July 2020
CABR Monthly News & Updates
Welcome to the fifth edition of our monthly newsletter!
Happy 4th of July!
On any given fourth of July, many of you may have been getting ready to volunteer at the annual CNMF event held at the park. Chalk at the ready, you would be marking off spots for our patriotic patrons to safely view the fireworks from. Then, when the show began, you would 'oooo' and 'ahhh' in sync with the rest of the crowd, as the Big Bay Boom showcased its technicolor pyrotechnics in celebration of our nation's independence. Some of you were even here in 2012 when the Big Bay Boom became known as the Big Bay Bust and all the synchronized fireworks shows along the bay blew up at once and fizzled out in less than a minute. San Diego may have failed that night, but we failed spectacularly!

It's memories like these, and holidays that are meant to be spent in the company of friends and family, that make being apart from each other hurt more than usual. However, I am confident that the greater good will prevail; with social distancing, mask wearing, and proper hygiene, we will make it to the other side of this pandemic stronger and more resilient than ever. This Fourth of July may look starkly different from what John Adams imagined in 1777. The pomp and circumstance that he called for after signing the declaration of independence will be replaced with many families celebrating quietly from home. To that I say: Don't get your white wig in a tangle just yet, John Adams, for when we emerge on the other side of this pandemic, we will have even more to celebrate next 4th of July!
Speaking of Founding Fathers....
Have you heard of " the ten dollar founding father without a father" ? You know.... the guy " who got a lot farther by working a lot harder". What's his name again....? Oh right, ALEXANDER HAMILTON!

If you haven't heard yet, Hamilton: An American Musical is now available to stream! This epic tale of one of our most influential founding fathers highlights history through song and dance. It's a beautiful masterpiece that I plan on watching every day for the rest of my life (I'm a casual fan). Aside from being the greatest musical of our time, it tells a story that is also highlighted by many of our National Park units. The National Park Foundation recently put out an article that takes you through all the NPS sites highlighted in Act 1 of Hamilton .
Welcome Wagon
Please join us in welcoming two seasonals to the interpretive division! Erin and Bryant will be with us until the end of September, helping us create programming and increase ranger presence in the park.
Erin Gelfat
Greetings! My name is Erin Gelfat and I am thrilled to be at Cabrillo! I have spent my time with the National Park Service working at a variety of sites, including Grand Canyon, Everglades, and the Santa Monica Mountains, but it feels so good to be back in my home state of California after 3 years of traveling around. My background is in plant ecology, but I fell in love with interpretation and love telling stories to visitors. I love spending time outdoors with my camera, but I also have a wide variety of hobbies, such as cooking, cross-stitching, listening/playing bluegrass music, and following competitive gymnastics. If you see me walking around the park, I'm always happy to chat--just look for some wild curly hair and you'll find me!
Bryant Culbreth
Hello everyone! My name is Bryant Culbreth and I am extremely excited to be working at Cabrillo NM, as an interpretive park ranger, this summer. My hometown is Plymouth, North Carolina which is located 2 hours east of Raleigh, NC, 1 ½ hours south of Norfolk, VA and 1 hour west of the Outer Banks. I am an alumnus of UNC-Wilmington where I studied Parks & Recreation. My interpretation career started as a U.S. Fish & Wildlife intern at Alligator River, Pea Island, Mattamuskeet and Swan Quarter National Wildlife Refuges, all in coastal NC. My past National Park Service stops include Yellowstone NP, Lyndon B. Johnson NHP and Kenai Fjords NP. Overall, San Diego has been good to me so far… I love the weather as well as the ceviche and fish tacos. Everyone at Cabrillo has been very welcoming and I appreciate that. I have met some of the volunteers and look forward to meeting the ones I haven’t. You guys rock! I’m looking forward to a great summer here!
Covid-19 Update
As we head into the 4th of July weekend, I wanted to provide a brief park status update for COVID-19 conditions.

