All calendar items are subject to change as we navigate the changing conditions and guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please continue to adhere to all safety protocols including physical distancing, wearing masks and frequent hand washing. For information on how to get vaccinated in California, please visit myturn.ca.gov.
Wildlife areas, ecological reserves and other properties may be closed due to wildfires or wildfire damage. Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts are strongly encouraged to check for closures before leaving on any recreational trip.
Various Days — Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Access Permit Application Deadline for Multiple Hunting Opportunities. Spring turkey hunts are available through the SHARE program. A $12.45 non-refundable application fee is charged for each hunt choice. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.
Various Days — Friday Habitat Restoration at Ballona Reserve, 3 to 5 p.m., Feb. 4 and 18, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Roll up your sleeves to help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands restore the last coastal wetland in the City of Los Angeles. Get hands-on experience while learning about urban ecology. The time and effort put into clearing out invasive vegetation give our slow-growing native plants room to thrive. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the events and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/04/friday-habitat-restoration or www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/18/friday-habitat-restoration.
Various Days — Salt Marsh and Dunes Tour at Ballona Reserve, 10 a.m. to noon, Feb. 6 and 19, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Explore the wonder of nature in the middle of urban Los Angeles! Expert docents will lead participants through the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve while explaining its history and ecology. Enjoy the unique native plants as you journey through different habitats. Participants might even meet some of the local wildlife. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/06/saltmarsh-tour or www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/19/saltmarsh-tour.
Various Days — Guided Wetland Tours by Reservation at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). A wildlife naturalist will lead any group, school or organization on a half-mile route through the diverse wetlands of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. General information includes wildlife identification, behavior patterns and conservation efforts. The experience can be catered to include requested information. There is a limit of 15 people per tour. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed, which may include masking and/or physical distancing. Come prepared and be respectful of other visitors. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.
Various Days — Discover the Flyway School Program, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Discover the Flyway is an outdoor education program for kindergarten through 12th grade students that meets Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards. Its goal is to offer children a meaningful outdoor experience that will give them an appreciation for the wetlands, agriculture and wildlife of the Central Valley and contribute to a lifetime of healthy outdoor activities and development of a land stewardship ethic. This school year, Yolo Basin Foundation is offering teachers three options: the chance to bring students to a field trip to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, the opportunity to have our educators and docents bring the program to their classroom or the option to participate from school or home in a live, virtually led activity. Teachers can learn more and register at www.yolobasin.org/schoolprograms.
Various Days — Office of Spill Prevention and Response’s (OSPR) Spill Management Team Certification Q&A Sessions, Feb. 15 and 17. OSPR spill management team certification regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, sections 830.1-830.11) will be effective on April 1, 2022. OSPR will be holding two Q&A sessions for the regulated community focusing on the new regulations and program implementation. To sign up, please register using the links posted on OSPR’s spill management team website at wildlife.ca.gov/ospr/spill-management-teams. Please contact osprsmt@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.
Various Days — White Goose Late Season Opens in the Imperial County Special Management Area. Season is open Feb. 1-4, 7-11 and 14-22. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
Weekends — Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, 10 and 11 a.m., 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Volunteers lead walks highlighting the natural history of the Elkhorn Slough every Saturday and Sunday. Capacity is limited due to physical distancing requirements and individuals must sign up on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups of six or more should call ahead at (831) 728-2822 to reserve a tour. For more information, please visit www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr/tours.
1 — Invasives Species Youth Art Contest Opens. Students in grades 2-12 are invited to submit an original art piece on the theme “Unite to Fight Invasive Species!” All types of media are welcome: drawings, paintings, mixed media, sculpture, animations, comic strips, videos, audio – send it all! Winners will be announced during Invasive Species Action Week, June 4-12. The deadline to enter is Friday, April 1. Please see submission guidelines at wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/invasives/action-week/poster-contest.
1 — Deadline to Report on Bear Tag. All bear tag holders are required to report on their tag regardless of whether they were successful, unsuccessful or did not hunt bear. The deadline for reporting on a bear hunt tag is Feb. 1. After the Feb. 1 deadline, the online reporting system will lock hunters out from reporting. Hunters who miss the online reporting window can and should still mail in their tags to the address on the tag. All bear tags postmarked after Feb. 1 will be considered late. Tags can be reported online at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales.
5 — Saving Imperiled Amphibians: A Community Science Story, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., virtual event hosted by the Elkhorn Slough Reserve. Conservation scientists are using environmental DNA to better understand the distribution of our local amphibians, including the highly endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, as well as threatened California tiger salamander and California red-legged frog. Learn about these unusual species, their wetland habitats and what is being done to protect them. For more details and to register, please visit www.elkhornslough.org/events/saving-imperiled-amphibians-220205.
