Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve May 2019 eNewsletter Advisory Council Meeting Tuesday, May 7th 1:00 – 3:00pm Tijuana Estuary Training Center The Advisory Council is the multi-agency body that coordinates policy and operations throughout the Reserve. Member agencies help to establish policies, jointly promote Reserve programs, and cooperate to provide resources to accomplish the missions of the Reserve and the land management agencies. Advisory Council meetings are open to the public. To get a copy of this meeting’s agenda and learn more or check for future meeting dates click here. San Diego Museum Council’s The Big Exchange May 1 – 18th **Hours vary Membership has its benefits-especially during The Big Exchange, a membership reciprocity program taking place May 1-18, 2019. Friends of San Diego Wildlife Refuges, and other museum members, can enjoy free general admission to more than 30 participating arts and cultural destinations in San Diego.    Simply head to your favorite participating museum, tell your guest services representative that you are there for “The Big Exchange,” then show your member card for complimentary reciprocal admission. Show your current membership card and get free entry to the organizations listed here.   Please check participating museum websites for exhibitions, hours and closures. Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) Middle & High School Teacher Training Thursday – Friday, May 16 & 17th 8:30am – 4:30pm Tijuana Estuary Training Center FREE! Teachers on the Estuary or TOTE is a field-based teacher training program that brings coastal research into the classroom. Middle and high school educators find out how to integrate their training experiences with online nationwide Reserve data and our monitoring-based field trip lessons. See and experience science being done at TRNERR and learn how you can use it to enhance your teaching. You will interact with Reserve researchers, visit wetland restoration sites, and see the long-term monitoring that is used to manage these projects (living experiments). For more info and how to sign up click here. Please Welcome the 2019 Class of Information Ambassadors! (Front – Left to Right) Judy Bourbeau, Lupe Butterfield-Gonzalez, Anne Pilgrim (Back – Left to Right) Leslie Bassett, Julia Paige-Carter, Bob Levis, Jeff Crooks (Research Coordinator), Ali Hoffman, Ellen Frietas, Donna O’Connor, Scott Bergen, Robin Echols-Booth (Volunteer Coordinator), Demmuel Eslava. Not pictured: Chandra Kenney, Matt Van Wagner The Information Ambassador training is required for all long-term volunteers here at TRNERR. This 2-day, 10-hour course is also supplemented by online learning modules, as well as further, in-person interpretive training for those going on to become Docents and Restoration Guides. You can learn more about TRNERR’s Volunteer Program here. Congratulations and THANK YOU to all of our 2019 graduates! San Diego Bay Kayak Tours are Back! Saturday, May 25th 9:30 – 11:30am (weather permitting) Get closer to nature and experience San Diego Bay on this guided kayak tour. Available for ages 5 and older. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult and have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. Each child under 10 must ride in a kayakwith their accompanying adult. All participants must wear life vests and stay with the group. (Pace is based on the slowest paddlers in the group.) This activity may be cancelled at the last minute due to weather conditions, etc. Dates and price are subject to change. This activity starts at the marina at Loews Resort. Space is limited. $35 per person. Reservations are required by 4 pm the day prior. Call the Loews marina at (619) 424-4466. Wildwatch San Diego A New Citizen Science Program Helping Burrowing Owls The western burrowing owl (Athene cunciularia hypugaea) population in San Diego County is at risk of going locally extinct. Wildwatch San Diego seeks to document the behaviors and developmental milestones of burrowing owl families “holed up” in Otay Mesa, CA. This new project invites citizens to volunteer their time and participate in real science from their mobile device or computer. You can view the project here: http://wildwatchsandiego.org/ In This Issue Advisory Council Meeting The Big Exchange Middle & High School Teacher Traning 2019 Information Ambassadors SD Bay Kayak Tours Wildwatch San Diego FREE Bird & Nature Walks Save-the-Date Bird & Nature Walks Quick Links   TRNERR Calendar   Junior Rangers   Operating Hours   TRNERR Website   Contact Us FREE Bird & Nature Walks Bird Walks: 1st, 3rd, & 5th Sundays of the Month at 3:00 p.m. Nature Walks: 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the Month at 11:00 a.m. Save-the-Date Speaker Series Sat., June 15th 10:00 – 11:00am Tijuana Estuary Training Center Topic: Tijuana River Mouth Closure of 2016 more info   TRNERR Cooperating Associations

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San Diego NWR Complex Highlights March 2-22 2019

In fitting spirit of Women’s History Month, we are honored to announce some history in the making: Jill Terp has been selected as the new Deputy Project Leader of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex! Under Jill’s leadership as the refuge manager for the past eleven years, the San Diego NWR now protects and manages approximately 12,300 acres of significant wildlife habitats from mountaintops to riverine corridors. She has cultivated diverse partnerships that have allowed the Refuge to expand public access to connect our urban communities with wildlife. She is always involved with the public environmental education and volunteer events on the refuge and trail resign projects such as the Mother Miguel Trail. “Jill has demonstrated exemplary Refuge management by supporting cross-Refuge and cross-agency coordination efforts to manage wildlife habitats throughout south San Diego County,” said project leader Andy Yuen. Please welcome Jill as our new Deputy Project Leader!

The previous and new Deputy Project Leaders, Slader Buck and Jill Terp