1) For the 4th of July weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) - the topside parking lots will be maintained to 50% capacity. When that capacity has been approximately reached, park entry will be closed, and the incoming public will be informed and asked to return later (e.g., 30 minutes). This is the same practice that was implemented when the park first re-opened on May 19 (when the County required parking lots near parks to restrict parking to 50% capacity).

  • All three topside bays will remain open from this point forward to allow people to spread out to park if desired, and to allow more people to park closer to the visitor center area if desired. 

Likewise the limited parking capacity (50%) for the tidepool area will continue in order to manage crowding and for resource protection, through closure of the tidepool gate.

It is anticipated that both of the gates will be closed incrementally and periodically, with re-opening happening as parking spaces clear and/or groups spread out.

2) We will resume operations of full access for topside parking on Monday, July 6. If local conditions change for County guidance relative to parking at parks, this may change. Tidepool parking will continue to be restricted until further notice.

3) As indicated below, on Wednesday, the County health officer relayed that based on case loads, the County of San Diego is likely to join 19 other counties in California as one of those on the Watch List, and if cases do not decline (there is not an indication that that will occur), then the County is likely to face stricter requirements as per State guidelines starting on Monday 7/6, similar to those being implemented in the 19 other Counties now (focused on limiting indoor activities with people other than your household).

Have a great holiday weekend everyone.....take time to celebrate and appreciate this country that we live in - and do so safely with some different approaches needed this year than has occurred in our past celebrations. This country is, still, in my humble opinion, the best country in the world of which to be a citizen. The current protests, debate, and discussions are demonstrated dedications to make it even better......

Andrea Compton
Superintendent

Resource Management & Science
  • We had a successful joint TPERP and Weed Warrior coastal clean-up (166 lbs trash, 6 bags of plants were removed)

  • Tidepool plot repairs are ongoing (multiple days)

  • We have a seasonal archeological technician starting 8/3

  • Herp surveys are not open to volunteers yet due to social distancing limitations at the pitfall arrays arrays

  • Any VIP's that want to become weed warriors can be reonboarded. Please contact Lonie at lonie_brown@partner.nps.gov. When you reach out to her, Lonie will email you with the initial documents and information to get started. After you recieve an email from Lonie, you will be able to sign up on Volgistics. There will be more hours for WW this summer than just the Tues and alternating Fri and Sat mornings. Checking on Volgistics is the best way to see when sessions are open.

Linh Anh Cat, Ph.D. (she/her)
Chief of Resources Management & Science
 

Interpretation & Education Updates
  • We are offering the Junior Ranger program once again at a Visitor Contact table in the breezeway outside of the Visitor Center. We have a ranger-on-duty at that table every day from 11 am to 1 pm.

  • Cabrillo National Monument is in the final stages of creating a new Junior Ranger activity book! Our new activity booklet aims to be open ended, getting youth (and the young at heart!) to think about the resources around them and share what they have learned with friends and family. From Thursday, July 2 - Tuesday, July 14, we need your help (and the help of any of your family members who are interested) to test out the new book and submit feedback. We welcome all feedback! A park ranger will be available from 11am - 3pm each day in the breezeway to hand out the new draft booklets and a comment form. Families who are invited to test the booklet can get a fee waiver by emailing Julieanne. Please contact Julieanne, the lead ranger on the project, at julieanne_fontana@nps.gov with questions, to request digital version of the booklet, and for fee waivers.

  • At this time we are not bringing on additional volunteer roles, as we are following guidance for COVID19. The roles available now include: Weed Warriors, Roving, TPERP for existing TPERP volunteers, Trash Collection, Lighthouse Kitchen Garden, Maintenance, & Greenhouse. These roles were all approved by the Management Team after discussing a risk management matrix, and these roles are all low risk due to the ability to social distance and stay outdoors. Other roles that have a risk for a higher level of visitor contact, like Living History (where people will try to get close and take photos with you) and Visitor Contact table will not be brought back until a later stage of our phased re-opening of the park.

