One of the most difficult tasks of our, or any, time is deciding how to use existing resources, especially open spaces. In June, we will honor Air Force Lt. Col. Charles Gross who has lead the way to maximize natural values on the Defense Supply Fuel base, in San Pedro, without interfering with the base's mission. On the other hand, we cannot help but contrast that with recent actions in Palos Verdes Estates and proposed elsewhere.

Colonel Gross, whose tour as commander of the fuel base is ending, has been responsible for seeing it through one of its most trying and interesting periods. When the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly was rediscovered there in 1994, he did not see it as a threat to the base, as so many others would have. Rather, he took it as a challenge with enormous potential. Col. Gross could not have envisaged the magnitude of the success this project has become. Not only is the base a significant natural resource, but it is an exemplar of how governmental and public groups can work together for the benefit of disappearing flora and fauna, as well as ourselves.

Unfortunately, not all local governmental agencies are so aware of the value of the resources at their disposal. An egregious example is the destruction of rare habitat which recently occurred when the City of Palos Verdes Estates did some work on the storm drains northwest of the golf course. Rather than take the trouble to evaluate the project's effects, as required by law, the City simply went ahead using a "Negative Declaration" of environmental impacts. The result was the destruction of rare dunes habitat. Worse yet, the damaged area was far more extensive than necessary to actually do the work, and will be expensive to mitigate.

Elsewhere, actions are pending which will have major effects on resources. In Torrance, the City Council seems to envisage Madrona Marsh as a parkland rather than a natural reserve, as required under the terms of its acquisition. Paving, boardwalks, benches and other "user friendly" amenities within the marsh are being considered. We can only ask, "Which users?" Add enough amenities, and the current users will not be able to exist there for the same reasons they no longer live anywhere else locally.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, the City presses ahead with the Natural Communities Conservation Plan which may yield a natural habitat preserve of great value. On the other hand, projects are being pursued by the York Long Point Associates which would greatly reduce natural open space in the Point Vicente and moratorium areas.

We have published a Briefing Book for the Marine Fisheries of Southern California: A Forum, which contains a distillate of marine related information. This 130-page book was prepared by Michael Weber, author of Wealth of Oceans, to be given to those attending the recent May 17th fisheries forum, which we co-hosted, at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. The Briefing Book pulls together data on our most important commercial and recreational marine species, including abalone, albacore and other tuna, sardines and swordfish. Also included are dozens of fact sheets on fisheries, fish biology, management, statistics and reference sources.

Panel discussion at the Southern California Fisheries Forum. Shown left to right: Jess Morton, moderator, Dan Frumkes, recreational fisherman, Paul Simon, recreational fisherman, Tony West, commercial fisherman, and Mike McKorkle, commercial fisherman.
Photo by Mike Weber.

This book is the first publication to gather all of this material into a single resource. As such it will be an invaluable aid to biologists, teachers and others who need this kind of information about local fish species, their fisheries and fisheries management. This Audubon chapter has provided copies gratis to selected schools and libraries, and anyone may purchase copies for $10 each, postage and sales tax included.

Have you looked at a tree lately? "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree."

What has happened to our trees? I think an army of tree-trimmers has attacked our urban forest and left behind the skeletons of what used to be beautiful trees.

These "skeletons-of-trees" provide no shade and no place for a bird to build a nest. A few leaves are left at the ends of bare branches. It seems they are trying to shape all trees like lollipops (a stem and a rounded head). They are ugly! It's a wonder that any of the trees survive the tree-trimmers attack.

As I have mentioned before, the trees in our national forest are also under attack. Throughout our Northwestern U.S.--in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, our Forest Service has sold all the trees on thousands and thousands of acres of public land to the lumber companies. And the Forest Service continues to build roads into our National Forest so that more lumber can be harvested. The lumber companies come in and cut down everything that can be called a tree, and leave behind a waste land. They call it "clear cutting".

I used to think that the Forest Service was "caring for the land and serving the people" as their motto says. But I have seen with my own eyes that this is not so. I have seen the destruction. It is high time that we tell our politicians to make the Forest Service do what it should be doing and end logging on public land!

Through my reading I have learned that the Forest Reserve System was set up in 1891 and it prohibited resource extraction on our public lands. But it wasn't long (1897 in fact) until powerful forces in the congress had the so called "Organic Act" passed which did allow limited logging. It wasn't an "act" at all. It was tagged onto a spending bill as a "rider" with no public debate. We must, tell our representatives in Congress that we want to go back to the good old days (before 1897) when the Forest Service could not sell all our trees on public land to the timber industry!

