Bay Area Wilds: Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds

My favorite outdoor enclaves around the Bay Area are those unlikely spots that fuse natural habitat with some element of reclamation ingenuity: the wetlands reclaimed from salt ponds, parks like Heron's Head where a piece of wilderness is revitalized in the aftermath of industrial waste.

I find these areas hopeful, in that they speak to the possibility of humans cohabiting with wildlife in constructive ways. They're also testament to our ability to redeem previously trashed or under-utilized lands -- by turning them into vital habitat for birds and other animals.

Las Gallinas wildlife ponds in San Rafael (Marin County) are a success story of wastewater reclamation. Located in the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, the wildlife habitat is created by way of treated effluent (wastewater) which is released into the surrounding 20-acre marsh and collection ponds. The resulting wetlands attract a huge variety of birds, from raptors like hawks and osprey, to a host of migrating ducks and shorebirds in the winter.

The best time to visit Las Gallinas wildlife ponds is in the fall and winter, when the birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway stop in the Bay Area for their wintering months.

More information on Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds:

• Profile of Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds
• Photos of Las Gallinas Ponds

Related Articles:

• Winter Birding on San Francisco Bay
• Photos: San Francisco Shorebirds & Ducks
• Photos: California Coastal Birds

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}