MAY 2008 CALENDAR

GENERAL MEETING

*The pre-meeting dinner will be held at 5:15 PM at Ottavio's, 1620 Ventura Blvd in Camarillo. Ottavio's early bird menu, available from 5 to 6 PM, includes soup or salad, entree, dessert and coffee. The pre-meeting dinner is open to all who wish to attend. Please call Nobuko McClure, 805-482-0411, at least 24 hours in advance to make reservations for the pre-meeting dinner.

PROGRAM

Elzbet Diaz de Leon will give a presentation titled "The Carbon Diet". There’s no longer any doubt that the Earth’s climate is changing. Spring is coming earlier every year, leaving migratory birds out of sync with their food sources. Ice caps and glaciers are melting away, stranding polar bears and penguins and threatening our water supplies. And the sea level is starting to rise, which threatens to inundate low-lying cities. The IPCC (the Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has concluded that it’s largely down to the burning of fossil fuel which releases carbon dioxide (CO) into the atmosphere. They recommend that we humans reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050 to avert global disaster. For that to happen, we can’t simply rely on government agencies and big corporations to do the job. Everyone will need to chip in. Come join Elzbet, from Ventura College, to learn what YOU can do for your planet.

FIELD TRIPS

The public is welcome to attend any CVAS meeting or field trip. CVAS assumes no responsibility for injuries, personal or otherwise, incurred while attending a society sponsored activity and will not be held liable for such accidents. One attends at one's own risk. The times listed are departure times - please arrive 15 minutes earlier. Also, if you wish to join a carpool, please bring gas money to help defray the cost of the ride. Please call the trip leader in advance to learn of any changes to the field trip plans. Rain cancels.

May 2, 3 &4, Friday-Sunday, Southeast Arizona
Meet Friday night at dusk at the main parking in Madera Canyon, Arizona, to watch the Elf Owl come out of his hole. On Saturday morning, we will be in Madera Canyon to look for Red-faced Warblers, Painted Redstarts, Bridled Titmouse, Mexican Jays and Greater Peewees. We will continue on to Patagonia to look for Thick-billed Kingbirds, Sage Thrashers, Vermillion Flycatchers etc. On Sunday, we will go to Ramsey Canyon or Ft. Huachuca to look for Elegant Trogans, Buff Breasted Flycatchers, Spotted Owls, Olive Warblers, Cassin’s and Bottieri Sparrows. There are B&B’s in Madera Canyon, motels in Patagonia and Sierra Vista. For additional information, call Dee Lyon @ 805-499-2165

May 8, Thursday, Beginners Bird Walk
Call Angie Kobabe @ 818-991-4055 between 9 am and 9 pm, to let her know you are coming and to learn where you are to meet. Rain cancels.

May 11, Sunday, Sierra Vista
Meet at the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation area at 8 am. Take Highway 101 to Wendy; go south to Lynn Road; turn right and go to the sign to turn left into Sierra Vista/ Santa Monica Mountains Recreation area. We hope to see Lazuli Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, White-tailed Kites, sparrows, Meadowlarks, Roadrunners and many other species.
Our leader is Thelma Williams @ 805-492-2796

May 17, Saturday, Malibu Creek State Park
Carpools will leave Rancho Park and Ride at 8 am. Carpoolers bring money for gas; there is also a fee at the park. We expect to see Hawks, sparrows, woodpeckers, bluebirds and Orioles. Our leader is Rich Congersky @ 805-381-2691

May 25, Sunday, Wheeler Gorge and Beyond
Carpools will leave Las Posas Park and Ride at 7:30 am or meet at Wheeler Gorge State Park at 8 am. We will look for returning neo-tropical migrants, then go on up to Rose Valley to see what is there and have a picnic lunch. Our leader is Tom Halpin @ 805-746-4598

May 30-31, Friday-Saturday, Bioblitz
Starts Friday at 12 noon and goes to Saturday 12 noon. For additional information, check the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation website at www.nps.gov/samo or the National Geographic Education Network at www.ngsednet.org/bioblitz

SCHEDULED FIELD TRIPS FOR 2007-2008

Please confirm the dates and locations of the listed field trips using this web site or the CVAS newsletter.

June 1,Sun Annual Picnic
June 7, Sat, Pine Mt
June 14, Sat, Sierra Vista
June 22, Sun Camarillo Regional Park