WINTER 2014
The Newsletter of the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
A facility of
Hayward
Area
Recreation &
Park District
Volume 30, Number 1
King Tides: A Season for Big Water
B y N anc y C e ri dw y n
S
tand on the shoreline trail in Decemthe earth. The moon’s close proximity and
ber, January and February and watch
gravitational pull adds to the bulge and
high tide water edging over the trail.
tidal height more than any other time of
U PCOMING E V EN TS
An amazing mini sea covers the pickAT THE SHO RE LINE
leweed and transports new discoveries
such as coconuts and exoskeletons to our
JANUARY
backdoor at the Interpretive Center and
Celestial Coincidence
inspires us to pull on boots for sloshing
Sun. Jan. 4, 4:30pm-6:00pm
through the water. Like the ancient miracle of winter solstice serving as a harbinger
FEBRUARY
of more light, King Tides also anticipate
h aYer Boat
Float
a
i
the month. y
n the coming spring light. The King Tides
Sat. Feb. 21,w12:30pm-1:30pm
ard, califor
speak to our kid-brains that demand a full
The earth has one more tidal reguexperience
for
the
changing
California
lating
force,
its attempt to escape from orMARCH
seasons.
I
saw
my
first
Salt
Marsh
Harvest
bit.
As
a
flying
object, the earth would love
Nature Detectives: Home
Mouse during a King Tide when the tiny,
to keep sailing forever in one direction,
for the Harvest Mouse
long-tailed fur ball climbed to the top of
but gravity from the sun and moon forces
Sat. Mar. 7, 11:00am-12:00pm
a gum plant seeking sanctuary from the
it to rein in that notion of escape and keep
See inside for program details.
marsh water. What a fabulous world!
it moving in an ellipse. This action creates
But then the adult brain begins to
a bulge on the opposite side of the earth
S C H O O L FIE L D TRIPS
seek
answers
for
this
water-soaked
event
from the gravitational bulge of the sun and
We conduct hands-on wetland
so
I
click
to
my
brain’s
knowledge
screen.
moon. This double bulge like a squished
education programs for local
First,
why
do
I
observe
the
winter
King
tennis ball divides the earth into high tides
school children. Call 510-670Tides in the later part of the month? Let’s
at the bulges and low tides at the valleys. In
7270 to bring your group out to
go to the model of the solar system. My
the San Francisco Bay, therefore, we have
discover the shoreline.
school’s 3D-model of the earth whirled
two high tides and two low tides per day as
around the sun in a perfect circle, but in
a result of rotation.
I N FO & HO U RS
reality, the earth travels in an egg-shaped
We have our “perfect recipe” for
We are open to the public
ellipse. With an ellipse, the earth is closour King Tides: Greatest Gravity from the
every Friday, Saturday, and Sunest to the sun in the winter months and
Sun + Greatest Gravity from the Moon +
day from 10am to 5pm.
therefore, our planet experiences the great- rotation.
est solar gravitational pull at this celestial
And another question, why are
4901 Breakwater Avenue
position. The pull
Hayward, CA 94545
causes a bulge in
telephone: 510-670-7270
the ocean’s surface.
email: [email protected]
Now couple this
solar gravitational
on the web:
pull with our usual
HAYWARDREC.ORG
major tide-regulator,
the moon. Our
moon also moves
Hayward Shoreline during a low tide (left) and a King Tide (right)
in an elliptical
pattern around
CO N T I N UED PAGE 4
•
•
•
We can look at our King
Tide and imagine this
watery world as normal
in 2030.
EXHIBIT HALL
salt marsh
Curmudgeon’s Garden
Artist Doug Burgess
ON EXHIBIT JANUARY 24 - MARCH 14, 2015
Artist Reception
Saturday, January 31, 2:00-4:00pm
Humans invented “weeds” when we invented agriculture.
Before that our ancestors merely avoided harmful plants and
ignored the ones that did not provide benefits. Artist Doug
Burgess has assembled a gallery of Bay Area weeds, aliens, and
other unwanted plants growing without cultivation; a sort of
curmudgeon’s garden. He hopes to better understand these
plants that we dismiss so easily but plague us so relentlessly.
