On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated with 20 million participants. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin had called for an environmental “teach-in” similar to the “teach-ins” occurring in colleges and universities over the Vietnam War. Today, more than 500 million people attend the event world-wide. It is a global phenomena which communities throughout the world design and celebrate on a local level.

Senator Nelson was upset over the lack of federal action and response to a disastrous oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. He and other organizers, such as Congressman Pete McCloskey, Dennis Hayes, a graduate student from Columbia University, and millions of other participants made possible the first Earth Day.

The publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” in 1962 had raised public awareness of the cost of environmental degradation from the use of toxic pesticides and chemicals. The first Earth Day responded to this alarm.

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to Cambria for birthing and breeding season

Every winter since the early 1990s, the Northern Elephant Seal migrates to the bluffs off Piedras Blancas, located seven miles north of Cambria on California’s Central Coast, during the dramatic season of birthing and breeding.

About 23 elephant seals migrated to the bluffs for the first time in 1990, and their numbers have grown exponentially every year since that time. The seals initially inhabited the small cove south of the iconic Piedras Blancas lighthouse. About 400 seals migrated to the area to molt, or shed their skin, in spring 1991, but the first birth occurred at the bluffs in January 1992. The burgeoning colony of elephant seals has included 50 pups born at the bluffs in 1993 and, two years later, 600 pups. In 1996, 1,000 pups were born and began to spread to the nearby beaches.

Most of the births at the bluffs occur in the last two weeks of January. Mating season reaches its peak around Valentine’s Day and, then, the adult male and female seals leave their offspring behind to migrate northward. About half of the 4,000 elephant seal pups that were born at the bluffs last year survived.

These majestic mammals spend eight months of every year traveling thousands of miles in the open seas or migrating to Alaskan waters. But when it is time for them to rest, they spend the remaining portion of the year sunbathing on the beaches near Cambria as part of a rookery to participate in birthing, breeding, molting and rest after their extensive travels.

According to the nonprofit Friends of the Elephant Seal, the Piedras Blancas rookery is home to about 17,000 elephant seals, but the entire population is never in the rookery at the same time. The number of elephant seals on the beach ranges from hundreds in July and August to thousands from January through May.

Hundreds of onlookers, including our group of 11, gathered at the bluffs to observe this awe-inspiring spectacle from the new boardwalk, which was built by the California Conservation Corps with support from the California Coastal Conservancy. Additional bluff fencing was added in order to control beach erosion along the bluffs. California State Parks installed the interpretive signs. The state Department of Transportation has improved the handicapped parking lots and access.

On February 16, we witnessed what appeared to be a high-stakes chess game. Mating season occurs from December through February when the adult male seals, or bulls, battle for breeding rights for up to 100 days without food or water. The males puff up their chests, wail, and engage in highly aggressive behavior to establish dominance among the group. The pups make their presence known audibly for the benefit of the mother seals so they don’t get lost in the crowd. The cacophony of a thousand squawks is tremendous.

The elephant seals lounge with their companions on the beaches. Although the seals appear unwieldy or sluggish, it must conserve its energy for the two to three months it will remain without food or water. However, we witnessed numerous incidents of male aggression, including six male seals vying for the same weary and depleted female seal. The bulls charge at one another and often bite and attack one another. A docent said the safety of the female is often at risk under such circumstances.

The average elephant seal makes two annual migrations, totaling thousands of miles, and is capable of diving and remaining submerged at depths ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 feet. During eight months at sea, they dive continuously without touching land. While average dives are 20 to 30 minutes, record dives approach two hours.

Adult males weigh about 5,000 pounds, measure 16 feet long, and sport distinctive, elephant-like snouts. They are bottom feeders and forage on skates, rays, small sharks, whiting and other high-protein sources.

The adult female weighs 1,800 pounds, measure 12 feet long and, in an average of 34 days, loses 40 percent of her weight while she births, nurses, weans her pup and breeds before returning to the sea. They nurse their pups for four weeks amid a chorus of noisy pups. Females feed primarily on squid, and their foraging dives in the open sea average more than 2,000 feet with recorded dives of more than 5,400 feet. Between dives, the female needs less than three minutes at the surface to re-oxygenate.