The dedicated active members of our own chapter are having a really positive influence on environmental legislation at both state and national levels. On average, fifteen cards pushing for conservation action are written at every monthly meeting. Some of us receive and act upon the suggestions of the Armchair Activist and, hopefully, some act on the suggestions made in this column. You can make a big difference if you write or telephone and make your pro-environment opinions known.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed new standards for air pollutants such as ozone and fine particulates that are tougher than those now in force. Industry has launched an all-out assault on EPA's new standards, and may prevail if our Congress and our President are not urged to support the new clean air standards.

Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) added a "Roads To Ruin" rider to the Emergency Supplemental Spending Bill (floods), S. 672, to resuscitate an old right-of-way policy that could lead to dog sled trails, faint paths and the like being declared "public highways" across western federal lands, including National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness. The rider would over-ride Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's interim policy for dealing with the few legitimate right-of-way claims that exist across federal lands.  Senator Stevens' rider will mandate the earlier policy, which will give anti-wilderness zealots a powerful tool to punch roads into existing Wilderness and Parks. Thousands of specious claims under this old policy exist, including more than 5,000 in Utah alone.

Call President Clinton at (202) 456-1111 and tell him to veto bills with anti-environmental riders, like this one. Then call again to tell him that you support the new EPA clean air standards. To reach your Representative, call (800) 972-3524, or your Senators at (800) 962-3524.

On May 17th, we co-hosted the Marine Fisheries of Southern California Forum at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. More than 150 persons attended, including a sizable contingent of students from the San Pedro High School Marine Magnet. Among the speakers were Dr. Carl Safina and Marilyn England of Audubon's Living Oceans Program, a panel of commercial and recreational fishermen, and experts on fisheries-related matters from academia and state and federal governments.

The purpose of the forum was four-fold: first, to bring together a diverse group of people to talk in a non-confrontational venue about what are often inflammatory issues; second, to present a comprehensive overview of Southern California fisheries, which has not been done before; third, to introduce the many issues related to fisheries to a new audience; and fourth, to bring more citizens into the decision-making process.

The forum examined fisheries in four ways. In the opening session, Dr. Safina and Dr. Steve Murray, of Cal. State University Fullerton, outlined what our local fisheries are, how they fit into the world's fisheries and how they seem to be faring. In the second session, a human face was put on fishing when Dan Frumkes, Mike McKorkle, Paul Simon and Tony West, four men with 200 years of fishing experience between them, talked about commercial and recreational fishing. In addition, Monica Hunter described how fishing has affected San Pedro and other local ports over the last few decades. State and federal management, together with examinations of five specific fisheries, was covered in the third session by Rick Klingbeil, Steve Crooke, Dave Parker, Bob Read and Jane Stehly of the California Dept. of Fish and Game, and Marty Golden of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Finally, columnist Bill Beebe talked about hot issues, and Brian Baird, from the Cal. Resources Agency, Assemblywoman Debra Bowen and Marilyn England gave us a look at where we go from here.

Many of the forum attendees were new to the Aquarium, and had a chance to enjoy the exhibits and surrounding beaches during breaks. Each full registrant received a copy of the forum briefing book (see page 1), while student registrants were given a special activist workshop by Marilyn England.

It is hoped that this forum will serve as a model for others to be held in coastal communities along the California coast. In the coming months, we will work with other Audubon chapters and various agencies to see if this can't be done. Our forum was made possible, in part, by a generous grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and we believe the necessary funding for follow-on forums will be available.

The Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society extends its warm thanks to the many people who contributed to the success of the forum. Central, of course, were the speakers themselves, whose uniformly excellent presentations were appreciated by all. Particularly noteworthy was the assistance provided through Audubon's Living Oceans Program and the California Department of Fish And Game's Long Beach office. Abundant thanks go, too, to forum planning committee member Dr. Susanne Lawrenz-Miller and her staff at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and to the City of Los Angeles for providing the facilities. Writer Mike Weber put in countless hours preparing the Briefing book, and served on the planning committee, arranging for many of the speakers. Corie Takasane and Sarah Favazza provided graphics for the book. Other planning committee members, all of whom deserve many thanks, included Courtney Davidson, who did whatever was needed, Jess Morton, who served as emcee, Frances Spivy-Weber, who looked after the food, and Bart Tendick, who was willing to forego his talk when time ran out.

