Point Blue

2015−16 Annual Report

Point BlueConservation science for a healthy planet.

2 Point Blue Conservation Science

As highlighted in this 2016 annual report, we are making significant progress in our ambitious strategic initiatives to ensure that nature-based approaches are an integral part of the climate-change solutions tool box.

For the first time in history, every nation of the world pledged in Paris last December to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and prepare for climate-change impacts. Remarkably, they unanimously recognized that healthy ecosystems are key to addressing this global challenge, “including oceans and the protection of biodiversity.”

Nature-based approaches that address issues around water, carbon, biodiversity, and our communities are essential to securing our future. Strengthening these strategies is at the core of Point Blue’s innovative climate-smart conservation science.

Our 140 scientists as well as habitat restoration specialists, educators, and information systems experts work with ranchers, farmers, government agencies, non-profits, academics, and others to advance conservation for wildlife, ecosystems, and our communities.

Point Blue’s Board of Directors continues to be integral to this urgent work. We are grateful to outgoing Board Chair Ed Sarti for his extraordinary leadership as well as the following outstanding board officers who completed their service

this past year: Carolyn Johnson, Rebecca Patton, and Brett Robertson. We are also delighted to welcome new board members, Dr. Ellen Hines, Nadine Peterson, and Clinton Moloney.

With your continued partnership and generosity, we will continue to be leaders and innovators in climate-smart conservation science regionally, nationally, and globally. Together, we can make positive change—and secure a healthy blue planet, teeming with life well into the future. Thank you for sharing in this vision!

Ellie M. Cohen President and CEO

Nature-based Solutions to Secure a Healthy Future

Megan Colwell Chair, Board of Directors

2013–14 Annual Report 3

Climate-Smart ConservationClimate-smart conservation promotes

nature-based approaches that help wildlife

and people adapt to climate change and other

environmental threats while also enhancing

the benefits nature provides to humans and

reducing greenhouse gas pollution.

Because of the collaborative climate-smart

conservation work we do today, healthy

ecosystems will sustain thriving wildlife and

human communities well into the future.

Below: Our studies of Adélie Penguins in Antarctica reveal that the Ross Sea ecosystem helps regulate climate by storing significant quantities of carbon that would otherwise enter Earth’s atmosphere. See more on page 9.

On the cover: A Brandt’s Cormorant on Southeast Farallon Island.

Photos: Annie Schmidt/Point Blue

4 Point Blue Conservation Science4 Point Blue Conservation Science


Investing in rangeland health. Rangelands—40 percent of California’s landscapes—are currently threatened by extreme drought and decades of human impact. Point Blue is enhancing management of rangelands to help soils naturally capture more water, store carbon, improve habitat for birds and other wildlife, and benefit ranchers’ bottom lines. Collaborating with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and others, this past year we hired and trained four new Partner Biologists, for a total of 14. We are now helping over 500 ranchers, farmers, and landowners implement conservation practices on 470,000 acres—including prescribed grazing (managing for the timing, frequency, duration, and number of livestock grazing on each ranch) on over 233,000 acres. We also have leveraged more than $24 million in public and private funds for conservation on working lands.

Water for waterbirds and more. With extreme drought and just five percent of historic wetlands left in California’s Central Valley, flooded farmlands have become vital habitats

for migratory birds. Point Blue and partners worked with 100 farmers on 90,000 acres to dramatically increase shorebirds, geese, ducks, and other waterbirds on their lands through efficient use of water. Flooded agricultural lands also benefit other species, help local economies through bird watching and hunting, and reduce flood risk to our communities. Using satellite data to track surface water, we developed a sophisticated model that provides wildlife managers with near real-time locations of surface water to ensure habitat for waterbirds. Our avian ecologists also assessed how greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced on rice fields while protecting habitat for birds. Point Blue and partners have now leveraged over $15 million in public and private dollars to enhance waterbird habitat in Central Valley croplands.

Managing post-fire Sierra Nevada landscapes. Wildfire has shaped the Sierra Nevada ecosystem for millennia and is vital for many plants, birds, and other wildlife. We helped improve post-fire habitat management this past year

across four major burned landscapes (the King, Eiler, Bald, and Power fires). Working with the U.S. Forest Service, we helped protect more than 50,000 acres of burned forest from salvage logging to sustain habitats for bird and plant species. We limited acreage to be clear-cut and identified high-quality habitat for woodpeckers as areas to reserve. With drought and rapid climate change increasing the frequency, size, and severity of wildfires, Point Blue remains dedicated to studying the ecological value of fire and how to best manage Sierra Nevada forest ecosystems for resilience.

Taking the pulse of rangelands. Point Blue’s Rangeland Monitoring Network kicked off its second year of ecological monitoring. We tested and refined sampling methods on 54 properties for vegetation, birds, soil water, and soil carbon. We completed the Rangeland Monitoring Network Handbook of Field Methods (available free online). We will share our growing insights broadly to enhance the many benefits of healthy rangelands.

Point Blue scientists are working with farmers, ranchers, foresters, conservation organizations, and government

agencies to advance wildlife- and water-friendly practices on working lands across California.

Healthy Landscapes: Securing Water and Wildlife on Working Lands

Point Blue’s science—monitoring soils and ecosystems—is informing climate-smart rangeland management. Photo: Wendell Gilgert/Point Blue

Protecting Pacific Flyway coastal wetlands. Point Blue conducted a workshop in Panama with partners from 14 countries to begin integrating multi-national waterbird research and monitoring to guide climate-smart coastal management. Point Blue manages data collected annually from 12 nations by over 500 volunteers. These data were key to several conservation efforts this past year, including the 2015 State of the San Francisco Bay Estuary Report and the designation of Nicaragua’s Delta del Estero Real as a site of international importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

Informed decisions. Counties and cities ringing San Francisco Bay, as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Caltrans, and UC Berkeley, are using Point Blue and U.S. Geological Survey’s collaboratively developed, online tools such as Our Coast Our Future (OCOF) to assess future scenarios for sea-level rise and storm impacts on human infrastructure, habitat, and birds. Over the next several years, OCOF coverage will extend to serve the entire California coastline.

Wildlife-friendly management. Point Blue led a Climate-Smart Planning Tools Workshop for over 50 Bay Area conservation planners, land managers, scientists, and students. Participants learned to use Point Blue planning tools to develop and implement restoration and adaptation actions for an uncertain future. The updated Future San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes Tool helped participants learn to assess the resilience or vulnerability of marshes and restoration sites in different sea-level rise and sediment availability scenarios. Point Blue’s Climate-Smart Riparian Restoration Toolkit taught participants involved in revegetation to select plants likely to thrive under a range of extreme conditions and provide food for birds and other wildlife for more of the year.

Preparing for rising seas, naturally. Communities have traditionally turned to engineers for levees, sea walls, and rip-rap to protect against coastal flooding. Such armoring, however, degrades habitat for plants and wildlife and is costly to maintain. Recent work by Point Blue and partners showed that under the right conditions, tidal marsh can grow with

sea-level rise to sustain wildlife, sequester carbon, improve water quality, and protect coastal communities from flooding. This year Point Blue’s new Coastal Adaptation Program Leader began working with coastal planners and decision makers to help determine where “green” instead of “gray” infrastructure can increase benefits to society and nature. Point Blue is working with partners across California to identify areas where nature-based solutions are most appropriate for adapting to sea-level rise, and helping smooth the way for implementing these green approaches.

Standardizing tidal marsh monitoring. Point Blue recently completed a comprehensive monitoring plan for surveying secretive marsh birds around the San Francisco Bay. For the first time ever, our partners across the estuary will be using the same standardized protocol. This will enable managers to detect changes in bird abundance due to management actions, encourage data sharing, and improve conservation outcomes.