5-6 — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 12:30 p.m., 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). This hour-and-a-half tour will stroll a third of a mile to an elevated viewing deck where participants will have a bird’s-eye view of wildlife. Visitors often encounter hawks, rabbits, herons, turtles, cormorants, flycatchers and much more. This is one of the premier birding spots in northern California, as migratory ducks and geese usually take the spotlight. Tours are canceled in heavy rain. This land is part of the CDFW Lands Pass Program and associated fee-for-use requirement. There is no additional cost for the tour. To sign up, please visit Eventbrite. To purchase a Lands Pass, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass. There is a limit of 12 people per tour. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed, which may include masking and/or physical distancing. Come prepared and be respectful of other visitors. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.
5-6 — Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Colorado River and Balance of State Zones. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days are intended to provide a safe learning environment for youth who are interested in hunting and to encourage youths and adults to experience the outdoors together. Each year, many wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges open for youth hunt days. Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older to participate. All hunters must have a valid license and stamps as required by state and federal law. The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2021-22 waterfowl season. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
6 — White and White-fronted Goose Late Season Opens in the Northeastern Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
9 — I Heart Estuaries Week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Celebrate California's estuaries and the animals that inhabit them. Self-guided scavenger hunts and interactive activities for kids will be available at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Visitor Center Wednesday, Feb. 9 through Sunday, Feb. 13. For more details, please visit www.elkhornslough.org/events/i-heart-estuaries-week-2022.
9 — Technical Assistance Workshop for Cannabis Cultivators, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Best Western Dry Creek Inn, 198 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg (95448). CDFW is hosting a technical pop-up shop for cannabis cultivators and consultants at the Dry Creek Inn in Sonoma County. CDFW’s cannabis permitting, engineering and grant staff will be available to discuss general and complex cannabis construction activities, notification package assistance, compliance questions and cannabis grant program opportunities. One-on-one meetings can be scheduled at askcannabis@wildlife.ca.gov on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to include “Technical Pop-Up" in the subject line and the preferred time in the message. No walk-ins will be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/cannabis/events.
12 — Ballona Creek Cleanup at Ballona Reserve, 9:30 a.m. to noon, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands clean up the last coastal wetland in Los Angeles. Did you know that 130 square miles of storm drain flow into Ballona Creek? Gutter trash from as far away as North Hollywood can end up right in the wetlands. The time and effort put into clearing out debris means less trash in the wetlands, on beaches and in the open ocean. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/12/creek-cleanup.
12 — Tour of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, 9 a.m. to noon, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Join Yolo Basin Foundation’s docent on a fantastic tour that is appropriate for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts and birders. View seasonal and permanent wetlands, native grasslands and young riparian forests. Look for migrating and resident waterfowl, geese, swans, raptors and wading birds. Registration is required to attend. For more information and to register, please visit www.yolobasin.org/wetlands-tours.
12-13 — Veterans and Active Military Personnel Waterfowl Hunting Days in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, Southern California and Balance of State Zones. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
16-17 — California Fish and Game Commission Meeting, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Feb. 16 and 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. The meeting is to be held via webinar/teleconference due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. For more information, please visit fgc.ca.gov.
19 — Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Pop-up Information Booth, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Parking Lot A, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Every third Saturday of the month, Yolo Basin Foundation will have a pop-up information booth in Parking Lot A of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. If you’ve never visited the area or have questions, it is a great time to visit since volunteers will be present to hand out maps of the auto tour route and hiking trails, provide information about what to keep an eye out for and answer questions as visitors set out to explore local wildlife. Come visit the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area during this time of magical migrations. Waterfowl, geese, swans and more are making their way south along the Pacific Flyway. For more information about the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, please visit www.yolobasin.org/yolobypasswildlifearea.
19 — Community Restoration Event at Ballona Wetlands, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 303 Culver Blvd., Playa Del Rey (90293). The Bay Foundation’s Ballona Wetlands Community Restoration Project focuses on removing invasive iceplant and other non-native vegetation that can impact native California plants such as pickleweed, salt grass and alkali weed. Participants will help remove non-native plants by hand. Parking is behind Gordon’s/Alka Water Market and it is a short walk up Culver Blvd. to the restoration site. Registration is required and attendance is limited to 30 participants. Please visit www.santamonicabay.org/events for more information and to sign up. Facemasks and social distancing will be required.
19 — White and White-fronted Goose Late Season Opens in the Balance of State Zone (closing Feb. 23). For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
19 — Canada Goose Late Season Opens in the North Coast Special Management Area. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
24 — California Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting, 10 a.m., via Zoom. The public is welcome. For more information, please visit wcb.ca.gov.
26 — Community Habitat Restoration at the Ballona Reserve, 9:30 a.m. to noon, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Roll up your sleeves to help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands restore the last coastal wetland in Los Angeles. Get hands-on experience while learning about urban ecology. Clearing out invasive vegetation gives slow-growing native plants room to thrive. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more information and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/02/26/community-habitat-restoration.
28 — Falconry Season for Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, Ptarmigan and Sooty (Blue)/Ruffed Grouse Closes. For more information on upland game bird seasons and limits, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/small-game.
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Media Contact:
Amanda McDermott, CDFW Communications, (916) 738-9641