Are you ready for another exhaustive summary of interesting local bird sightings?  I hope you got out to see the waves of birds  when they were going by, because they're gone now!  A good fallout occurred 4/29-30, followed by a major one May 10 to 14th, at least, when a strong southeast airflow coupled with a thick marine layer brought us large numbers of passerines, particularly Wilson's,  Townsend's and Hermit Warblers.

For most Bird-A-Thoners, the going was tough in late April, with few migrants around. One had to work hard for not too many birds.  Our hats are off to them for their efforts, though.  For landbird migrants, our best fallouts always are in the later part of the 2nd week in May.  Of course the ducks are gone by then, and most of the shorebirds too.  So run the Bird-A-Thons earlier in April, while the wintering birds are still here, or later in mid May, when the landbirds are easy. That's my advice.  And how about that comet!!!!!! Wow, what a nightly show "now touring" your solar system!!

Of course one of the great local migration shows is at Point Vicente, because every seabird that uses the coast and wintered south of here must fly by!  There are thousands of loons per day, mostly Pacifics, and lots in stunning alternate (breeding) plumage.  Brant and Scoters are also well represented, and can be in the thousands per day range as well.  Late March to early May is best, and any day except foggy ones are good.  Stragglers will pass till early June.

Also in May, reaching the thousands per day range there too, are Sooty Shearwaters going north.  A few Black-venteds (200+-) were still present in early May.  Both Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers are easily seen from shore during this period, too. April is best, when hardly an hour goes by without one or three.

Dick Norton & Jim Abernathy saw an Osprey along the Dominguez Channel at the Blimp field 5/6.  I saw a Merlin 5/8 at my house.  Georgene Foster (GF) had some California Quail at her place. I suspect all the birds on the northeastern side of the hill, such as the male that has been at SCBG for over a year now, are releases.  David Moody (DM) had Soras regularly at Madrona Marsh (MM) through April.

More Solitary Sandpipers were reported this spring than normal, with an early one at Harbor Park (HP) by Jerry Johnson March 29th. Bernardo Alps (BA) also had one there, on his Bird-A-Thon, April 27th!  Another was at MM 4/15 (DM).  A good concentration of Dunlin (locally) was 121 at the LA River on 4/25, reported by Kevin Larson (KL).  He also had Red-necked Phalaropes a Wilson's there too, in early May.  Noteworthy for MM, and new to its list, was a Semipalmated Plover.  Also at the LAR in April were a couple of hundred black-hooded Bonaparte's Gulls, displaying full alternate plumage. BA had an early Sabine's Gull in the San Pedro Channel (way out) early on 4/13.

For those who still haven't gone to watch the Elegant Terns' flight display at Bolsa Chica, the ternery is again in full swing. One of the most spectacular sights in nature can be seen from the parking lot, so go!  For the life list tickers, the Sooty and Sandwich Terns are both back this year. If you feel like looking through 10,000 terns individually, you'll find one or both.

BA found a Black Swift at the LAR in among the throngs of Swallows (mostly Cliff), on his Bird-A-Thon, 4/2, a great find. Downy Woodpeckers are out of the nest at HP, which could cause confusion, since the buffy-breasted juveniles aren't depicted in the field guides.  A Poorwill flew over my house calling at 1:30 A.M. on 4/14.  A male Red-breasted Nuthatch is still at Wilderness Park (WP). Could a female be incubating?  Keep your eyes out. Anyone else still have Nuthatches? Let me know please, and do watch for breeding!! 

So far, vagrant Vireos at WP are leading the way this May.  First my wife found what she at first thought was the "dullest Solitary she ever saw", (without wingbars). It turned out to be a Gray Vireo!  Seen May 11, it is probably the first ever seen on the California coast in the spring! Luckily, I got photos--after over an hour of searching, once back from the car with film.  DM saw it that afternoon, too.  In spring, this is strictly a "desert-side-of-the-mountains" bird. Unprecedented!  Then the next Sunday, 5/18, Irene Horiuchi saw a Yellow-throated Vireo there.  It too seemed not to be present the next day, however her description was flawless and left no doubt in my mind as to what she saw.

When the Warblers hit, they hit!  On a few days, May 10-14, I went to 4 local parks and saw almost a hundred each of Wilson's, Townsend's, and Hermits. That's at just 4 of our local parks! How many must've been around?  Cal. State U. Dominguez Hills, Banning Park, HP, and WP seem to be the best and most consistent for the biggest waves.     

