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Green Resolutions

5 Simple Green Resolutions

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? We’ve come up with 5 sustainable resolutions that are simple, yet so effective, the environment will thank you.

1. Eliminate Vampire Energy

Did you know that most devices draw power from your outlets even if they’re turned off? Vampire energy can be prevented by unplugging electronic devices when you’re done is not only easy, but it could save you money on your next energy bill. Try unplugging your phone charger in the morning, or your toaster and coffeemaker. And if you use power strips, you can simply turn off the switch.

2. Reduce and Reuse Plastic

We all know we should be using reusable coffee cups, shopping bags, and sandwich bags, but sometimes it’s hard to remember. So until we break the habit, how can we remember? Try setting an alarm on your phone. Put your reusable shopping bags in your car. Move your plastic wrap and sandwich bags to a hard-to-get place–perhaps that top cabinet? And if you do use plastic, think of other purposes it could serve before you throw it away. After a few weeks, you’ll have formed a green habit.

3. Meat-Free Mondays

Cutting meat out of your diet for one or two days a week can drastically decrease your carbon footprint. Not sure what to make? How about pancakes and fruit for breakfast, fresh salads or roasted vegetables for lunch; and veggie pizza, bean soups, or pasta for dinner? Or Google some new vegetarian recipes to try out.

4. Be Water Wise

Water is one of our most precious resources, but needs to be conserved. Use water wisely and see how much you can save: Washing only full loads of laundry and dishes saves up to 50 gallons per week; fixing household leaks saves up to 20 gallons per day; and five-minute showers save up to eight gallons per shower.

5. Garden Like a Pro

In San Diego, we’re lucky to be able to garden year-round. We’re also lucky enough to have community gardens in case you can’t garden at home. Growing your own food is rewarding and saves money. Composting reuses food and plant waste and reduces landfill waste by breaking down into nutrients for your soil. Did you know we teach free composting classes at the Living Coast every Sunday? Come down and learn a thing or two to help you get started!

We all know it’s hard to change long-term habits. So take it slow and do as much as you can. Maybe you start one resolution in January and wait until February to add another. No matter what, don’t give up. Every action you take helps in some way!

Animal Care, Blog, Did You Know

The Garibaldi at the Living Coast

by Lindsay Bradshaw, Animal Care Manager

If you have ever been out snorkeling or diving in southern California, you will notice a trend: brown fish, gray fish, black fish, another brown fish, spotted grey fish, more brown fish, et cetera, et cetera. It is a big contrast to the vibrant colors you see out on a tropical coral reef where it looks like an entire rainbow has come alive and is swimming all around you. But despite the dull color palate (a palate based on camouflage among the brown kelp and seaweed), there is one fish in southern California who didn’t get the memo and stands out among the rest of his grey and brown neighbors: the garibaldi, California’s state marine fish.

Garibaldi are bright orange. Rather than camouflage, their coloration acts to draw attention to themselves and they stand out like a traffic cone on a busy street. Their kelp forest home is one of greens and browns, so why would the garibaldi want to stand out from its surroundings? The answer lies in why all animals exhibit the colors that they do. Nature always has a reason for everything – camouflage helps animals blend in with their surroundings to avoid predation and increases their chance for survival; disruptive coloration, like the stripes on a zebra, confuse predators; advertising coloration is often a sign that the animal will do a service (so don’t eat him!), like a bright red cleaner shrimp crawling into the mouth of a predatory moray eel to feed on and clean the moray eel of parasites.

Garibaldi have what is called “warning coloration”. It is a sign to other fish to steer clear. Garibaldi are fiercely protective of their nests and very territorial. Male garibaldi start off by picking a nice flat rock and clearing out all algae other than the desired species of red algae. The females will visit numerous nest sites before picking one to deposit her eggs in. The males are responsible for tending the nest and raising the young, a task they take very seriously. Garibaldi have been known to chase after much larger fish and even scuba divers that swim too close to their nest.

When we talk about coloration, the baby garibaldi are no exception. Having a darker orange color and bright blue spots, these youngsters aren’t advertising that they are aggressive or territorial, they are advertising to the adult garibaldi that they are just babies and might not understand territory boundaries yet. A way to say ‘go easy on us… we don’t know any better’. Coloration for fish is not only a means to communicate, but a way to increase their survival. Next time you are at the Living Coast Discovery Center, see if you can find our two resident garibaldi!

Lindsay Bradshaw is the Animal Care Manager at the Living Coast Discovery Center. She has worked for several animal-focused organizations, including Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo, Maui Ocean Center, and the Vancouver Aquarium.

Blog, Horticulture

Spiders! EEK!!!

Spiders abound at the Living Coast

If you know where to look, you can find hundreds of spiders throughout the Living Coast grounds. This being the season of spooky, we wanted to let you in on a little secret: we’re surrounded by ’em!

