As a former Metblogs author, I can confirm the following:
There are a lot of bike freaks that write for Metblogs. They bike everywhere, and are always in the know about the latest underground bike rides and events. They ride in groups throughout the city. Day or night. They ride to movies at Hollywood Forever. They ride on freeways. They ride whenever, and wherever they damn well want. They are a roving horde of rebels that do not take no for an answer.
Which makes this hilarious:
I am not one of these people.
But, with the price of gas inching closer to $10 a gallon, I am a few brochures away from joining the Church of Bikentology. I’ve been saying for years that I’m going to start riding a bike to work. This year, I’m serious. Really. As soon as I fix two flat tires.
The Santa Monica Mountains BioBlitz, presented and sponsored by National Geographic and the National Park Service in collaboration with Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and California State Parks, takes place from noon to noon on May 30-31, 2008. During the 24-hour species inventory, teams of scientists, naturalists, and volunteers will comb more than 150,000 acres (60,700 hectares), observing and recording as many species as possible.
You have a half-hour to get going. ;) The team has a BioBlitz blog where you can keep up on the action. A cool idea.
Students from Monroe High in North Hills have just rolled in, the first of more than 1,400 children and teens slated to join the ‘Blitz with their teachers on school fieldtrips. Some 1,200 more intrepid adults and kids have pre-registered for more than 180 planned field expeditions, with room for hundreds more who show up eager to join a team. Thousands are expected to come check the scene at Base Camp, take in a short nature hike, and make the rounds of the 40+ exhibitors’ tables. Hope to see you here!
“We give them cameras and teach them how to see a little bit differently,” Karine Aigner said this afternoon from Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu. Aigner, senior photo editor at National Geographic Kids magazine and coordinator of the photo camp, interrupted our telephone conversation a few times to call out to the students such things as: “Look at that! Try to get it in the frame!” [...]
More than 1,400 students as well as scientists, naturalists, community leaders and volunteers will observe and document as many plant and animal species as possible in 24 hours, from noon today to noon Saturday, in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
With yesterday’s tornadoes, thunderstorms, high winds, hail, rain, snow, slush, mudslides, heavy surf, fires, rivers of blood, locust swarms, and frogs falling out of the sky, you might want to rethink your outdoor activities this Memorial Day weekend. Or at least, be aware of the current conditions.
Today through Saturday is looking like a chance of more thunderstorms, then clearing up on Sunday and Monday.
The release warned people to be careful in the area, particularly during storms, because it could be prone to rock slides and erosion, the release stated.
For information on trail conditions, call the Idyllwild Ranger Station at 909-382-2922.
The Daily Bulletin is reporting on a ceremony earlier today, recognizing the closing of five miles of gaps in the Santa Ana River Trail (SART): “New segments of Santa Ana River Trail finished”. Now the trail is complete between Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino and Norco city limits.
Work on the new portions of the trail began in late 2006, with construction getting under way in 2007. All the work was completed in December, but rains forced organizers to reschedule the grand opening to May.
Friday’s ceremony at Hidden Valley included a “ride-through” by members of the Riverside Bicycle Club and several equestrians from throughout the three participating counties.
It sounds pretty spiffy:
[The Hidden Valley Wildlife Area] portion of the trail required work on two parallel trails, one horse trail and an asphalt trail for cyclists, joggers and hikers. Both are about 10 feet wide, [Patricia Lock-Dawson, project strategist] said.
“It’s a beautiful section of trail, it’s really the jewel of the whole Santa Ana River Trail,” she said. “The experience is enhanced by the neighboring wetland complex and the views of the mountains. And it’s got no development.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is narrowing down ways to protect endangered species living below the Seven Oaks Dam near Highland, and considering whether to truck water to a preserve area or build a dike to funnel water from the Santa Ana River.
The federal agency is holding a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in San Bernardino to get public input into ways to manage the 760-acre reserve for the San Bernardino kangaroo rat and two endangered flowers, the Santa Ana woolly star and the slender-horned spineflower, Megan Wong, an environmental coordinator with the Corps of Engineers, said Tuesday.
Details:
Thursday’s meeting will be held at the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, 825 E. Third St., San Bernardino.