Wetland Revival: Protecting Our Shorelines

Healthy functioning tidal marsh provides a natural buffer to sea-level rise and storm events. Photo: Ingrid Taylar

Climate change and sea-level rise pose increasing threats to our shorelines—and to the wildlife and human

communities dependent upon them. From San Francisco Bay to Latin America, Point Blue’s collaborative science

helps identify the best places and practices for safeguarding our coasts using nature-based solutions.


Saving the whales. This year whales became dramatically more vulnerable to entanglement as they followed their forage fish closer to the California coast that was dense with crab fishing gear. There have been over 30 reports of whales entangled since the current crab fishing season began. An expert team including Point Blue personnel freed three entangled whales. Additionally, Point Blue and NOAA identified abandoned crab pots for removal by the SeaDoc Society. We also continued efforts to reduce ship strikes on whales through the collaboratively developed Whale Alert smartphone app. The app’s crowdsourced data on whale locations supported national marine sanctuaries’ requests for ship speed reduction—significant for whale populations, as whale strikes by vessels traveling below 10 knots are seldom fatal.

Protecting food webs through acoustics. We developed a new way to assess the location and abundance of forage fish on our ocean research cruises, using acoustics to provide more accurate pictures of high densities of northern

anchovy and juvenile rockfish across broader areas. This new information will help improve conservation of ocean food webs for seabirds, whales, seals, sea lions, and other marine wildlife, by helping us identify concentrations of the fish they eat in Cordell Bank and Greater Farallon National Marine Sanctuaries.

Disturbing drones. Remote-controlled drones are a threat to seabird and marine mammal breeding colonies and feeding aggregations. Point Blue identified conservation zones off California to protect ocean wildlife from disturbance from low-flying aircraft. We are bringing sound science to this contentious issue to secure win-win approaches for ocean wildlife as well as recreational interests. Point Blue’s science is also guiding the national marine sanctuaries and US Coast Guard in identifying sensitive areas to avoid during coast guard practice maneuvers.

Penguins and carbon in the Ross Sea. The Ross Sea is a mysteriously significant carbon sink of global importance. Despite comprising just

2% of the Southern Ocean, it contributes nearly 30% of the Southern Ocean’s total primary production (phytoplankton) and each year stores the equivalent of some 10 million passenger vehicles’ emissions. This year, using a “sea glider” (autonomous underwater vehicle) and tiny recorders attached to Adélie Penguins while they foraged for food, Point Blue and partners found that krill and small fish abundance in the Ross Sea is controlled by predators such as penguins. This results in less “grazing” of phytoplankton, leaving more to sink to the ocean depths taking millions of tons of carbon with it. The study added another important reason to conserve top ocean predators.

New Channel Islands partnership. Point Blue teamed up with the Channel Islands National Park to conduct ecological monitoring, assess climate change impacts, and advance conservation of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems in this unique five-island reserve. Initial efforts will focus on a seabird monitoring program.

In Our Blue Sea: Conserving Ocean Food WebsPoint Blue addresses the growing threats to marine life through science and extensive partnerships, from the

California Current to the Ross Sea, Antarctica. We assess ocean health, reduce human disturbance, and guide

protection to give marine wildlife more time to adapt to a warming climate and ocean acidification.

A humpback whale feeds near the California coast—in waters where shipping traffic and fishing activity are also concentrated. Point Blue’s science helps resource managers protect wildlife in these productive waters. Photo: Mojoscoast (ONMS/Point Blue/ACCESS)

Restoration rocks! This year, through Point Blue’s Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW) Program, 3,023 students restored 50 acres of stream and wetland habitat and planted over 5,100 plants at sites in the San Francisco Bay Area. STRAW restoration projects sequester carbon, improve water quality, increase biodiversity, and create the habitat corridors wildlife need to thrive. We have begun developing a STRAW Tool Kit to offer others this powerful framework for climate-smart conservation implemented by students and teachers.

Helping partners implement climate-smart restoration. We are working with over 90 partners on ways to include climate-smart restoration in

their work. Through the Sierra Meadow Partnership, for example, our goal is to collaboratively restore and protect over 30,000 acres of this key montane habitat.

Global leadership in ecological restoration. With the science and expertise gained from 51 years of ecological research, Point Blue is poised to become a world leader in the practice of climate-smart habitat restoration. To increase our impact at the global scale, we began identifying new national and international partners and conferences to increase awareness and implementation of these new approaches. Our goal is more restoration designed to prepare the planet for climate change.

Successful restoration at this Sierra Nevada meadow has raised the water table several feet. Point Blue monitors such projects for water, carbon, and wildlife benefits.

Photo: Ryan Burnett/Point Blue

Restoration is key to reversing habitat loss and preparing for future

environmental conditions. Point Blue empowers and develops innovative

restoration approaches to help ecosystems and people adapt to a rapidly

changing world. Climate-smart restoration is the process of enhancing

ecological function of degraded or destroyed areas in ways that prepare

them for the consequences of climate change.

Resilient Earth: Catalyzing Climate-Smart Restoration

Long-term data sets

Point Blue’s ongoing bird and eco-

system data collection encompasses

uncommon time spans and provides

the foundation for our innovative,

collaborative conservation efforts. We

are grateful to our partners who make

this possible. Here are our 2015-16

milestones:

Palomarin Field Station – 50 years

Farallon Islands – 48 years

Bolinas Lagoon – 45 years

Coastal Snowy Plovers – 38 years

Mono Lake Gulls – 34 years

Ross Island, Antarctica – 33 years

Central Valley riparian – 23 years

Sierra Nevada – 20 years

San Francisco Bay tidal marshes – 20 years

Northern Spotted Owls – 18 years

Vandenberg Air Force Base – 17 years

California/Arizona deserts – 14 years

Gulf of the Farallones – 12 years

TomKat Ranch Field Station – 6 years


2015–16 Annual Report 112015–16 Annual Report 11


Driving San Francisco Bay habitat protection and restoration. Point Blue provided significant science leadership in a collaborative effort that produced a bold new plan guiding San Francisco Bay Area habitat protection and restoration for years to come. “The Baylands and Climate Change: What We Can Do” report utilized our Future San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes tool and other Point Blue findings to help ensure that conservation actions are based in science and designed for the changing climate. This plan provided crucial scientific support to the successful Measure AA ballot initiative which will result in approximately $500 million for wetland restoration in the San Francisco Bay Area over the next 20 years.

Climate-smart water policies. Point Blue provided recommendations to a number of state agencies responsible for programs supported by the California Water Bond (Proposition 1). We worked with these agencies to incorporate climate-smart principles in their

implementation guidelines and requests for proposals they will use to prioritize conservation investments.

Ocean and coastal adaptation. Working with the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council in a multi-partner process, Point Blue helped develop strategies to guide coastal and marine natural resource managers as they address climate change. This collaborative effort was recognized with an honorable mention in the first national Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards.

Envisioning the future of San Francisco Bay. To catalyze climate-smart conservation approaches, Point Blue and partners led scenario planning exercises considering a range of future climate change impacts with municipalities and agencies around the San Francisco Bay Area. Agencies participating included East Bay Regional Parks, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda

Resources Conservation District, Marin Municipal Water District, Napa Flood Control District, and Sonoma County Water Agency. Point Blue, working with the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative, developed and now hosts a new website (geo.pointblue.org/watershed-analyst) for planners and analysts to visualize past and future climate projections, facilitating conservation actions that address the uncertainty of future climate conditions.