  • Naturalization Ceremonies: In the month of June, we hosted 6 days of drive-thru Naturalization Ceremonies in Partnership with USCIS. In total 690 new citizens took their Oath of Allegiance. Our uniformed staff greeted the citizens and their families at the entrance of the parking lot, giving each new citizen a map of the park and a map of all NPS units. It was a lot of fun to share in their joy, and a wonderful partnership with USCIS.
Community Volunteer Ambassador Updates

Park Beautification (i.e. Trash Collection) is now added to the list of available at-park volunteer opportunities on Volgistics. To get started, simply sign up! If you’re unable to access the calendar on Volgistics, email us at cabr_volunteers@nps.gov and we will add the assignment to your profile.

Continuing Education Events:

  • "The Peregrine Falcon, Fastest Animal in the World!”: Zoom event hosted by VIP Don Endicott will be offered once again, this time with the CHIS/SAMO VIP continued education speaker series. CVA Setareh will send out the Zoom invitation leading up to the event (July 12th @ time TBD).

  • “Tadaima! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage”: an online community-driven event spearheaded by the NPS and Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages. So, what is a virtual pilgrimage, you ask? Due to the pandemic, each of the annual pilgrimages to wartime Japanese American incarceration camps have been canceled. Over the course of nine (that’s right—nine!) weeks, this online event will continue the practice of memorializing the history of Japanese American incarceration during WWII as well as celebrating the “history, diversity, strength, and vibrancy of the Nikkei community.” Instead of a physical pilgrimage, this event will blend together online exhibits, workshops, performances, lectures, film screenings, and much more.
Bee Update
The bees in the hive off Bayside Trail became more aggressive in the last few weeks. An apiarist confirmed they are Africanized bees and attempted to exterminate them. We are monitoring the hive to ensure they are gone. If they return, the trail will be closed from just past the generator station.

A hive of non aggressive bees was removed and relocated offsite. There are at least two other hives that remain in the park, so please remember the following if you are coming out to volunteer anytime soon:

  • Listen for buzzing and stay away from hives and swarms.

  • Don’t swat at bees; they may become agitated and sting you.

  • Bees can be attracted to human sweat.

If you are stung:

  • Seek shelter in a closed vehicle or leave the area.

  • Remove the stinger by scraping it out with a fingernail, knife, or credit card; do not pull it out with your fingertips.

  • Apply ice to relieve pain and swelling.

  • Seek medical attention if breathing is difficult or you are highly allergic to bee stings.
Heading to the Park to Volunteer Soon?
Before each shift , you must complete a COVID-19 Self Screening with the following 3 steps and email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov with the results.

1. Have I had any recent known potential exposure (household contact or close contact within 6 feet) to anyone with COVID-19 infection? If your answer is yes, you should stay home until 14 days after the last exposure, maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from others at all times, and self-monitor for symptoms* including taking your temperature twice daily.

2. Have I had COVID-like symptoms* or fever (temperature of 100.4˚F or higher) within the last 72 hours including today? [Note: Check for fever before entering the park.] If you answer, “yes”, do not report to the park. Contact your Volunteer Coordinator to cancel your shift. Utilize the CDC Self-Checker and follow up with your healthcare provider as needed.

3. Did I develop COVID-like symptoms* or fever during the day while working? If you develop fever or other symptoms during the workday, go home immediately. Contact your Volunteer Coordinator, isolate yourself, utilize the CDC Self-Checker, and follow up with your healthcare provider as needed.

* Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.

VIP Spotlight
Would you like to be featured for a VIP spotlight? For the past couple of months, we have interviewed VIPs to learn more about them and capture their service stories. If you’re passionate about what you do for the park and would like to participate in sharing your experiences, email us at cabr_volunteers@nps.gov.

Check out VIP-Voice every Monday for a new weekly spotlight!

Don't Forget to Log Your Hours!