Many of these weeds can be found along the Hayward Shoreline and all can be found within a few miles of the Interpretative Center.
The Interpretive Center has a large exhibit space with vaulted ceilings and moveable display panels. We are always interested in any
form of art exhibit that highlights local wildlife, wetland or Bay ecology, or any theme in keeping with our goal of educating and inspiring
the public. If you are an artist interested in holding an art show
at the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, please contact
the Program Director at 510-670-7270.
C RE ATURE FE ATURE:
Gray Fox
O
f the animals that live along the Hayward Shoreline, some are rarely seen by
humans. Their bodies are camouflaged to blend into the background, they have
highly attuned senses that help keep them away from us, and they are often animals
that are most active when people are asleep. The gray fox is a mammal found at the
shoreline that exemplifies all those adaptations. This small fox weighs only about 10
to 13 pounds as an adult, and is the only canine that can climb, which it does quite
agilely with its short, strong legs and retractable claws. As with all foxes, it has a long
bushy tail used for balance, for warmth to wrap around its body, and for a way to
communicate with others of its kind. Although areas of the gray fox’s body have red
fur, such as their legs, the majority of its body is covered in gray fur. A black stripe
that runs the length of its tail ending in a black spot is a distinguishing field mark.
VI TA L ST AT S:
Gray Fox
COMMON NAME:
Gray Fox
:
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Canada to
RANGE: Southern
Northern Venezuela
s, birds,
DIET: Small rodent
ss
insects, nuts, berries, gra
”
LENGTH: Up to 44
Stay still and
HOW TO OBSERVE:
of the
look for movement out
corner of your eye
Of the two species of fox that can be found along the Hayward Shoreline,
the gray fox is the only California native. The red fox is the other species living in
the area, but is considered an invasive having come from the eastern United States
as long ago as 100 years when people raised them on farms for their
pelts. These two tend to compete with each other and over time the
gray fox has been pushed to the edges of the shoreline. They are now
only spotted in a couple of locations like at the eucalyptus trees
found along the driveway at the West Winton trailhead. Gray foxes are not an endangered species,
but at the Hayward Shoreline, they are an
animal that is becoming scarcer. So, if
you happen to go hiking early in the
morning around dawn, keep your
eyes open wide for a look at
one of our more extraordinary residents.
- Ann Graham
N E WS A N D NO TES
sp otli ght pro gr am : winter 2 0 1 5
DEDICATION OF NEW
TRAIL SIGNS
As part of the 2013/2014 National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation Fishing Grant,
four new signs were recently installed
along the main trail in our interpretive
kiosks. Because this is the first time that
permanent interpretive signs have been
installed, it was only appropriate that the
text be written by Mike Koslosky, the
first program director of the Interpretive Center. To accompany his wonderful
information about stewardship of the Bay
and safe fishing practices, artwork was
donated by local photographers Lee Aurich and Warren Holcomb who are both
long-time visitors of the shoreline.
Secrets of the Slides
Thursday, January 22, 6:00pm-7:30pm
In partnership with the Hayward Area Historical Society, we are presenting a series of incredible slides from the Interpretive Center archives. View
stunning plant and wildlife images as well as several pictures of the saltmaking processes. Accompanied by these pictures, we will reflect on the
changes that have occurred along the Hayward shoreline. Light refreshments served. Ages 16 and up. Free.
Museum entrance fee: $8 general and $5 students/seniors
Hayward Area Historical Society Community Gallery
22380 Foothill Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94541
The public is invited on Saturday, January
17 from 3:00-5:00pm to hike down the
trail a short ways to view these new signs,
enjoy refreshments, and watch the beautiful marsh as the sun begins to set.
The California Department of Fish and
Game has released the dates for which
waterfowl hunting will be allowed at Eden
Landing Ecological Reserve. This park
is located south of the San Mateo bridge
and while it is normally a great place for
hiking, it will be closed to the public on
the following dates.