Point Blue is a pioneer in promoting the implementation of climate-smart principles in ocean and land-use plans

and policies. From regional to hemispheric scales, we are helping natural resource managers put these principles

into action. We strive to ensure that decision makers prioritize climate-smart conservation to sustain vibrant

ecosystems and improve the ability of wildlife and humans to adapt to accelerating environmental change.

Blueprint for a Blue Planet:Making Plans and Policies Climate-Smart

Ecosystems such as a flooded agricultural landscape can support birds, biodiversity, and our communities— a central goal of climate-smart conservation. Photo: Kristin Sesser/Point Blue

“Point Blue is shaping the conversation

on climate change conservation and

constantly looking for innovative

nature-based solutions—supported by

cutting-edge scientific information—

to reduce or reverse climate

change impacts.”

– Amy Hutzel, Deputy Executive Officer

California State Coastal Conservancy

Point Blue empowers future scientists and educators with real-world learning experiences and training to study,

protect, and enhance our natural world—and become the next generation of conservation leaders.

We focus on educating five key audiences: our staff educators and trainers, conservation science interns,

K–12 students and teachers, graduate students, and communities.

Future Heroes: Training the Next Generation


Creating opportunity. Training more than 50 young people per year, Point Blue’s internship program has graduated over 1700 interns from 22 different countries. Our trainers closely mentor interns at Point Blue field stations from Point Reyes National Seashore to Antarctica. Point Blue exposes aspiring conservationists from diverse backgrounds to careers in conservation science.

Scaling up STRAW. Demand is high to take Point Blue’s award-winning Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW) program to more communities.

After a successful pilot along the upper Pajaro River east of Watsonville, we began identifying ways to establish community-based, climate-smart restoration programs in new locations. We outlined a five-year plan for replicating the STRAW model regionally and nationally.

Inspiring student action. Teacher training is essential to encourage student conservation action. This year we supported over 100 teachers with professional development, curriculum design, and networking opportunities in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. The teacher training included a three-day immersive learning program about climate-smart restoration and how it connects to the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Curriculum.

Training the trainers. For more than four decades, Point Blue has been training the next generation of conservation scientists

through intensive field-based internships. To strengthen the program, this year Point Blue initiated a new professional development program for its staff scientists. For the first time, all Point Blue’s trainers were gathered to learn new skills in education, better ways to communicate climate-smart conservation science, and how to work more collaboratively as a team of educators. This new community of trainers is poised to further enhance Point Blue’s intern learning programs.

At the Palomarin Field Station (Point Reyes National Seashore), an intern holding

a Hermit Thrush hones her data gathering skills. Photo: Dan Lipp/Point Blue

Students visit the banding lab to learn about bird ecology studies.

Photo: Annie Schmidt/Point Blue

“Point Blue’s STRAW Program gets

kids outside with their hands in the dirt

as they restore streams and wetlands,

becoming part of the solution to

climate change. STRAW combines

classroom learning, teacher training,

and the great outdoors to create a

healthier world for wildlife and people.”

– Biz and Livia Stone

2015–16 Annual Report 152015–16 Annual Report 15


Peer-reviewed Papers and Selected Reports

2015–16 Publications


Publications and Reports

A quantitative evaluation of the conservation umbrella of spotted owl management areas in the Sierra Nevada. R. D. Burnett and L. J. Roberts. PLOS ONE.

Changes in forage fish community indicated by the diet of the Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax peni-cillatus) in the central California Current. M. L. Elliott, R. W. Bradley, D. P. Robinette, and J. Jahncke. Journal of Marine Systems.

Current status of Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo along the Sacramento and Feather rivers, California M. D. Dettling, N. E. Seavy, C. A. Howell, and T. Gardali. PLOS ONE.

Endangered species management and ecosystem restoration: finding the common ground. M. L. Casazza, C. T. Overton, T.-V.D. Bui, J. M. Hull, J. D. Albertson, V. K. Bloom, S. Bobzien, J. McBroom, M. Latta, P. Olofson, T. M. Rohmer, S. Schwarzbach, D. R. Strong, E. Grijalva, J. K. Wood, S. M. Skalos and J. Takekawa. Ecology and Society.

Identification of an avian polyomavirus associated with Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adelieae). A. Varsani, E. L. Porzig, S. Jennings, S. Kraberger, K. Farkas, L. Julian, M. Massaro, G. Ballard, D. G. Ainley. Journal of General Virology.

Improving effectiveness of systematic conservation planning with density data. S. Veloz, L. Salas, B. Altman, J. Alexander, D. Jongsomjit, N. Elliott, G. Ballard. Conservation Biology.

Local and landscape habitat associations of shore-birds in wetlands of the Sacramento Valley of California. M. E. Reiter, M. A. Wolder, J. E. Isola, D. Jongsomjit, C. M. Hickey, M. Carpenter, J. G. Silveira. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management.

Data for action

Point Blue is a global leader in managing and interpreting data to advance conservation,

with over one billion ecological observations under our management from around the

country and the world. We collaboratively develop data-driven, online tools to help natural

resource managers and other decision makers make the best investments for benefits today

and in a changing future.

Avian Data Centers: California, Midwest, Northwest, and Eastern: Online tools in

partnership with multiple federal, state, and non-government organizations to advance bird

and habitat conservation nationally.

California Climate Commons: Extensive catalog of climate change data and resources in

partnership with the CA Landscape Conservation Cooperative. climate.calcommons.org

California Climate and Hydrology Change Graphs: Summarizes historic and future water

levels by watershed across California using downscaled climate models from USGS.

climate.calcommons.org/article/about-bcm-time-series-graph-tool

Our Coast Our Future: Scenario planning tool for sea-level rise and storm impacts in the

San Francisco Bay region; expanding to entire California coast. ourcoastourfuture.org

Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring: Data entry, management and analysis

portal for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways to help

ensure that non-breeding waterbirds have the right habitat, in the right place, at the right

time. pointblue.org/iwmm

Intermountain West Joint Venture Habitat and Population Scenario Tool: Explores effects

that changes in habitat management could have on bird populations. iwjv.org/habpops-tool

Riparian Restoration Design Database: Preliminary guide for climate-smart restoration of

riparian vegetation. pointblue.org/restorationtools

Soil Survey: Supporting the Rangeland Monitoring Network; curates data to assess water

and carbon storage in soil. pointblue.org/rmn

Sonoran Joint Venture: Projected climate change impacts on birds in southwestern U.S. and

northern Mexico; bilingual, online web portal. data.prbo.org/apps/sjv/

Whale Alert: Gathering real-time data on whales off the coast of California to reduce ship

strikes and other threats. westcoast.whalealert.org

and Recognition


Peer-reviewed Papers and Selected Reports

Melting barriers to faunal exchange across ocean basins. C. S. McKeon, M. X. Weber, S. E. Alter, N. E. Seavy, E. D. Crandall, D. J. Barshis, E. D. Fechter-Leggett, K. L. L. Oleson. Global Change Biology.

Migration patterns of San Francisco Bay Area Hermit Thrushes differ across a fine spatial scale. A. R. Nelson, R. L. Cormier, D. L. Humple, J. C. Scullen, R. Sehgal, N. E. Seavy. Animal Migration.

Molt migration and migratory connectivity of the Long-billed Dowitcher. B. A. Barbaree, M. E. Reiter, C. M. Hickey, G. W. Page. Journal of Wildlife Management.

Private lands habitat programs benefit California’s native birds. R.T. DiGaudio, K. Kreitinger, C. M. Hickey, N. E. Seavy, T. Gardali. California Agriculture.

