Wetlands

A memorial service for environmentalist Jan Vandersloot is slated for 1 p.m. Dec. 6 at Castaways Park, 700 Dover Drive, Newport Beach. Vandersloot died suddenly at his Newport Beach home Nov. 4. He was 64. A dermatologist with a practice in Huntington Beach, Vandersloot was one of the founding members of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, a group dedicated to preserving the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach. He also helped found the Ocean Outfall group, which pushed for the Orange County Sanitation District to clean up wastewater being pumped offshore.

The Bolsa Chica Conservancy plans to hold a public workshop Saturday to get residents’ input on the Education and Restoration Center to be built in the Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park. The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved an option agreement and lease in March with the conservancy and OC Parks. As part of the agreement, the conservancy will construct the Education and Restoration Center next to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Possible plans for the facility include multipurpose exhibit halls, classrooms, laboratories for hands-on science activities, viewing decks and native gardens.

Jan Vandersloot seemed like a tireless figure in the environmental movement for years, fighting to preserve the smallest stretch of wetlands and taking his activism everywhere from state boards to parking lots, where he sold calendars at a fundraiser last month. So when Vandersloot died unexpectedly last week at the age of 64, it came as an even bigger shock to those who had campaigned alongside him. “I was stunned,” said Connie Boardman, a fellow member of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust.

A state bond measure slated to go before voters in the next general election would allot at least $20 million for protection and restoration of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. The Legislature passed the $11.1-billion package, known as the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 on Nov. 4. The act seeks to overhaul the state’s water system to ensure safe drinking water and a reliable water supply. Among the goals earmarked in the measure are the preservation of Bolsa Chica and its adjacent uplands as well as interpretive centers on the property.

It’s fitting that Jan Vandersloot passed away in front of a computer, said his son, Jon, who found him slumped over the keyboard. Turns out, his father was composing a letter — no doubt lobbying for this or that environmental cause. “He had such a deep admiration for nature,” said Jon Vandersloot, 25. Jan Vandersloot, of Newport Beach, was a central figure in the fight to preserve nature from the encroachment of development, focusing his energy and considerable intellect on areas of Newport Beach and the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach.

Joel Pasco could never turn his back on an animal in need. The veterinarian, who founded the Wetland and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, died surrounded by wildlife Saturday during a fishing trip to Convict Lake in the Sierras with his best friend. Pasco was 62. Debbie McGuire, a friend and colleague, could hardly speak through her tears and trembling voice. “He was a friend, a colleague and a mentor,” said the manager of All Creatures Care Cottage where Pasco practiced.

A company could have to pay $125,000 for attempting to build on its wetlands property in Huntington Beach and violating the city’s Local Coastal Program and the Coastal Act. Beachfront Village LLC, formerly known as Mills PCH LLC, could have to pay a fine for constructing a fence and berm and filling, grading and draining part of its salt marsh wetlands on its property. The issue will go before the California Coastal Commission at a public hearing Nov. 4. The fine is part of an agreement between the commission and Beachfront to settle the company’s violations.

Do the environment a favor while enjoying a glass of wine at the Amigos de Bolsa Chica’s second annual Wine Tasting is for the Birds fundraiser. The money raised will go to the Amigos to preserve and protect the Bolsa Chica and educate people on the importance of the wetlands. There will be hors d’oeuvres, and a special bottle of wine with the Amigos logo will be available for purchase. Tickets are $20 a person with reservations or $25 at the door. The tasting lasts from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Winery at 3379 Cerritos Ave. in Los Alamitos.

Last week the Amigos de Bolsa Chica hosted the second annual Bolsa Chica Science Symposium. The event was at the Huntington Beach Central Library and featured researchers who have monitored the Bolsa Chica since the opening of the new tidal inlet three years ago. David Carlberg, Amigos president and a retired microbiology professor, gave the audience a warm welcome. Vic was the moderator. The first speaker was Bob Hoffman, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.