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From the PrezEsther Imbagliazzo, CMA Volunteer President

VOLUNTEERS NEWSLETTER • January/February, 2012

Happy New Year to all volunteers, staff and FRIENDS of CMA. On top of my list of New Year’s wishes is that 2012 passes by a little slower than 2011. It’s probably my age, but 2011 was gone in a flash. The New Year is a good time to explain the function of the CMAV Steering Committee. Our Mission

Statement explains it well: The mission of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Volunteers (CMAV) is to recruit, train and retain volunteers who will support the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (CMA) and FRIENDS of CMA (FCMA) in carrying out their agenda. The Steering Committee is funded by FRIENDS of CMA. All members of the Steering Committee are CMA volunteers.

The elected members of the Steering Committee are dedicated and talented advocates for the volunteers. Bob Bailiff wears three hats: he is the Vice President, the Special Events Chair and the Training Co-Chair. As Vice Presidents he fills in for the President when needed. As Special Events Chair he organizes the Fall Luncheon and the Awards Dinner in June. His duties as Training Co-Chair are to help train the docents every fall. Don Eichhorn has been the Secretary for several years. His minutes were in our email boxes almost before we could get home from the meeting. Don retired from this position in December and Nancy Cook graciously offered to fill in and is now the current Secretary. Our Recognition Chair is Henry Jurgens. Henry is responsible for keeping track of the volunteers and their hours. He creates and maintains the Volunteer Roster which is available through email. In May, Henry chairs the Awards Committee, which is responsible

for choosing the award recipients for the Awards Dinnerin June. You may have already received your new nametags - also Henry’s job. Jane Seaburn is the Training Co-Chair with Bob Bailiff. Jane is exceptionally talented and along with Bob makes a great team in aiding thetraining of new docents. Our Newsletter Chair is SherryRuffer. Sherry’s team includes Mike Masinter, who editsthe newsletter, and Linda Ayers, our graphic artist. This great team is aided by Ann Lee, a webmaster lent to us byFRIENDS. Our online newsletter is outstanding. Please goto the CMA website and take a look. Mike Masinter is theImmediate Past President. Mike served for eight consecu-tive years, a record that won’t be broken anytime soon.

Along with our elected positions are the Department Representatives. These members are our link to the vari-ous departments at CMA. Their job is to bring us the latest news from their departments. Ela Heyn sits on theCommittee and represents the Aquatic Nursery. Joe Moller brings us news from Education. Martin Ruby is from the FRIENDS Development Committee. The Library isrepresented by Marge Stockett. Along with her job as Secretary, Nancy Cook reports on the events from the Programs Department.

Three staff members also attend our meetings. Mike Schaadt, Director of the Aquarium. Mike brings us a trea-sure of information regarding the activities and events sur-rounding the Aquarium and within the community. Floyd Anderson, CMA’s Volunteer Coordinator, brings informa-tion regarding the volunteers and volunteer opportuni-ties. Lisa Steinmetz represents the Gift Shop. Lisa and her mom, Jean Steinmetz, run a very successful gift shop that directly impacts volunteer programs. A great deal of the profits from the Gift Shop go to support CMA’s volunteers.

CMACabrillo Marine Aquarium engages all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. FCMAFRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a non-profit corporation created to provide support and resources to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in its mission, which is to engage all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. 

CMAVThe mission of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Volunteers is to recruit, train and retain volunteers who will support the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and FRIENDS OF CMA in carrying out their missions. More specifically, CMAV will:4 Recruit, train and retain docents, service volunteers and

gift shop volunteers for both onsite and offsite activities4 Provide continuing enrichment, training and recognition

for volunteers4 Provide support, as appropriate, for Aquarium programs

and activities4 Support the functions of FRIENDS of CMA

Mission Statements

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Bits & Pieces December 2011 Fins & TalesA major “thank you” to Linda Ayers (F&T graphics/layout), Ann Lee (CMA webmaster), Gary Florin and several other great photographers for a beautiful pictorial issue.  I just amass “stuff” – they make it look good. 