Sex-based differences in Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) chick growth rates and diet. S. Jennings, A. Varsani, K. M. Dugger, G. Ballard, D. G. Ainley. PLOS ONE.

Shifting effects of ocean conditions on survival and breeding probability of a long-lived seabird. A. E. Schmidt, K. E. Dybala, L. W. Botsford, J. M. Eadie, R. W. Bradley, J. Jahncke. PLOS ONE.

Spatial and temporal variability in shipping traffic off San Francisco, California. C.M. Jensen, E. Hines, B. A. Holzman, T. J. Moore, J. Jahncke, J. V. Redfern. Coastal Management.

Spatial distribution and temporal patterns of Cassin’s Auklet foraging and their euphausiid prey in a variable ocean environment. S. Manugian, M. L. Elliott, R. Bradley, J. Howar, N. Karnovsky, B. Saenz, A. Studwell, P. Warzybok, N. Nur, J. Jahncke. PLOS ONE.

Spatio-temporal patterns of open surface water in the Central Valley of California 2000-2011: drought, land cover, and waterbirds. M. E. Reiter, N. Elliott, S. Veloz, D. Jongsomjit, C. M. Hickey, M. Merrifield, M. D. Reynolds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association.

Temporal variation in copepod abundance and composition in a strong, persistent coastal upwelling zone. R. E. Fontana, M. L. Elliott, J. L. Largier, J. Jahncke. Progress in Oceanography.

The benefits of crops and field management practices to wintering waterbirds in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California. W. D. Shuford, M. E. Reiter, K. M. Strum, M. M. Gilbert, C. M. Hickey, G. H. Golet. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.

Trophic cascades in the western Ross Sea, Antarctica: revisited. D. G. Ainley, G. Ballard, R. M. Jones, D. Jongsomjit, S. D. Pierce, W. O. Smith Jr., S. Veloz. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Using avian focal species to inform rangeland management in California grassland and oak savannah. A. D. Young, B. Owens, M. Odell, C. Shake, W. Gilgert, G. R. Geupel. In Proceedings of the seventh California oak symposium: managing oak woodlands in a dynamic world. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Report.

Waterbird response to management practices in rice fields intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. K. A. Sesser, M. E. Reiter, D. A. Skalos, K. M. Strum, C. M. Hickey. Biological Conservation.

To learn more about these resources or review our complete list of publications, please visit pointblue.org/pubbriefs.

Special Recognition

Point Blue received the annual Group Achievement Award from The Wildlife Society in recognition of our outstanding work on behalf of wildlife.

Catherine Hickey received the California Rice Commission’s Circle of Life Award for her leadership in finding innovative ways to manage rice for waterbirds and other benefits.

Laurette Rogers received the Ted Wellman Water Award for embodying high standards for protecting and preserving water resources in Marin and California.

2015–16 Publications and Recognition

“Point Blue’s Rangeland Watershed

Initiative takes some of the county’s

brightest young biologists, trains them

in regenerative land stewardship,

and embeds them in local NRCS

offices to help hundreds of farmers

improve thousands of acres. All our

other partner organizations in counties

covered by the Rangeland Watershed

Initiative are working closely with

Point Blue; those that don’t yet have

a Partner Biologist in their area ask me

when they can get one.”

– Kevin Boyer, Project Director

Regenerative Agriculture Foundation


AECOMAlliance of Regional

Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation

American Bird ConservancyAmerican River ConservancyAmerican RiversArmy Corps of EngineersAsociación CalidrisAssociation of Joint VenturesAudubon CaliforniaAudubon Canyon RanchAves y Conservacion,

Birdlife in EcuadorAvian Knowledge NetworkBank Swallow Technical Advisory

CommitteeBarry Goldwater Range-WestBay Area Climate Literacy

Impact CoalitionBay Area Ecosystems Climate

Change ConsortiumBaylands Ecosystem Habitat

Goals Technical Update for Climate Change

Bear Yuba Land TrustBig Sur Land TrustBird Conservation AllianceBird Conservation Funding

CoalitionBird Conservancy of the RockiesBird Education Alliance for

ConservationBird Studies CanadaBirdLife InternationalBodega Marine LaboratoryBolinas Lagoon Technical

Advisory CommitteeBolsa Chica ConservancyBuffalo-Skedaddle Working

GroupBureau of Ocean Energy

ManagementButte County Resource

Conservation DistrictButte Creek Watershed

Conservancy

Cache Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group

California Coastal ConservancyCalifornia Dept. of Fish and

WildlifeCalifornia Dept. of Parks and

RecreationCalifornia Dept. of Water

ResourcesCalifornia Landscape

Conservation CooperativeCalifornia Native Plant SocietyCalifornia NRCS State Technical

Advisory CommitteeCalifornia Partners in FlightCalifornia Rangeland

Conservation CoalitionCalifornia Rice CommissionCalifornia Sea GrantCalifornia TroutCanada–U.S. Shorebird

Monitoring and Assessment Committee

Canal Family Support ProgramCarbon Cycle InstituteCEMEXCenter for Land Based LearningCentral Modoc Resource

Conservation DistrictCentral Sierra Watershed

CommitteeCentral Valley Habitat Joint

VentureCentre National de la Recherche

Scientifique (France)Centro de Investigacion

Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada

Centro Neotropical de Entrenamiento en Humelales Peru

City of PetalumaCity of San RafaelCity of Santa RosaClear Lake Sage Grouse

Working GroupClover Creek Watershed Group

Colusa Resource Conservation District

Comisión Nacional De Áreas Naturales Protegidas (Mexico)

Concejo Comunitario Esfuerzo Pescador

Conservation Science PartnersCopper River International

Migratory Bird InitiativeCorbidiCordell Bank National Marine

SanctuaryCordell Marine Sanctuary

FoundationCornell Lab of OrnithologyCosumnes Research GroupCottonwood Creek Watershed

GroupCow Creek Watershed GroupCreekside Center for Earth

ObservationDeer Creek Watershed

ConservanceyDefenders of WildlifeDelta ConservancyDeltaresDesert Thrashers Working

GroupDigital GlobeDucks UnlimitedDyer Engineering ConsultantsEast Bay Regional Park DistrictEast Gulf Coastal Plain Joint

VentureEast Merced Resource

Conservation DistrictEchoTrack Inc. Ecostudies InstituteElkhorn Slough FoundationEnvironment Canada –

Canadian Wildlife ServiceEnvironment for the AmericasEnvironmental Defense FundEnvironmental Education

Council of MarinESA

Fall River Resource Conservation District

Fauna y Flora InternacionalFeather River Land TrustFeather River Resource

Conervation DistricrtGeorgetown Divide Resource

Conservation DistrictGlenn County Resource

Conservation DistrictGold Ridge Resource

Conservation DistrictGolden Gate National Parks

ConservancyGolden Gate National

Recreation AreaGoose Lake Resource

Conservation DistrictGrassland Water DistrictGrasslands Resource

Conservation DistrictGreat Basin Bird ObservatoryGreat Lakes CommissionGreater Farallones AssociationGreater Farallones National

Marine SanctuaryGrupo de Aves del Noroeste de

MéxicoH.T. Harvey & AssociatesHawaii Cooperative Studies

Unit, U. of HawaiiHawaii Pacific UniversityHoney Lake Valley Resource

Conservation DistrictHumboldt State UniversityInformation Center for the

Environment (U.C. Davis)Institute for Bird PopulationsIntermountain West Joint

VentureIsland ConservationKamansky Consulting,Klamath Bird ObservatoryLandbird Monitoring Network of

the AmericasLandcare Research, New

Zealand

Lassen Land and Trails TrustLos Angeles Department of

Water & PowerLos Angeles Museum of Natural

HistoryLos Banos Resource

Conservation DistrictLower Clear Creek Floodway

Rehabilitation Project groupManometManTech SRS Technologies, Inc.Marin Agricultural Land TrustMarin County Board of

SupervisorsMarin County Community

Development Agency (Planning)

Marin County Dept. of Parks & Open Space

Marin County Dept. of Public Works

Marin Municipal Water DistrictMarin Resource Conservation

DistrictMariposa Country Resource

Conservation DistrictMidwest Coordinated Bird

Monitoring PartnershipMigratory Bird Conservation

PartnershipMill Creek Watershed

Conservancey Modoc-Washoe Experimental

Stewardship Program teamMokelumne Resource

Conservation DistrictMono Lake CommitteeMonterey Bay AquariumNapa County Resource

Conservation DistrictNational Audubon Society

and local chaptersNational Fish and Wildlife

FoundationNational Park Service and

National ParksNational Science Foundation

Point Blue collaborates or is affiliated with the following agencies and groups:

We appreciate the hundreds of partners who make our work possible.

