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Biographies
Jan Wasserman
Jan Wasserman started out as an English Major/couch potato and became a birder in 1986, after having a Scrub Jay land in her hand to take a peanut. She then joined Conejo Valley Audubon where she was extremely fortunate to meet Elliott McClure, who was a world class ornithologist and bird bander. After watching Elliott mist net, trap and band birds, she knew that she would have to do more than look at birds. She quit her job as an insurance claims adjuster and studied with Elliott for a year, learned the techniques of banding, and by the end of the year, she had her own banding permit.
Jan's first detailed project was working at a ranch in Ojai, CA, with multi species cavity nesting birds for 8 years. Then in 1991, Jan started monitoring a few boxes that Jesse Grantham from National Audubon Society had put up for Tree Swallows at the Ventura sewage ponds. Soon thereafter, Jan approached United Water Conservation District in Saticoy for permission to put up some boxes at the Freeman Diversion there. Thus was born Tree Swallow Nesting Projects, Inc., whose mission is to re-introduce the Tree Swallow as a breeding species in Ventura County and all of Southern California.
Since then a lot has been accomplished. In 2000 the project was expanded to the San Joaquin Marsh in Orange County. Under the supervision of Christine Tischer, many volunteers monitor the 112 boxes for tree swallow nests. Extensive records are kept regarding numbers of nests, eggs in nests, nestlings hatched and fledged. At the age appropriate time, Christine and some of her volunteers then band the nestlings. Since the project's presence in Orange County, it has been noticed by the volunteers that many birds that originally hatched and fledged in Ventura county, are now nesting as adults in Orange County, 100 miles away from their natal ground.
From 50 birds fledged in 1991 to over 1000 in 2001, it seems as if part of the mission has been accomplished. Now, it is wonderful to see those beautiful birds back in the area, eating all those flying insects. With the banding program we can find out where they go and how long they live; the learning continues and the questions get more numerous.
There were 3 boxes installed at the Freeman Diversion in 1991. Those 3 boxes have grown to 110, and from there the project has spread up and down the Santa Clara River, for a total of 4 sites in Ventura County (the Ventura Sewage Ponds, the Freeman Diversion in Saticoy, the Gravel Pits in Saticoy and Hedrick Ranch on South Mountain in Santa Paula), the San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine and a mini site in San Luis Obispo at an outdoor education school.
The second most important goal of TSNP, inc., after reintroduction of the species, is to work with children to educate them regarding the beauty of this particular bird and its important function in the web of life, from there to the natural progression of all species and their places in keeping the planet in balance. Ten of the 110 boxes at Freeman Diversion were built, installed and monitored by students from R. J. Frank Intermediate School in Oxnard California. TSNP, Inc. has become extremely active in education. Jan has gone out to many elementary and middle schools in the Ventura County and Culver City to do presentations about the Tree Swallow project, as well as presentations on the more common birds of Southern California. TSNP has also provided nest box kits to CCMS students who have constructed them, and will be placing them in an appropriate habitat prior to the 2004 nesting season. These boxes will be monitored by the CCMS students, and the birds will be banded by TSNP.
It is the hope of TSNP, inc. that we will be of some impact in helping to shape the future generation to have more respect for the environment so that some of the centuries of damage at human hands can be abated before it is really too late.
"Only after the last tree has been cut down,
only after the last river has been poisoned,
only after the last fish has been caught,
only THEN will you find that money cannot be eaten."
- CREE INDIAN PROPHECY
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Harold "Hal" Wasserman
Hal did his undergraduate work at Southeast Jr. College and Roosevelt University. He earned his Masters at Depaul University in Chicago.
He was a teacher in Chicago for two years and taught in Oxnard, CA for 34 years. His assignments included being an Intergroup Relations Resource Specialist, the Director of Outdoor Education, a Program Coordinator, and lots of teaching. He was a science teacher until he injured his back, and then became a social studies teacher. The year he retired (June 2001) he held the office of Department Chair, Chair of the School Leadership Team, He was elected "Teacher of the Year" by both the staff and the kids.
Hal is retired from education except for substitute principaling. He still runs his income tax business and reads as many books as he can get to.
The Wassermans are conduits between the community and schools. Currently, Hal volunteers his time as guest speaker and leader of science outdoor labs in both Ventura County and Culver City.
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