logo

Doc Quack's Wildlife Volunteers

Doc Quack's Wildlife Volunteers

Our Mission

The Wildlife Volunteers are an “elite” group of caring people of all ages, striving to improve the quality of life for birds and wildlife in the East Bay Regional Park District.  We are dedicated to assisting the East Bay Regional Park District’s Stewardship staff with protecting, managing, conserving and enhancing the region’s important scenic and natural resources.  Wildlife Volunteers renew their connections to the land through hands-on conservation and resource management activities.

Please give some careful thought to the activities you would most like to help with, then give me a call at
(510) 544-2319, or e-mail me at docquack@ebparks.org.  Also, please give me at least two weeks notice and a phone number where I can leave you a voicemail message.  Based on weather conditions, or other unseen circumstance, projects can be cancelled. 

Dave "Doc Quack" Riensche
Wildlife Resource Analyst
Certified Wildlife Biologist ®
docquack@ebparks.org

Back to top

Volunteer Activities

Scheduled Group Activities

Tentative and Subject to change please call two weeks in advance.

Quail Rangers - Join in some family fun as we improve the Park’s habitat for the state bird.  Each participant will receive a “Covey Conservation” patch for planting and creating a safe place for quail to eat, rest and nest.   Parent participation required.

Date(s): Saturday, February 18, 2012         Time: 1:30 to 4:30pm.
Saturday, February 25, 2012         Time: 1:30 to 4:30pm.
Location: Contra Loma Regional Park, Antioch
Directions: From Oakland, north on Hwy 24 or 680 to Hwy 4.  East on Hwy 4 to Lone Tree Way exit.  South on Lone Tree Way to Golf Course Road.  Right on Golf Course Road to Frederickson Lane.  Right on Frederickson Lane to park entrance.

It’s Your Tern - An exciting adventure over land and water to help create nesting habitat for the state and federally listed endangered California least tern.  We will pull weeds, place nesting materials, install tern decoys, build a chick fence, and set-up the sound system in anticipation of another exciting tern breeding season. By participating, you’ll earn your “Least Tern Habitat Helper” patch. Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers.  Parent participation required.

Date: Monday, March 12, 2012        Time:  9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Hayward Regional Shoreline, Hayward
Directions: In Hayward, from Hwy 880 south, right on Hwy 92, exit at Clawiter Road, make a left onto Breakwater Ave. (which parallels Hwy 92).

Hole-in-the-tree-Gang & Riparian Re-Leaf - Here is your opportunity to meet the park’s star cavity nesting critter – the tree swallow, and help other bird buddies!  During this hands-on wildlife habitat restoration effort, we will clean, repair, build and install nest boxes. If time permits we will enhance the plant life found along the marsh.  By participating, you’ll earn your “Wetland Partners” patch.  Parent participation required.

Date(s):    Saturday, March 17, 2012         Time: 1:30 to 4:30 pm.
Saturday, March 24, 2012         Time: 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Location:     Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont
Directions:      In Fremont, take Hwy 880 to 84 – Decoto Road exit. Drive west on 84 and turn right to Paseo Padre Parkway.  Drive approximately a mile, then left on Patterson Ranch Road to the park entrance.

Habitat Helpers - During this fun-filled opportunity you’ll discover the “nutty wildlife truths” about oak trees, and help make the world a better place one tree at a time.  For your kind act toward nature, you will receive a “Habitat Helpers” patch.  Parent participation required.

Date:         Saturday, April 21, 2012          Time: 9:00 am to Noon.
Location:      Lake Chabot Regional Park
Directions:     In Castro Valley on I-580 westbound, take the Strobridge Avenue exit. Turn right on Strobridge, right on Castro Valley Boulevard, and left on Lake Chabot Road. The Lake Chabot Marina is about two miles ahead on the right. In Castro Valley on I-580 eastbound, exit at Redwood Road and go left, go left at Castro Valley Boulevard, right at Lake Chabot Road, and follow the directions above.
Meet in the overflow parking lot south east of the kiosk. 

Restoration Rangers - Here is your opportunity to help the park’s wildlife by caring for willow, cottonwood, redwood and oak saplings while removing obsolete irrigation lines.  If time permits, we may craft and clean wood duck, tree swallow, and grebe nests.  By participating, you’ll earn your “Restoration Rangers” patch. Parent participation required.

Date:     Sunday, May 6, 2012        Time: 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.
Location:     Quarry Lakes Regional Park in Fremont
Directions:     In Fremont, take Hwy 880 to Decoto Road (Hwy 84) exit.  Travel east on 84 and make a right onto Paseo Padre Parkway, then a left onto Isherwood Way.  Proceed to the park entrance. 