Orange-crowneds (and Pacific-slope Flycatchers) also approached these numbers, too.   KL found a Black-and-white Warbler at BP 5/3, which was singing on 5/7.  I photographed a Myrtubon's Warbler there on 5/10.  It was a hybrid MyrtlexAudubon's, and an adult male with some yellow flecks in the white throat, a full wing patch, like an Audubon's, an intermediate tail, and giving chip notes of both species! A singing Yellow-breasted Chat was at HP on 5/22. From mid-May to mid-June is the best time for eastern vagrants, so as the birds thin out, don't let up! Cover the area harder!

Carol Reynolds found an adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Del Cerro Canyon 5/14, always an exciting find! The White-crowned (and 1 Golden-crowned) Sparrows wintering at my food trough stayed later this year than last. While everyone was telling me it was going to be an early spring, I knew not to listen, because I watched the birds. DM had a Yellow-headed Blackbird at MM on 4/21. Great-tailed Grackles, too, were there 4/10, 4/28 and 2 on 5/2. so far, their spring stops at Alondra Park have been brief. They haven't nested there yet, but do at Willowbrook (now Magic Johnson Square). Then there is the army now nesting at HP, 6, maybe 10 pairs! Ugh!! DM saw a male Baltimore Oriole at MM, 4/2.

GF had Red Crossbills at her bath (bird), in April, and at least 8 of the WP birds remain with 1 juvenile begging there 5/16!!  They are streaky brown like a House Finch, but of course fat, chunky, big-headed, and with a short notched tail. Keep your eyes out for more. The other peninsula nesting record dates from an invasion three decades ago. That was at Point Fermin. However, the then resident introduced Gray Squirrel ate the eggs, so the nest was unsuccessful. The Fox Squirrels, courtesy of the cemeteries, are also notorious eggers. Unfortunately, their population is exploding everywhere on the peninsula, if you hadn't noticed. And, of course, just where Crossbills would nest. Please let me know if you see any juvenile X-bills anywhere.

Two tantalizing reports from further afield were of a possible (well-described) Lucifer Hummingbird from Hemet (NO state record), and of a Common Black Hawk that spent late March to early May eluding most people at the North end of the Salton Sea, for the 2nd state record.

This is the best time of year for breeding bird records. Fledged young are out everywhere, or will be shortly.  Second attempts will commence soon, as well.  Please submit all nesting records to the Breeding Bird Atlas, at the Natural History Museum, which can be done on-line for convenience.  Especially look for Nuthatch and Crossbill evidence. Solid evidence is needed for Ash-throated Flycatcher, House Wren, Flicker, and, on the cliffs, for cormorants and Western Gulls. Those are but a few of the holes in our local records.  Get out, look, and report!  By contributing, you make a difference, and you'll be glad you did. Think global, bird local.  Please E-mail your bird reports to me at birdfish@pacbell.net and thanks!

Erratum: There was a second previous wintering record of Common Grackle, in the late eighties in Big Pine, Inyo Co. That was of an early February to late March bird. Both of ours were last seen for certain 3/24. They are third and fourth wintering records, not second and third.

In an astounding, and to Auduboners, indefensible, abandonment of its responsibility to protect birds, the Clinton Administration has threatened to establish a new policy which exempts all federal government agencies from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The MBTA is a law that was passed in 1918 by Congress to implement several treaties with Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia. The conventions are meant to prohibit indiscriminate killings of birds and, under them, the MBTA protects all birds, their nests or eggs which are listed by the MBTA (this includes virtually all birds in the US) from direct or indirect, though unintentional, killing by any manner or any means.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, under great pressure from the Justice Department, has issued new guidance on "take" under Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A recent memorandum stated, "Federal Courts have recently addressed a number of suits where plaintiffs have argued that Federal activities (e.g., timber harvest on Forest Service lands) have violated the MBTA and hence the Administrative Procedures Act, by unintentionally killing or "taking" migratory birds. It is the position of the Federal Government that the prohibitions of the MBTA does not apply to the Federal agencies or their employees acting in their official capacities. This is the legal defense that has been argued in cases currently pending in two circuit courts. This position is consistent with a 1982 Solicitor's opinion that concludes that the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) does not apply to activities of the Federal government. It is important to note that Federal contractors and permittees, or any other non-Federal entities bearing some relationship to a federal action are still subject to the prohibitions of the aforementioned Acts. Of course, the United States is bound by the international agreements (four bilateral Migratory Bird Conventions) that underlie the MBTA."

