Flyway Nights: Wildlife Corridors for Flood Escape on the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area

Within the Yolo Bypass, flood waters rise from east to west. Wildlife including deer, furbearers, and ground nesting birds lack adequate cover to move out of lower areas or to escape aerial predation. Wildlife in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area (YBWA) are regularly stranded in winter flood events. Since 2016, the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD) has been leading a project to improve flood escape for wildlife, implement agriculture-compatible restoration, and engage the public. This effort will create five miles of cover for wildlife escaping flood events, enhance year-round habitat for migratory birds, pollinators and other wildlife, provide a public-access demonstration planting, and increase awareness and appreciation of the YBWA and its values and functions by holding high school field days and community volunteer stewardship events. On Thursday, February 6 at 7 p.m. at Yolo Basin Foundation’s Flyway Nights speaker series event, Heather Nichols will be talking about the ‘Wildlife Corridors for Flood Escape in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area’ project. Heather has been the Executive Director for the Yolo County RCD since 2014. She oversees the project management of the Wildlife Corridors project and has been working with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the agricultural lessees in the Yolo Bypass for the past five years. She has been planning and managing conservation projects on Yolo County farms and ranches for over 10 years. Flyway Nights is a monthly speaker series highlighting environmental issues, natural history of Northern California and current research topics in conservation. Yolo Basin Foundation hosts Flyway Nights the first Thursday of the month from November to April at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 County Road 32B (Chiles Road). A $5 donation to support the Foundation’s wetland education programs is suggested. Yolo Basin Foundation members are free. For the complete schedule and more information, visit http://www.yolobasin.org/flywaynights or call Yolo Basin Foundation at (530) 757-3780.