Upcoming EventsThe Friendly Whales of Baja trip is almost here: March 5

through March 13.  The 2012 trip is full. Call Larry Fukuhara 310-548-7562 x 223 to get on the waiting list. The AZA is holding a docent convention in Los Angeles next fall.  CMA will host an event including tours and perhaps a blue whalewatch (can anyone book a few blues for a specified date?). The June Awards Banquet will be held at Michael’s on 7th Street in San Pedro.  The cost is $38.00 per person.  Bob Baillif will send out invitation/registration forms soon. Chevron $40,000 GrantChevron ships transport petroleum products between El Segundo and Los Angeles Harbor. As part of their current 30-year lease, they’re required to deal with the issue of possible ship strikes to marine mammals and sea turtles.  Bernardo Alps has produced a training guide entitled “Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Avoidance Manual.”  Further information regarding the manual and the training will be available soon.

EDITOR’S CORNERSherry Ruffer, Editor

 Youth on BoardYouth on Board is a joint project between CMA, Nausicaa Aquarium in France and Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii. Youth groups will submit 60-second videos with their thoughts about the ocean. The videos will be shown on CMA’s You Tube channel, the winner to be announced on World Ocean Day. Mike Schaadt –“ Swim wit da Fishes”Chris Lowe of the Fish Contamination Education Collaborative recently spoke at CMA. He said that 1,000 white croakers were tagged with acoustic tags to see if they were eating from areas with sediments that contained DDT and  discovered that they are. They also learned that two tagged great white sharkshave passed by Cabrillo Beach periodically. Anyone interested in joining Mike on his daily swim? WhalewatchingRecord numbers of gray whales are being counted thisseason – three times the usual December count.  Census volunteers at Point Vicente recently saw a fin whale breach. There are also two family groups of orcas cruising up and down our coast. Diane Alps spotted about ten of them a couple of weeks ago. Are they vacationing here to snack on our abundant sea lion population, or are they permanently moving south? We’ll see. Marine Protected AreasCalifornia’s South Coast Marine Protected Areas became law January 1. After significant time, input, infighting, wrangling and mangling, the MPAs (aka: underwater parks) where mapped and put into legal place. There’s no longer protection for Cabrillo Beach or our tidepools; but, as Mike Schaadt pointed out, if each side is equally unhappy, it probably came out right.                                     

Save the date for the 2012 Grand Grunion Gala! Saturday, April 28, 2012DoubleTree Hotel, San Pedro

Save the date for the 2012 Grand Grunion Gala! Saturday, April 28, 2012DoubleTree Hotel, San Pedro

Your participation in the FRIENDS major fundraising event helps keep the Aquarium going strong!  This elegant affair begins with a reception, boutique and silent auction, followed by dinner, live auction and event program. With 350 guests including business and community leaders, scientists, educators, volunteers and friends, the Grand Grunion Gala is CMA’s largest fundraiser. More than $1 million has been raised in the past decade to support Aquarium programs. 

Support the Grand Grunion Gala! nSponsor the Gala or Place an Ad nDonate to the Silent AuctionnGrand Grunion Gala

Fact Sheet

For more information about the Gala, please call 310-548-2031. 

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 Tanya Aldecoa- high school teacher, mother of three, combining her love of the ocean, kids, teaching and learning Teresa Appy – native San Pedran, retired chemistry and biology teacher with two grown sons, enjoying volunteering and traveling Kathy Burton – retired resource specialist (special education teacher), teaching special-needs children to read through observing the ocean and marine life Terry Carter – avid scuba diver, mother of two, studied marine biology at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, worked at Scripps Aquarium, Heal the Bay and the County of L. A. Beach and Harbor water program Chuck Catania – engineer with Boeing Co., father of two daughters, avid surfer and swimmer, involved with whalewatch, retiring this year to volunteer and travel Jim Coleman – copy editor at the Los Angeles Times, prior CMA volunteer as a touring docent, whalewatch docent, grant proposal writer and prior editor of Fins & Tales Audrey Davidson – recently moved to San Pedro, loves crafts and working with kids Melinda Davidson – recently moved to San Pedro and will be studying marine sciences at CSU Long Beach while volunteering at CMA and the Marine Mammal Care Center Cindy Hardin – avid swimmer, Program Coordinator at Ballona Wetlands Salt Marsh in Playa Del Rey, enjoys traveling to see different natural habitats and  will expand her knowledge of the local marine ecosystem at CMA Gloria Harper – Masters degree in medical mycology, Catholic Sister in the Little Company of Mary Congregation for 45 years, retired from hospital ministry and is an avid and well-traveled scuba diver 

