Mike Tyner Memorial Event - May 19 @ Hi Mt.

Saturday, May 19th, 2012
Hi Mountain Lookout, Los Padres National Forest

Brother, son, cousin, biologist, friend, student, teacher, mentor. Mike Tyner dedicated his life to the understanding and protection of nature. He died on November 30th, 2011, while protecting the birds that he loved in Big Sur. Mike graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology in 2003. He got his start in field biology at the Hi Mountain Condor Lookout, and eventually became the field supervisor for the Ventana Wildlife Society’s Condor Recovery Program.

Mike was an avid birder, botanist, naturalist, and a beloved friend to many.  He was a positive and influential force in the world, spreading his love and enthusiasm for nature to all of those that he touched. Mike is gone, but he will never forgotten, especially not at Hi Mountain.  Please come celebrate his life with us on Saturday May 19th at one of Mike’s favorite places…..the Hi Mountain Condor Lookout.

Read More

Donations

The Hi Mountain Lookout Project has received the following donations.
Thank-you!

Supplies and materials:

Sara Silverberg, Arroyo Grande -- plastic cups, plates, napkins, bowls &
silverware

Marcelle Bakula, Cambria -- fixing/reframing interpretive center photos

Financial donations:

Michael and Phyllis Hischier, San Luis Obispo

Paul and Judith Burkhardt, Creston

Donations can be made by writing a check to

'MCAS Hi Mountain Project" and mailing to:

Morro Coast Audubon Society

Po Box 1507
Morro Bay, CA 93443-1507



Contributions are tax deductible under IRS Code 501(c)(3).




Morro Coast Audubon Society tax I.D. # 23-7165021

Read More

Hi Mtn. workday Dec. 11th

Hello all,
Eight of us put in a full workday at the lookout Saturday. An unrelenting
northeasterly -offshore- wind blew throughout the day from 20-35 mph, with a
maximum wind gust of 45 mph. Great visibility towards the coast and coastal
mountains south into the Santa Barbara backcountry. Two Red-tailed hawks hovered
into the wind throughout the day, hunting near the lookout. It was nice to make
a visit this time of the year and see the fall colors -oaks and sycamores -
along the drive up Hi Mountain Rd. and a spectacular showing of Toyon
-'Christmas Berry'- shrubs in bright color mixed in across the wooded slopes.

Marcelle, Kevin, and Joel updated the condor radiotracking frequencies, Chris
worked on repairs to the WeatherElement online weather station, Dave and Joel
dug away the slumping soil around the new post gate, Kevin repaired the roof to
the kiosk, Dave began installing the 12-volt display lights in the glass case
and I worked on organizing the recently purchased educational activities and
supplies for kids. We put in some time discussing and planning for the year
ahead, especially with the upcoming establishment of a condor supplemental
feeding/release site nearby in San Luis Obispo County.

Photos of the Dec. 11th workday event are posted at our Hi Mountain Lookout
facebook page...take a look at the last 14 photos in the "Workdays at the
Lookout" photo album.

Steve Schubert

Read More

Open House 2011 Schedule

Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Project will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Schedule of Activities:

Bird Watching Field Trip 9:00am - 11:30am

Pozo to Hi Mountain (elev. 3,199 ft), Los Padres National Forest

Meet 9am at Pozo Ranger. Car pooling from Pozo is recommended. Easy hiking conditions.

Habitats: grassland, riparian woodland (at Salinas River crossing), oak woodland & chaparral

Field trip leader: Michaela Koenig, Hi Mtn. Lookout Project volunteer and past student intern

NOTE: advanced registration is required for participation in the birding field trip. Contact Steve at s_schub1@ msn.com or phone #805 528-6138

Lookout Volunteer Service Project: repaint the water cistern; meet with Kevin Cooper, 10am at the lookout

Kids activities meet with Hannah Tillmann, Cal Poly student intern, beginning 11:00am Condor biology / radio tracking demonstrations, making plaster-of-paris animal tracks, afternoon nature hike on the lookout road down to the gate and back