Least Tern Colony Monitors - Here is your opportunity to become a “Birding-Peeping-Tom” by peering into the family life of terns. You will be helping to record data about their nest distribution, chronology and reproductive success using the Type 2 monitoring method.  In this method, surveys are conducted from a vehicle approximately 25m (75ft.) from the island at various times of day, with the majority of the surveys conducted from 0700 to 1700 hours, seven days a week.  A Cabela’s professional 60mm (2.4 in) spotting scope on a car window mount will be available. Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers. Parent participation required.

Date:      Sunday, May 20, 2012        Time:  2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Hayward Regional Shoreline, Hayward
Directions: In Hayward, from Hwy 880 south, right on Hwy 92, exit at
Clawiter Road, make a left onto Breakwater Ave., (which parallels Hwy
92). 

Least Tern Island Clean-up & Gathering - We will pull weeds, place some new nesting materials, remove decoys, and take-down the sound system.  Afterwards the Tern Colony Monitors will celebrate the exciting tern breeding season at one of Doc Quack’s favorite lunch sites.  Also, I will need some “muscle” during the week before hand to haul “free sand” in 3-gallon buckets from Antioch to replenish “tern town”. Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers.
Parent participation required.

Date:        Sunday, August 19, 2012        Time:  9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location:     Hayward Regional Shoreline, Hayward
Directions:     In Hayward, from Hwy 880 south, right on Hwy 92, exit
at Clawiter Road, make a left onto Breakwater Ave., (which parallels Hwy
92). 

Rail Rescue Rangers - During this hands-on adventure you’ll help create habitat for the federally and state endangered California clapper rail.  We will remove non-native plants, pick-up trash, and plant wildlife friendly vegetation which will restore the upland areas of the Roemer Bird Sanctuary for rails.  By participating, you’ll earn your “Rail Rescue Ranger” patch. Parent participation is required.

Date(s):        Saturday, September 22, 2012         Time:  9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 29, 2012         Time:  9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location:    Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary/ Crown Memorial State Beach
Directions:     Exit 880 on 23rd Ave, head west over the Park St. Bridge into Alameda.  Follow Park St. west across the island which dead ends at Shoreline Drive; turn left for the bird sanctuary (on the bay between Park St. and Broadway).  Meet at the Marsh Overlook.

Habitat Helpers - During this fun-filled opportunity you’ll discover the “nutty wildlife truths” about oak trees, and help make the world a better place on tree at a time.  For your kind act toward nature, you will receive a “Habitat Helpers” patch.  Parent participation required.

Date:         Sunday, November 7th, 2012          Time: 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Location:      Lake Chabot Regional Park
Directions:     In Castro Valley on I-580 westbound, take the Strobridge Avenue exit. Turn right on Strobridge, right on Castro Valley Boulevard, and left on Lake Chabot Road. The Lake Chabot Marina is about two miles ahead on the right. In Castro Valley on I-580 eastbound, exit at Redwood Road and go left, go left at Castro Valley Boulevard, right at Lake Chabot Road, and follow the directions above.
Meet in the overflow parking lot south east of the kiosk.

Back to top

Publications & Reports

Riensche, D., M. Morrow, M. Clark and C. Kitting,  2010
Monitoring trends in a breeding bird assemblage with implications for riparian conservation
Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 46

Riensche, D., C. Robinson-Nilsen and C. High,  2010
Killdeer observed depredating a Western snowy plover nest 
Western Birds 41:184-185.

Riensche, D., 2008 
Sweat Equity at East Bay - How volunteers advance the cause of conservation
The Wildlife Professional, Vol. 2, # 4: 53-55

Riensche, D., 2008 
Effects of Cattle Grazing on Lizard Diversity in Managed Central California Grasslands
Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 44: 4 -10

Riensche, D., 2007 
California Least Tern Habitat Enhancement and Nesting in the East Bay Regional Park District, California
Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 43: 62-71

Back to top

Restoration, Monitoring and Research Projects

Project flyers and brochures available for download in Adobe Acrobat PDF  format.

Back to top

Other Special Projects

If you are available on a weekday and are willing to help on any of the projects listed below, please give me a call, or e-mail me at docquack@ebparks.org.  Also, please provide me a phone number where I can leave you a voicemail message.

Amphibian Ambassadors - Discover the region’s “moist-skinned” treasures while participating in field research and restoration project to conserve and manage these amazing “tongue zappers”, newts and salamanders.  These are on-going dates that include setting our research plots, netting, monitoring, a vegetation survey and hands-on data entry. 

Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers. Parent participation required.  These are remote and rugged areas that require all participants to be “self-contained resources,” and in most cases vehicle access is by four-wheel drive. We recommend outdoors clothing (long pants), waterproof footwear, hat, water, insect repellant, and sunscreen.

