This Weekend: Big Year Bike Ride in SF, Twain’s Frog in Pacifica

The 2010 Golden Gate National Parks Endangered Species Big Year is getting frenetic as we close out this year’s competition. This weekend we’re offering two trips to see and save endangered species: one by bike, the other on foot. Hope to see you at either or both!

• Twain’s Frog and the Beautiful Serpent — Saturday, December 18, 2010, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Join Brent Plater of the Wild Equity Institute to search for two of the most imperiled vertebrate species on the San Francisco peninsula: the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake. This will be a leisurely walk to enjoy the restoration work being conducted at Mori Point and to learn about the bold steps being taken to save both species from the brink of extinction. RSVP Required: please use the RVSP tool on this website to reserve your spot. Rain or Shine. Meet at the Mori Point Entrance Gate, Pacifica, CA, 94044.

• Golden Gate National Parks Endangered Species Big Year Bike Tour — Sunday, December 19, 2010, 9:30am-12:30pm: Join us for a short bike ride to observe some of the imperiled plants and animals clinging to survival in San Francisco’s wild northwestern corner. We’ll start off with some tough ones, searching for Humpback Whale, Steller Sea Lion, Southern Sea Otters, and Marbled Murrelet at Lands End. We’ll then ride through the Presidio to discover the San Francisco Lessingia and the strange story of the Gowen Cypress. Our last stop will be at the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area, where we’ll check in on the Western Snowy Plover. RSVP Required: Please use the RSVP tool on this website to reserve your spot. Bring food and water. Rain Cancels. Meet at the Bazaar Cafe, 5927 California St., San Francisco, CA 94121.