Picnic lunch 11:30am – 12:30pm

-tour the Hi Mountain Lookout facilities and Interpretive Center

- sign guest register

Welcoming comments 12:30pm

Introductions of Hi Mountain Lookout staff, volunteers, and student interns

Steve Schubert, Volunteer Coordinator, Morro Coast Audubon Society


Morning birding field trip report by trip leader

Updates from the California Condor field staff

Afternoon activities and field trips:

Geographical landmarks - a 360 degree view from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada - and demonstration of the original Hi Mountain Lookout firefinder

Kevin Cooper, USFS Wildlife Biologist

Condor radio tracking demonstrations by lookout staff and volunteers

Kids nature hike along Hi Mountain Lookout Road

Native plant identification walk and geology overview on Hi Mountain Lookout Road along the crest of the Santa Lucia Mountains by Dr. Dirk Walters and Dr. David Chipping

Saucelito Canyon Vineyards wine serving, compliments of Nancy Greenough

Sunset watch and dinner (wear layered clothing)

Gas stove and oven in the lookout facilities are available for cooking and heating food. Participants are encouraged to bring a potluck dish to share with their friends and guests.

Note: no campfires are permitted for cooking or the overnight campout.

Evening program: 7pm Powerpoint slide show presentations by the 2011 Cal Poly student interns - biological field research projects, remote wildlife camera photography and summer internship experiences - followed by a landscape and wildlife photography multimedia presentation by Steve Schubert

Telescopes will be set up in the evening for astronomy observations

Optional Hi Mountain Campout

Camping sites are available Saturday night at ‘Cypress Hill’ near the lookout. Other vehicle camping sites are located on the ridgeline near the entrance gate on Hi Mountain Rd.,with a view overlooking the mountains and coast, and also at the USFS Hi Mountain Campground located one mile down the road from the lookout. There are picnic tables and outhouses at the campground - bring your own potable water.

For additional information about the open house event and driving directions to Hi Mountain Lookout, see our website at www.condorlookout.org and view photos of past open house events at the Hi Mountain Lookout Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Hi-Mountain-Lookout

Please contact Steve Schubert at s_schub1@ msn.com or phone # (805) 528-6138 to RSVP if you are planning to attend the open house event and the number of people in your group.

Read More

Last intern update

Hello Everyone!
We just finished our last week up at Hi Mountain on Wednesday! We ended the year
with all of the interns up at the lookout for the last few days together. It was
a little squished with all 6 of us hanging out in the lookout but we were in
great company.
I will keep this update short as I am sure most of you will be up at the lookout
for open house. We will be rehashing our research experiences up there for all
to hear!
We got some great pictures on our wildlife camera this week including a
California Thrasher, Gray Fox and a Black Bear (that somewhat resembled
sasquatch, it had just rolled around in the creek and was soaking wet)! Grace
should be emailing out pictures soon.
Final P. boylii count: 10 speciminesFinal Dipodomes spp. count: 4 specimines
We are now working on entering/correcting data which will take a couple of
weeks.
Thank you all for reading the updates this summer and I hope to see you all at
open house!
-Hannah

Read More

Field Research Projects

Hello all,
This morning Los Padres wildlife biologist Kevin Cooper and I accompanied two of
the Hi Mountain Cal Poly student interns 2.5 miles along the Trout Creek trail
to one of their study plots within the Garcia Mountain Wilderness Area in Los
Padres National Forest. Ashley and Natalie checked the 15 small mammal
live-trapping stations within the study plot and came up with two newly captured
Brush Mice and one recaptured, ear-tagged Pinyon Mouse (what big ears they
have!). The interns weighed, recorded body length, tail and ear measurements,
ear-tagged and released the mice, then moved on to the next set of live-traps
within the study plot. Kevin and I enjoyed watching the interns at work,
observing the field techniques and their enthusiasm for the rigors of field work
-making long hikes in rough terrain to set up the live-traps in the evening and
rechecking the traps again early the next morning. We appreciate the efforts of
all the 5 student interns and volunteers working at Hi Mountain Lookout this
summer.

I posted photos of today's outing at the Hi Mountain Lookout Facebook page, at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hi-Mountain-Lookout/133314096701332<https://www.f\
acebook.com/pages/Hi-Mountain-Lookout/133314096701332>
A nice view of Hi Mountain Lookout was seen on the summit in the distance.

Steve Schubert

Read More