Bird List

VISITOR INFORMATION
UC Natural Reserve System Marine Science Institute, Trailer 342 University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Phone: (805) 893-4127 / Fax: (805)893-8062 E-mail: donnam@msi.ucsb.edu NRS Website: http://nrs.ucop.edu Resident Reserve Director: Kate McCurdy Sedgwick Reserve Mailing address: P.O. Box 848, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 Street address: 3566 Brinkerhof Ave, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 Phone: 805-686-1941; Email: mccurdy@lifesci.ucsb.edu	• GENERAL INFORMATION • APPLICATION PROCESS • SIGN-IN PROCESS • FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT • RECHARGE RATES • RESEARCHERS RESPONSIBILITIES • GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS • POTENTIAL HAZARDS • INFORMATION ON HANTAVIRUS • RISK REDUCTION GUIDELINES

Researchers must provide the reserve directors with a map of research site locations and basic raw data (e.g. numbers of organisms, species, etc. for station archives.

Annual Summary of Research Project: Please provide the following by June 30 of each year. The summary and list of publications will be published in the NRS Annual Report and on the NRS systemwide Web Page:

• A brief summary of your research accomplishments, including the title of the project, a list of all participants on the project with their affiliations.

• A list of your current publications based on research done on the reserve (complete references).

• Two copies of all published materials, including conference proceedings, abstracts, and technical reports (one bound copy only of theses and dissertations), resulting from your research. Please acknowledge the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESERVE SYSTEM, UCSB SEDGWICK RESERVE in any publication resulting from use of the reserve.

• Source of funding for your project, dates of funding, and the funding amount.

• Collecting is permitted only with the expressed permission of the reserve directors, appropriate collecting permits from state and federal agencies, and strict compliance with the UCSB Animal Care Council. Any trapping and handling of vertebrates requires previous approval of the UCSB Animal Care Council and the resident directors. See the application for further details.

• Smoking is prohibited on the reserve.

• Vehicles must stay on established roadways and vehicle trails. Confer with reserve directors regarding road conditions. Off-road vehicle travel is prohibited.

• Leave all gates as you find them (e.g., if closed and locked, close and lock it after passing).

• Pack out trash.

• Park in designated parking areas. Do not park in grassy areas - catalytic converters can start fires.

• Do not disturb reserve operations, residents, livestock, or experiments.

• Notify reserve directors of trespass and vandalism.

• Notify reserve directors of unusual wildlife sightings.

Because Sedgwick Reserve is a wildland environment located some distance from urban facilities, precautions for potential hazards should be taken, similar to those for a back-country hike. The nearest medical facility is the Santa Ynez Hospital, 700 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang (688-6431). In the event of an emergency, notify the reserve directors, the reserve staff, or call 911 from researcher housing.

Potential hazards include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Rattlesnakes. Long pants, hiking boots, and caution when hiking over rocks, logs, or in tall grass are recommended. Carrying a snake-bite kit when working in remote locations is advised.

• Poison Oak. Common but in riparian areas and shaded north-facing slopes. Easily avoided.

• Ticks. Ticks in Santa Barbara County may carry Lyme disease. Routine body-checks for ticks are advised. If bitten, monitor symptoms and consult with a physician.

• Mountain Lions. See posted material on avoiding mountain lion attacks. Avoid hiking alone, make noise and if confronted, throw things and yell. Do not run.

• Rugged Terrain. Sedgwick is a wildland environment. There are downed logs, unstable rocks, steep slopes, cliffs, ground squirrel holes, steep and narrow roads, and many other potential hazards. Use caution and good judgment.

Since fire is a significant danger at the Sedgwick Reserve, several precaustions need to be taken during the fire season, April through November.

• Fire swatter flaps (heavy rubber mop sort of things with handles) are located at the sign-in box. Please remember to return them each time you borrow one. The name of the tool is misleading, however. Please do not "swat" the fire with it. This will only serve to fan the fire and to spread sparks. Instead, use it in a mopping motion or place it over a burn area and step on it to smother the flames. For the of you planning to do a lot of field work during the fire season, please order one or two of your own (and maybe a shovel, too). These are available from Forestry Suppliers, Inc. (800) 647-5368. Item: Fire swatter flap (for extinguishing small grass fires), p. 95 (1998 catalog 49), item no. 85093, unit price $32.95.

• Do not drive or park vehicles off the road unless you have the specific permission of the Reserve Director. Catalytic converters on cars get very hot and can start fires very quickly.

Hantavirus is a pathogen found in the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) in North America. The disease caused by this virus is called HARDS (Hantavirus Acute Respiratory Syndrome) or HPS (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome). Although the risk of getting the disease from a trip to the Sedgwick Reserve is very low, HARDS is a potentially fatal disease, and some basic precautions should be taken. The only recorded case of a Hantavirus-related fatality in Santa Barbara County was from the ranch adjacent to Sedgwick, so precautions are in order.

Rodents are hosts for a variety of diseases and parasites, including ticks, fleas which carry plague, and rabies. Hantavirus is transmitted through the body fluids of the deer mouse, and can become airborne when large masses of feces and urine are disturbed. Short visits to the reserve present low risk. Most cases of Hantavirus infection have occurred as a result of occupation of buildings that have been inhabited by large numbers of rodents for many years. The precautions for avoiding infection by Hantavirus are the same as those for the avoidance of any illness which may be contracted from rodents. Practice of Universal Precautions means treating all potentially infectious mammals and insects as if they all are infectious.

In response to this concern, the University is making every effort to reduce and avoid contact between users of the Reserve and mice. However, this effort requires your assistance and we are requesting your help and cooperation, especially by complying with the suggested RISK REDUCTION and CLEAN-UP GUIDELINES.

The program has three components:

1. Reducing food, water, and refuge in and adjacent to the buildings.

2. Reducing mouse ingress, egress, and access to the buildings.

3. Reducing mouse populations in the buildings by trapping.

Although it is probably impossible to completely eliminate mice from the buildings, this program should result in reduced exposure for our users and staff.

Do not feed any wild animals. Viruses and diseases are often passed through saliva; to reduce your chances of being bitten, avoid contact with wild animals. Infected mice may not show any symptoms of these diseases.

Keep cooking and dining areas as clean as possible. Place trash and food garbage in closed garbage containers.

1. Special precautions are necessary when signs of mice are present, especially feces, urine, and nest materials. Dry clean-up (sweeping, vacuuming) is not recommended as this atomizes particles that may be inhaled. Proper clean-up entails:

• Wearing rubber gloves.

• Wetting the entire area with disinfectant.

• Wet-mopping with disinfectant or wiping up the area with paper towels.

• Bagging the towels and disposing of them in the trash.

• Disinfectant may be household bleach (1 to 4 parts water), Lysol, or other recommended solutions.

• If the area is extremely soiled, notify staff for clean-up advice.

2. Trapping and removal of trapped mice should be done by staff unless authorized by directors. Appropriate precautions and guidelines must be followed.

HARDS first manifests itself as mild flu-like symptoms (muscle ache, slight fever, and lethargy), usually two to six weeks after exposure to the virus. Acute respiratory distress may follow. If you experience flu-like symptoms and believe you may have had contact with rodents within the last 30 days, contact your physician immediately and tell him/her specifically that you believe that you have been exposed to Hantavirus.

More detailed information concerning Hantavirus is posted at the reserve.