Lake Berryessa Park Rangers Represent Reclamation at California Duck Days

Written by: Jennifer Onufer

Park Rangers Todd Eggert and Jennifer Onufer represented Lake Berryessa and the Bureau of Reclamation at California Duck Days.On Saturday, February 20, 2016, Park Rangers Todd Eggert and Jennifer Onufer represented Lake Berryessa and the Bureau of Reclamation at California Duck Days. This northern California wetlands festival is held annually at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area headquarters in Davis, Calif. The 21st annual family-oriented event was organized by the Yolo Basin Foundation and hosted by CDFW.

The Lake Berryessa Rangers put together a table top display in the exhibit hall to educate visitors about water and waterfowl with the theme “Water is important to wildlife as well as people.” Their goal was to inform visitors about the waterfowl that make Lake Berryessa their home.

The Duck Days exhibits offered interactive displays from 20 area organizations. The Yolo Bypass Foundation organized a passport program for the kids to get stamps from the exhibitors. The Rangers quizzed visiting children on waterfowl trivia and distributed information about the lake and its resources. Before moving on to the next exhibit, each child received a stamp for visiting the Lake Berryessa display.

Ranger Todd and Ranger Jennifer visited with more than 200 people throughout the day, making valuable connections with the community. They met representatives of the American River’s Effie Yaw Nature Center, whose Natural History Association is interested in loaning exhibits to Lake Berryessa. They also interacted with representatives of Friends of the River, a group that is educating the public on dam building in the state. Many of the visitors were locals who get their water from Lake Berryessa but didn’t realize where the water came from until they talked with the Rangers.

Over a dozen field trips to sites around the region were held and numerous workshops were offered such as waterfowl identification, wood duck-box building, duck calling for kids, dog training, and even workshops with Mallard ducklings, live bats and raptors, as well as a falconry demonstration.

One of the most popular events at Duck Days is the kids' fishing activity. Children may fish for trout in the demonstration wetlands or in a special pond for young children; they can even have their fish cleaned and packed to take home! Additionally, a large mobile aquarium filled with local fish, including many native species, was onsite for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Published on March 11, 2016