FRIENDS OF THE DUNES
Know Your Dunes:
An Educational Community Webinar
The Humboldt Coastal Dunes Cooperative will host Know Your Dunes: An Educational Community Webinar on Thursday, November 10, 2022. This free public webinar will feature a series of short presentations highlighting collaborative conservation efforts of Humboldt’s coastal dune environments. Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link.
Topics will include:
Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project Vulnerability Assessment
Ian Walker, Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara will present the preliminary results of the Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project (HCRP) Vulnerability Assessment of the coastline from Little River to Centerville Beach. The HCRP is a multi-year research project funded by the State Coastal Conservancy and Ocean Protection Council aimed at examining the vulnerabilities and responses of the barrier systems to coastal erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise to inform recommendations for adaptation strategies. Initial results from this vulnerability assessment will be presented that are crucial for understanding the impacts that sea-level rise will have on the barriers that form and protect Humboldt Bay and its many communities and ecosystems. The project team is seeking to ground this research in local context and gather community feedback on the Vulnerability Assessment.
Greater Fritillary Conservation in Northern California
The greater fritillaries are striking orange butterflies, often with silvery spots on the underwing. The larvae of every butterfly in the genus eat only violets and thus require dense, expansive patches of these plants to survive. In northern coastal California, there are two greater fritillaries listed under the Endangered Species Act: Oregon silverspot (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) and Behren's silverspot (Speyeria zerene behrensii). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is collaborating with partners to prevent extinction of these butterflies by restoring habitat, augmenting populations, and identifying potential habitat locations to help put these butterflies on the path to recovery. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Clint Pogue will discuss the life histories and conservation efforts of these two Speyeria species along the Northcoast of California.
Ocean Ranch Unit Restoration Project Progress Update
This presentation is canceled
The Ocean Ranch Unit, located near Loleta in the Eel River Wildlife Area just south of Table Bluff, is in the final stages of an 850-acre restoration project. James Ray and Kelsey McDonald of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will share an update about this project, including progress towards the restoration of over 200 acres of coastal dunes to restore natural dune function and assist in recovery and enhancement of habitat for native species and Sensitive Natural Communities. They will also discuss the restoration of over 500 acres of estuarine habitat, and improved access to enhance the enjoyment of these environments by the public.
The Humboldt Coastal Dunes Cooperative facilitates coordinated ecosystem management of coastal dune environments through collaboration among stakeholders. The intention of the Cooperative is to implement this mission by coordinating restoration, preservation, education, public outreach, enforcement activities, and the acquisition by appropriate land stewards of unprotected high priority lands.
2021 Know Your Dunes: An Educational Community Webinar (Dunes Cooperative Public Meeting)
2020 Dunes Cooperative Public Meeting