Like this feller on your left, a jumping spider (Salticidae) that just caught a fly. Oh, and they have four pairs of eyes. Did we mention they can jump? Most jumping spiders can jump several times the length of their bodies but don’t worry, that’s only about 66 millimeters — or two-and-a-half inches.

One of our volunteers, Patricia, sent in photos of our spiders, which love to hide in cactus. One of Patricia’s favorites is the dew-drop (Theridiidae) spider. Here’s what she has to say, “Just learned this about the dew-drop spiders of the genus we saw: Spiders in this genus live in the webs of orb weaver spiders. They may be commensal (feeding on prey or prey remains that have been abandoned by the host) or kleptoparasitic (stealing prey that has been captured and/or stored by the host). They may also feed on the host spider or her eggs.” One word: CREEPY!

We also have very large house spiders. Is this because they are found in houses or as big as houses!? One other word: YIKES!!!

You might be wondering where you can find spiders at the Living Coast and, if you’re so inclined (or just want to give them a wide berth) here’s where they abound. Or in the case of the jumping spider, bound:

Most any cactus on the grounds or the many trails (spiders like cactus because it keeps predators away and prey close to the blooms)
A lot of the plants along Raptor Row on the way to Eagle Mesa
In the plants on Sweetwater Marsh, which you can see from our lunch decks.

Once you start looking for them, it’s almost impossible to stop seeing spiders at the Living Coast… Below, you can see more photos of our eight-legged friends, if you dare! MUUUAHAHAHAHA.

Cool evil laugh, eh?

Blog, Horticulture

Agave In Bloom

Shaw’s Agave at the Living Coast about to burst into color

You will not want to miss the color show that is about to happen at the Living Coast. One of our Shaw’s agave plants is about to burst into color. Why is this so exciting?

Besides the spectacular color, these plants only bloom once in their lifetime after about 30 years. Additionally, Shaw’s agave is an extremely rare, endangered California plant. Watching this plant bloom is a special treat that may not always be available.

Coastal plants that take a long time to mature have difficulty keeping up with development. By some estimates, there might only be a single Shaw’s agave growing in the wild. The plants we have at the Living Coast are clones of that wild specimen, located near Border Field State Park and the Tijuana Estuary. Plants like Shaw’s agave send out identical plant shoots (or clones), known as pups, that can be removed from the host plant and replanted elsewhere.

One of the most spectacular things about this soon-to-bloom agave is how much it has grown in such a short time. We took our first in a series of pictures (to document this momentous blooming event) on August 3rd and, by August 16th, it had grown nearly 20 feet! But there’s more to come!

After reaching this height, the cactus began flowering. It will continue for a number of days and we’re sure the result will be even more spectacular than its twenty-foot growth spurt. If you want to see a once-in-a-lifetime blooming event, we recommend coming to the Living Coast — and soon!

We have taken photos of this blooming cactus every day and put them together in a time-lapse sequence so you can see just how much this plant has grown from August 3-September 9, 2015. The video, which you can see below, offers a preview of the blooms to come. We hope you come to enjoy the finale at the Living Coast very soon!

Mark Valen, our Facilities and Horticulture Manager, contributed to this blog post. He says if the blooms get pollinated, then fruit will appear, containing seeds. Mark plans to sow the seeds around grounds, to sprout some of them in our greenhouse, and leave many of them to fall naturally and propagate themselves.

This spectacular blooming event represents the end of this particular agave’s life cycle, but with a little luck and hard work we may be able to help the species’ continued survival. There are many other Shaw’s agave plants at the Living Coast — one of which is also going to bloom soon — so if you ever needed a reason to see some very rare coastal plants doing some very beautiful things, the time is now!

Animal Care, Blog

Burrowing Owl Backpack

Living Coast Burrowing Owl Assists in Research

Our Burrowing Owl, Blue, assisted in a research project recently. Researchers with San Diego Zoo Global plan to observe Burrowing Owls in the wild using satellite transponders but don’t know how Burrowing Owls would react to wearing the device. Enter Blue, who wore the GPS device for four days — and even continued his duties as an Animal Ambassador at the Living Coast.

Researchers placed the “Burrowing Owl Backpack” on Blue and tested the transmission and reception of data including GPS coordinates. The equipment worked well, and Blue didn’t mind wearing the device. The next step for the research is to get the Burrowing Owl Backpacks onto wild owls.

Animal Care, Blog, Did You Know

Burrowing Owls at the Living Coast

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Burrowing Owls are year-round residents of southern California, Central Mexico and South America. As their name suggests, they nest in holes in the ground, either ones they have dug or borrowed from tortoises, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or armadillos. You can see Burrowing Owls at the Living Coast Discovery Center, between Raptor Row and the Shark and Ray Experience and — if you’re lucky — in the wild.

