Category Archive: ecotourism
February 2, 2010 at 9:42 pm
by nancy
· Filed under Top 10, attractions, eats, ecotourism, family fun, favorites, hikes, history
Mama Llama cuddles with her babyWe were delighted to open our February 2010 Sunset Magazine and discover one of our favorite coastal retreats – Glendeven Inn – was featured. Named as one of the top 20 destinations of the west, Glendeven Inn offers a mix of elegance and comfort that keep their guests returning year after year. Their meadow is dotted with llamas that they allow you to visit – very friendly indeed! Breakfast is made with eggs from their chickens and guests are encouraged to participate in feeding time. Both locals and visitors have discovered their cozy Wine Bar(n) or feasted on one of their elegant dinners served in their beautifully restored, historic farmhouse.
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October 28, 2009 at 12:24 pm
by bruce
· Filed under State Parks, attractions, ecotourism, family fun, parks
MendocinoFun.com just received this news release from the local office of State Parks:
In keeping with Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan for keeping parks open, California State Parks is today announcing the implementation of service reductions at parks across the State. The goal is to achieve the required cost savings while minimizing the disruption to park visitors as much as possible.
All of the service reductions are consistent with the Governor’s September 25 announcement of the kinds of service reductions the public could anticipate in order to achieve the budget savings necessary to meet severe budget restrictions.
The reductions are designed to minimize disruptions for park visitors, while keeping parks open and achieving the $14.2 million in budget savings to help close the State’s budget deficit.
To achieve savings as quickly as possible, State Parks will begin implementing these cost saving measures all across the State in the next few days.
The service reductions came about through a process wherein each of the State Parks’ District Superintendents designed a plan for specific reductions tailored for each park within their respective districts. A summary of some of the most common service reductions across the State include:
- Reduce days of operation by two or three weekdays at selected parks. Other parks will close a portion of a campground or outlying day-use areas.
- Close and consolidate some park offices and/or reduce hours of operation.
- Reduce off-season lifeguard levels at some beaches.
- Remove some trash cans and fire rings from the beach and close roughly half of the restrooms at some beaches.
- Close many park visitor centers two or more days every week.
- Reduce the numbers of school tours and interpretive programs at many parks.
These service reductions are intended to ensure that California State Parks achieves its required cost savings while maintaining revenues at the highest level possible for the remainder of this fiscal year and while minimizing disruptions to visitors.
Some visitors may be inconvenienced by these service reductions; however, it is hoped that park visitors will understand and appreciate that their parks are remaining open, despite the severe budget reductions. The public can assist in several ways, including by hauling out their trash and helping to keep facilities as clean as possible for the next park visitor.
For the Mendocino District, all park units will have a reduction in public safety patrols, trash services, maintenance of facilities including restrooms, exotic weed removal and wildlife monitoring. Specific service reductions for the parks within the District are as follows:
Greenwood State Beach:
- Closure of vault toilet near the beach.
Hendy Woods State Park:
- Seasonal closure of campground – December 2nd through March 25th.
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve:
- Closure of Jug Handle office. Relocate office to open facilities.
MacKerricher State Park:
- Reduction in Visitor Center hours. Closed Monday – Thursday.
Mendocino Headlands State Park:
- Closure of the restroom facility on Main Street. Replace with portable toilet from Big River Beach.
- Reduction in Ford House Visitor Center hours. Closed Tuesday – Thursday.
Navarro River Redwoods State Park:
- Removal of two portable toilets from the Navarro Beach campground and one at the Mill House.
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park:
- Closure of the Visitor Center including restrooms. Relocate offices to open facilities.
- Installation of portable restroom at the Visitor Center.
- Closure of one restroom at the Light Station.
Russian Gulch State Park
- Reduction in camping season – Closed until May 14th
Schooner Gulch State Park:
- Closure of one vault toilet.
Van Damme State Park:
- Reduction in campsites. Reduce to 20 sites from Nov 1st – March 25th. Only 1 restroom remains open.
- Seasonal closure of Visitor Center from November 1st – March 25th.
The reductions above include combining offices, reducing the number of phone lines, reducing internet connections, lowering thermostat settings, reducing seasonal staff and not filling 9 vacant full time positions. Further reductions may be necessary if unexpected facility failures occur.
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August 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
by bruce
· Filed under birding, ecotourism, general
Internationally-known birder, photographer and wildlife biologist Ron LeValley of Fort Bragg says a local group has initiated a “citizen science project” (not official, just something created by interested locals) to monitor three populations of nesting cormorants on the Mendocino Coast.
Why? By monitoring seabird populations you can measure the health of the ocean and determine whether there is sufficient food to sustain birds and marine life, says LeValley. He and others in the volunteer-staffed science project are counting and photographing cormorant nests and chicks weekly off Mendocino Headlands State Park (Brandt’s Cormorants), Point Cabrillo Light Station (Pelagic Cormorants) and Noyo Harbor off the jetty (Brand’s Cormorants).
In the past — for decades actually — scientists have measured the bird populations at the Farallon and Alcatraz Islands and then extrapoled about the ocean’s food supplies and health, according to LeValley
“If we took those traditional measures as our guide, we would arrive at the wrong conclusion because reproduction around San Francisco Bay is the worst in a long time,” says LeValley. “By contrast, our local colonies are thriving, indicating a healthy ocean.” A healthy population of sardines is reflected in the bumper crop of baby cormorants this year.
LeValley predicts that the Mendocino Coast will become an important place for gathering information about seabird success and state’s ocean health in the future. In fact, he plans to make a presentation of the local group’s study at the 2010 international meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group in Long Beach, California.
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June 19, 2009 at 8:38 pm
by nancy
· Filed under attractions, birding, ecotourism, events, family fun, hikes, parks, pet-friendly, picnics, walks
Docent Led Hikes at Jug Handle State Reserve
Join California State Parks for guided Ecological Staircase hikes every other Thursday this summer. Hikes are scheduled for June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13 and August 27. All hikes start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve parking lot on the west side of Highway 1, about 3 miles south of Fort Bragg.
Summer Programs at MacKerricher State Park
California State Parks announces free, guided interpretive programs at MacKerricher State Park. These programs will be presented every week through September 6, 2009. All programs are led by park staff or volunteers.
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April 26, 2009 at 11:33 am
by bruce
· Filed under birding, ecotourism, general, hikes
During the first Big River Interpretive Walk season in 2008, over 200 people attended walks including local residents and visitors from as far as Europe and Japan. Many participants experienced Big River for the first time while others learned interesting facts about a place close to their hearts. On a recent drive down to the parking lot where walks begin, I saw a stately egret standing perfectly still just 20 yards off the road. There is definitely plenty to see. And, after you’ve walked the river, you can stroll to Big River Beach to watch the sunset.
Big River Interpretive Walks are free of charge and open to the public. The 2009 Interpretive Walks will occur on the following Saturdays at 10:00 a.m., weather permitting: May 2, May 16, June 6, June 20, July 4, July 18, August 1, August 15, September 5, September 19 and October 3. Read the rest of this entry »
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We were delighted to open our February 2010 Sunset Magazine and discover one of our favorite coastal retreats – Glendeven Inn – was featured. Named as one of the top 20 destinations of the west, Glendeven Inn offers a mix of elegance and comfort that keep their guests returning year after year. Their meadow is dotted with llamas that they allow you to visit – very friendly indeed! Breakfast is made with eggs from their chickens and guests are encouraged to participate in feeding time. Both locals and visitors have discovered their cozy Wine Bar(n) or feasted on one of their elegant dinners served in their beautifully restored, historic farmhouse.