CABR Monthly News & Updates |
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Welcome to the tenth edition of our monthly newsletter! |
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Deck the Halls with Boughs of Toyon! |
If you thought for one second that you would get out of this year without a Cabrillo themed carol, you would be wrong. Last year brought us Dashing Through the Tidepools. This year we present to you: Deck the Halls with Boughs of Toyon. A touching tribute to the wreaths currently hanging in the windows of the lighthouse and a remembrance of the not-so-merry year we've all shared.
Deck the halls with boughs of Toyon
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to get joy on
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our ranger flat hats
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Rove around the sage scrub habitat
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
See the whales migrate before us
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
All the visitors are so curious
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
While I tell of tidepool treasure
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Fast away the tide recesses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Hail the low tide, lads and lasses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
It’s a window to the ocean
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
And a break from the commotion
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
This has been a horrid year
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
But a vaccination ‘s near
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Social distance celebration
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Covid has an expiration!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
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Beyond Pearl Harbor: Untold Stories of WWII |
From December 4th-6th, the NPS will host Beyond Pearl Harbor: Untold Stories of WWII, a virtual event exploring a broader story of the WWII experience. This program will feature other WWII sites the NPS manages across the nation including Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historic Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Presidio), Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Minidoka National Historic Site, Manzanar National Historic Site, Tule Lake National Monument, Honouliuli National Monument, Bainbridge Island Unit, and Manhattan Project National Historic Park.
The program will cover different aspects of WWII and will include a film festival, education sessions, and eight live programs over the course of the weekend to showcase the war effort on the home front and on the war front. The opening ceremony will be on December 4, 2020 at 4pm HST/6pm PST. The live programs will run December 5 and 6 at 10am HST/12pm PST/3pm HST, 12pm HST/2pm PST/5pm EST, 2pm HST/4pm PST/7pm EST, and 4pm HST/6pm PST/9pm EST.
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Partial Road Closure - Tidepool Area |
There is a temporary closure of Parking Lot #3 in the tidepool area and Gatchell road north of Parking Lot #2. See below for talking points you can share with the public, and some background information for staff and volunteer use. If you receive questions that are not covered by these talking points, please share those questions with your volunteer coordinator or division chief.
Talking Points to Answer Visitor Questions:
- Parking Lot #3 in the tidepool area is temporarily closed to vehicular access. Tidepool parking is available in Parking Lot #1 and Lot #2. When parking is full, the tidepool gate (near the Entrance Station) to access the tidepool area will temporarily close, opening again as parking spaces become more available.
- Parking Lot #3 and Gatchell Road north of the Parking Lot #2 are temporarily closed to vehicles due to a potential safety hazard. Visitors can access the area on foot or bicycle.
- Parking Lot #3 and Gatchell Road north of the Parking Lot #2 will remain closed while we work with our partners at the City of San Diego to assess a potential safety hazard. We will update our park website and Twitter page @CabrilloNPS when we have more information.
Background Information for Staff and Volunteers:
- Cabrillo Road begins at the top of the hill at the tidepool gate. Cabrillo Road turns into Gatchell Road at the bend in the road near tidepool Parking Lot #1.
- The City of San Diego has issued a halt to water treatment plant-related vehicular traffic access through the southern entrance of the plant. All heavier vehicles (e.g., semi-trucks) are being routed through the Navy lands to the north entrance of the plant.
- The City of San Diego Wastewater Treatment Plant staff will continue to access the southern entrance of the plant via foot. The park is working with the City for staff parking options for personal vehicles as people arrive to work, which may include Upper Maintenance parking lot, Navy parking, and potentially use of a few spaces in Parking Lot #2. There may be a shuttle carrying staff back and forth from these lots so please be aware of this additional traffic.
- We have updated the park website Alerts tab, Current Conditions page, Prepare for Your Visit to the Tidepools page, and Twitter with message #1 above.
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San Diego County COVID-19 Update |
CALIFORNIA BLUEPRINT FOR A SAFER ECONOMY
Blueprint for a Safer Economy San Diego remains in the PURPLE Tier. For additional information on this new blueprint & for the status of activities in our county effective please visit: Covid19.ca.gov. The employer playbook for safe reopening can be found here.
Information about the Health Equity Metric is available here. The plan for San Diego can be found on the CDPH website here.
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Flu Season
Getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever to protect yourself, your family and your community from flu. A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and save medical resources for care of COVID-19 patients.
Resources:
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Naturalization Ceremonies - Opportunity to Volunteer |
We will be partnering with USCIS once again to welcome new United States citizens at the park. Wednesday, December 16; Tuesday, Jan. 26; Tuesday, Feb. 23; Tuesday, March 23, from 9 am to 1 pm we will be hosting more ceremonies in the south bay parking lot. If you would like to help out with traffic control, or do an extra roving shift to say hello to the new citizens while they explore the park with their families, please check Volgistics for available shifts. If you haven't had a chance to see any of the ceremonies, here is a link to a Yahoo News story featuring a time-lapse video of the events. Please email Julieanne_fontana@nps.gov or amanda_gossard@nps.gov if you have any questions or would like to volunteer!
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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.
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Visitor Contact Station Volunteer Opportunity |
Visitor Center VIP shifts are open at the outdoor contact station! Currently, the information desk is setup outside of the Visitor Center with three tables to allow for social distancing. We have implemented some new procedures including cleaning, keeping interactions to 15 minutes or less, pre-stamping papers, etc. to keep volunteers, staff, and visitors as safe as possible.
Still, this is a higher risk volunteer position than others we have brought back. Volunteers with underlying health conditions are encouraged to speak with their primary care physician before volunteering. Contact Julieanne at Julieanne_Fontana@nps.gov or 619-523-4284 with any questions or concerns about the new Visitor Center procedures.
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Interpretation & Education |
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- Ranger Julieanne is the acting Chief of Interpretation while Elizabeth is working in Death Valley.
- Holiday wreaths are hung in the Old Point Loma Lighthouse front windows. No holiday decorations will be hung inside due to lighthouse closure.
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The job opening for a seasonal Park Ranger-Interpretation (Language) opened 12/1/20. Last year we hired the exceptional Tera Lynn Gray as an American Sign Language interpreter. This announcement can be used for the following languages: American Sign Language, Cantonese, French, German, Japanese, Lakota, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hawaiian. If you know anyone who is interested in working a season at Cabrillo and a language interpreter, please send them to the job posting on USAjobs.gov.
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Resource Management & Science |
- Fieldwork: Rocky Intertidal work is ongoing this month, with monitoring occurring at the CABR sites mid December.
- Permits: City of San Diego is performing ground penetrating radar (Dec 2-3), and drone survey monitoring for 3 months. Volunteers, please note that this will result in an increase in drone activity down at the tidepools from December - February. There is no need to radio this in unless the drone activity appears to be unrelated to the field research.
- Dr. Lauren Pandori is working on compiling and analyzing last ~10 years of people-counter data on the Coastal Trail.
- Renee Heidelberg starting Mon 12/7 as the park’s new veg tech.
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We may not get to celebrate in standard Cabrillo fashion, with a holiday potluck and festive sweater extravaganza (like in this photo from 2019), but please know that the CABR crew is thinking of you. We raise our turkey legs and spiced apple cider to you, our volunteers, and celebrate your perseverance, giving, and dedication. Thank you for another year of service and smiles!
*cheers*
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Don't Forget to Log Your Hours! |
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