Big River now belongs to the people of California. Over $26 million in public and private funds was raised by the tireless work and dedication of the folks at Mendocino Land Trust and Michael Lebeau of the Trust for Wildland Communities. Big River’s 7,400 acres of watershed and estuary was rated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as one of the top four conservation projects under its jurisdication. Big River’s watershed comprises some of the best timber ground on the planet. The purchase of Big River presented an unusual opportunity to link coastal habitats to inland habitats on a landscape scale, greatly enhancing conservation efforts on adjacent state lands through cooperative management, support of scientific research, and by facilitating management of the entire acreage as an ecological system.

The Big River, which flows into the ocean just south of Mendocino, wasn’t named for the breadth of its channel but for the size of the redwoods that once grew along its bank. In 2002 the 7,334 acre Big River Unit was added to Mendocino Headlands State Park. The addition of the Big River Unit to the California State Park system creates a 7,400 acre wildlife corrider which links diverse coastal and inland habitats into the largest piece of connected public land entirely within Mendocino County.

Reaching from the river’s mouth to 800 foot elevation inland ridges, the Big River wetland property includes a wide range of habitats. State lands surround it on three sides. On the north it adjoins Jackson Demonstration State Forest and Mendocino Woodlands State Park.

Big River is protected and is the only major undeveloped navigable estuary remaining in Northern California. Unlike the undeveloped portions of other rivers Big River is accessible. Big River is a place of gentle tidal flows, mist-laden redwoods, and tucked-away marshes. It is home to an amazing array of wildlife, and it has a history as a resource and a respite for humans as well.

The property’s unique natural resources include:

• 1,500 acres of wetlands, including brackish, freshwater, saltwater, and fresh emergent marshes, the 8.3 mile long estuary, and associated riparian habitats.
• 27 endangered, threatened, or species of concern.
• 60,000 acres of connected wildlife habitat between this and adjacent public land, and over 100 miles of joined trails.
• 50 miles of Big River and its tributaries, home to Dungeness and shore crab, freshwater mussels, ghost shrimp, river otter, beaver, harbor seals, and over 22 fish species including coho and steelhead salmon, bocaccio, starry flounder, Pacific halibut, Pacific herring, eulachon, buffalo and prickly sculpin, and 7 species of surfperch.
• Over 130 bird species recorded to date, including Osprey, Northern “Spotted Owl, Golden Eagle, Yellow Warbler, Purple Martin, Vaux’s Swift, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Olive-sided and Pacific-slope Flycatchers.
• It is the longest undeveloped estuary in northern California.
• Significant, untapped archeological resources throughout the property.
• High diversity of plant communities including Northern Coastal Salt Marsh, Coastal Brackish Marsh, mudflats, coastal and valley freshwater marsh, costal scrub, riparian forests, Coastal Redwood Forest, Bishop Pine Forest, Grand Fir Forest, Mendocino Pygmy Cypress Forest, Coastal Coniferous Forest, and mixed hardwood/conifer forest, as well as five aquatic plant associations.
• 27 sensitive plant species, identified on Big River property quadrangles, and which are likely to be positively identified in future surveys.
• At least 32 mammals including river otter, black bear, beaver, mountain lion, bobcat, mink, ring-tailed cat, long and short tailed weasel, little brown bat, gray fox, harbor seal, and the red tree vole.
• 60 acre Laguna Marsh, and unusual inland and extensive fresh-emergent wetland representing one of the most productive habitats on earth.

The tallest living tree today is the Mendocino Tree, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) found at Montgomery State Reserve. The Mendocino Tree stands at 112 meters (367 feet, 6 in), or five stories higher than the Statue of Liberty. It is estimated to be over 1000 years old. It was declared the tallest tree in 1996. 

Located less than one hour from Stevenswood Lodge, 15 miles east of the town of Comptche is the beautiful Montgomery Woods State Reserve, in the heart of the Coast Range, has redwoods, where visitors can walk along one of the park’s many trails. It is an excellant example of both a magnificent coastal redwood grove and a beautiful fern forest.