It should be noted that this is Reagan-era anti-environmental reasoning that smacks of the executive privilege arguments from the Nixon years. That they are being fostered by the Clinton administration does not bode well for environmental protection in the coming years. What the radicals in Congress cannot force down our throats via legislation, the White House may succeed in doing through fiat.

Natural ecosystems are essential to our survival, but the goods and services provided have not traditionally been valued at their true worth: trillions of dollars annually. These ecosystems produce a diversity of goods, such as seafood, fodder and timber, important and familiar parts of the economy. Less familiar benefits include fundamental life-support services, including the purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, regulation of climate, regeneration of soil fertility, and production and maintenance of biodiversity.

 Seldom can a number value be placed on the services provided. As with all priceless commodities, evaluation in economic terms is difficult. However, one case is particularly striking: If New York City did not benefit from the relatively clean water of the Catskill Mountains, it would have to spend $4 billion to build chemical treatment and filtration facilities.  Not only are the benefits of natural ecosystems essential for sustaining life itself, but they are also vital for economic growth and prosperity.

Unfortunately, because these "assets" remain grossly undervalued and often unaccounted for in traditional market economics, humanity is drifting towards the collapse of crucial ecosystems.

The Administration has recently decided to exempt all federal agencies from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act's regulations and prohibitions (see Editor's comments, opposite page).  On May 7th, John Flicker, President of the National Audubon Society, sent the letter quoted below to both Vice President Gore and Interior Secretary Babbitt urging the Administration to rescind their decision.

Please take a moment to read the letter.  If you would like to sign on to this letter, send your name, title/organization (PV/South Bay Audubon or other), and contact information to:

Steve Daigneault

1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 1100

Washington, DC 200009.

Or, you may notify him via email <sdaigneault@audubon.org>, voice mail (202)861-2242, or fax (202)861-4290. Names will be collected until June 6th. If you'd like to send your own letter, please do so, and consider sending copy to the above address.

"We the undersigned are writing to state our strong opposition to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (FWS) Guidance Document on "Take Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act."  We urge you to direct the FWS to rescind this guidance document and to initiate a rulemaking process to create an effective procedure to insure federal government compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).

The Guidance Document represents a sweeping reversal of the FWS's long standing interpretation of the MBTA.  It exempts the federal government from the MBTA's regulations and prohibitions, overturning a policy that had been the cornerstone of the government's management of migratory birds for more than 80 years. Since the enactment of the MBTA, the FWS has never taken the position that the MBTA does not apply to federal agency activities.  Instead, the FWS has regularly issued permits to federal and quasi federal agencies whose activities would have resulted in the "take" of migratory birds.  For example, the Department of Defense annually receives permits for a wide variety of activities.  The Department of Agriculture receives permits for avian pest control. And the Federal Aviation Administration receives permits for taking migratory birds at airports and airfields.

Working under this regime, the FWS has been able to approve a wide array of federal agency activities, while at the same time carrying out its responsibilities to protect migratory birds.  The permitting program allows the FWS to monitor "takes" of migratory birds, and to assess the impact of federal and private activities on bird populations. Although chronically underfunded, the permitting program is neither burdensome nor complicated.

We understand that the Guidance Document was developed so that the FWS's permitting program would be consistent with the position that the Justice Department was taking in other federal court proceedings regarding the applicability of the MBTA to the Forest Service. We believe that the Justice Department, in defending the Forest Service, erred when it asserted that the MBTA does not apply to the Forest Service or any

 other federal agency.  This position is simply inconsistent with historic implementation of the MBTA, and does a disservice to all those concerned about the conservation of migratory birds.  Although the Eleventh Circuit recently ruled that the MBTA does not apply to the federal government, we intend to urge other Circuits to find that federal agencies are bound by the Act's provisions.

For almost  80 years, the MBTA has provided the FWS with the authority to protect migratory birds and to monitor the "take" activities of federal agencies and individuals alike. To alter such a fundamental regime without any public comment or review is particularly troubling.  Moreover, granting a special exemption to federal actions while requiring private citizen compliance is equally unjustified.

We look forward to working with you on this important issue."

Thank you for your support.

John Flicker

President, National Audubon Soc.