2015–16 Partnerships and Collaborations


Point Blue collaborates or is affiliated with the following agencies and groups:

Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional

Nevada County Resource Conservation District

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

North American Banding Council

North American Bird Conservation Initiative

North Bay Climate Adaption Initiative

North Bay Watershed Association

North Marin Water DistrictNorth Pacific Landscape

Conservation CooperativeNortheast Califonia Water

AssociationNorthern Arizona UniveristyNorthern California Regional

Land TrustNorthwest Climate Science

CenterOcean Science TrustOceanaOikonosOiled Wildlife Care NetworkOlofson Environmental, Inc.Oregon State UniversityPacific Birds Habitat Joint

VenturePacific Coast Ocean Observing

System (NOAA)Pacific Islands Climate Change

CooperativePanamá AudubonParque Nacional Natural

SanquiangaParques Nacionales de PeruPartners in FlightPepperwood PreservePetaluma Wetlands AlliancePEW Charitable Trust

PG&EPit River Resource

Conservation DistrictPit River Watershed

Alliance Plumas CorporationPoint Reyes National

SeashorePomona CollegeProgram for Regional and

International Shorebird Monitoring

Prunuske Chatham Inc.Public Policy Institute of

CaliforniaQuetzalliQuincy Library GroupRiparian Habitat Joint VentureRiver PartnersRiver Ridge InstituteRomberg Tiburon Center for

Environmental StudiesSage Grouse InitiativeSalvaNATURASan Francisco Bay Bird

ObservatorySan Francisco Bay Conservation

and Development CommissionSan Francisco Bay Joint VentureSan Francisco Bay National

Wildlife Refuge ComplexSan Francisco Estuary InstituteSan Francisco Estuary

PartnershipSan Francisco Public Utilities

CommissionSan Francisco State UniversitySan Luis National Wildlife

Refuge ComplexSan Luis Resource Conservation

DistrictSanta Lucia ConservancySave the Redwoods LeagueScripps Institution of

OceanographySeabird Protection Network

Sequoia Riverlands TrustShorebird Research Group of

the AmericasSierra Foothill ConservancySierra Nevada BrewerySimon Fraser UniversitySonoma County Regional ParksSonoma County Water AgencySonoma Ecology CenterSonoma Environmental

Education CollaborativeSonoma Land TrustSonoma Resource Conservation

DistrictSonoma State UniversitySonoran Joint VentureSouth Slough National Estuarine

Research ReserveStanford UniversityStillwater SciencesStoney Creek Watershed GroupStraus RanchSurprise Valley Resource

Conservation DistrictSutter Buttes Regional Land

TrustSutter County Resource

Conservation DistrictSwainson’s Hawk Technical

Advisory CommitteeSweet Grass OrganicsTehama Resource Conservation

DistrictTerra Peninsular, A.C.Terrestrial Biodiversity and

Climate Chage (TBC3)The Amargosa ConservancyThe McConnell FoundationThe Nature Conservancy

The Presidio TrustThe Trust for Public LandThe Wildlife SocietyTodd Sloat Biological

Consulting,TomKat Ranch Educational

FoundationTomNodTricolored Blackbird Working

GroupTrout UnlimitedTruckee Donner Land TrustTulare County Resource

Conservation DistrictU.S. Bureau of Land

ManagementU.S. Bureau of ReclamationU.S. Federal Highway

AdministrationU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

and National Wildlife RefugesU.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Marine CorpsU.S. NavyU.S. Shorebird Conservation

CouncilU.C. Cooperative ExtensionU.C. Davis Center for Watershed

SciencesUnión de Ornitólogos de Costa

RicaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma

de MéxicoUniversità degli Studi di SienaUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of CaliforniaUniversity of California, Santa

BarbaraUniversity of Colorado

University of OklahomaUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of Washington,

SeattleUpper Merced River Watershed

CouncilUSDA Forest ServiceUSDA Natural Resource

Conservation ServiceVandenberg Air Force BaseVirginia Institute of Marine

ScienceWashington Department of Fish

and WildlifeWashington State UniversityWestern Bird Banding

AssociationWestern Hemisphere Shorebird

GroupWestern Hemisphere Shorebird

Reserve NetworkWestern Hummingbird

Partnership—Executive Committee

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District

Western Snowy Plover Working Groups—Regions 4 and 5

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group

Yolo County Resource Conservation District

Yolo Land TrustYosemite-Mariposa Regional

Water Advisory CouncilYuba Bear Watershed CouncilYuba County Resource

Conservation District

2013–14 Annual Report 19Pelicans, gulls and cormorants feast

together on a school of small fish. Photo: Mike Baird


$1,000,000 +S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

$100,000 to $999,99911th Hour ProjectAnonymous (3)Elinor Patterson Baker TrustBently FoundationThe Estate of

Huldie Schoener ClarkMartha Ehmann ConteFaucett Catalyst FundFullerton Family FoundationRichard Grand FoundationCarolyn Johnson

and Rick TheisMarch Conservation FundGiles W. and Elise G. Mead

Foundation Moore Family FoundationThe David and Lucile Packard

FoundationThe Estate of Jacqueline L.

RobertsonEd and Michelle SartiThe Biz and Livia Stone

FoundationTomKat Foundation

$50,000 to $99,999Kimball FoundationMarisla Foundation

$25,000 to $49,999Anonymous (2)Arntz Family FoundationBlackie FoundationPeter and Kristan NorvigR. Thomas Goodrich

and Rebecca Patton

$10,000 to $24,999Anonymous (3)Bob BattaginFrank A. Campini FoundationChristiano Family FundMegan Colwell

and Bonnie StewartCarole E. DeitrichThelma Doelger Trust for

AnimalsFiredoll FoundationKaren A. & Kevin W. Kennedy

FoundationJeffrey Kimball and

Pamela HoganLagunitas Brewing CompanyGordon and Betty Moore

FoundationPacific Gas and Electric

CompanyPacific Life FoundationDorothy & Jonathan Rintels

Charitable FoundationSchrader-Robertson Family

FundRobert and Joni ShwartsThe Volgenau Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999Anonymous (2)Anne W. BaxterBear Gulch FoundationBonnell Cove FoundationAvis Boutell and Alice MillerConstance CrawfordEdith and Jeb EddyGeoffrey Gordon-Creed

and Jean FraserShirley Hicklin Fund at Marin

Community FoundationTeke and Elizabeth KelleyJack and Adrienne LaddLamar LelandThe Raymond L. Manley

and Annmarie E. Manley 1990 Trust

Patagonia, Inc.RHE Charitable FoundationSan Francisco Bay Wildlife

SocietySteve and Britt ThalTopaz Solar Farm LLCWhite Family Trust

$2,500 to $4,999BiomarinGeorge & Ruth Bradford

FoundationRuth H. BrandtCalifornia Native Plant

Society - Marin ChapterCrankStart FoundationEnterprise Holdings

Foundation

Robert J. EricksonAna GaluteraEllie C. InsleyDwight L. JohnsonArthur KernThe Libra FoundationNew Belgium Brewing

