Hello All,

The Fin whale is still dead. It is reported to be a juvenile, male about 50ft.  There is a lot of buzz from visitors asking about it due to news coverage.  It is beached in a cove on the wastewater treatment complex and is not visible from Cabrillo.  I hear the wind say they might tow it to perform a necropsy but you know the wind comes and goes. I remember two years ago a female Fin whale washed up in the same spot.  Sad its not swimming, but there a lot of happy stomachs to fill I’m sure.. By the way,  where is JJ?

Congratulations VIP’s………Again

Well, looks like the DC folks like little ole Cabrillo.  We received the National Hartzog Award for Park VIP Program. Amazing!  Your work in and about the park has not gone unnoticed and the suits like what is going on here.  With so many things going on, you volunteers are instrumental in keeping us afloat and moving us ahead.  All of you are adding to our flavor and we are making great strides to improve ourselves.  Thanks for putting up with me and my ways, it’s your efforts that our commendable.  We’re not done!

The Turn of the New

Well, two significant positions are now filled at Cabrillo.  We have a new Chief of Interpretation.  Her name is Eileen Martinez and she is a native San Diegan.  She comes from Valor in the Pacific National Monument (for some of you that are OG you know it as the USS Arizona Memorial), and brings with her 25 years of Park Service experience.  We are glad she is on board and if you happen to see a new face around the office please say hello and introduce yourself.  I’ll put a full bio of Eileen on the VIPVoice shortly.

Another person you will see around is Gerrie Trussell. She is the new Executive Director of the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation.  She is full of energy and we look forward to her building strong community links. She has extensive non-profit experience and has a long list of the who’s who of the who’s who.  Please stop by the CNMF office and say hello.  She is amazed with all the cool things you do the Park and is looking for ways to improve/support our program.

Call 2 Action

Thanks to the volunteers that came out and helped with the great displacement.  We could not have done this without you!  If you still have the thirst to help out Marty, he can use more folks for ongoing sanding this Saturday.  If you would like to help out, email him with “Don’t Tase me Bro!” in the subject line.

Lighthouse Preservation Project, May 17th-26th

The lighthouse retrofitting ends soon and we think a preservation project to clean the lighthouse is very appropriate. We look at this retro fit project as an opportunity to do some re-organizing and update the historical accuracy of lighthouse.  Below is a brief list of jobs we need help with:

– we need temporary signs that tell people what is happening, explaining this re-furnishing
– stripping wallpaper
– painting
– light and deep cleaning artifacts/wood/textiles
– moving furniture
– help replacing straw matting on floors in all rooms except kitchen
– re-labeling of the tags and labels on artifacts that are old and crispy

Contact Emily if you want to help out with “Ole One Eye” in the subject line.

Deadline Today!  Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Friday May 30th, 2014, 6:00pm

Please join us for an evening of Us.  The dinner takes place at the San Salvador build site and should be a blast.  Its also an opportunity to check out the progress of the ship if you haven’t been down there in a while.  This is our last opportunity to be able to sit under the San Salvador collectively.  It is scheduled to be in the water this summer and sailing by the end of the year.  We might have the opportunity to walk around the decks and smell all that wood.  We have the mains provided.  If you would like to bring some type of dessert feel free to do so.  Also feel free to bring a guest with you as well.  To RSVP for the event put “Don’t let the Cat out of the bag” in the subject line by May 21st.

Volunteer Recruitment, May 31st 3:00pm-5:00pm

I need a couple volunteers to help me with this. It would be most excellent if some of you can help out with the event and share some stories with new volunteers.  Your VIP stories and descriptions of your duties are great additions to this recruitment and allow people to connect with the work at hand.  Let me know if you want to rope some volunteers in to the program with an email with “la reata” in the subject line.

