History of our chapter
History From 1981 – 2023 by Elizabeth Olin
In 1981, Steve Stocking wrote a history of the Stockton Audubon Society that celebrated 40 years of conservation work and public engagement. The write-up below picks up the history of the chapter, now known as the San Joaquin Audubon Society (SJAS), from 1981 covering the next 40+ years of events through 2023.
Many local and world events transpired during the last four decades that impacted the environment. County development efforts threatened endangered species such as the Swainson’s Hawk. The Endangered Species Act has suffered frequent political attacks. Climate change has strengthened its grip on the planet. Through it all, the San Joaquin Audubon Society has continued its legacy of giving Nature representation and a voice against its opposition, all while strengthening the bonds within the birding community.
Conservation Work
Throughout its history, the San Joaquin Audubon Society has prioritized its efforts, partnerships, and financial support that furthered local conservation work.
Importantly, the chapter strives to raise awareness of environmental issues to public agencies, developers, and the general public to inspire actions. The chapter’s numerous conservation efforts have frequently resulted in positive outcomes. Below are several examples that are worth highlighting.
Habitat Conservation Plan
The Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is cited as one of San Joaquin Audubon Society’s most impactful conservation efforts. Led by members Waldo Holt and Steve Stocking, the HCP centered around partnerships that sought to preserve the 1 Delta and bird breeding grounds against growing development. One of the main outcomes of the HCP is that for every land purchase intended for development, an equal amount of land is funded by the developers that will be dedicated to habitat preservation. For example, the Woodbridge Wilderness Area (formerly Woodbridge Regional Park, administered by San Joaquin County) located in the town of Woodbridge exists as a result of this agreement. The HCP has greatly contributed to the way the county looks today, with land set aside for the birds and other creatures.
Oak Grove Regional Park
The San Joaquin Audubon Society has a long-standing connection to Oak Grove Regional Park. It was originally a cattle ranch called the Smith Ranch. In the beginnings of this Audubon chapter, they held their first field trip to this nature area. Verna Johnson and Steven Stocking were instrumental in the creation of the 180-acre Oak Grove Regional Park, which preserved native oaks and kept some of the original habitat of the area alive.
In 1973, the chapter organized an ad hoc committee to fight against the pressure to develop the area as a camper and trailer park. Their work was successful in ensuring that the park remained a natural wildlife area. Five years later, SJAS helped to establish the Oak Grove Nature Area and the Nature Center with funding towards its construction. In the early 1980s, Kathy Schick and others developed a training program for park docents, with many Audubon members serving as volunteer docents. In the ensuing years, the chapter and its members also bought, planted, and cared for native oak trees.
An interesting story emerged about Oak Grove Regional Park. In the 2010’s, a consultant was hired to look at the park budget. The consultant’s recommendation was to turn the Nature Center into a microbrewery. Needless to say, that did not sit well with members who showed up at a board meeting of supervisors, and the recommendation was not pursued.
South County
Waldo Holt actively pursued lawsuits to prevent developers from wrecking native habitat. Mark Connolly offered his legal services to the San Joaquin Audubon Society for these local environmental lawsuits. As a result of this partnership, Mr. Connolly would invite members to his ranch for an unforgettable annual barbecue and to explore the property. The ranch features unique habitat that is only found in south county, and this was a favorite activity for members. Although this annual event was paused, conservation work is still continuing with the family alongside SJAS member David Fries. They are working to save the nearby Tesla Park habitat from being turned into an extension of the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area.
County Checklist
County checklists are an important aspect of conservation efforts, as checklists establish the expected species for an area and can provide an overarching story of species trends locally. The first county checklist was compiled by David Yee, Waldo Holt, and Kathy Schick, and published in 1989. The last revision to the county list was in 2010 with 343 native and 6 introduced species.
Rare Bird Committee
Although it had long been contemplated by David Yee and Waldo Holt, in 2020 the San Joaquin Bird Records Committee was formed. The goal is to ensure quality data for posterity by reviewing rare bird reports. The first record reviewed was a Sagebrush Sparrow, and since then dozens of reports have been submitted for review by the committee.
Waldo Holt
Waldo Holt (December 16, 1948 – July 11, 2007) was a birding expert and nature lover who bravely and fiercely fought to protect the county’s habitat. He was instrumental in the creation of the Habitat Conservation Plan, frequently attended three city development meetings, poured over environmental reports, and filed lawsuits to oppose plans that would harm the habitat for the Swainson’s Hawks and other endangered species. His tireless work was key to shaping modern conservation efforts in this chapter.
In honor of his work, the Waldo Holt Music Festival was created in 2008 with the proceeds going towards conservation. In 2022, the Waldo Holt Preserve secured 80 acres of land dedicated to the preservation of habitat.
Community Outreach
Spreading awareness of Central Valley birds and of local Audubon Society efforts is an important strategy for linking the public to conservation efforts. The San Joaquin Audubon Society has maintained a continual presence at county events, offering the public many opportunities in which to engage with the chapter. Over the years, members have distributed materials related to native gardening in backyards, information on building and maintaining nest boxes, and copies of letters to Congress and state officials to inspire individual activism.
SJAS co-sponsored the first Lodi Crane festival in 1997, a highly popular community event that continues to this day. After the first festival was held, the planning committee observed, “This event manifested strong community support for wildlife conservation on a regional level. Community leaders are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting wildlife resources for the good of the community and the environment.”