Montgomery Woods State Reserve is an 1,142 acre remnant of old-growth redwoods. Montgomery Woods is one of the more remote of California’s 31 redwood parks. It is a perfect place for a picnic, and tables are provided for that purpose. The redwoods you will see here, while walking the trail, are among some of the most spectacular redwoods in the Western United States. A trail follows Montgomery Creek upstream to five separate redwood groves that have never been logged. The trail is about three miles long, laid out in a shollow loop that takes about an hour to travel.

Standing under this redwood, like others, would probably cause one to get extremely wet. So much “fog drip” condenses on a redwood’s needles, branches and trunk that it waters the tree as well the surrounding vegetation, playing a large role in creating and maintaining the ecosystem. Redwoods can gather as much as half of a forest’s annual supply of water. Just one tree can effectively drop 4 inches of rainfall in one night. Plants normally move water up from the ground to their foliage where it evaporates. That action then pulls more water up the plant. But the taller the plant, the more likely the system is to break down. However, the fog that surrounds the redwoods may slow the evaporation rate so much that the plants don’t need to send much water skyward or can even get water directly from the mist. This helps explain why the redwoods are the tallest trees on the earth. The taller Coast Redwood grows along the California coast into Southern Oregon in an area about 500 miles long by 20 or 30 miles wide.

27 musicians performed the first Symphony of the Redwoods back in 1983 when it was founded and has grown to include 45 - 50 amateur and professional musicians from Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake and Sonoma counties and the Bay area. Visitors and newcomers to the Symphony of the Redwoods are often amazed to discover the high calibre of the orchestra which is inspired and guided by the effervescent Allan Pollack.

Between September and May the orchestra plays three or four “sets” of two concerts, the first on Saturday night, the second on Sunday afternoon in Fort Bragg. The Symphony also sponsors The Opus Chamber Music Series on Sunday afternoons at Preston Hall in nearby Mendocino.

In addition to concerts and Opus chamber music performances, orchestra members contribute their talents throughout the year to Symphony fundraisers, musical salons held in private homes, the annual Ledford House Dinner and Silent Auction, and Pops concert, as well as to other local musical performances such as the Mendocino Music Festival, Opera Fresca, Fort Bragg Center for the Arts Chamber Music Series, The Mendocino Art Center, and Gloriana Opera Company.

The Opus Chamber Music Concert Series was founded in 1988 by members of the Symphony of the Redwoods to provide local and visiting musicians opportunities for small-group performances. Concerts are presented on Sundays at 3 pm in Preston Hall, Mendocino. Check out there website http://www.symphonyoftheredwoods.org/ for concert dates and tickets.

Due to a change in U.S. law, effective January 23, 2007, all customers, regardless of citizenship or age, must hold a valid passport to enter or depart the U.S. This is a change from prior travel requirements which in many cases allowed travel with a driver’s license or birth certificate. For complete details, go to http://www.travel.state.gov/

Stretching from Californias historic Highway One to the dramatic shore of the Pacific, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has delighted visitors for 40 years. Whether your’re a gardener or birdwatcher, an artist or traveler, you’ll discover 47 acres of beauty and serenity when you visit this garden by the sea. An easy half-mile walk takes you from well-tended gardens, through a fern covered canyon, to spectacular vistas at the ocean’s edge.

There perennial garden welcomes you at the entrance, offering a year-round tapestry of color and texture. Few public gardens are located directly on the ocean’s shore. Here you can observe the bi-annual gray whale migration from coastal bluff meadows crowned with rare native wild flowers. There seaside cliff house offers another great place to view the ocean, especially when the waves turn wild!

In addition to its diverse flora, the gardens are home to many animals as well. Black tailed deer and jack rabbits are common sightings. Osprey, California quail and Canadian geese are some of the more commonly seen birds, and over 100 other species live in or visit the gardens.