Dia de Los Museos, June 1st 12:00pm to 5:00pm

Here is an outreach opportunity for you to hang out in Sherman Heights and connect with the neighborhood.  This event is put on by the Balboa Park Museum Council and a great opportunity to connect and network with those folks.  If you would like to help out with the event please send me an email with “Dolores Huerta” in the subject line.

Parks and Open Spaces Saturday June 7th

It is back again and we are gearing up for another festive event.  Along with our standard booth set up and presentations we are having a group of pre-1916 cars coming out to park around the lighthouse.  If you would like to help out for the event you can sign up on volgistics.  If you would like to do a presentation, lead a hike or juggle on that day for the public please send me an email with “I joculari” in the subject line.

June 14th 10:00am to 2:00pm, Tidepool Education Table Training

If you are interested in staffing our table during the summer or the year, this is a good training for you to attend.  Even though we don’t have good low tides during park hours over the summer we do get a lot of people visiting the tidepool area.  It is a great opportunity to teach them about the tides and tidepool ecology.  If your interested send Bonnie an email with “Table Top Stuffing” in the subject line.

Move to Improve Challenge (2014): Elevate Your View, Healthy and Sustainable Parks Day, August 9th

The day has three parts to it.  We need your help for all three parts and to make this event a success and an annual event for us.
6:00am to 9:00am – Bike Race
9:00am to 5:00pm – booths and exhibiters and friendly ride to Cabrillo event
5:00 to 9:00pm- Sunset/Moon and dancing to some beats

Lecture Series

June 13th 6:30pm, Herps and You

SDSU Evolutionary Biologist Stephen Rice is loaded with slithering stories of snakes and salamanders.  He has a lot of field experience throughout San Diego County and is ready to share his world with us. Learn about the reptilian world at Cabrillo and hear about Stephen’s genetics study on rattlesnakes.  There is a full moon so we can enjoy that.  We also plan to take a walk to one of our arrays to see what might be waiting for us. Please RSVP with “descent of species” in the subject line

August 7th, 6:30pm, Cabrillo Geo

Engineering geologist Michael Hart takes us on a virtual geologic tour of the peninsula.  We are set up for a birds-eye geological overview of the formations that make up the sand we stand on.  Also, learn about land uplift rates and how faults and landslides affect buildings/complexes.  If you would like to attend please RSVP with “horst block” in the subject line.

VIP Voice

Next email I send out goes on the VIPVoice.  Please subscribe to get alerts to stay connected.

https://vipvoice.wordpress.com/

Rails to Trails

Do you remember your days of riding the rails?  When things were E.P.I.C. in California and Guthrie was thinking about the Garden of Eden?  Well, Cabrillo is taking the lead to head up the Pacific Surfliner Rails to Trails program.  This means we jump on trains and interpret southern California history.  Sound interesting?  We are looking for a couple of volunteers that might want to help with this program.  We need a longer term commitment from you and participation in a variety of training is required.  If you can commit to this and are interested please send me an email with “Don’t throw Mama” in the subject line.

Our Friends, Support and Partners

A Lighthouse and the Strawberry Moon

Walk when the Strawberry Moon is Full on June 13, 2014. Sunset will be at 7:57 PM then the Strawberry Full Moon will rise at 8:37 PM. Come to Cabrillo National Monument to enjoy this wonderful special after hours event and support San Diego’s only National Park.

Members free, all people in a member’s car free, public (non-members) $10 per passenger vehicle. The $10 can be applied toward CNMC membership for 30 days after the event. Sign up today to become a member to save throughout the year on this event and other special after hours events like this one.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-lighthouse-and-the-strawberry-moon-tickets-11368163483

Above the Fireworks, July 4th

It is great to see this event happening again.  Hopefully this will become a tradition and another cool event we can offer to the public.  If you would like to help out for this event please send me an email with “2nd Annual?” in the subject line.  Duties include traffic control, roving, helping set up and break down the event.  Job openings are filled on a first come first served basis.  A confirmation email will be sent out to you May 31st.  Also tell your friends about it.  You can see over a dozen firework shoes from up here.

http://friendsofcabrillo.com/calendar-events/#4thofJuly

Retrofitting our Old Bones

Update from latest construction meeting regarding the Lighthouse.

