The Confluence Winter 2000

PARC Information Booth Travels the Festival Circuit

The PARC information booth made its way to the Auburn Community Festival, Auburn Library SeptemberFest, Sacramento Salmon Festival and the Newcastle Mandarin Festival. As always, the booth was staffed by our wonderful volunteers. PARC goes to these festivals to offer information on the current issues affecting the north and middle forks of the American River. PARC received solid support for restoration of the American River at each venue. The Salmon Festival also saw support for re-intro of Salmon into the upper American River via The Murders Bar Steelhead Society. Thanks for stopping by this year. If you would like to volunteer for the booth next year - Call Andrea at (530) 887-9314.

Annual River Clean up a Success

With the help of California State Parks, the CHP helicopter crew, Auburn Placer Disposal and Placer High School PARC volunteers were able to thoroughly clean the Confluence area at our September Clean up. The helicopter was able to ferry six huge loads of trash from beneath the Auburn Foresthill Bridge to our trash pick up site. We are currently working with the county to increase the fines and community service hours for those caught dumping items off the bridge.

Christmas Audubon Bird Count

PARC teamed up with Audubon’s Darren Ross to count birds in the American River canyons for the Audubon National Bird Count. We were treated to a wide variety of canyon birds from the shy elusive fox sparrow to the more common cedar wax wings. The cedar wax wings were observed converging on a canyon live oak tree to eat mistletoe berries perhaps their original diet before pyracantha and privet were introduced. Another unique sighting was an acorn woodpecker eating wild grapes in a ravine a stone’s throw from Auburn. Twenty-six non-motorcycle riding wild turkeys were sighted at Mammoth Bar. This documents the unique diversity of birds living and migrating to our canyons each year. Plan to join us next year for the mid-December bird count.

Welcome new and renewing PARC Members: Jim and Cathy Haagen-Smit, Dana Allen, Chuck Anderson, Dave and Maggie Ballenger, Marjorie Blodgett, Dale Burdette, Erin Burke, Cynthia Erdem, Peter Errico, Kaye Foster, Art and Bonnie Hager, Suzy Daily Knisley, Paul Kunz, Amanda Jackey, Laura Lane, Medeiros Family, AddaH Owens, Wesley Parighetti, Sarah Ramsay, Doug Rodrick, Joan Sheeter, Laura Snow, Russell Stein Werher Maps and Guides, Sid Stoffels, Alliene Thym, Mehrey Vaghti, Thomas Troy.