For the first time in San Diego’s history, Pro Peninsula and Patagonia bring you the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival On Tour! We will exhibit an amazing array of films, which were hand-selected from Patagonia’s annual film festival in Nevada City, Ca. Join Pro Peninsula while we host this exceptional event at the Gaslamp 15 Theater on Thursday, March 26th from 6:00pm-10:00pm! The Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival was started by a watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), in 2003. The SYRCL now shares the Festival with environmental groups in over 90 communities nationwide, thereby building a network of grassroots organizations connected by the common goal of using film to inspire activism. The name of the Film Festival serves as a celebration of the SYRCL having achieved “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999.

Pro Peninsula has arranged to exhibit 14 intriguing films at the Gaslamp 15 Theater, each of which highlights serious environmental concerns and provides practical solutions. The feature film, Red Gold by filmmakers Lauren Oakes, Travis Rummel, & Ben Knight, features 55 captivating minutes that illustrate the tension between Alaskan locals and mine officials in Bristol Bay. Beyond portraying this conflict, Red Gold depicts the unique Alaskan lifestyle that certainly wouldn’t exist if salmon did not return yearly with the Bristol Bay tides. Another extraordinary film to be exhibited is Caguamas del Pacifico, ¿en las Manos de Quien? by Pro Peninsula Field Research Director, Dr. Hoyt Peckham. This film portrays the Baja California peninsula fishermen that work tirelessly to save the loggerhead sea turtles that migrate roughly 8,000 miles from their nesting beaches in Japan to their feeding grounds off the coast of Mexico.

The Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival is a natural extension of Pro Peninsula’s efforts to inspire individuals to act on behalf of the environment. This event, complemented by an Environmental Fair and a membership after party at the Rock Bottom Brewery, “will serve to motivate the San Diego community to get involved in conserving the wild and scenic places close to home,” explains Pro Peninsula Executive Director, Kama Dean.

WILD & SCENIC ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL Thursday, March 26th 6:00pm - 10:00pm Gaslamp 15 Theater 701 5th Ave San Diego, CA 92101 Ticket Prices: $20 - General Admission $35 - VIP

For tickets, please visit www.propeninsula.org/wildscenic.
For Festival information, please visit www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org.

If you have questions about this event, or would like to get directly involved, please contact gigi@propeninsula.org. We hope to see you on March 26th!

Throughout the month of March, Pro Peninsula is the Linkery’s charity of the month! The Linkery is a popular neighborhood restaurant located in San Diego’s North Park area. Not only does the Linkery offer sustainably raised meats, organic produce, fine beers & wines, and hand-made cuisine including bread, sausage, & ice cream…but the Linkery goes beyond great food & great service by donating to a different local charity or non-profit every single month! With an innovative and modern approach to the hospitality industry, the Linkery staff does not accept tips. However, if you dine in and DO choose to leave behind a tip, the Linkery will donate this sum directly to Pro Peninsula throughout the month of March! Just stop by one of the city’s most impressive restaurants that works to support local, independent farmers and charitable organizations. Share a night out with your friends and family, and simply leave a tip on your Linkery table to support Pro Peninsula’s efforts at conserving the natural resources throughout the region!

The Linkery is located at the corner of 30th Street and North Park Way in San Diego, CA (3794 30th Street). They’re open from 5:30-11:30pm daily and also offer lunch Friday-Sunday…so don’t miss the perfect incentive to check out a new—and highly acclaimed—San Diego eatery. Supporting Pro Peninsula’s conservation work has never been so easy!

Thank you for your support!

Garrett near Mt. Batur, Bali

Pro Peninsula is pleased to introduce the newest member of our conservation team—Administrative Assistant, Garrett Lemons! Garrett has lived in the San Diego area for nearly six years and has always maintained a strong desire to get involved with local conservation efforts. With his intense passion for protecting marine resources and the environment in general, Garrett is excited about this new opportunity to be working—and learning—at Pro Peninsula.

Garrett achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with an emphasis on organism and molecular biology from Point Loma Nazarene University. Over the years, Garrett has literally traveled the world and participated in humanitarian and conservation work in the Solomon Islands, India, Panama, Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Recently, Garrett completed an internship with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center Marine Turtle Research Program. Garrett credits this experience with helping him to gain a crucial understanding of global conservation practices

Garrett’s passion for the ocean extends well beyond his professional life. His hobbies include countless outdoor activities including swimming, scuba diving, and serving as a lifeguard on beaches throughout the city of San Diego. Garrett has a keen interest in foreign languages and hopes to continue working in the field of environmental science for the sake of conserving natural resources throughout the world.