A scallop swims not by means of fins, but by using its shell and a form of jet propulsion. The shell is hinged, and one would expect that with the shell open, there would be lower resistance if the scallop were to swim with the hinge in front and the gaping end at the back. Surprisingly, though, the scallop swims with the gape in front and the hinge at the back.

When a predator, such as a starfish, approaches a scallop, the scallop flees. It can reach a speed of almost two miles per hour, although it usually goes only a few yards, in just a few seconds. The scallop rapidly opens and shuts its shell. Before the shell closes, a curtain of soft tissue protects the open area. As the closing occurs, the scallop uses a form of jet propulsion to force itself forward. At the scallop's hinged end, there are two small holes, and the scallop squirts jets of water through those holes to give it its forward motion.

The closing of the shell is done by a muscle, called the adductor muscle, which is a popular item of human food, often accompanied by a tasty sauce. In France, where I've spent a lot of time, a person tells the waiter a desire for a scallop serving by saying, "Je voudrais Coquille sans Jokes".

Studies of scallops' swimming motions and of their internal structures have proven that, unlike the movements of many animals, a scallop's movements are smooth and, as the scientists have pointed-out, finely tuned. In a previous article, I described a kangaroo's motion. When a kangaroo leaps, it converts energy of its leg tendons to kinetic energy, and when it lands, about half of the kinetic energy is restored to the leg tendons for use in rebounding. Well, when a scallop is moving forward, opening its shell uses energy; but when it closes its shell, it regains very much more than half the energy used in opening, and that regained energy is very helpful in the next open-shut cycle. Even though the scallop moves with the open portion of its shell at the front, that seemingly doesn't create enough resistance, called drag, to overcome the advantages of its light weight, its watery jet propulsion and its high regaining of energy. Also, the power supplied by the adductor muscle is quite high. In fact, measurements have shown that its power output is about the same as the power output of the flight muscles of many insects. In a way, the scallop is "flying" through the water and, unexpectedly, its light weight and other advantageous features make its movements fairly efficient, despite its relatively low lift/drag ratio as compared to that of almost all insects. However, because they fly in water rather than in air, scallops need very little lift, and their reduced drag plus their efficient use of power are more important.

Animals whose forward motion is aided by, or totally dependent upon, jet propulsion usually are not very efficient in their use of bodily power. Comparison of a jet-propelled squid and a tail-fin-propelled fish of similar size and speed has shown that the squid uses several times the amount of power used by the fish. The power provided by a jet of liquid is much higher when a large volume of liquid is ejected at low speed than when a small volume is ejected at higher speed. Fortunately for the scallop, it does eject a relatively large amount of water at relatively low speed each time it closes its shell, thus giving it efficient power output compared to the squid. Yes, friends, the scallop doesn't gallop, but it does move well in the water.

The Life Sciences and Conservation Education Act of 1997, AB 524 (Cunneen), is one of Audubon's highest legislative priorities for 1997. This bill will create a statewide competition for any interested public junior high school or middle school in the state to begin a classroom project to educate fellow pupils and the community about the benefits, impacts and threats to local wildlife, rivers, creeks, wetlands, or other natural resources and to develop a plan for cooperative action to conserve the resource.

We have worked with the Department of Education to narrow the program to grades 6-8, and to bring the projected costs of the Program down to approximately $100,000. On May 14, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed this bill 16-1!!! The bill will now move to the Assembly floor, and must pass out of the Assembly by June 6, 1997. Please write to your Assemblymember and urge them to support AB 524 when it comes up for a floor vote.

Write to: The Honorable ____________, California State Assembly, P.O. Box 942849, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 94249-0001.

The Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods are frequently referred to as "The Age of the Archosaurs", which means "The Age of the Ruling Reptiles". The archosaurs included crocodilians (which "ruled" seas and rivers), dinosaurs (which "ruled" land areas) and pterosaurs (which "ruled" the skies). The archosaurs first appeared, according to the world's fossil records, in the Permian Period, the last period of the Paleozoic ("Ancient Life") Era, which was also the period just prior to the Triassic, the first period of the Mesozoic ("Middle Life") Era. The Triassic was followed by the other two periods of the Mesozoic, respectively the Jurassic and the Cretaceous, the end of the latter being what was for many years thought to be the time of the end of all the dinosaurs. If the title of this article (without the question mark) is equivalent to the old slogan, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", an equivalence which more and more paleontologists must believe to be true, then the dinosaurs did not all become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous because we now see their descendants flying. With that scientific concept, John James Audubon, our organization's Haitian-born namesake, was a dinosaur artist.