Laura Helm – retired from a high-tech position to raise a young son, a den leader, tech support at son’s school and webmaster for a number of local volunteer organizations Tom Hynes – retired lawyer, scuba diver, grew up in Palos Verdes and has been bringing his children to CMA since the early 1980s Grace Nakawatase – an artist working in oil and watercolor and a volunteer at the Torrance Art Museum, Little Company of Mary Hospital and now CMA Phyllis Ligon – recently sold her medical billing and collection company to retire, enjoys reading, playing with  her two dogs and two parrots and doing volunteer work Martine Porter-Zasada – holds a degree from Stanford in ecological sciences, mother of four: one a UCLA graduate, one at Columbia and two still in home-schooling, she and her children have a lifelong interest in nature, ecology and resource management Kimberly Potter – special education teacher for over 25 years, mother of a son, loves reading, walking, yoga, golf and the beauty of the ocean Madeline Van Leuvan – retiring from 38 years in the field of public transportation, growing up in the South Bay with a father who built catamarans, loves the ocean and environs Georgina Villalbazo – a science teacher of life science and chemistry, mother of three sons, loves walking, bike riding, basketball, the ocean and marine life Lisa Welter – with a doctorate in molecular microbiology from USC, a researcher in the development of vaccines for treatment and prevention of infectious and autoimmune diseases, enjoys hiking, the ocean and marine life Sherri Williams – a homemaker by choice, enjoys skiing, scuba diving, hiking, walking her dog and volunteering as a whalewatch naturalist and now a CMA docent 

Welcome all !

Welcome New Docents

Once again, CMA has added a group of talented, dedicated and caring docents to the family:

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The CMA welcome mat was out and hundreds of children and adultsjoined in the fun at the 2012 Whale Fiesta. Were you there?

More photos next page.

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Notes from the LibraryMarge Stockett, Library Representative 

The family of Bill Samaris has generously donated his collection of books to the CMA Library. Stop by to view the collection and share memories of Bill.

Gift Shop Jean Steinmetz, Manager 

The CMA Gift Shop will soon present its spring collection. Jean will be scouting the New Orleans and Los Angeles gift shows for all the newest delights and specialty items.

Meanwhile, don’t forget our line of warm and toasty pullovers and jackets to get you through the winter.Remember, FRIENDS receive a 20% discount off all regular-priced items!

Whale Fiesta 2012

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Fins & Tales Editor: Sherry Ruffer • Graphics/Layout: Linda AyersPhotos: Gary Florin

MARK YOUR CALENDARFebruary

12 Salt Marsh Open House – 2-4pm

17 Staff Party for Volunteers – 6:30-9pm

18 Weekend Tidepool Walk – 12noon -1:30pm

19 Weekend Tidepool Walk – 12:30-2pm

19 Sunday Story Studio – 12:45-1:45pm

26 Complete Whalewatch – Slide presentation/whalewatch – 8:30am-12noon Fee, reservations: 310-548-7562

27 Spring Program Docent Training – 9am-12:30pm

28 American Cetacean Society Lecture – Auditorium – 7:30pm – For information: www.acs-la.org

What Role  FRIENDS Plays at the AquariumPaula Moore, FRIENDS Executive Director 

 On June 15, 2011  FRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (FRIENDS) approved the following mission statement:  “FRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a non-profit corporation created to provide support and resources to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in its mission, which is to engage all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California.” To help accomplish these goals, FRIENDS is supported by a strong membership base and an active group of volunteers. Funding is provided to the Aquarium through grants from many

foundations, businesses and individuals.  FRIENDS solicits this support and adheres to strict record-keeping and reporting requirements. The Grand Grunion Gala is a FRIENDS-produced annual black-tie fundraiser held in the spring, this year on Saturday, April 28th, that greatly enhances FRIENDS ability to meet its annual goal of support to the Aquarium. Also, smaller member and public events are produced throughout the year by FRIENDS. With the money raised by FRIENDS  the Aquarium is able to provide programs like Spring Outdoor Classroom, Ocean Outreach, research internships, Young Scientists Symposium, teacher training workshops and Sea Search workshops for targeted schools. Also supported by FRIENDS are educational scholarships, exhibits projects, the Junior/Senior High Docent program and activities like Autumn Sea Fair, Whale Fiesta and Earth Day. If there is an Aquarium need, FRIENDS provides it.  Microscopes, audio-visual equipment, freezers, travel expenses - whatever the request, FRIENDS makes it happen.  The FRIENDS Board, staff, donors and volunteers are immensely proud to support Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.  FRIENDS is happy  to say that close to $1 million is raised every year to help the Aquarium’s  mission to engage all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life in Southern California.