Welcome on board, Garrett!

Last year, for the first time in history, three Eastern Pacific hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) were equipped with satellite tags and released off the coast of the Baja California peninsula, into the waters of the Gulf of California. These historical releases are part of the efforts undertaken by the world’s first project dedicated specifically to the conservation and investigation of the hawksbill sea turtle in the Eastern Pacific Ocean—Proyecto ¡CAREY!

Penasquita during her release ceremony last October

Since the satellite tags are still in the early stages of data transmission, the Proyecto ¡Carey! team is not yet able to draw concrete conclusions regarding the turtle’s movements. However, the satellite tags have already painted a general picture of the turtles as they swim throughout the region.

Although “Joalin” was the world’s first Eastern Pacific hawksbill sea turtle ever to be equipped with a satellite tag and released, her transmitted signals were not strong enough to provide accurate positioning data. Thus, “Sadir”, the world’s second Eastern Pacific hawksbill sea turtle to be satellite-tagged and released, has become the heroic leader in teaching the Proyecto ¡Carey! team about the movements of this critically endangered species. Measuring 28.9 inches in curved carapace length, Sadir represents a transitional (large juvenile) size that offers unique information on the biology and behavior of this little-understood species. Sadir was originally captured on June 23rd, 2008 using specially designed turtle “tangle nets” during Proyecto ¡Carey!’s monitoring activities near Playa Quemado, Baja California Sur. Now, 242 days later, Sadir has traveled about 207 miles total, yet has only ventured about 2.5 miles from her initial release position.

The third hawksbill is named “Penasquita”, in honor of the Mexican community in which she lived for about 8 years. Penasquita was accidentally captured by fishermen in the waters off Puerto Peñasco in Sonora, Mexico. The concerned fishermen immediately brought Penasquita to the aquarium at the Center for Technical Studies of the Ocean (CETMAR), where she was kept in captivity until being released back into her natural environment during a large public ceremony, held at the CETMAR aquarium on October 24th, 2008. Measuring more than 35 inches in curved carapace length and weighing over 150 pounds, Penasquita presents a unique opportunity to research this population of hawksbill sea turtles in the Eastern Pacific region. She is the first adult hawksbill sea turtle ever to be equipped with a satellite transmitter on the Pacific Coast of Mexico and may elucidate one of the species’ greatest continuing mysteries: where the Eastern Pacific hawksbills nest. Thus far, Penasquita has swum over 408 miles. She is currently nearly 300 miles south of her initial release position, and has therefore traveled nearly half the length of the Baja California peninsula since last fall.

These three turtles make up the first of only 10 hawksbills that have been tagged along the Pacific coast of the Americas, in a regional effort called the “Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative”. This Initiative strives to promote the conservation and investigation of the critically endangered hawksbill population that is specific to the Eastern Pacific region.

To follow the route of these hawksbill sea turtles, please visit www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=295.

To support Proyecto ¡Carey!, please consider making a donation or adopting a sea turtle from Pro Peninsula. Click here to visit the Proyecto ¡Carey! webpage.

If you have questions about this program, please contact gaos@propeninsula.org.

Join Pro Peninsula at the Quail Botanical Gardens 13th Annual Herb Festival, featuring a Spring Plant Sale, Tomatomania®, and EcoDesign Fair! This unique festival brings together various activities for you and your friends and family to enjoy under the spring sunshine. Throughout the weekend, this event offers an Herbal Marketplace, motivational speakers, guided tours of the Gardens, children’s activities, music, delicious food, and exhibits the work of local designers that create eco-friendly products! Participating in the event is long-time Pro Peninsula supporter and local artist, Jolee Pink, creator of Wabisabi Green. Come to the EcoDesign Fair and check out her “Tortuga” pillow; Jolee generously donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this pillow design to support Pro Peninsula’s efforts at sea turtle conservation! Herb Festival & EcoDesign Fair Quail Botanical Gardens 230 Quail Gardens Drive Encinitas, CA 92024 March 21st and 22nd 9:00am – 5:00pm Click here for more information!

As the only non-profit organization to be featured at the Festival, Pro Peninsula is delighted to share this opportunity to collaborate with local eco-artists and herb enthusiasts! Come spend a day in the sun and support your community at the Quail Botanical Gardens 13th Annual Herb Festival and EcoDesign Fair!