Near the town of Choteau, Montana, there is a wonderful paleontological site known as Egg Mountain. There, large numbers of dinosaur nests have been found, and with many of them, there have been fossilized eggs and fossilized bones. When I was there with a group of paleontologists in 1988, we found large numbers of dinosaur eggs, and I was allowed to keep some pieces of the egg shells. It was an amazing place!

In 1996, a study of the newest discoveries at Egg Mountain, together with a re-analysis of prior egg and bone fossils from there, have convinced the involved paleontologists that birds are direct descendants of certain dinosaurs. Those scientists examined egg shapes and the way the eggs of certain dinosaurs, such as the Troodon formosus, a coelurosaurian, were placed in the nests, and found them comparable to those of extant archosaurs, namely crocodilians and, in their opinion, birds. They also developed ideas as to how frequently a Troodon laid eggs, and how many were laid at one time. Modern crocodilians deposit their eggs in mounds of vegetation and/or sediments, and their eggs are laid in fairly large quantities. They do not use body contact to incubate their eggs. A bird lays one egg at a time, and incubates its eggs with direct body contact. Troodon's eggs apparently were laid two at a time, one from each of two oviducts, either daily or at somewhat longer intervals. So, one egg per oviduct was the same as by a bird, but was different from a crocodilian's multiple eggs per oviduct. In Troodon nests, which were open like bird nests, eggs are half submerged in sediment, and half exposed. Thus, the Troodon parent apparently used the sediment plus body heat to incubate the eggs. Their incubation of the eggs therefore seems to have been a combination of the crocodilian and bird methods. Those fossilized eggs also are asymmetric and larger than crocodilians' eggs, as are birds' eggs. In addition, those old eggs apparently were hard-shelled like the eggs of crocodilians and birds.

A bird's egg contains chalazae, albuminous spiral bands which attach the yolk to the egg's membrane, and which thus allows the egg to roll in the nest without causing injury to the egg's innards or to the developing embryo. The fixed position of a crocodilian egg and of a Troodon egg is important because neither type of egg contains chalazae, and so egg movement would harm or even destroy what was inside the eggshell.

The hatching of a crocodilian's egg and of a bird's egg both lead to parental care of the newly hatched babies. Positioning of Troodon parent and youngster bones, and fossilized indications of parent and youngster movements, strongly indicate parental care.

So, all the features discussed above, plus others, clearly suggest a relationship between Troodon and other coelurosaurian dinosaurs, crocodilians and birds, placing birds in the archosaur grouping and providing significant evidence of the dinosaurial descent of birds. That scientific evidence means that the answer to this article's title question is "Yes".

Sharing Nature With Children:  A few people willing to spend a few hours one day a month working with high school students and children are wanted to help with our educational program at Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach. This monthly program introduces youngsters to a variety of aspects of the natural world around them in a setting which includes meadow, woodland, streamside and marsh habitats. Docents help lead the children in various games, walks and crafts designed to show off the park and the plants and animals in it.

If you like working with children, this is an excellent way to become involved with chapter activities. We want to expand this program to Torrance, San Pedro and other cities. High school and other students who volunteer receive Audubon YES! Award credits.

Join this exciting program by calling Lillian Light at 545-1384.

Audubon YES!:  Chapter Representatives are needed to guide school groups in our Audubon YES! (youth environmental service) program. Representatives work a few hours each month with school ecology clubs, service groups or individual students from a single school to coordinate service projects, such as habitat cleanups or Earth Day displays. Since the role of Chapter Representative is to make sure that our Audubon chapter provides the school group or student with adequate support for their programs, you need not be an environmental expert . The chapter's YES! staff handles that end of things. We especially need volunteers for Rolling Hills Prep and Torrance High School groups-these are wonderful young people, bright and full of enthusiasm. You will have a great time!

Call Jess Morton at 832-5601 and say YES!, I want to help.

Audubon YES!: School ecology club teacher-sponsors and student-presidents are asked to enroll their school eco-club in Audubon YES! Participating students will earn recognition for the community environmental service projects they do. Students who make a substantial contribution to their school and community will receive the Audubon YES! Award, which can be used on school and scholarship applications. Call Jess Morton at 832-5601 for information on the Audubon YES! program.

This page is part of the Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society website.