Cooley Landing Trail Loop blog was written and originally published by Environmental Volunteers. Explore more of the South Bay during your Bay Day Trail Challenge.

Nestled behind the Palo Alto Airport hides a gem of an outdoor opportunity for all ages; the EcoCenter in Palo Alto Baylands. This public nature center can be the jumping off point to the Cooley Landing Trail Loop.

Are you an aviation buff? The Cooley Landing Trail Loop will be a sensory feast!

As you walk, bike or run the 3.2 mile trail you’ll hear the sounds of the single engine planes take off.

Feel the breeze from the bay, hear the calls of snowy egrets, or be lucky enough to spot the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse. Along the way try and spot the varieties of wildflowers or get the kids, young and old involved in counting the number of different types of birds they see. When you close in on the loop don’t forget to stop into the EcoCenter during their open hours and learn even more about what you saw. This year around access, flat trail won’t disappoint!

Contact communications@evols.org to register for the Environmental Volunteers Team today!

We are inspired and humbled by the incredible response and engagement of individuals, families, corporate partners, and communities that joined our 4th annual Bay Day. Bay Day 2019 was a resounding success and we are excited to extend our reach even further because the only way we can successfully protect and restore the San Francisco Bay habitat for humans and wildlife is by working together.

We have lots of great new additions to the Bay Day Community Partner events page. Make sure to check back often for the latest news. A few highlights and events you won’t want to miss

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Urban Market Bags
Now until Oct. 13, 2019 – Promo Code SAVETHEBAY19

To celebrate, they are offering free shipping on all Urban Market Bag purchases plus 10% back to Save The Bay with code SAVETHEBAY19 through 10/13. Help us keep our bay happy & healthy for years to come.

Visit their website.

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Where Does It Go? Recology Transfer Station Tour – San Francisco
Sat, Oct 5, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

Have you ever wondered what happens to the things you put in the blue, green, or trash bins in San Francisco? Curious how you can improve your recycling habits, reduce waste, and protect the Bay? Then join Recology this Bay Day for a tour of San Francisco’s Transfer Station.

Sign up on Eventbrite and use the password “BayDay2019”
Please note: All participants must be at least nine years old in order to attend. Closed-toe, sturdy shoes are required.

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Fall Ride: Bay Day at the Albany Bulb – Bike East Bay
October 5, 2019 1:00 PM through 3:00 PM

Celebrate Bay Day with Bike East Bay, Albany Strollers & Rollers, and Love the Bulb! Join a relaxed Bay Trail bike ride and walking tour of the Albany Bulb. Ride starts at North Berkeley BART, goes up to Point Isabel and back, and finishes at the Albany Bulb. You will check out some recent and upcoming Bay Trail improvements and end the ride with the opportunity to take a walking tour of the unique art and nature of the Albany Bulb. If you’d like, grab a bite at the FoodieLand Night Market near Albany Beach before heading home.

Sign up here.

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Family Farm Day at Slide Ranch – North Bay
Sat, October 5, 2019 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM PDT

Join in on the fun at Slide Ranch! In this special Family Farm Day, we will explore what makes a bird a bird and the different types of birds that live at Slide Ranch including domesticated chickens, ducks, and turkeys, plus wild owls, quail, hawks, hummingbirds, turkey vultures and marine birds such as pelicans and oystercatchers.

Fall is bird migration season, and we will observe hawks and other raptors traveling south. We will practice bird watching and awareness of bird language, care for birds on the farm, make bird-themed arts and crafts, and cook with eggs from the farm to connect with our winged friends!

Purchase tickets here
Fee: $35 per person; children 24 months and under are free.

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Visit our Community Partner Events page to learn more about all of our Bay Day Community Partner Events.

Photo: Family Farm Day at Slide Ranch

We are delighted to have so many amazing community partners joining our Bay Day Celebration. This includes our Signature Event Partners who will be joining us for RestorationFest @ the Palo Alto Baylands – Thank you!

We work together throughout the year to keep our Bay healthy and vibrant for future generations, so it is only natural for us to join together for the Bay Day. Here are just a few of the activities these Bay Heroes are sharing on Bay Day, Oct. 5, 2019, at RestorationFest:

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Environmental Volunteers
Join this crew for an Ocean Exploration – Livestream and Interview

The exploration vessel Nautilus is traveling through the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, and will be right off the coast of the San Francisco Bay on October 5. Participants will view live-streamed footage from the remotely operated vehicles on the ocean floor, and have the exclusive opportunity to participate in a real-time interview with the scientists aboard the vessel. Anyone can ask questions – this is your chance to learn more about ocean exploration directly from the explorers!

The first hour (10 to 11 am) will be a showing of live-streamed footage from the vessel, shown on the large screened TV at the EcoCenter, and from 11:00 to 11:30 am, they will host the Q and A interview.

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Lucy Evans
Get Ready for a Nature Walk at 10:00 a.m.

Bay Day attendees will explore with City of Palo Alto Naturalist, Corinne C. DeBra. The walk will start and end at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center. There will be a special visitor at the end of the journey: Sequoia the Bald Eagle. This is a free walk, but registration required in advance. And don’t forget to stop by their center to take a walk on their marsh boardwalk.

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Palo Alto Waste Water Treatment Center
Get the Scoop on Poop

You’ll get a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of the City of Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant. See how 99 percent of biological pollutants are removed from 20 million gallons of our region’s wastewater every day before it’s released to the San Francisco Bay. Closed-toe shoes are required, and a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a light jacket are recommended as much of the tour is outside. Children must be 11 years or older. This is a free walk, but registration is required in advance. To register email cleanbay@cityofpaloalto.org with your name, the number of people in your group, your phone number, and email address.

Special thanks to the Palo Alto Rangers and the City of Palo Alto who help make this event possible!

The Bay Area’s annual Bay Day celebration is a relatively new holiday bringing together our Bay Area communities to celebrate the heart of our home – the San Francisco Bay. Coming up on its 4th year, Bay Day, organized by Oakland based non-profit Save The Bay, takes place on the first Saturday of October each year. This year’s celebration will be on October 5th.

Since 1961, Save The Bay’s founding year, staff has been working hard to educate, protect, and restore our Bay. Bay Day, which started in 2016 occured just months following the victory of Measure AA, a $12 per year parcel tax measure with revenue set aside for the restoration of wetlands surrounding the San Francisco Bay. Bay Day aims to motivate the people of the Bay Area to celebrate, restore, and explore the Bay. Bay Day gives us the opportunity to gather with our community, engage in educational activities, and become inspired by the beauty of our Bay, the place we have pledged to protect. Today community groups have organized bike rides along the Bay, group paddles or even planned a family walk along the Bay Trail for Bay Day, simple activities that connect us with the Bay.

Beginning with 7 counties officially declaring Bay Day as an annual holiday in, the festivity now encompases all 9 counties of the Bay Area. Throughout these counties, various organizations and businesses have planned different recreational, educational, and restoration events. These events bring awareness to the threats posed by pollution and climate change while also creating an engaging environment focused on celebrating our bay. At this year’s Bay Day, we will have a variety of family friendly events and activities including RestFest at the Palo Alto Baylands, PortFest at Redwood City, and ShoreFest at MLK Shoreline. RestFest and PortFest will both have live music, speakers, food trucks and much more, while ShoreFest will host a coastal cleanup. This upcoming Bay Day will bring the community together on an exciting day to connect with the San Francisco Bay.