- Author: Robert J Keiffer
Most folks, even advanced "birders", do not know that Mendocino County has more nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons than any other county in the 48 contiguous states. During the intensive survey work of the 1980s, when the species was federally listed as endangered, Mendocino County had over 20 of the known 60-or-so nest locations in California. From the uppermost elevations of the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center I can point out five Peregrine Falcon nest locations, all which have been simultaneously active in certain years. All of these are in a 10-mile diameter area.... probably the most dense nesting group anywhere in North America.
This morning an injured immature bird was rescued from the lower portion of the Center. It appears to have minor wing damage, and I suspect that the cause was a collision with a power line. The bird is in transport to The Bird Rescue Center of Sonoma County as I post this. Hopefully the outcome will be good ... and the bird can be released back into the wild in the near future.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
During the mid-1960s the University of California, upon the request of UC President Clark Kerr, world-famous still photographer Ansel Adams was commissioned to "photograph the future of UC". Ansel Adams took over 6700 photographs of the University of California, from one end of the state to the other, and comprised what constitutes his second largest body of work. This work is called the Fiat Lux Collection, and is now housed at the UC Riverside - California Museum of Photography.
Part of Ansel Adams's work was a visit to the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center (then called the Hopland Field Station) during May of 1966. We know of several photographs from this work, but suspect that there are maybe up to 20 or 30 from the Center.
The below photograph, discovered in a UC Berkeley basement, we suspect is one of these. Other from this collection from Hopland can be viewed at www.zazzle.com/ansel+adams+posters, such as "Sheep - Hopland Station" and "Grove - Hopland Station".
We very much would like to have copies of these various prints framed and on display in our new soon-to-be-open Rod Shippey Educational & Field Lab building. If you have an interest in donating one of these prints to the cause please contact us.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
As the Rod Shippey Educational and Field Lab Facility nears its rough completion we all look forward to a bright and well-lit future of extension work that will take place within. Most final lighting fixtures are now in place, most floor finishes are completed, but we still await the tri-fold glass doors for the north side of the building and a few other odds-and-ends.
We are carefully budgeting our remaining funding for the final completion work ... much of which must be done by our HREC staff. Kitchen appliances, tables, chairs, and other interior needs still need to be purchased. Donations are still welcomed to support the vision.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
So sorry for the hiatus of HREC posts over the last couple weeks. The Rod Shippey Educational and Field Lab facility is progressing well with just a couple minor hiccups along the way. The contractor is wrapping up much of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems and each day gone by seems to be a new look towards completion.
The UC Hopland Research & Extension Center is responsible for completing the audio-visual system and many of the outside features, so construction will continue for the next few months.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
Despite the dry conditions of early summer in chaparral brushlands one can stumble across cheery patches of magenta to blue wildflowers. This beauty of a wildflower, Foothill Penstemon or Foothill Beardtongue (Penstemon heterophyllus), is found in all major coastal mountain ranges where it prefers dry hillsides and rocky cliffs ...usually found in chaparral brushlands. It can also be found in open oak woodlands and grasslands.
This cheery late spring/early summer flower has five petals that are untied to form a "two-lipped" tubular flower that attracts hummingbirds. This flower is endemic to California and is rather common at the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center.