Pups weigh about 60 to 80 pounds at birth and measure three to four feet long. Nursing pups will gain 10 to 12 pounds per day and, at 28 days, the weaned pups will weigh from 250 to 300 pounds. In March, the weaned pups will spend several weeks teaching themselves to swim and dive before their solo migration to Alaskan waters at four months of age.

From April through August, each seal returns to the rookery for four to six weeks to molt, or shed its skin. From September through November, the sub-adult males and juveniles of both genders return to the rookery to prepare for adulthood by resting, fasting and sparring.

Marine experts have tagged the seals to monitor their migrating patterns to determine their origins, which include rookeries on San Miguel Island, San Nicolas Island and Ano Nuevo, according to the Friends organization.    

Formed in 1997, the Friends organization is dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and to teaching stewardship for California’s Central Coast. Volunteer guides are on hand to answer questions from visitors, enhance public awareness and respect for marine environments, and to ensure public safety for both visitors and the seals.

The area is open for viewing every day of the year, and there is no admission fee or reservation required. For more information, visit the website at www.elephantseal.org, or contact the group by phone at (805) 924-1628 or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

March is historically the beginning of irrigation season. This year has been different with low rainfall; some supplemental irrigation may already have been necessary. March is also a transition month, meaning that a full summer irrigation schedule is not necessary. For those of us South of the Cuesta Grade, a total of 10 or 15 minutes per week for lawn irrigation is about right; a bit more for North of the Grade.

Of course, unusual changes in weather may require an adjustment of this schedule. There have been some projections that March will be a wet month. If that happens, you will find you can reduce or completely shut down the irrigation system.   During cooler weather, lawns can go weeks between rainfalls before supplemental irrigation is necessary--Not so this March. With the longer days and warmer weather, irrigation will need to begin within a few days after a moderate rain. If it does rain in March, it is an opportune time to apply some organic fertilizer (if you haven’t already); letting the rain move it into the garden soil.

Just as the seasons vary, March is a time when our gardens come alive. Enjoy your gardens as you stay in touch with the changing environment as the season progresses. If you watch closely, you will be gaining knowledge, and will find yourself familiar with your garden’s changing needs.

January is the time to make two simple changes that will save you water and money. I like to start with the backup battery in the automatic irrigation controller.

The controller is usually in a small plastic box, hanging on the inside garage wall; sometimes it can be found attached to the outside of the house. Most controllers have a 9-volt backup battery hidden behind a plastic cover. This battery should be changed each year, because it keeps the programming should there be a power outage. If the battery goes dead, then a power outage will switch your programming to a factory pre-set program that amounts to a daily watering schedule. If you ever see the display blinking, there has been a power outage, and a simple touch of a button should stop the blinking. Your backup battery has saved the day!

Next, it is time to check for obvious water leaks. Look at your water bill for periods of time when your irrigation was off. Indoor water consumption should total about 2 units (also called HCF) per resident per month. If your water provider measures in gallons, that totals about 1,496 gallons per person per month. Significantly higher than expected consumption means it is time to look closer. You may have a water leak or perhaps your irrigation has continued into the rainy season.

Be looking for the upcoming February article, because we will be discussing how to head off costly leaks that plague most gardens at the beginning of the irrigation season.

Bob Nicholson has a degree Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly, SLO with more than 20 years of experience in water conservation, irrigation consultation and leak detection. Bob is available for residential and commercial consultation. Call him evenings and weekends at 805-440-6977 and ask about his services.

Planning a vacation? There are a few simple things you can do to keep your water bills low during this holiday season. First, your irrigation should have been completely turned off by the time December rolls around. December and January are our coldest months, so try to ignore your instinct to start irrigating again after only a few rainless days (February included).

If you will be leaving town, make sure the toilet stops flushing before you drive away. Better yet, turn the water to the toilets completely off. You will find a shutoff valve called an angle stop, located to the left and below each toilet tank. Turning it off will prevent significant toilet leaks while you are away.

Lastly, leave a spare key and a phone number with a trusted neighbor who can respond to emergencies like a burst water line or a failed water heater. It is always good to have someone that can be your eyes and ears for you, and you can return the favor for them when they need it. Plan now, so you can relax during that well deserved vacation!

Bob Nicholson has a degree Natural Resources Management, from Cal Poly, SLO, with more than 20 years experience in water conservation, irrigation consultation and leak detection. Bob is available for residential and commercial consultation. Call him evenings and weekends at 805-440-6977 and ask about his services.