All calendar items are subject to change as we navigate the changing conditions and guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please continue to adhere to all safety protocols including physical distancing, wearing masks and frequent hand washing. For information on how to get vaccinated in California, please visit myturn.ca.gov.

Wildlife areas, ecological reserves and other properties may be closed due to wildfires or wildfire damage. Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts are strongly encouraged to check for closures before leaving on any recreational trip.

Various Days — Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Access Permit Application Deadline for Multiple Hunting Opportunities. Wild pig, waterfowl, turkey and quail hunts are available through the SHARE program. An $11.50 non-refundable application fee (plus handling fees) is charged for each hunt choice. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.

Various Days — Habitat Restoration at Ballona Reserve, 3 to 5 p.m., Jan. 7 and 21, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Roll up your sleeves to help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands restore the last coastal wetland in the City of Los Angeles. Get hands-on experience while learning about urban ecology. The time and effort put into clearing out invasive vegetation give slow-growing native plants room to thrive. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/01/07/friday-habitat-restoration.

Various Days — Discover the Flyway School Program, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Discover the Flyway is an outdoor education program for kindergarten through 12th grade students that meets Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards. Its goal is to offer children a meaningful outdoor experience that will give them an appreciation for the wetlands, agriculture and wildlife of the Central Valley and contribute to a lifetime of healthy outdoor activities and development of a land stewardship ethic. This school year, Yolo Basin Foundation is offering teachers three options: the chance to bring students to a field trip to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, the opportunity to have educators and docents bring the program to their classroom or the option to participate from school or home in a live, virtually led activity. Teachers can learn more and register at www.yolobasin.org/schoolprograms.

Weekends — Ecological Reserve Tours at Elkhorn Slough, 10 and 11 a.m., 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Volunteers lead walks highlighting the natural history of the Elkhorn Slough every Saturday and Sunday. Capacity is limited due to physical distancing requirements and individuals must sign up on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups of six or more should call ahead at (831) 728-2822 to reserve a tour. For more information, please visit www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr/tours.

Weekends — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 12:30 p.m., 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). This hour-and-a-half tour will stroll a third of a mile to an elevated viewing deck where participants will have a bird’s-eye view of wildlife. Visitors often encounter hawks, rabbits, herons, turtles, cormorants, swallows and much more. This is one of the premier birding spots in northern California, as migratory ducks and geese usually take the spotlight. Tours are canceled in heavy rain. This land is part of the CDFW Lands Pass Program and associated fee-for-use requirement. There is no additional cost for the tour. To sign up, please visit Eventbrite. To purchase a Lands Pass, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass. There is a limit of 12 people per tour. COVID-19 guidelines will be followed, which may include masking and/or physical distancing. Come prepared and be respectful of other visitors. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.

Saturdays — Swan Tours. Celebrate the bird migration on the Pacific Flyway this fall and winter! CDFW’s free and popular Swan Tours are set for selective Saturdays from November through January. Held in partnership with Mathews Rice Operation, the tours transverse flooded rice fields north of Marysville. This area boasts the largest overwintering population of tundra swans in the Central Valley, as well as abundant geese, ducks, shorebirds and raptors. Mandatory health and safety protocols are in place. To register, please email genelle.treaster@wildlife.ca.gov.

1 — White and White-fronted Goose Season Opens in the Northeastern California Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

1 — Recreational Groundfish Fishery for Boat-based Anglers Closes. Species include rockfish, cabezon, kelp and rock greenlings, lingcod, leopard shark, soupfin shark and spiny dogfish, and other federally managed groundfish. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/ocean/regulations/groundfish-summary.

7 — Public Meeting Regarding Draft Conservation Plan for the Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery, 10 a.m. CDFW is currently preparing an application for an Incidental Take Permit under Section 10 of the federal Endangered Species Act addressing entanglement risk for humpback whales, blue whales and leatherback sea turtles in the commercial Dungeness crab fishery. CDFW released an updated draft Conservation Plan for public review and comment on Dec. 1, 2021. CDFW will hold a virtual public meeting to provide an overview of the draft Conservation Plan and answer clarifying questions. Please visit wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/whale-safe-fisheries for more information, instructions on joining the meeting and instructions on submitting comments.

8 — Ballona Creek Cleanup at Ballona Reserve, 9:30 a.m. to noon, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands clean up the last coastal wetland in Los Angeles. Did you know that 130 square miles of storm drain flow into Ballona Creek? Gutter trash from as far away as North Hollywood can end up right in the wetlands. The time and effort put into clearing out debris means less trash in the wetlands, on beaches and in the open ocean. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/01/08/creek-cleanup.

