount in your cart.

Filled with stunning full-color photos of birds and wildlife at Bolsa Chica and printed in California with soy ink and partially recycled paper creating high quality calendars, this 13-month format is great for holiday gifts!

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we have new t-shirts and mugs with colorful CA Least Terns and Great Blue Herons. Mugs are a $20 donation and the t-shirts in baby blue (multiple adult sizes) are a $30 donation. These are going fast, so snatch them up before they're gone. 

Thank you to the more than 20 photographers who generously submitted their photos for the calendar!  

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust (BCLT) has initiated a new research program, inviting academic researchers to explore the many possibilities for investigative studies at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Estuaries along the California coastline are constantly being threatened by human impacts. More than 90% of the state’s historic wetlands are gone. Research is needed to document Bolsa Chica’s flora and fauna and to elucidate relationships between various species and their habitats. As global warming threatens the world’s coastlines, studies are needed to gather baseline data and later to document changes. BCLT often conducts interventions in the Reserve to protect and restore the environment, and these interventions would benefit from outcome studies. BCLT also conducts educational and volunteer programs that would lend themselves to qualitative research examining educational outcomes.

Bolsa Chica has much to offer, and we have much to learn so that we can better care for the Reserve in the future.  You can read the full informational flyer below and please share it with others!

Oct. Bird of the Month: Common Yellowthroat

This delightful little bird has a loud and distinctive musical song, “wichity wichity wichity wich,” often heard by visitors in the South Lot. The males sport a black bandit’s mask across their eyes which contrasts with their bright yellow throat. They are perhaps the most common warbler and can be found in wetlands habitats across the USA and Canada. Their diet consists of spiders, insects, and seeds.

5” long; 6.75” wingspan; 0.35 oz.

photo: Jay Spring

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 and Halloween photos- Beverley Hansen, calendar- Eric Benson, CA Least Tern- Carl Jackson, sand dune trail- E. Chin, Stewards- James Huang, Miracle docent with kids, Elegant Terns on beach- Marinka Horack, Common Yellowthroat- Jay Spring