(Photo courtesy Dan Vickers)
Download/read about a peanut-catching friend!

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The winter winds of 2012 usher in the work of San Francisco photographer, Sharon Beals to the Blue Heron Gallery. Sharon spent 3 years photographing archived bird nests in natural history and zoological museums in California.

This is a rare chance for the public to take a peek at these fabulous nests as the collections are only open to the scientific community. Sharon's photographs are spell binding, reflecting the rich, beautiful nest making ability of birds the world over.

Be sure to put this exhibition on your must see list for 2012!

The November/December issue of American Photo (a glossy, nationally circulated, bimonthly magazine) selected the Top 56 Photo Books of the Year.  Of the 7 in the Environment & Nature category is "Nests:  Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them by Sharon Beals". The review is as follows:

"Drawn from the exquisite collections of three California-based academies and institutes, the nests in these delicate, detailed images reflect the meticulous care and skill of their creators---50 species of birds, each described in facing-page text that's as free of scientific jargon as it is informative."

Sharon Beals is coming to lecture about her work and open her exhibition in March. Schedule to follow soon... stay tuned! To wet your appetite, check out her images at www.sharonbeals.com.

Have you noticed the small silver tags on trees at the Preserve and wondered what they are? We have a tree survey in progress thanks to retired arborists Tom and Stephanie Coffin and volunteers Jack White and Guy Sommers.

Each silver aluminum tag has a number on it, so part of the survey is actually counting the trees, but it also involves measuring them, noting the species and their condition. This survey will provide valuable information about the tree canopy at Blue Heron and may lead eventually to a tree walk for visitors that would involve plate names for the trees and an informational guide for guests.

Tom, Stephanie, Jack and Guy

Tom Coffin has written a short article on the tree tagging process - download/read more about it here.

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