In the past year, Oakland residents have twice witnessed the spectacle of the city government sounding the alarm of pending massive cuts in the budget. Last spring, then new mayor Jean Quan issued her three budget scenarios (A,B, and C) in which the city would have to choose which vital services to cut. Libraries would be cut, senior services, city and non-profit agency jobs.
The public will be tapped to pay for zoo expansion
FollowProtecting Knowland Park and the ‘Occupy’ Movement
The movement that began with Occupy Wall Street has been criticized for lack of clarity in its agenda, but despite mainstream media coverage suggesting it is unfocused, that agenda has seemed pretty clear to me and many of those I know who support it: Reduce corporate influence on politicians and government policies, address glaring income inequality, attend to the environmental catastrophe of climate change, and re-engage people as citizens, rather than fatuous, self-absorbed “consumers of stuff.” All that may at first glance appear remote from the struggle to protect Knowland Park, but there is an underlying vision that informs both: the possibility of transforming who we are and how our institutions relate to the social and natural worlds. That vision, I think, includes a shift away from regarding everything around us as a resource for making money– toward considering the worth of nature in its own right.
Little Fuzzy Animals: Knowland Park’s Babies Threatened by Zoo Plans
Wood rat
We’ve all been charmed by photos and footage of the latest animal acquisition at the Oakland Zoo and other area zoos. Often these are baby animals, ramping up the “Awww” factor and stimulating us to think about taking the kids on an outing. This is one of the elements that keep people feeling warm and fuzzy about zoos in general: the warm and fuzzy animals that they use for their public relations campaigns. But—particularly with an institution like the Oakland Zoo, with its grand development plans—what that warm fuzzy photo covers over is the exploitation of captive animals at the expense of the wild ones.
Oakland Cheats the Environment Again at Knowland Park
Coastal scrub and Alameda whipsnake habitat cut this past week in Knowland Park.
Crews were out this past week cutting trees and shrubs in 15-foot swaths on either side of the fire roads leading into the park, creating habitat loss and the further invasion of weeds like french broom, poison hemlock, and thistles. (The accompanying photo shows native coastal scrub. The remaining yellow-flowering shrub on the left is french broom.) Assistant Fire Marshal Leroy Griffin stated that the work was necessary to maintain emergency access for fire engines.
Reptiles and Amphibians of Knowland Park
Knowland Park is home to a rich array of reptiles and amphibians thanks to its variety of high quality habitat. Often hidden, these creatures are some of the most colorful animals in the park. Trapping done in the proposed zoo project area to assess the presence of the threatened Alameda whipsnake found not only the whipsnake, but individuals of the numerous species shown in the slideshow (with the exception of the ring-necked snake confirmed by another observer). Winter is an excellent time to find salamanders and other amphibians like the Pacific chorus frog–be sure to listen for the “ribbit” call of the male. Later in spring as the weather warms, snakes and lizards emerge from their hibernation and amphibians disappear into moist hiding spots to rest until the fall rains return.
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