Northern California Spotted Owl Ecotour.

Arcata, California: Professional wildlife biologists Troy Leopardo and Carla Ragatz will be conducting guided redwood forest walks to observe northern spotted owls in their natural habitat on weekends this fall.

Conducted on private forestlands with exclusive landowner permission, these half-day outings will start at 8:30 a.m. in Gualala, on the Sonoma/Mendocino coast approximately three hours drive north of San Francisco. Remarkably unafraid of humans, this species has previously been unavailable to the general public due to its federally protected status.

Following a 30-minute walk-in on a dirt road and/or easy trail, small groups will spend approximately 30 minutes each observing spotted owls up close.

"We have monitored these territories since 1999 and can virtually guarantee that you will see a spotted owl," Leopardo said. He added that this educational eco-adventure is conducted on an experimental basis with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) technical assistance.

Listed as federally threatened in 1990, the northern spotted owl is unique in having been one of the first species to focus public attention on ecological forest management. Historically considered rare, little was known of spotted owls prior to the mid-1970s when increased logging on public land focused research on the species. Nesting in trees, spotted owls do not build their own nests but lay their eggs on existing platforms. Although not old-growth dependent as initially thought, spotted owls generally require mature forest patches with permanent water and suitable nesting trees.

Born and raised in Sweden, Leopardo came to California to study wildlife management in 1980. He started surveying owls for the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon in 1988 after graduating from Humboldt State University. Following two years in the Siskiyou and Mt. Hood national forests, and six years with a Eureka forestry-consulting firm, Leopardo started his own business in 1997. Also a food enthusiast and amateur chef, he will serve an "Al Fresco" lunch buffet consisting of European-style cold meats and cheeses, local breads, salads, fresh fruits and berries.

Ragatz graduated from Humboldt State in 1995 and has seven years experience conducting "multi-species" wildlife surveys in northern California. An experienced ornithologist, she has also conducted birding walks for Arcata's Godwit Days Spring Migration Festival.

The price for this exclusive offer is $175 per person. The USFWS strongly discourages private individuals from seeking out spotted owls on their own and has limited availability to 120 people this year. For information please call Leopardo toll-free at 877 675-7243, or contact him at leowild@prodigy.net.




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