Saturday, Nov. 22
Saturday, Dec. 6
Thursday, Dec. 11
Saturday, Dec. 20
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Saturday, Jan. 3
Thursday, Jan. 8
Thursday, Jan. 15
Saturday, Jan. 24
All hunters must have a hunting license,
federal duck stamp, and state duck
stamp. They must check in at the site
with CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and
obey bag limits and other regulations. For
more information, visit:
www.dfg.ca.gov/Hunting.
fall sightings
WATERFOWL HUNTING
AT EDEN LANDING
T H I S FA LL , animals of all kinds were seen in the marsh.
Notable sightings include:
• RED FOX trotting along the fresh water marsh
• Small BAT RAY swimming in the channel near the cement bridge
• BLACK SKIMMERS resting and flying near islands at the Bay’s edge
• MONARCH BUTTERFLY lazily flying, finishing its migration
• BLACK PHOEBE hunting insects around the Interpretive Center
• OSPREY eating a staghorn sculpin on a wooden post near Bockman Channel
GHOST
SHRIMP caught in nets by 2nd graders during a fieldtrip
•
CABBAGE
WHITE BUTTERFLIES in the hundreds hovering above
•
the salty alkali heath
• HARBOR SEAL swimming in the channel at Eden Landing
Ecological Reserve
• ELEGANT TERNS roosting alongside MARBLED GODWITS
waiting for the tide to recede
As the summer has wound down and the nesting birds dispersed
from the area, migrating shorebirds and waterfowl have begun to arrive in large numbers.
This fall Northern Pintails have been
quite abundant as they swim elegantly
on the bay or roost on various islands.
Some are just refueling before they
migrate further south, but many will remain
through the fall and winter.
3
Hayward Area Recreation and Park District
hayward shoreline interpretive center
4901 Breakwater Avenue Hayward, CA 94545
H.S.I.C. STA FF
Adrienne De Ponte
Patti Workover Ann Graham Nancy Ceridwyn Linden Rayton
H .A .R.D . BOA RD & STA FF
Superv. Naturalist
Senior Naturalist
Senior Naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist
King Tides
Shayna Butler Naturalist
Jenna Lowe Student Aide
Jahlan Loche Student Aide
Randy Gates Contributing Naturalist
Lauren Porter Animal Care Specialist
FR OM PAG E 1
some of these tides higher than others? For additional spice, let’s throw
in a storm surge. A storm brewing in
the mid-Pacific Ocean creates a high
atmospheric pressure area of cold air
pushing down in a circular pattern.
At the center the pressure is less (low
atmospheric pressure) which forms a
raised dome of water. The wind speed
picks up as it travels many miles without break in the force since there are
no large land masses in the Pacific before the North American Continent.
Added to our recipe is a wave pushing
the dome until it crashes onto the
shore bringing even more water with
the tidal current. The breaking dome
or mass of water, called a surge, can
Board of Directors General Manager
Louis Andrade
John Gouveia
Paul Hodges
Superintendent of Recreation
Minane Jameson
Kerri Ely
Carol A. Pereira
Nature Program Supervisor
Dennis Waespi
Jennifer Koney
add three feet in the open sea. Then,
as it comes ashore the water height
increases as the depth of the bottom
becomes shallower pushing the water
upward creating higher waves. The
waves finally break with such momentum as to run up a sloping beach or
mud flat at possibly twice the height
of the wave. With a storm, a usual
eight foot King Tide may add a three
foot surge plus a doubling breaking
wave of six more feet. We could see
14 to 17 feet of water moving onto the
shoreline marshes. One wonders where the blacktailed jack rabbits and the salt marsh
harvest mice that live in the salt
marshes find refuge in such storms.
Which also leads us to consider rising
sea levels. We can look at our King
Tide and imagine this watery world
as normal in 2030 or with a storm
surge as a normal day in 2100. We
can think about how we will prepare
for such an increase in our salt water
world. While this annual King Tide
event brings a sense of wonder, it
also wakes us up to a changed world
in which planning and community
decision-making become an important element in our preparations.
What choices can we make today as a
community? Visit the Hayward Shoreline’s web page to explore resources
available to you today. And bring that
kid part of you that loves the water
and adventure of walking and sloshing during King Tides to the shoreline
this December and January.