CompanyOutrageous FoundationElizabeth PattersonKen SchneiderThe Shark TrustAnn StoneMary Stroh-Twichell and

Chuck TwichellSteve Vallarino and Raini SuggLance C. Williams

$1,000 to $2,499Cheryl and Alan AbelJanet and Bruce AllenThomas R. AndersonAnonymous (2)Apple Matching Gifts ProgramHarold C. AppletonArising FundBank of the WestKatie BeacockKatharine BealeThomas C. BenetBransford FarmRobert and Irene BrownPhyllis BrowningDr. Karl Sporer and Ms. Arden

Bucklin-SporerCalifornia Rice Commission

Chevron Corporation (Humankind)

Donald and Jillian ClarkCarole and Peter ClumJean ConnerJanelle and Gary CorteseCowgirl CreameryJoan DemerLokelani Devone

and Annette BrandsDaniel and Lee DrakePat and Ted EliotRob and Kristen FaucettRichard and Luisianna GaleAimee GreenebaumThe Griffith Family FoundationSherman GrommeDiane IchiyasuJack and Marilyn JonesMr. and Mrs. David Junkin IIPeter KnappKaren and Robert KustelRobin L. C. LeongEwan Macdonald and

Kirsten Walker MacdonaldMiles and Mary Ellen McKeyMichael MechamPurple Lady /

Barbara J. Meislin FundMennen Environmental

FoundationHelen and Thomas Merigan

Charitable TrustMitchel Family FundMark MushkatNikon Precision Inc.

Gifts Received Between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016

2015–16 Friends of Point Blue

“Point Blue’s efforts greatly enhance our ability to

protect and manage the Farallon Wildlife Refuge.”

– Anne Morkill

Manager, San Franciso Bay

National Wildlife Refuge Complex

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service


Gifts Received Between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016

Susan and Franklin OrrBenjamin and Ruthmary

ParmeterPerotti & CarradeNadine Peterson

and Michael TuciaronePetit Teton FoundationPisces FoundationSarah Powell

and Christopher KnightPatricia and Tim PrestonJohn and Cynthia RathkeyMichael RosauerArthur and Lois RothMary Jean and Bob RumerKenneth and Marjorie SauerJoyce and Jim SchnobrichSchwab Charitable FundOlivia and Craig SearsShasta Wildlife Conservation

FoundationHarmon ShraggeLaurens H. SilverSara and Bill SnyderMatthew and Polly StoneMarilyn M. StrandEllen and Jim StraussMarcia S. SyufyThe Michelle and Robert

Friend FoundationSusan Lee VickThe Reverend Jan H. West and

Mr. Herbert A. West

$500 to $999AnonymousBank of MarinCarroll and Susanne

BarrymoreRichard and Marilyn BatesDon and Barbara BauerDale Berner

and Ms. Cheryl IshidaJerome and Judy BlackmanL & L Borok FoundationSusan CaldwellMichael C. CarverAnne Chadwick Charitable

FundDr. Theodore Chase Jr.Terry and Zeo CoddingtonSusana Conde

and Einar EnevoldsonMr. and Mrs. Robert CoonJoyce and Bill CoxCrazy-hot Solutions, LLCRichard A. CuneoElectra de PeysterPaul DevineKenneth Drexler

and Sarah LeachWayne DyerFischer Family FundWilliam and Karen FossFriends of the San Pablo

Bay NWRWilliam Glenn

and Prescott HafnerBrian Goldston

Students in the STRAW program make models of healthy riparian areas and learn from a Point Blue education specialist. Photo: Grace Crain/Point Blue

Dr. John C. Good and Dr. Janet E. Arnesty

Patricia GreeneDolores M. HansenJack and Deyea HarperJohn and Hermi HiattDonald K. Howard Jr.Kennedy Jenks ConsultantsThomas and Elizabeth M.

Jones, IIIPatricia KelsoJames and Nancy KelsoPatricia KlineJude and Eileen LaspaPeter and Sue LatourretteLawrence Leong

and Janice PratteDon Love and Helene MarshThomas and Danelle MannSteve Marsh and Jean Buckley

Helene Marsh and Don LoveMicrosoftGeorge NolteVerna OsbornPainter Executive Search, Inc.Carolyn H. PenderyRamboll Environ US

CorporationJon and Carol RichardsMicah RimerHugh and Cianne RobertsMr. and Mrs. Steve RosenblattJames SalzmanAnne J. Schneider FundLeon and Peggy SharyonMartin and Karen ShoreSJB Summer Enrichment

ProgramSue and Bob SpoffordLynne E. Stanley

Langdon Stevenson and Mary Farr

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne SuzukiAnne TellerJohn ThacherRick TheisRichard and Nancy TietzMiklos and Maud Udvardy

Endowment FundJohn F. UngarCraig and Connie WeatherupJanet WesselPeter and Dolores WhiteKathleen and Russell Winter

continued on page 23


2015–16 Friends of Point Blue continued

$250 to $499Anonymous (4)AutodeskDan BattaginAlan and Janet BaumannLorraine Bazan

and Chris StoverPierre BeaurangDr. and Mrs. George BingYvonne and Norfleet BlaineMargaret and Thomas

BlankenshipAubrey BlueEleanor Boba

and Alan HumphreyMr. and Mrs. Robert K.

BrandriffJulie BrannanJoelle Buffa and Clyde MorrisMark Butler and

Mary Anne RotellaLincoln Bynum

and Lannie TontiSue CarlisleAllen CarlsonCarlton Caves and Karen KahnElizabeth G. ChamberlainEunice ChildsMr. and Mrs. Ronald ChoyEverett ClarkEllie M. Cohen

and Miki GoralskySue Conley

and Ms. Nan HaynesPaul CooleyRigdon Currie and Trish

Johnson

Elizabeth DakinLinda De Lucchi

and Larry MaloneCarol and Robert DettlingGerald L. DickinsonJohn and Sara DonnellyCliff DrowleyJudith J. DuganDr. John M. Eadie PhDChristine Engel

and Hugh HelmExpeditionary LearningMyriam and Joel FontaineGeoffrey Geupel

and Janet KjelmyrJerry GhirardoMr. and Mrs. Robert

GottesmanDorothy D. GregorDonald M. Gregory Jr.Teresita HaagDean and Nancy HansonDan HarrisScott and Claudia HeinLouise HenriksenGail Hillebrand

and Hugh BarrollJane HoeHog Island Oyster CompanyDebra and Herbert HoltRichard Honey

and JoAnne KippDr. and Mrs. Richard HorriganJulie HowarPhyllis HumpleIBM CorporationEllen Jacobs

John H. and Jane Johnson, Jr.Jeffory JolinRobert and Linda JuddBrewster Kahle and Mary