Birding with the Audobon Society. Early bird walks on the third Wednesday of each month, beginning at 8:00 am. Beginning birding walks are held on the first Saturday of each month, beginning at 9:00 am. Over 100 species of birds live in or visit the gardens each year. Join the experts and learn more about our avian friends. Walks start at the garden entrance. Tour is included in the gardens admission. For information 962-9413 or 964-6362. Visit there website at www.gardenbythesea.org.

Make plans to join us for the 2nd Annual Mendocino Film Festival on the dates of May 17-20, 2007. The purpose of this festival is to present films that stimulate the creative connection between our inner being and the outer world, films that bring us closer to one another, films that remind us who we are. We seek strong stories and strong characters that move us to laugh, to cry, to pause and wonder about the human experience. We seek work that engages and empowers as it entertains, that ventures into realms beyond worn out conventions.

In 2006, our inaugural year, we welcomed over 50 filmmakers from all over the world and invited them into our homes, inns and hotels. We enjoyed short films, documentary films, feature length films about art, and local films & filmmakers. More than 60 independent films were shown over the four days of the First Annual Festival. We look forward to a bigger and better year for 2007.

Mendocino has been inspiration and location for over sixty feature films. There have been oscar winning movies made here like the 1943 “Frenchman’s Creek” starring Joan Fontaine and the 1947 movie “Johnny Belinda” starring Jane Wyman, the famous 1954 production of “East of Eden” with James Dean, and the very funny 1965 production of the “The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming” with stars like Carl Reiner, Alan Arkin, Brian Keith, and Jonathan Winters, and of course the award winner “The Summer of 42″ made in 1970 with Jennifer O’Neil.

Some of the more recent favorites that we all know such as “Racing With The Moon” with Sean Penn & Nicholas Cage. The comedy “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell. Other Favorites like “Dying Young” with Julia Roberts and “Forever Young” with Mel Gibson, and of course the “The Majestic” with Jim Carey.

This is a great time to getaway and have some fun with a great venue here on the coast.

Whether you enjoy walking tours throughout the village of Mendocino or enjoy receptions, food & music at either First Friday in Fort Bragg where many shops and galleries remain open late to host artists receptions every First Friday of the month from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. or enjoy Second Saturday where art galleries hold monthly receptions and exhibit openings in the village of Mendocino every second Saturday of the month from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

This is a great chance to meet and know the artists, sculpturers, jewelry makers, stain glass and glass blowers, ceramic and pottery makers, and craftsman of fine furniture in our communities.

Checkout these websites to get a taste of what the Mendocino Coast has to offer. http://northcoastartists.org/,         http://edgewatergallery.net/, http://danhemannsculpture.com,    http://leedyart.com/,               http://suzilong.com/, http://coastsidegallery.com/,          http://mendocinoartists.com/,

Throughout the winter and spring they will be offering classes such as textiles, photoshop exploring camera and basic photoshop, weaving classes, jewelry/metalsmithing working with links & connections, computer arts dealing with webdesign101- (creating a site) & internet and email basics, and a favorite creating pottery.

Open Studios — The Mendocino Art Center’s open studios remain active throughut the winter, but around the holidays, its a good idea to call ahead and check. Explore your creative interests in a selfpaced, stress free, non-judgmental environment. Each program has designated hours each week for drop-ins. There is a small fee. Prior registration not required for open studios, so just come by! There phone # is 800-653-3328 or checkout there website at http://mendocinoartcenter.org/default.lasso

Average Folks Can Become Crab Fishermen for a Day

FORT BRAGG, Calif. –With crab season in full swing, kids and adults are rolling up their sleeves, pulling on boots and working side-by-side with seasoned crabbers to bait, catch and clean the tasty sea creatures.

Noyo Harbor-based Sea Hawk, captained by Tim Gillespie of All Aboard Adventures, offers five-hour crabbing trips through mid-Summer.  Guided by Gillespie’s crew, novice crabbers help retrieve crab traps, measure the catch, then re-bait and drop the traps back into the ocean. For their effort, each participant gets to take home up to 10 freshly cooked crabs.

