This Thursday, our robotics team had the honor of meeting and talking to Ms. Michele Liapes, a member of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. She provided us with an immense amount of valuable information, and we learned a lot more about the wildlife of the reservoir. Some of the species she told us about were the San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat, the Crystal Springs lessingia, the San Francisco garter snake, and the California red-legged frog. The SF dusky-footed woodrat is a CA species of concern. It mostly lives in forests with moderate canopy and understory. It builds large nests known as “middens” on the floor of the forest and sometimes in the trees. The Crystal Springs lessingia is purple flower that is a CA sensitive species and blooms from July-October. One of the incredibly special things about this species is that it is endemic to the Crystal Springs Reservoir. This means that it is only found in the areas around the reservoir. The San Francisco garter snake, one of the most beautiful snakes in the country. It is federally and state endangered as well as CA fully protected. It mostly resides in the vicinity of freshwater, marshes, ponds, and slow-moving streams. The last species we learned about was the California red-legged frog. It is a spotted frog with red legs (hence the name). It mostly resides in or near deep water with vegetation surrounding it. These were only some of the species we learned about thanks to Ms. Liapes, and we are truly thankful for her assistance. Thank you Ms. Liapes!
17 Comments
In addition to the marbled murrelet and the bald eagle, there are other rare species that reside in the Crystal Springs Reservoir. One of these species is the Mountain Lion, a powerful and majestic creature. The Mountain Lion is a carnivorous mammal that can weigh up to 140 pounds at full size. Mountain Lions usually prey on deer, although they also eat coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. Mountain Lions are part of the feline family, which includes lions, tigers, and jaguars. At one point, Mountain Lions were commonly sighted in all of the United States, but at the beginning of the 20th century, Mountain Lions were completely eliminated from all of the Eastern and Midwest U.S. This was due mainly to the hunting of Mountain Lions for their meat and fur. The whitetail deer, the Mountain Lion’s main source of food, has rebounded in population over the past few years, and some researches believe that the Mountain Lion could reclaim the land it once roamed so freely over. There is a common misconception that Mountain Lions are vicious animals that often kill or seriously maim humans. This could not be further from the truth. Mountain Lions are shy, solitary animals, and they are seldom seen by humans. On average, only four people are killed by Mountain Lions per year in the U.S. and Canada. Help us raise awareness by teaching everyone in your community about the amazing Mountain Lion.
In our last post, we talked about the rare Marbled Murrelets that reside in the Crystal Springs Reservoir. Another rare species that call the reservoir their home is the Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle has been slowly coming back from endangerment over the past few years. Last year, there was huge progress made when two Bald Eagle chicks were born. The parents had been trying to reproduce at the reservoir since 2012 and finally were able to last year. This is a sign that the Bald Eagle is slowly coming back in the Bay area. The Eagle’s diet mainly consists of fish, smaller birds, and rodents. In the 1700s, there were an estimated 300,000-500,000 bald eagle, but in recent years, numbers have dropped to as low as 500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. Lately, numbers have rebounded, and there are about 5,000 pairs in the lower 48 states. Their mating period is usually between September and April. Bald Eagles mate at 4 or 5 years old and stay together for life. They can fly up to 10,000 feet in the air, which is incredible. Their habitats are usually near bodies of water, which is why they reside near the reservoir. Bald Eagles are mainly known for being the national emblem of the United States, since the nation’s founding in 1776. However, since then, Bald Eagles have been hunted to near extinction. If we open the reservoir, this might happen again in the Bay Area.
One of the most interesting species that resides in the Crystal Springs Reservoir is the Marbled Murrelet. The Murrelet is a small bird that lives at sea but lays its eggs in California’s redwood forests. The females lay only one egg per year, and both parents go back and forth from the forest to the sea, up to 50 miles away, to forage for food. This incredible species has seen its population reduced by 90 percent since the 1900s due to pollution and human intrusion on their habitat. Another reason for this drastic decrease in population is because of the Murrelets’ enemy, the Steller jays, who are known to steal and eat the vast majority of the murrelets’ eggs each season. If the jays continue to eat the Murrelet eggs, researchers predict that the Murrelet will be extinct by the end of this century. After this discovery, California redwood parks came up with a plan to stop the jays from eating the Murrelet eggs. Last spring, researchers spread out hundreds of vomit-inducing, fake Murrelet eggs across the Santa Cruz Mountains, and this year, they increased that area. The jays eat the eggs and the resulting discomfort teaches them not to steal the eggs anymore. Researchers found the perfect dose to make sure the jays weren’t harmed, but still learned their lesson. In addition to this, park rangers are trying to teach people to not feed the jays. Humans feeding the jays led to an increase in jay population, and therefore also a decrease in Murrelet population. Make no mistake, the researchers are in no way trying to harm the Steller jays, as they are an integral part of the redwoods’ ecosystem. But this unconventional method might just be the key to saving the Marbled Murrelet.
Recently, the city of San Francisco has been considering opening the area around the Crystal Springs Reservoir to the public. Known for its beautiful views, the reservoir is home to many species of wildlife that seek refuge in its safe environment. One of these species is the marbled murrelet, a type of duck. This species, as well as many other species surrounding the reservoir will be harmed if it is opened to the public. Therefore, we have decided to take action.
Many environmentalists have taken this discussion to facebook, creating facebook groups and providing frequent updates. We want to do our part in saving this amazing location. If the area were to be opened to the public, there are several possible dangers to the wildlife that resides there. There is a risk of forest fires from campfires that go awry. The wildlife could potentially be pushed out of the area or even completely eliminated. There are endless possibilities, but our goal is for the community to not reach that level of extremity. A common question that people ask is “what can I do to help?’ Well, we have the answer for you, and we’ve shortened the list down into three simple, easy-to-understand options.
We hope that you take some of our points into account and join our journey. Help us save the reservoir! P.S. Check out our Instagram account and our Facebook page by clicking on the icons above! |
AuthorHi, we're Reservoir Robotics, an First Lego League robotics team. For this year's Animal Allies project, we're putting all of our efforts into saving the unique species of the Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo, California. Don't let these special species be pushed out of their homes. Take action today! ArchivesCategories |