AustinMr. and Mrs. Harvey KingMargaret KolarEllen F. KrebsAndy LacasseSusanne Lawrenz-MillerLocal Independent Charities

of AmericaDavid A. LoebLinda Lowenstine

and Richard LanderNeil MacPhailRon and Amanda MalloryMylon MarshallMichael Martin

and Laura HolmsBob and Sandy MauceliDorothy MayerElaine McKinley

and Kit DurginKathryn K. McNeilSusanne and John MethvinMission Avenue SchoolMary C. MorganMichael NelliganBenjamin Olewine IVNancy OttoPeter ParhamHelen ParkerMichelle Parodi KnightGeorge S. Peyton Jr.Regina PhelpsFrances B. Pope

James F. Quinn, PhD and Flossie Hoffman

Redwood Region Ornithological Society

Phyllis C. ReynoldsRobert RighterDeborah RobbinsJohn Rotenberry PhDJudith RothmanKay SchroerSusan SchwartzCyndy Shafer

and Michael NelsonAlec Shuldiner

and Talia FriedmanSonoma Custom TileGary and Sharon StaceyStanley StavishJerry and Judith SteenhovenJoe StratonChristina SwansonDr. and Mrs. Bill TalmageJoanna Thayer

The San Francisco FoundationDavid J. ThomasMichelle ThomasIan ThompsonSamuel and Julia ThoronGary and Mary TietzUniversity of San FranciscoTanis WaltersNancy E. Warner M.D.Cynthia WayburnCharles WegerleRona WeintraubKatherine D. WheelerDr. Freya White-HenryMarian and Carl WilcoxMason WillrichMr. and Mrs. John WilsonChristine WolfeRachel WoodardElizabeth and Thomas YoungMr. and Mrs. Leland YounkerWanda Yurkunas SartiMatthew and JoAnn Zlatunich

Harry AndrewsDon BauerJim BewleyVito BiallaTom CharronRoger Cunningham

Mark DallmanPaul DinesAl diVittorioJody HarrisAndy JonesMick Menigoz

Peter MolnarJim QuanciKeith SedwickHarmon ShraggeJohn WadeRichard Webber

Farallon Patrol. These volunteer skippers provide year-round transportation for Point Blue and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to our field station on Southeast Farallon Island. We thank all Farallon Patrol members, including the following who served actively this past year.

On Southeast Farallon Island (Farallon National Wildlife Refuge), a visiting geographer takes early morning photos. Point Blue works with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners to take the pulse of this vital marine ecosystem. Photo: Maps for Good and Point Blue


Adding to the more than $3 million raised since the event’s inception, Point Blue’s 2015 Bird-A-Thon raised over $130,000 to ensure that healthy ecosystems can sustain birds, other wildlife, and our human communities in the decades to come.Getting involved in Bird-A-Thon supports climate-smart conservation science—and it’s simple and fun. Visit pointblue.org/birdathon to learn more, and to celebrate the dedicated teams, counters, sponsors, and volunteers who made the 2015 Bird-A-Thon a soaring success. We hope to see you on the trails this fall!

Bird-A-Thon Soars!

The search for unusual species like this Sandhill Crane is an exciting challenge for counters in Point Blue’s annual Bird-A-Thon. Photo: Ryan DiGaudio/Point Blue

A Bird-A-Thon team lists all the species they can find during a day’s adventure. Photo: Heather Furmidge

“Our day is a bird and wildlife odyssey.

Each year I look forward to this

opportunity. It enables my friends

and me to be part of something

so much greater.”

– Bob Battagin

Bird-A-Thon committee chair

and corporate sponsor

“The Bird-A-Thon is a major highlight

of the year—for the exhilaration and

high energy of a day spent working

to support Point Blue’s mission of

conserving birds, wildlife, ecosystems,

and the planet as a whole.”

– Heather Cameron

Bird-A-Thon committee member

“The highlight for me is spending the

day with a group of young, smart,

and committed individuals who are the

next generation of environmental and

climate leaders. These young people

are so engaged with the natural world.

They inspire me and give me hope

for our planet.”

– Heather Furmidge

Bird-A-Thon supporter

“For me and my company, watching the

growth of this time-honored event over

the years is the greatest inspiration.

I am continually moved by the team

enthusiasm and friendly competition

that support this great cause.”

– Katie Beacock

Former Point Blue Board member

and owner of Seadrift Realty, Inc.,

Bird-A-Thon corporate sponsor


Anonymous (6)Cheryl and Alan AbelJanet and Bruce AllenMr. and Mrs. Robert E. AllenGail Anderson and King McPhersonGayle A. AndersonSara and Andy BarnesAndy and Sara BarnesDix and Didi BoringAvis Boutell and Alice MillerDr. Richard BradusMr. and Mrs. Robert K. BrandriffValerie Chenoweth BrownBetty BurridgeBarbara M. Champion 2007

Living TrustDonald and Jillian ClarkEstate of Huldie Schoener ClarkEstate of Julia ChitwoodCarole and Peter ClumEllie M. Cohen and Miki GoralskyMartha Ehmann ConteRigdon Currie and Trish JohnsonJohn DakinMartha DayCarole E. DeitrichJohn and Sara DonnellyPat and Ted EliotNancy W. GambleGeoffrey Geupel and Janet KjelmyrDoris GrauPatricia D. GuntherDean and Nancy Hanson

Jack and Deyea HarperJim and Karen HavlenaTotton and Joanne HeffelfingerScott and Claudia HeinAaron HolmesMr. and Mrs. Robert E. Hunter, Jr.Diane IchiyasuEllie C. InsleyStuart JacobsonCarolyn Johnson and Rick TheisMs. Johnson and Mr. BrickerLouise Johnston

and the late Don C. JohnstonJoy Kennedy-MaxionMr. and Mrs. Harvey KingNancy KlingMark LeggettLamar LelandRobin L. C. LeongEwan Macdonald

and Kirsten Walker MacdonaldEstate of Annemarie ManleyHelene Marsh and Don LoveLorraine MastenSara MathewsMary V. MayerMiles and Mary Ellen McKeyMark MushkatLeah Norwood and Linda FisherLinda O’NeillDoris PanzerR. Thomas Goodrich

and Rebecca Patton

Carolyn H. PenderyRegina PhelpsEstate of Helen PrattWillis and Gloria PriceDr. and Mrs. C. John RalphJohn and Cynthia RathkeyGlena and John RecordsMark Reynolds and

Gretchen Le BuhnRoberta RigneyBrett M. Robertson and

David L. SchraderEstate of Jacqueline L. RobertsonMarie W. RossVictoria RuppSteve Rutledge and Julie BeerEllen SabineEd and Michelle SartiPeggy SloanJudith Ciani SmithAnn StoneMatthew and Polly StoneSteve and Britt ThalDavid J. ThomasMs. Vetter and Mr. BlanchardSusan Lee VickNadine WeilRona WeintraubVerna WhiteArthur F. WhiteCam and Dennis Wolff

The Tern Society honors individuals who are building an enduring legacy of conservation science through their planned gifts to Point Blue. We gratefully acknowledge the 2015–16 Tern Society members.

Become a member of the Tern Society and create your own legacy of conservation. Please contact us at 707.781.2547 or [email protected] for more details.

Tern Society Members and Estate Gifts

Gifts to Secure a Healthy Future

Point Reyes Bird Observatory Fund

To honor our history and sustain our

commitment to bird conservation,

we established The Point Reyes Bird

Observatory Fund. Donations to

the fund support our long-term bird

ecology studies and internships at our

Palomarin Field Station (Point Reyes

National Seashore) and the Farallon

Islands (Farallon National Wildlife

Refuge). Thanks to those donors who

directed gifts to this fund!

