Name: Burrowing Owls of the South Bay Area
Start: 2022-01-20T19:00:00+00:00
End: 2022-01-20T20:00:00+00:00

On the open grasslands and hillsides of the South Bay Area lives an elusive little bird that likes to live part of its life underground – the Burrowing Owl!

Join Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC), and Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) as we host Burrowing Owl researchers Phillip Higgins and Sandra Menzel of Talon Ecological Research Group for a free online webinar where you will learn all about this amazing local species, and efforts to support them!

Much like other raptors, this small, long-legged owl eats a variety of foods including insects and small rodents. But instead of a nest, the burrowing owl has the interesting habit of digging a burrow or taking up residence in the burrows of ground squirrels or other burrowing animals. Life has sometimes been hard for burrowing owls, as much of their preferred habitats have been swallowed up by development. But thankfully, due to habitat and population recovery projects, Burrowing Owls still have a solid foothold in our local lands.

Please register below for free so that you can participate in the event!

This event is part of POST’s community event series, which is open to the general public as well as POST donors. We hope you’ll join us! We also curate a separate series of private events for our donors. Learn how you can support POST here: openspacetrust.org/support-post

About the Presenters

Philipp Higgins is a Burrowing Owl Biologist, Co-founder, and Treasurer of Talon Ecological Research Group, an organization that fosters students in environmental science education, research, conservation, environmental planning, and civic engagement. Philipp has been involved in research and conservation of the Burrowing owl for over 20 years with experience in banding them, demographic monitoring of their populations, habitat enhancement and writing and implementing management and mitigation plans and agreements.

Sandra Menzel is the Director-at-Large of Talon Ecological Research Group, an avian ecologist, and an experienced burrowing owl biologist who has focused her work on the conservation of the species since 2008. She has monitored and managed burrowing owls and their habitat year-round throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley. She has experience implementing an array of management activities, including habitat assessment and enhancement, artificial burrow installation and maintenance, supplemental feeding, and predation risk assessment.

About Our Partners

Peninsula Open Space Trust protects and cares for open space, farms and parkland in and around Silicon Valley. Since 1977, POST has protected over 80,000 acres in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.

Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center is both a care center for injured and sick wildlife as well as a nurturing center for young orphaned wildlife. The organization strives to provide temporary refuge and ultimately release animals back into their native habitat healthy, wild, and free.

Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) works to conserve the natural environment, support agriculture, and connect people to nature, by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations.