Author: VIP Voice

A website for the Volunteers in Parks (VIPs) at Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, CA
The head of a gray whale surfaces to breathe
Continuing Education

ACS Lecture Series – Dr. Anne E. Bowles

The next virtual webinar sponsored by the American Cetacean Society (ACS) will be held on Wednesday September 13 at 7:00pm over Zoom. Dr. Bowles will be presenting “60 Years of Returning to the Sea – A Personal Perspective on Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute’s Six Decades in the tradition of Carl and Laura Hubbs“. No registration is required. About the Speaker: Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) is an … Continue reading ACS Lecture Series – Dr. Anne E. Bowles

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national parks

A New 5.10 Crack Appeared Overnight in Yosemite

(Climbing.com) SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 -MARY BETH SKYLIS Last week a 200-foot hand crack appeared overnight near Yosemite’s Royal Arches cliff. The splitter was quickly climbed at 5.10- and named Super Naturalbefore park officials closed the classic area.  The park’s closure notice states: “Rock climbers recently reported a new crack in a cliff on the western side of Royal Arches, near the climbing route Super Slide. Subsequent investigation revealed … Continue reading A New 5.10 Crack Appeared Overnight in Yosemite

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national parks

UNBELIEVABLE’ ENTITLED VISITOR AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SPARKS OUTRAGE ONLINE: ‘THIS IS HIGHLY DISRESPECTFUL

By Mike Taylor (cooldown.com) September 3, 2023 Whether it’s a symptom of the times or something that’s now being exposed by the ubiquity of social media, it’s disturbing and frustrating all the same. Another incident of bad behavior at a national park sparked outrage recently on Instagram, as a woman stood within reach of a prone bison on the side of a road and a few others swarmed … Continue reading UNBELIEVABLE’ ENTITLED VISITOR AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SPARKS OUTRAGE ONLINE: ‘THIS IS HIGHLY DISRESPECTFUL

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A wasp with a thin body stands on sand
Creature Feature

Creature Feature – Thread-waisted Sand Wasp

Patricia Simpson (she/her)Vegetation Technician, Great Basin Institute@Cabrillo National Monument Move over Barbie, there is another thin-waisted beauty in town and she is stunning! Meet the Thread-waisted Sand Wasp (genus Ammophila), a fairly common solitary wasp who hunts caterpillars! They are many species of Ammophila wasps in North America: over 60. Species, however, are very difficult to tell apart from one another, requiring microscopic studies or even … Continue reading Creature Feature – Thread-waisted Sand Wasp

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Animal tracks in dirt on a cliff above the ocean
Continuing Education

Fall Series of Tracker-Naturalist Classes

Ever go out hiking in your favorite open space hoping to see wildlife but finish without seeing a single animal.  Some mammals are secretive by nature or only active at night or early morning.  If we do not actually see an animal in the field, how do we know it exists in a specific location, know where and why it moves, and understand its behaviors? Tracking provides … Continue reading Fall Series of Tracker-Naturalist Classes

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