“It’s a wild scene with kids squealing and chasing loose crabs across the deck,” explained Cindy Lemas, the Sea Hawk’s first mate, who is organizing the trips.
Lemas says the trips will continue through July 30 when crab season comes to a close.

To join the crab hunt, contact Lemas at 707-964-1881.

ALL ABOARD ADVENTURES WITH CAPTAIN TIM!
Located on North Harbor Drive, Noyo Harbor
PO Box 757 - Fort Bragg - 95437
707-964-1881 - Email allaboard@myexcel.com
www.allaboardadventures.com
Enjoy Salmon, Rock Cod and Albacore fishing, whale watching, and sunset cruises on the SEA HAWK!

NORTH COAST FISHING ADVENTURES - THE “RUMBLEFISH”
Located at the Noyo Fishing Center
32440 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg CA 95437
707-964-3000 - Email fishon@pacific.net
www.fortbraggfishing.com
Home of “Rumblefish”, “El Patron”, and the “Shawnee Star”. Fort Bragg’s largest charter office, specializing in salmon, shallow water rockcod, albacore, whale watching, crab cruises, and sunset excursions, for all your charter needs.

TELSTAR CHARTERS
PO Box 767, at Noyo Harbor - Fort Bragg - 95437 - 707-964-8770
www.gooceanfishing.com
Tours & fishing charters

Lady Irma II
707-964-3854
www.ladyirmacharters.com

Adventures Unlimited
707-964-3316
www.fortbraggwhales.com

2007 MENDOCINO COAST WHALE FESTIVALS SET FOR MARCH 3 & 4 IN MENDOCINO, MARCH 17 & 18 IN FORT BRAGG
 

MENDOCINO COAST, Calif. – Oct. 1, 2006 – Gray whales, comedy, food, wine and microbrew tastings, a marine art exhibit, a crafts fair, plein air painting demonstrations, a whale run/walk, a classic car show, concerts, and whale watching by horseback, sea, air and foot are just a few of the highlights of the 25th Annual Mendocino Coast Whale Festival. Major festival events are concentrated over two March weekends: 3rd and 4th in Mendocino and 17th and 18th in Fort Bragg. Details available for all events at www.mendocinocoast.com from the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce at (707) 964-6300.
 
Mendocino Festival (March 3 & 4)
On Saturday, March 3, the Village of Mendocino kicks off the 2007 celebration with docent-led whale watching walks from the Ford House Visitor Center on Main Street. Wine tasting provided by Mendocino County wineries, chowder tasting by top local chefs and a marine wildlife art exhibit at the Mendocino Art Center are planned. Tickets are $25 per person, which covers food and wine tastings on Saturday and Sunday and includes a 2007 Whale Festival wine glass. Air, sea, and horseback whale watching tours offered.
 
Fort Bragg Festival (March 17 & 18)
The 2nd Annual Whales on Parade will feature nearly 50 wooden whales decorated by some of the Coast’s top artists. Regional microbreweries will offer their best pilsners, stouts and ales for tasting at historic Eagle’s Hall along with barbecue, including oysters and sausages. Other events include the Whale Run, a 5K and 10K walk and run along the ocean (www.theschedule.com), a classic car show, an arts & crafts fair, chowder tasting, art exhibits and guided whale walks and watching at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, MacKerricher State Park, and Point Cabrillo Light Station State Park & Nature Preserve. Air, sea, and horseback whale watching tours offered.
 
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Park and Nature Preserve (March 3, 4, 17 & 18)
This 300-acre California State Park with a restored, working lighthouse, has planned a series of docent walks, activities for children, history tours and docent-led whale watching 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. March 3, 4, 17 & 18. Tours of the new Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo will be available. The Lighthouse Inn is located in the original head lightkeepers residence built in 1909.