WILDLIFE FESTIVALS

International Migratory Bird Days
May 10–11 at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Alviso, (408) 262-5513 or www.desfbay.fws.gov. This family-oriented event features bird walks for beginners and experts, speakers from local bird observatories, and other live presentations.

Ocean Discovery Day Festival
June 8 at Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, Newport Beach; (949) 640-9956 or www.newportbay.org. Learn about the bay’s rich marine habitat, which supports spiny lobster, octopus, squid, sea stars, sea urchins, and many other marine invertebrates.

Return of the Terns
June 30 at Crab Cove Visitor Center, Alameda; (510) 521-6887 or www.ebparks.org. Learn about the endangered California least tern, then travel by bus to see the birds nesting at the Alameda Wildlife Refuge.

For more wildlife festival listings see:
www.outdooradventureca.com/events.

TOURS & HIKES

The Sierra Club
is in the midst of its Great Coastal Places campaign. See www.sierraclub.org/ca to check local chapters for scheduled hikes.

Marin Agricultural Land Trust
offers hikes, tours, and special events.

May 11: Hike over pastures with fourth-generation rancher Dave Evans to visit cattle that eat only fresh grass and are marketed directly to individual buyers. Taste various cuts of beef during a mountainside picnic.

May 31: Tour the Straus Family Creamery, the first dairy west of the Mississippi to be certified as organic. See the unique dairy on Tomales Bay, picnic at the Straus Home Ranch, visit the bottling plant.

For other MALT offerings and to pre-register, call (415) 663-1158 or write to MALT, P.O. Box 809, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956.

Save the Bay
offers numerous outings and events on and around San Francisco Bay. These include:

May 12: The Bay Rocks! Hike to the top of the Coyote Hills with geologist Ken Lajoie and learn about the origins of the bay.

May 18: River Rafting on Cache Creek.

May 26: Kayak to Brooks Island off the East Bay shore, then hike and climb to the summit.

See www.savesfbay.org for additional outings and participatory programs.

Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
leads nature walks on the second Saturday of every month, exploring different parts of the peninsula. Volunteer docents talk about local ecology, botany, geology, and history and provide an overview of the peninsula’s open space. Call (310) 541-7613 or see www. pvplc.org for the schedule and maps.