CORRECTED: The date of the event was incorrect on this story.

Did you know that one of the world’s four most productive ocean ecosystems occurs here, right off our San Mateo Coast? Come learn what upwelling is all about and why this area is so rich with marine life like white sharks, sea turtles and giant whales.

Carol Preston, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will discuss ocean dynamics and present images of sanctuary wildlife ranging from majestic to minuscule. Afterwards she will lead a walk along the sanctuaries’ shore to find sand crabs and discuss some of the sanctuary research being done along our coast. Wear waterproof outerwear including boots or shoes.

Lecture & Beach Sand Crabbing Walk

1:30 pm Native Sons Hall, Stage Rd, Pescadero (next to post office) 5 suggested donation per person or family

Visit our website www.gazos.org for any changes in times or location and directions, or contact Jamie Bennett at 650-879-0841

UPDATE: This high surf advisory has been extended to Sunday 6am.

As if on cue for Mavericks, the National Weather Service for the San Francisco Bay Area has issued a high surf advisory starting Friday at 10 pm through Saturday afternoon. They are expecting a northwesterly swell of 15 to 18 feet with periods of 18 seconds.  Swell of this size will produce large breaking waves and strong rip currents within the surf zone.

“Spring Ahead”  will be an “only on the Coastside”  event to benefit The HEAL Project, Sonrisas Community Dental Clinic and the Coastside Farmers’ Markets".

Spring Ahead will showcase truly Local fare prepared in the Slow Food style by Joy Portelli of Event Savvy, and feature produce from many Coastside growers including Jacobs’ Farm, Harley Farms, Giusti Farms, Daylight Farms Farm & Ben’ Eggs.

“Spring Ahead”  Wendesday, February 24, 2010 – 6-8 PM , Cypress Meadows in Moss Beach at 343 Cypress Avenue, Moss Beach - adjacent to Cypress Flower Farm.  

Admission is 20.00 in advance, 25.00 at the door.  Space is limited, so reserve early by visiting www.thehealproject.org/ 

Several Coastside experts in sustainable landscaping will be on hand to discuss the new laws that affect renovations and new landscaping projects, and to present fresh ideas about how to convert water and chemical dependant areas into sustainable gardens that include native, edible and drought tolerant planting strategiesA cooking demonstration with the founder of the Half Moon Bay and Pacifica Farmers’ Market, live music and dance performances will add to the lively spirit of the evening. 

Presenting local experts include: 

• Ruth Brown, Landscape Architect (Half Moon Bay)  will offer design advice focusing on creative ways to convert water and chemical dependent lawns to sustainable garden spaces.
• Carla Lazzarini , Landscape Designer, HMB Review’s “Down to Earth” columnist, rosarian and member of the Slow Food Nation vegetable garden team will demonstrate how to convert containers & small gardens into lush, productive Food-scapes.
• George Vaughan, Chief Nursery Specialist for Golden Gate Park  (Montara) is uniquely qualified to discuss and define the varied micro-climates of the Coastal Bay Area and help you make the best choices for your home.

Tom Stienstra at the Chron has an interesting account of the encounter between two brothers and a couple of mountain lions in Pescadero Creek County Park, "a remote, lightly visited open space with no facilities".

Residents in the vicinity of Loma Mar and La Honda have been warned. The was also another lion sighting just north of the park, but it’s not clear if it was one of the lions sighted Sunday.

They hiked on Camp Pomponio Road, which goes through middle of park, and about 10 minutes in, wandered a few hundred yards off the trail, Foy said.

Near a creek, in a clearing at the edge of a densely vegetated area, a mountain lion emerged and walked right up to one of the hikers.

"The hiker shouted aggressively, but the lion did not go away," Foy said. "So he picked up a big stick and swung at the lion. His brother came to his side and a second lion started closing in."

Foy said the hiker never struck either cougar but eventually "managed to drive off the lions."

The hikers then started to return to their car, but looked back and saw the lions were following them. "You could see them the whole time," one told game wardens. [...]

Although mountain lion attacks are rare, they have become more numerous in the past couple of decades. According to Fish and Game records, all but three of the confirmed attacks on people in California since 1890 have happened in the past 25 years.

The increase coincided with state voters’ approval of a 1990 initiative designating mountain lions as a protected species, even though they were not threatened or endangered. The lions filled existing habitat and then expanded their range, at the same time the human population was moving farther into previously open space.

Gulf Of The Farallones And Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries are holding a joint advisory council meeting at Elkus Ranch Conference Center, Thursday, February 18, from 9am to 4:30pm.

Meanwhile, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for its advisory council.

The sanctuary is accepting applications for primary and alternate seats representing  Conservation, Education, Community-at-Large (San Francisco/San Mateo), Community-at-Large (Marin/Sonoma), Research, Maritime Activities (Commercial), and Maritime Activities (Recreational).
 
Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve two- to three-year terms.
           
The advisory council consists of 26 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes five governmental seats representing the California Environmental Protection Agency, California Resources Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Fisheries.
           
Applications are due March 1, 2010. To receive an application kit, or for further information please contact council coordinator Kelley Higgason by e-mail at [email protected]; by phone at 415-561-6622, ext.202; or by mail at Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine Dr., The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129. Application kits can also be downloaded from the sanctuary’s web site at www.farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac.html.

The agenda’s after the jump.

A 300 gallon sewage spill in El Granada closed Surfers Beach for three days, reports Julia Scott in the County Times.

Surfer’s Beach in El Granada was closed Jan. 28-30 after a sewer line ruptured, sending 300 gallons of sewage toward the beach and the ocean. El Granada Sanitary District General Manager Chuck Duffy attributed the leaks to a tree root puncturing the sewer main, which also caused an overflow Jan. 19, although that sewage was contained before it reached the ocean. [...]

San Mateo and El Granada were not the only municipalities that had sewage problems in January. San Bruno sent 16,575 gallons of sewage into the Bay on Jan. 19, according to state records. San Francisco Baykeeper, a local nonprofit advocacy group, has filed suit against San Carlos, Millbrae and the West Bay Sanitary District for similar problems.

GSD Manager Chuck Duffy was not available for comment when we called this morning.