A male Western Bluebird nourishes two chicks in their productive habitat. Photo: Carlos Porrata


2015–16 Financials

The condensed financial statements presented above were extracted from Point Blue’s complete set of financial statements for 2016 and 2015 which have been audited by

Armanino LLP, Certified Public Accountants, and on which they have rendered an unmodified opinion dated June 30, 2016. The organization’s complete audited financial

statements and the independent auditor’s report can be found at pointblue.org/2015–2016auditreport.

Padmini SrinivasanChief Financial Officer

2016 2015 Changes in unrestricted net assets:

Revenue and Support:Government and other contracts $ 5,086,150 4,718,435Contributions from individuals 938,535 1,696,160Foundation and corporate grants 297,055 26,182Investment and other income 166,460 194,065Net assets released from restrictions:

Contributions from individuals 1,238,975 1,012,683Foundation and corporate grants 3,444,332 3,271,348

Total revenue and support 11,171,507 10,918,873

Expenses:Program services 8,910,661 8,127,844Management and general 1,468,257 1,265,073Fundraising and member services 881,508 755,912

Total expenses 11,260,426 10,148,829

Change in unrestricted net assets (88,919) 770,044

Changes in temporarily restricted net assets:Contributions from individuals 1,226,982 937,941Foundation and corporate grants 5,258,149 3,978,225Net assets released from restrictions (4,683,307) (4,284,031)

Change in temporarily restricted net assets 1,801,824 632,135Changes in permanently restricted net assets:

Contribution from individual 0 0Change in permanently restricted net assets 0 0Change in net assets 1,712,905 1,402,179Net assets at beginning of year 12,736,412 11,334,233Net assets at end of year $ 14,449,317 $ 12,736,412

Statement of Financial Position as of March 31, 2016 and 2015 Statement of Activities for the Years Ended March 31, 2016 and 2015

2016 2015 Assets

Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,763,718 2,497,870 Certificates of deposit 0 0 Contracts receivable 1,952,612 1,540,805 Contributions, grants and bequest receivable 3,665,803 2,736,023 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 97,603 107,757

Total current assets 8,479,736 6,882,455Non-current assets:

Certificates of deposit 251,031 248,303Long-term grants receivable 1,138,041 773,735Endowment fund 260,059 269,308 Property, net of accumulated depreciation 5,008,2 01 5,230,276

Total non-current assets 6,657,332 6,521,622 Total Assets 15,137,068 13,404,077

Liabilities and Net AssetsCurrent liabilities:

Accounts payable 237,015 257,799 Accrued vacation 336,632 301,636 Deferred revenue 114,104 108,230

Total current liabilities 687,751 667,665 Net assets:

Unrestricted Board-designated funds 1,230,176 1,556,704 Other 7,457,065 7,219,456 Total unrestricted 8,687,2 41 8,776,160

Temporarily restricted 5,662,076 3,860,252 Permanently restricted 100,000 100,000

Total Net Assets 14,449,317 12,736,412 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 15,137,068 $13,404,077

EXPENSESREVENUE

Contracts 46%

Other Income 1%

Programs 79%

General and Administrative 13%

Fundraising and Member Services 8%

Contributions fromIndividuals 20%

Foundation and Corporate Grants 33%

A male Western Bluebird nourishes two chicks in their productive habitat. Photo: Carlos Porrata

Board of DirectorsMegan G. Colwell, ChairEllie M. Cohen,

President and CEO Jeffrey Kimball, Vice

Chair Ivan Samuels, SecretaryEd Sarti, Immediate Past

ChairAna Galutera, Chair,

Finance CommitteeDavid Ackerly, PhDMartha Ehman Conte Edith EddyRob FaucettSimon FrancisEllen Hines, PhDStuart JacobsonClinton MoloneyPeter Norvig, PhDNadine PetersonJames F. Quinn, PhDRobert S. Shwarts

Honorary Board MembersTed EliotBill FossCarolyn JohnsonJack W. LaddAnn StoneSteve Thal

Science Advisory CommitteeDavid Ackerly, PhD,

ChairGrant Ballard, PhD,

Co-ChairEllen M. Hines, PhDAdina Merenlender, PhDPeter Moyle, PhDPeter Norvig, PhDMary Power, PhDJames F. Quinn, PhDHugh Safford, PhDRebecca Shaw, PhD

President and CEOEllie M. Cohen

Chief Science OfficerGrant Ballard, PhD

Chief Technology OfficerMichael Fitzgibbon

Chief Financial OfficerPadmini Srinivasan

Chief Advancement Officer Susan Lee Vick

California CurrentJaime Jahncke, PhD,

DirectorRyan BergerRussell BradleyMeredith ElliottJulie HowarJamie MillerDan RobinetteCotton RockwoodJim TietzPeter Warzybok

Climate AdaptationSam Veloz, PhD, DirectorNathan ElliottMegan ElrodMaya Hayden, PhDDennis JongsomjitNadav Nur, PhDLeo Salas, PhDAnnie Schmidt, PhDJulian Wood

Emerging Programs and PartnershipsGeoffrey R. Geupel,

DirectorRyan DiGaudioBonnie EyestoneKellly Garbach, PhDWendell GilgertMaria HardingKolten HawkinsAlicia HerreraKate HowardBenjamin MartinChris McCreedy Breanna OwensAaron RivesTiffany RussellBriana SchnelleCorey ShakeCarrie WendtKelly Weintraub Suzie Winquist

Informatics and Information TechnologyMichael Fitzgibbon, Chief

Technology OfficerDeanne DiPietroNoah EigerTyler FieldFayvor LoveMartin MagañaDouglas MoodyZhahai Stewart

Pacific Coast and Central ValleyTom Gardali, Director Blake BarbareeRenée CormierMark DettlingDave DixonKristy Dybala, PhDCarleton EysterDoug GeorgeCatherine HickeyDiana HumpleKristina NeumanGary W. PageElizabeth Porzig, PhDMel PrestonMatt Reiter, PhDNat Seavy, PhDKristin SesserW. David ShufordWill Stein, PhDLynne E. Stenzel

Sierra NevadaRyan Burnett, DirectorBrent Campos Alissa FoggL. Jay Roberts, PhD

Advancement Susan Lee Vick, Chief

Advancement OfficerDana Earl, Director

of Institutional Philanthropy

Jennifer Niedermeyer, Director of Philanthropy

Stacey Atchley-Manzer Nancy Gamble, Director

of Philanthropy Kiley LucanQuinn WhiteEve Williams

Finance and AdministrationPadmini Srinivasan,

Chief Financial OfficerDavid AdamsLee CalleroKaren CarlsonMarilyn KiharaLaurel Schuyler

Outreach and EducationMelissa Pitkin, DirectorEmily AllenLishka ArataJennifer BensonLeia GiambastianiGina GrazianoAndrew MealorJohn Parodi

Kenneth RangelLaurette RogersIsaiah ThalmayerLara WhiteVanessa Wyant

STRAW FacultyKathleen BrownJanet CloverPaula FogartyMarcia GunnarsonRuth HicksMeryl SundovePatti Vance

Research AssociatesDavid G. Ainley, PhD Sarah Allen, PhDFrances BidstrupJules G. EvensMark Herzog, PhDAaron Holmes, PhDSteve N. G. HowellDavid Hyrenbach, PhDJohn P. Kelly, PhDBorja Mila, PhDMark RauzonStacy Small, PhDJane C. WarrinerSophie WebbJohn Wiens, PhDDavid W. Winkler, PhDSteve Zack, PhD

Point Blue Board of Directors, Staff, and Research Associates

3820 Cypress Drive #11

Petaluma, CA 94954

T: 707.781.2555

E: [email protected]

pointblue.org

This report is printed on 100% post-consumer-waste recycled paper, using agri-basaed inks.

© Point Blue Conservation Science, 2016

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