Burrowing Owls are generally active at dusk and dawn, but sometimes at night also. They are comparatively easy to see because they are often active in daylight, and can be surprisingly bold and approachable. Living Coast guests have often commented that our Burrowing Owls seem as curious as they are shy, darting into their burrows but returning quickly for another inquisitive look.

Some of our Burrowing Owls serve as Animal Ambassadors, appearing on site and at various functions throughout San Diego with their human handlers who are more than happy to answer questions.

Did you know? The Burrowing Owl has also been referred to as: Ground Owl, Prairie Dog Owl, Rattlesnake Owl, Howdy Owl, Cuckoo Owl, Tunnel Owl, Gopher Owl, and Hill Owl.

Animal Care, Blog

The Former Clapper Rail

Light-footed Clapper Rails become Ridgway’s Rails

Do you know this bird? Until recently, we called them Clapper Rails or Light Footed Clapper Rails. But no longer. They are now classified as Ridgway’s Rails.

This has to do with a split in species. California’s three subspecies of Rallus longirostris (Clapper Rails) recently became subspecies of Rallus obsoletus, which is given the English name Ridgway’s Rail. It has three subspecies: yumanensis (Colorado River area), levipes (southern California), and nominate obsoletus, (San Francisco Bay area).

So the birds you see in San Diego County marshes are now Rallus obsoletus levipes or the levipes subspecies of Ridgway’s (formerly Clapper) Rail. LCDC will be referring to them as Light-footed Ridgway’s Rails. We have one in our Shorebird Aviary that doesn’t care what you call it.

Confused yet? Here are a few things that haven’t changed: Ridgway’s Rails (like the former Clapper Rail) are no less endangered; they are still birds with rail thin legs who live in marshes and make nests of Eelgrass; and their call still sounds like clapping. The new common name refers to ornithologist Robert Ridgway who was so revered in the community that modern ornithologists still say, half-jokingly, “rule number one is: Ridgway was right.”

You can see Ridgway’s Rails at the Living Coast Discovery Center, in the Shorebird Aviary and, if you’re lucky, on one of our wild birding adventures. Our birding tours depart the Living Coast Front Desk at various times on weekends, and are included with admission. The best explanation of the name change comes from Dave Quady and the Golden Gate Audubon Society, which you can read here: Farewell Clapper Rail, hello Ridgway’s Rail.

Animal Care, Blog, Did You Know

Did You Know? Black Oystercatcher

Black Oystercatcher’s Birthday: June 16 is Sweet Sixteenth

Have you seen our Black Oystercatcher? If you visit the Living Coast’s Shorebird Aviary, you’ll know him by his distinct black body, large orange beak, and loud call. Oystercatchers use their beaks to pry oysters and limpets off of rocks. They also eat fish and invertebrates.

Oystercatchers can be found from Alaska to Baja California. Did You Know— their feathers get lighter the farther south you find them?

If you visit the Living Coast on June 16th, make sure to visit the Black Oystercatcher in the Shorebird Aviary – and wish him a Happy Birthday (or Hatching Day) — it’s his Sweet Sixteenth! Here’s a link to that distinct Oystercatcher call.

Animal Care, Blog, Did You Know

Did You Know? Ruddy Ducks

Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis)

Ruddy Ducks spend most of their time on the water. They are fast fliers but not very maneuverable in the air, so it’s easier for them to swim and dive to escape predators. Ruddy Ducks breed in wetlands and reservoirs from southwestern Canada through the western United States and Mexico, as well as in scattered sites in the eastern United States and on the Caribbean islands.

Both adults and ducklings eat aquatic insects, crustaceans, zooplankton, and other invertebrates, along with small amounts of aquatic plants and seeds. You can see our Ruddy Duck in the Shorebird Aviary at the Living Coast Discovery Center.

Ruddy Duck 2 Did you know? A naturalist, speaking of Ruddy Ducks in 1926 said, “…its curious nesting customs and ludicrous courtship performance place it in a niche by itself… Everything about this bird is interesting to the naturalist, but almost nothing about it is interesting to the sportsman.”

Animal Care, Blog, Did You Know

Did You Know? Greater Roadrunner

The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is most common in desert areas, but it can also be found in chaparral, grasslands, open woodlands, and agricultural areas. It is a poor flyer but can run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. It uses its long tail as a type of rudder to help it keep its balance while running. Our Roadrunner came to us for our SuperWild exhibit, which celebrates animal super powers.

He’ll be staying with us after SuperWild ends (September 7) and can be found next to our Burrowing Owls on Raptor Row (which features native birds that cannot survive in the wild on their own). He recently slowed down enough for us to snap a few photos of him.