Roof work continues on Lighthouse.

The grounds around the Lighthouse will be closed through 5/21.

Visitors can still access the Assistant Keepers Quarters exhibit from the south door, Lighthouse Comfort Station, and Kelp Forest Overlooks.

Due to plaster curing time, Lighthouse will remain closed until 5/29.

Work will continue on a portion of the Breezeway, scheduled completion 6/13. The southwest portion of the breezeway will be barricaded. Visitors can still access the vending machines, Auditorium/Exhibit, restrooms, View building, etc.

The patios around the View Building will remain open during the View Building closure 5/19 through 6/16. Contractor will stage everything inside the building.

All Employee Meeting Notes May 14, 2014

Attendance, Tavio,  Eileen, Bonnie, Emily, Stephanie, David, Keith, Ralph, Tom, Brian, Charles, Rudy

Interpretation Division to lead meeting:

HEALTH AND SAFETY MESSAGE:

HEAT AND HYDRATION
This spring is hot and if this is any indication of what the summer holds, we all need to be prepared for the heat.
Eileen led the message. Hydration being an important key factor in being prepared for the heat. Not just water to hydrate. Eileen led the group with Keith as volunteer in a taste test of 4 different kinds of beverages as an alternative to water. Key point, watch the labels some hydrate better than others.
– wear hats
– sunscreen
– drink fluids, not just H20 but also consider drinks with electrolytes and vitamins that keep us hydrated.
– eat foods that hydrate, watermelon and cucumber are on the top of the list.

Tavio led the division updates portion of the meeting. Speaking with the vintage flair of radio announcer he introduced that our Cabrillo Radio station is up and running, contact Tavio if you have any questions.

Update, Administration, Tom:
●      Welcome to our new Chief of Interpretation Eileen Martinez
●     Tom announced that the park will re-visit the 5 year plan and put that planning into motion, may take a few months but all park staff, CNMF, CNMC, stakeholders and VIPs will be involved and all points of views considered, stay tuned to attend one of those upcoming meetings
●     Bike to work program at Cabrillo, consider it for a $20 per month subsidy
●     5/30  Tom and Eileen will host a visit to the park from the Ambasador to Spain in Washington, His Excellency Ramón Gil-Casares, along with The Honorable José Luis Solano Gadea, Consul General of Spain in Los Angeles, The Honorable María Ángeles O´Donnell de Olson, Honorary Consul of Spain in San Diego, Mr. Jesús Benayas, President House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego
●     CNMF new Executive Director Gerrie Trussel
●     Memorial Day hours 12pm-8pm

Update, Maintenence:
●     see recent email from charles
●     5/28 Lighthouse walk thru meeting for completion, to re-open by 5/29
●     work on visitor center to begin 5/18
●     Bayside trail project is in progress
●     5/20, new maintenance employee starts, Matt Bishop

Update Law Enforcment:
●     Neil is back to work 5/18
●     park has been slower probably due to heat

Update Natural Resources:
●     Keith – working on projects
●     Stephanie will meet with Fish and Wildlife to band the baby perigrine chicks
●     Bonnie is back from training, good refresher
●     tidepool season is pretty much over
●     July and August are the busiest months for visitation, working on more presence for the education table.
●     June 14 Bonnie is planning a training for the education table for all who are interested
●     Mona and Chris are doing a great job working on the interior of the trailer

Update Interpretation and Education
●     A big Welcome from the new Chief of Interpretation, Eileen Martinez. She is excite for the future here.
●     New summer intern, Gaby
●     Events – New event Aug 9 The Move to Improve Challenge
●     VIP Program  – May 30 VIP dinner at San Salvador, Maritime Museum will fire off canons
●     VIP program received the Hertzog award
●     Education – sc