Date(s), Time(s) and Location: TBA – call or email if interested. 

Burrowing Owl Buddies - During this hands-on conservation project you’ll discover the “wild side of life” while helping to build new “owl outposts” for these “flying mouse traps” to raise their young.  Here is your opportunity to watch and record the family life of owls.  By participating, you’ll earn your “Burrowing Owl Buddies” patch.
Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers. Parent participation required.

Date(s): TBA – call or email if interested. 
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland
Directions: In Oakland, take Hwy 880 north or south to Hegenberger Road in Oakland.  West on Hegenberger Road to Pardee Drive. Right on Pardee Drive to Swan Way. Left on Swan Way to park entrance.  Meet at Martin Luther King Jr.  Memorial Grove parking lot.

Back to top

Breeding Bird Biologists - Here is your opportunity to get “nose to beak” with birds, while “conduckting” real fieldwork, during the early morning hours to help manage our feathered friends.  We will be using the area search method developed by PRBO Conservation Science to estimate breeding bird densities at various sites in the East Bay Hills in support of the Wildfire Hazard Reduction & Resource Management Plan. By participating, you’ll earn your “Breeding Bird Biologists” patch.  Parent participation required. 

We recommend the following personal protective items for recording breeding bird activity in a wet, muddy, and insect rich environment: Outdoors clothing (long pants), hiking/mud boots (waterproof footwear), gloves, hats, water, insect repellant, and sunscreen.  Desired “Breeding Bird Biologists” are able to follow scientific protocols (20 minute search, identify birds encountered by sight, sound or call) and visit their assigned plots three times throughout the breeding season (April through July).

Date(s) & Location:     TBA – call or email if interested.

Forest of the Future - During this fun-filled opportunity you’ll discover the “nutty wildlife truths” about oak trees, and help the world breathe easier by watering and caring for trees.  Each tree helper will receive a “Forest of the Future” patch.  Parent participation required.

Date(s) & Time(s) TBA – call or email if interested
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont
Directions: In Fremont, take Hwy 880 to 84 – Decoto Road exit. Drive West on 84 and turn right to Paseo Padre Parkway.  Drive approximately a mile, then left on Patterson Ranch Road to the park entrance.  Meet in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

Nesting Bird Surveys
- During this “scientific safari” you’ll see and record what the
“stork” brought to parent ducks, shorebirds, songbirds and more!  Your
efforts will help with the long-term monitoring and management of this
restored marshland. We will be using a grid-transect method to estimate
the densities of nesting birds. By participating, you’ll earn your
“Breeding Bird Biologists” patch.  Space is limited to current Wildlife
Volunteers.  Parent participation required.

We recommend the following personal protective items for recording
nesting bird activity in a wet, muddy, and insect rich environment:
Outdoors clothing (long pants), hiking/mud boots (waterproof footwear),
gloves, hat, water, insect repellant, and sunscreen.

Date(s), Time(s) and Location: TBA – call or email if interested. 

Lizard Legionnaire
- Discover the beauty, mystery, and magic of the region’s reptiles
while participating in field research to conserve and manage grassland
wildlife.  These are on-going dates that include setting our research
plots, trapping, monitoring, vegetation survey and hands-on data entry. 
By participating, you’ll earn your “Managed Grasslands Research”
patch. 

Space is limited to current Wildlife Volunteers. Parent participation
required.  These are remote and rugged areas that require all
participants to be “self-contained resources,” and in most cases vehicle
access is by four-wheel drive. 

Date(s), Time(s) and Location: TBA – call or email if interested. 


Fundraising and volunteer recruitment – Volunteer Poster and Brochure Distribution.  We need some help identifying financial resources and recruiting new members to support our wildlife habitat enhancement and research projects.  Please place our current posters and brochures in a visible location to generate support for our project.

Back to top


Back to top

How to Volunteer

To become a Wildlife Volunteer, download the volunteer application and return completed application to: Dave "Doc Quack" Riensche, Wildlife Resource Analyst, East Bay Regional Park District, P.O. Box 5381, Oakland, CA 94605-0381.

Some scheduled group activities require registration. To register, call (510) 544-2340 at least two weeks before the event. Based on weather conditions or other unseen circumstance, projects may be cancelled.

Back to top

Make a Tax-Deductible Donation

Please make check payable to the Regional Parks Foundation in support of a Doc Quack program of your choice and send to the Regional Parks Foundation, P.O. Box 21074, Crestmont Station Oakland, CA 94620. The Regional Parks Foundation's Federal Tax ID # is 23-7011877.
Visit the Regional Parks Foundation online!

Back to top

 

Source URL:
http://www.ebparks.org/getinvolved/volunteer/quack