What’s new on the “Petaloo”

Greetings all;
Here’s hoping each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We at Friends certainly did; in fact we have been so busy working and celebrating that the November issue of the Tidings is just now posting.

“Celebration”

In this season of gratitude we are extremely thankful for the wonderful support and encouragement Friends has received in our first year. It was with great pleasure that we shared the accomplishments of the past year and thanked those who contributed to our successes at the “Celebration” on October 20^th. A special list of first year milestones and memories was created for the event. A copy will be available on our website – www.FriendsofthePetalumaRiver.org.

Also online is the Petaluma Argus Courier article, published on Oct. 25^th , about our “Challenge Grant” success, is also posted there. Find it on the “Friends in the Press” page or at www.ArgusCourier.com.

Future Plans:

Friends is looking forward to a bright and busy future. We are poised for another big year with several projects underway and others being planned.
A few of our projected activities for 2007:

• Move forward with plans to establish a floating headquarters and River Heritage Center and to make “Celebrating and Conserving” the Petaluma River a full time endeavor.
• Produce videos and power point presentations documenting the Petaluma River’s natural wonders, and environmental challenges.
• Explore increased River access opportunities; developing possible “Water Trail” amenities, and organizing activities to connect people to the River and its “Wetlands Empire”.
• Expand our Science, Education, and Information sharing components.
• Broaden our collaborations with other groups, agencies, businesses, and individuals for the good of the River.

To assess Friends capabilities and prioritize its strategies the Board of Directors will be meeting for a facilitated retreat in December. I look forward to sharing the results and hope we can expand our activities to provide even more community resources and involvement.

Recent Tours:

Getting people out on the water is still the most effective way we know to share information, generate enthusiasm, and win friends for the River. We provided personal tours for Sonoma Co. Supervisor Mike Kerns and SCCA auction winner Sheri Cardo. Both outings were enthusiastically received and provided promises of future support for River stewardship and Friend’s projects.

Many other folks took advantage of the wonderful fall tours offered by Dolphin Charters aboard the 50’ Dolphinus. Those tours also supported Friends with a portion of the proceeds. Thank you all.

Environmental Challenges:

Constant vigilance and stewardship are necessary to protect our River. Friends continues to be pro-active in this area. We recently alerted Marin County authorities of possible leaks in a Redwood Landfill levee.

They responded with an investigation and report that the drainage was from a depression outside the landfill boundaries.

The area in question was the site of a past failure, which created the necessity of a separate berm and the placement of rock rip-rap for shoring. Hearings in Marin Co. on the landfill’s operation and possible expansion are now scheduled for January.

Spartina may be invading:

Another disturbing environmental development was the suspected appearance of an invasive strain of Spartina (hybrid Spartina alternifolia x S. foliosa) found near Shollenberger Park in Petaluma. The discovery was reported by Fish and Game biologist Gene Cooley. This plant tends to dominate other aquatic vegetation, close off tidal sloughs, and drive out natural flora and fauna. It has been an ongoing concern in the South Bay but hasn’t been seen in the Petaluma Watershed before. Learn more at www.spartina.org.

Three years ago I assisted the Spartina Project with a boat tour and survey of the Petaluma Marsh. No invasive plants were found at that time; although the seeds are water-born and have been spreading.

On Sunday Friend’s Board member and science teacher Dr. John Shribbs paddled his kayak out to investigate the problem. He produced a map of other possibly affected areas (see below). A team of agency officials, scientists, and environmental leaders will be meeting on Wednesday to evaluate the situation. I will keep you posted on developments.

River Rangers last ride?

“River Rangers” on tour

The Petaluma River Rangers culminated a month long after school program with a boat ride on the river. They had a wonderful time exploring sloughs and viewing wildlife between the Petaluma Marina and Lakeville. This program, organized by Darcy Aston, for McNear School was so successful that we are hoping to repeat it in the future. Big thanks to Clavey River Equipment for the generous loan of “Boat Jackets” for this tour.

We hope to see you on the water and in the community

Dave Yearsley – Friends of the Petaluma River

Celebrate & Conserve

Group seeks watercraft for tours, ‘floating office’ along Petaluma River
Published: Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006

By COREY YOUNG
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

The Petaluma River has some generous “Friends.”

A fund-raising campaign to meet a $10,000 “challenge grant” ended in success Sept. 18, when Friends of the Petaluma River bested the goal by $390, executive director David Yearsley announced.

The group added several thousand dollars in the final days when a “flurry of donations” came in following phone calls, solicitation letters and an e-mail appeal, the group said.

The money raised by Friends will match a $10,000 donation made to help the group realize its goal of buying a boat, possibly a paddlewheeler, for giving river tours and as a “floating office.”

The grant came from Bob and Cari Koch of Novato, who said they wanted to be part of the new “Friends” effort and encourage others in the community to support the organization’s mission.

“David’s knowledge and passion for the river impressed us greatly,” the Kochs said in a statement. “It meant a lot to us when we realized we could make a difference and be part of this grassroots organization. We’re glad we could help get the ball rolling.”

Yearsley said more than 70 donations came in from businesses and private individuals to help match the Kochs’ offer. Businesses including Bank of Marin, Bluestone Main, Clover-Stornetta, Exchange Bank, Petaluma Sheraton and Port Sonoma gave large donations, he said.

“It was a great outpouring of community support,” Yearsley said.

The group’s next step is to find a used boat that can be refurbished as a new home. Yearsley said Friends is exploring the purchase of a two-deck paddlewheel boat that is currently unused.

He previously expressed hope that the group could get permission from the city to keep the floating office moored in the downtown Turning Basin, but said another location recently came to mind.

“I’m thinking McNear channel could be a much better location, next to Steamer Landing Park and the River Heritage Center in the old livery stable,” Yearsley said.

(Contact Corey Young at cyoung@arguscourier.com)