Chapter Events
Education
San Joaquin Audubon places a strong value on education. Over the years, the chapter sponsored up to 39 classrooms for the Audubon Adventures program, which included kits and student newsletters used in a classroom setting. Several “Science in a Suitcase” kits were developed for teachers to use during instruction. These included engaging bird activities for students and were popular with teachers in the Stockton School District.
SJAS has sponsored other educational activities over the years. For example, Audubon supported summer camp opportunities for school-aged children by paying for the cost of the teachers. These types of activities are in line with the goals of educating young people about the need for wildlife in the hopes that they will be inspired to pursue their own conservation efforts.
Field Trips
Local birding field trips make up an important activity to introduce Audubon members and non-members to the natural world. Some trips are designed specifically for beginners, with experienced trip leaders offering birding tidbits that are accessible to novice and advanced birders alike. Over the years, the locations of the trips have changed, but several hotspots have maintained an ongoing monthly presence for decades: Cosumnes River Preserve, Lodi Lake Nature Area, Mokelumne Fish Hatchery, and Woodbridge Wilderness Area.
These trips introduce locals to the world of birding, publicize Audubon to the uninitiated, and offer a space for community. Several monthly trips serve as an official census: Cosumnes River Preserve, Mokelumne Fish Hatchery, and Woodbridge Wilderness Area. The census at Cosumnes began in January 1988 by John Schick, with Jim Rowoth picking it up in 2012. Woodbridge Wilderness Area was the newest addition in 2011. These census efforts document species over the years, offering conservationists important data as they investigate species decline. Data is entered in eBird, thus allowing broad access to this important environmental information.
Cosumnes River Preserve deserves a special note. It is technically outside of San Joaquin County, and yet San Joaquin Audubon members have been involved in its creation in the 1980s, have served as docents, and, as previously mentioned, have been conducting a monthly census for over three decades. This is just one example of how the influence and contributions of SJAS is felt beyond county lines.
Also of note, in 1975 the Stockton Butterfly Count was launched under the coordination of county staff. San Joaquin County was one of the first counts in this nationwide event. Years later, the count was paused due to budget cuts until local Audubon members revived it in 1986, thanks to Kathy Schick. SJAS incorporated the butterfly count as an official field trip in partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension and their Master Gardener program. The nationwide count is no longer hosted by the Xerces Society but now hosted by the North American Butterfly Association, and this local event is one of the few butterfly counts still being held to this day.
Bird Counts and Competitions
Field Trips
The Big Year is a birding competition that challenges daring birders to find the most number of bird species within a calendar year. San Joaquin Audubon Society has sponsored three such events to encourage birders to find the most number of bird species within county lines. Not only do these competitions promote engagement and camaraderie within the birding community, but the sightings also contribute to data that is used to understand bird distribution, which can reveal the impacts of the various pressures on birds and inform conservation pursuits.
The three San Joaquin County Big Year competitions were held in 1997, 2001, and 2023. The first Big Year was proposed and organized by David Yee. As a result of the 1997 competition, more people were motivated to look for birds around the county and could apply new identification skills learned from their Big Year experience. A list of winners is noted at the end of this document
Bird Counts and Censuses
In addition to competitions, the chapter has facilitated other events that serve bothas a fun birding activity and an important data source.
As noted in Steve Stocking’s history write-up, the Stockton Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started by Mr. and Mrs. Shanks in 1968 (although there are a couple of records dating back to the 1950s) with the Bellota-Wallace CBC starting a year later. Species numbers peaked in the 1990s, with totals approaching 160 species. Since those highs, CBC numbers have declined, likely due to climate change and habitat loss with the growing popularity of vineyards and development projects. Participants have shared fond memories of the CBC, including birding in inclement
weather resulting in dedicated, but soaked, birders.
The first local birdathon fundraiser was piloted by California Audubon around 1980. Audubon member David Yee was selected as the county representative, and he spent an exciting day birding from Caswell State Park all the way down to Morro Bay where he landed his lifer Ancient Murrelet. He won third place with over 90 birds – a massive feat in the pre-eBird days – and raising about $100. Two years later, David participated in the first National Audubon birdathon fundraiser where he won first place and raised thousands of dollars. He was rewarded with a bird trip to the Yucatan.
Members participated in a variety of bird counts and censuses over the years, including Breeding Bird Surveys, Camanche Fish Hatchery bird census, and Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area bird surveys. Targeted species counts of the Burrowing Owls (SJAS funded the first census), Mountain Plovers, Sandhill Cranes, and Tricolored Blackbirds were also conducted by members. These efforts were often done at the request of the state and local government.
Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements
The conservation efforts and activities of the San Joaquin Audubon Society are vast and cannot be captured in full without writing an entire book. It is the hope that this write-up gives a glimpse of the wonderful work that the chapter has provided for the local community and habitat over the last 40 years.
San Joaquin Audubon Society has been key to forging lifelong friendships as members came together through their fondness of birds. Some were brought into 7 the local Audubon through educators, and the continued mentorship throughout the years has contributed to learning more about birds and pursuing the conservation efforts we see to this day.
This San Joaquin Audubon History Project was envisioned by President Srinivasan Raman in 2023. Elizabeth Olin researched and wrote this history. Records were lost over the years, and therefore the history will be incomplete. Resources included The Hoot Owl newsletters, board minutes, and chapter annual reports. My deepest gratitude goes towards Kasey Foley, Jim Rowoth, Kathy Schick, and David Yee for participating in interviews to add to the rich oral history of this group, and additional thanks goes to Gabriel Olin, Jim Rowoth, and Kathy Schick for taking the time to offer edits.
Author – Elizabeth Olin, May 2024