A resident in a north Morgan Hill neighborhood glanced into her backyard and discovered a California gull running around in circles and thought that maybe it was injured or sick. So the kind lady captured the bird and quickly brought it to the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center. WERC staff could find no obvious injuries and the bird acted very alert and feisty. It was transferred to a flight enclosure with a small swimming pool. And then it became immediately apparent that the gull was actually just a big baby, although adult-sized and fully feathered and “thisclose” to flying.
IT is always distressing when one good environmental cause gets pitted against another good environmental cause, but that is what is happening with the debate over wind farms. The state of California requires that one-third of all energy produced in the state come from renewable sources. Wind turbines, such as the ones at Altamont Pass, have long been seen as an ideal way to obtain energy in a way that does not harm the environment, contribute to global warming or threaten public safety. The Altamont Pass turbines generate enough electricity to power 100,000 homes.
’Twas the fortnight before Christmas when Steve Johnson was putting up festive Christmas decorations outside his home in San Martin and witnessed something strange going on in the field next door. Walking over, he discovered an injured juvenile peregrine falcon on the ground, with some turkey vultures circling it with curiosity. Steve rescued the 15-inch long raptor and brought it to the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center.
The purchase of 120 acres of undeveloped property in southern Santa Clara County will vastly expand an open space preserve near Canada Road, authorities said.
A group of demonstrators who flocked to Syngenta Flowers in Gilroy last week was a modest-sized crew that lobbied against genetically engineered seeds, voicing their stance through colorful signs, chants, stickers, biohazard suits and even a chocolate Labrador named Lady, who wore a sign that declared, “No to GMOs! Dogs don't like it either.”
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is holding an informational meeting on the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit on Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Jackson School library, 2700 Fountain Oaks Drive in Morgan Hill from 4 to 8 p.m. Water district staff will be on hand to answer questions.