the-incredible

In case you aren’t yet convinced about joining us on saturday, here’s some reasons to bring your honey and your kids (and your checkbook!) downtown for a dam good time. Today I’ll highlight some items from the silent auction, tomorrow I’ll highlight some of our environmental displays, and thursday I’ll introduce you to our musicians! Follow the links to click through to our generous donors! Click here for our latest guide map!

Gift Certificate for 2: 140.00$ (bidding starts at 60.00$)

Nestled on 400 acres in the heart of California’s wine country, Safari West is home for over 400 exotic mammals and birds. Not a zoo, not a drive-through park, it’s a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature’s most beautiful animals in a natural habitat.

Year of Peets Coffee: 215.00$ (bidding starts at 75.00)

Over the past four decades, Peet’s growth has been fueled by ever-increasing numbers of coffee lovers in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the nation. With each generation of Peet’s leadership, we have remained true to the quality tenets of our founder, inspired by the same unrelenting pursuit of quality. Our purpose has not changed since 1966 – to seek out opportunities to raise the expectations of American coffee drinkers by attracting and serving those who truly love the taste of coffee, for whom a cup of coffee could only mean a cup of Peet’s

Esin San Ramon Gift Certificate: 50.00$ (bidding starts at 20.00)

This culinary jewel is a favorite for those in town and a delicious destination for visitors. The family-run eatery has moved and upgraded to a sleeker look, while retaining its savory fare and decadent house-made desserts. A few dishes hearken back to co-owner Esin DeCarion’s homeland, Turkey, including the popular meze platter and phyllo-wrapped chicken breast. The food is fresh, unpretentious and made from high-quality, often local ingredients. Don’t forget to save room for dessert.

Other goodies include original artwork by Kat Mulkey, photos by Cheryl Reynolds, morning coffee with Gary Bogue, full body massage by Joyce Cid, gourmet picnic/watershed tour with Igor & Shirley Skaredoff and amazing handbags made from recycled materials made by Mugwamp in Portland. Don’t worry, there’s something memorable for every price level, and remember that all proceeds go to benefit the Martinez Beavers!

Let this be the year we pay for those interpretive signs! And if this doesn’t whet your shopping whistle enough, remember that August 1st is also the Peddler’s Fair on Main Street Martinez. Just a short stroll away and you won’t want to miss it.

So the other day I visited the nearby animal park, Safari West, in Santa Rosa. I had heard about it first from a cheerful beaver visitor who said they had spent the day there and weren’t ready to stop watching wild things so visited the beavers on their way back to their home in San Francisco. I was not disappointed. The park is animal and people-friendly, and has a glorious wild feeling, like you could go exploring for days. All the guides were knowledgeable not only about individual species, but about unique quirks about individual animals. They were easily able to answer and encourage questions. There is an amazing aviary where exotic birds were nesting and feeding their young. But the most exciting part is the trek in an old Korean War vehicle out into this fabulous mountainous terrain covered in amazing blue oak and surrounded with zebra, gazell and gunu.

After my exciting trip I thought I’d drop the owners/directors Nancy & Peter Lang, a note to mention the Martinez Beavers and the way they have helped children in the Bay Area learn about local nature. They are deeply committed to conservation and involved in research and education. It is the kind of informal, pushy, self- introduction that I do fairly often for Worth A Dam. Usually nothing comes of it, but one never knows. So I thought I’d try.

To my delight I got a call monday from the coordinator of the “Animal Encounters” program of Safari West. This program allows up close comercial events and donates 10% of its earnings to non profits involved with teaching children about the natural world. After we talked enthusiastically about the beavers in our creek and their influence on the habitat (and the people) we confirmed that Worth A Dam would be one of those lucky non-profits. I may be asked to come present on beavers for the staff, I’ll definitely keep you posted.