September 7, 2013

Wetlands

At sunset, on the Mission Bay tidelands two boys watch the hogging Bahia Belle go by.  2013.

I only lasted forty five minutes at the meeting by the bay even with my super squishy seat.  When I stepped outside to let my hip become itself again, there were two boys playing by the edge of the water.  Mission Bay, once called False Bay, was created in the fifties from the dredged San Diego River flood plain.  No one thought of the migratory birds or the other wild life that used these filtration slough waters.  They thought tourists and recreational facilities were far more important than smelly sloughs.

Today we have a beautiful water playground that causes me great guilt every time I see it or use it.  At the far North end of the bay is an small experimental area that’s being returned to coastal wetland.  I’m sure everyone laughed at the college students who started this.  Not me, I had a great teacher about sloughs and protected species.  

As Mike Clark, retired Biology teacher from Southwestern College, first to work to save tidal wetlands at the Tijuana Sloughs, he taught those around him why they were doing it.  I was one of his eager listeners as was Paul Hawkins.  We cleared trash, old tires, and filled in ditches as he called out a litany of the bugs and critters, the birds and mammals that lived and ate in these murky waters. 

Perhaps someone else heard Mike’s teachings.  Near our house, volunteers work to save a small bit of isolated Mission Bay.  Seven acres at the north end of Mission Bay have now been returned to wetlands.  As birds fly in to several more saved slough areas along our local rivers, they also now fly in to the tiny new Mission Bay wetland area.

This isn’t even half of the bay area.  Photo Google.

Here is a map of the whole Bay.  Map Google.


Life is Really in the Footnotes:


  • http://geeeee-zer.blogspot.com/>Himself:  He’s also begun a blog here on Blogger.
  • Worked hard yesterday, and will be going to corporate to train three days next week.


  • Herself:  Very worried about that snapped tendon.  That was how this all started in the first place those many years ago.  Doc appointment Monday.  They didn’t pay attention the first time.  Today must study for the Drivers License exam.  I forgot it so must go sit in the Group W bench all day at the DMV.

  • Reading:  Six Hillerman’s arrived in the mail.  Oh, hurrah.  Now I have all but three.

  • Kids:  The car ran fine, and they made it to AZ and were able to see their Pop yesterday.

  • You can read more about the Wetlands here:  http://www.seaworld.org/swc/wetlands/whatarewetlands.htm

  • Balance:  Not thinking.
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    10 comments:

    1. I sure hope that snapped tendon is repairable. Isn't it interesting how society thinks they can improve on Mother Nature? Usually doesn't work at all. Thank goodness for thinkers who figure it out and try to save the country.

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    2. Nice pictures. Hope the doctor has a solution to your problem. That tendon sounds painful.

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    3. The pictures are great! I'm glad you added the map pic that shows the enormity of the bay.

      Good post. Info such as this always make me think about nature and how we need to preserve it.

      RYN on my Humor post: Thanks for the laugh. I pictured you jumping in the air and clicking your heels.

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    4. The pictures are great! I'm glad you added the map pic that shows the enormity of the bay.

      Good post. Info such as this always make me think about nature and how we need to preserve it.

      RYN on my Humor post: Thanks for the laugh. I pictured you jumping in the air and clicking your heels.

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    5. I don't suppose you'd like to give a lecture here to the people who misused our wetlands so badly. I've been to three meetings so far, don't know whether I can gain anything from these.

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    6. In our ignorance we've done much damage to the habitats of the other species that share our planet; it's good to learn of efforts to restore the balance, even if just a little. Best wishes to the tiny new Mission Bay wetland area; I hope it is soon teeming with bird and other life.

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    7. Bravo on these wetland mitigations.

      OUCH! That sounds like it really hurt. Let us know what the doc says.

      I'm just doing the vegetables (roasted fennel, broc and caul), the brisket does itself and is marinating as I write, baked beans are easy, and I bought all the desserts. COOKIES!!!! Husb has done all the cleaning and will take care of the table tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to this.

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    8. Good on Mike Clark. There's a riparian repair program here to try to restore the banks of our creeks and little rivers to heal the damage from farming and incursions of livestock. Small steps but good ones. Hope you heal soon, did they give you any Cipro? It is h-ll on tendons. Glad the girls had a safe trip to Arizona.

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    9. What an amazing looking bay! It's so wonderful that they are working to preserve the wetlands. It's so very important for our ecological health. Good for Mike!

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    10. Oh yes, cleaning up the wetlands was important in the fight against malaria. My Dad had malaria, so I know how awful it can be...no cure, night sweats, lasts a lifetime. He caught it while logging in wetlands in Georgia and Fl. Today, those wetlands are protected and the invasive pythons are taking over.

      Oh nature, how complicated you are. This is exactly why I am NOT a progressive. Conservation includes the word conservative as John McCain says.

      Many "good" ideas during the height of the progressive movement have gone sour. DDT, clearing the wetlands, planting kudzu, etc. etc.

      Today, the kids are learning many good things about preservation and sustainability, i.e keeping the status quo or conservation. Two of my granddaughters are "into" sustainable agriculture in one way or another. Another works for Petsmart as a groomer (in training), a company attempting to use green practices. The fourth, who does not like to get dirty and is an urbanite at heart, is going to be a science teacher. Ha Ha

      Hope never dies. Dianne

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