8 — Tour of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, 9 a.m. to noon, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Join Yolo Basin Foundation’s docent on a fantastic tour that is appropriate for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts and birders. View seasonal and permanent wetlands, native grasslands and young riparian forests. Look for migrating and resident waterfowl, geese, swans, raptors and wading birds. Registration is required to attend. For more information and to register, please visit www.yolobasin.org/wetlands-tours.

9 — Canada Goose Season Closes in the Northeastern California Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

9 — Wetland Tours at Ballona Reserve, 9, 10 and 11 a.m. 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). The Los Angeles Audubon Society will provide volunteer-led tours of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve on the mornings of the first Saturday and second Sunday of each month (due to the New Year’s Day holiday, there will be no open wetlands the first Saturday in January). This is a great opportunity to see the biodiverse habitats and species found in the last remaining coastal wetlands in the City of Los Angeles. The walks are led by trained volunteer naturalists. Tours depart from the entrance to the reserve – the parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing cindyhardin@laaudubon.org or calling (310) 301-0050. Mandatory health and safety protocols are in place.

12 — Duck Season Closes in the Northeastern California Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

13 — California Fish and Game Commission Wildlife Resources Committee Meeting, time to be determined. The meeting is to be held via webinar/teleconference due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. For more information, please visit fgc.ca.gov.

14 — White and White-fronted Goose Season Closes in the Northeastern California Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

15 — Garden Days at Elkhorn Slough Reserve, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville (95076). Learn about native plant gardening and help the reserve maintain its new demonstration gardens! Participants will spend time exploring topics in native plant gardening and then spend time working in the gardens. Work changes with the season and may involve weeding, planting or collecting native seeds. All ages and abilities are welcome, but those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more details and to register, please visit www.elkhornslough.org/calendar.

15 — Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Pop-up Information Booth, 9 to 11 a.m., Parking Lot A, 45211 County Road 32 B, Davis (95618). Every third Saturday of the month, Yolo Basin Foundation will have a pop-up information booth in Parking Lot A of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. It is a great time to visit since volunteers will be present to hand out maps of the auto tour route and hiking trails, provide information about what to keep an eye out for and answer questions as visitors set out to explore local wildlife. Come visit the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area during this time of magical migrations. Waterfowl, geese, swans and more are making their way south along the Pacific Flyway. For more information about the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, please visit www.yolobasin.org/yolobypasswildlifearea.

15 — Community Restoration Event at Ballona Wetlands, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., 303 Culver Blvd., Playa Del Rey (90293). The Ballona Wetlands Community Restoration Project focuses on removing invasive ice plant and other non-native vegetation that can impact native California plants such as pickleweed, salt grass and alkali weed. Participants will help remove non-native plants by hand. Parking is behind Gordon’s/Alka Water Market and it is a short walk up Culver Blvd. to the restoration site. Registration is required and attendance is limited to 30 participants. Please visit www.santamonicabay.org/events for more information and to sign up. Facemasks and physical distancing will be required.

15 — Salt Marsh and Dunes Tour at Ballona Reserve, 10 a.m. to noon, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Explore the wonder of nature in the middle of urban Los Angeles! Expert docents will lead participants through the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve while explaining its history and ecology. Enjoy the unique native plants as you journey through different habitats. You might even meet some of the local wildlife. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more details about the event and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/01/15/swm-tour.

22 — Community Habitat Restoration at the Ballona Reserve, 9:30 a.m. to noon, 303 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey (90293). Roll up your sleeves to help the Friends of Ballona Wetlands restore the last coastal wetland in Los Angeles. Get hands-on experience while learning about urban ecology. Clearing out invasive vegetation gives slow-growing native plants room to thrive. Parking and entrance gate are located behind Gordon’s Market. Registration is required. For more information and to register, please visit www.ballonafriends.org/calendar/2022/01/22/community-habitat-restoration.

30 — Goose Season Closes in the Balance of State Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

30 — Quail, Chukar and Snipe Seasons Close. For more information, please visit
wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/upland-game-birds.

30 — General Tree Squirrel Season Closes. For more information, please visit
wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/small-game.

30 — Rabbit and Varying Hare Seasons Close. For more information, please visit
wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/small-game.

31 — Duck Season Closes in the Balance of State Zone. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

31 — Duck and Goose Season Closes in the Colorado River, Southern San Joaquin and Southern California Zones. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.

31 — Falconry Only Season Opens for Rabbits and Varying Hares (extending through March 20). For more information on upland game bird seasons and limits, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/small-game.

31 — Deer Tag Reporting Deadline. Deer tag holders must submit a harvest report for any 2021 deer tag by the Jan. 31, 2022 deadline. All tag holders must report even if they did not hunt or they hunted unsuccessfully. Tag holders who do not report by this deadline will be charged a $21.60 non-reporting penalty fee when purchasing a 2022 deer tag drawing application or deer tag. To report your harvest online, please visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/customersearch/begin. For more information, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/hunting#9941260-tag-reporting.