Guided hikes into the wild with volunteers will search for tarantulas, which are now in the breeding season.

Morgan Hill Life file photo
Sophia Johnson and Ava Johnson check out a tarantula held by Monika Davis at a Henry W. Coe State Park Tarantula Fest a few years ago.

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

The annual free family-friendly Tarantula Fest makes its return (after COVID) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Henry W. Coe State Park.

Kids can view birds of prey and other local wildlife presented by the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center — and, of course, tarantulas and other spiders on display. They can learn about snakes and even hold one if they wish.

Guided hikes into the wild with volunteers will search for tarantulas, which are now in the breeding season. There will be plenty of other nature-focused fun activities for youngsters.

“This event is a great opportunity for kids and their families to learn about the diversity of animals that call Coe Park their home,” said festival co-organizer Chere Bargar. “They can get up close to birds of prey presented by WERC, hold a snake, see tarantulas, and much more. Kids can make a keepsake at the crafts table.”

The event is free but there is a parking fee of $8. Parking is limited so carpool if you can. If you wish to buy a lunch, pre-purchase it online at www.coepark.net.

 Todd and Ivy are one of five teams up for the Visible Impact Award sponsored by Purina. Photo Courtesy OFP

The volunteers at Operation Freedom Paws shared some exciting news with us. The service dog team Todd & Ivy have been selected as one of only five national finalists for the Purina Visible Impact Award.

As part of its 5th annual Service Dog Salute program, Purina Dog Chow is launching the brand’s first-ever Visible Impact Award. The award will celebrate the impact service dogs have on the daily lives of veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and recognize these outstanding service dogs and the organizations that trained them.

Voting runs through Oct. 17. If this amazing team receives the most votes, OFP will receive $25,000. This will fully fund another service dog team in their program. Todd and his family will also receive $10,000 to go toward a new chapter in their lives. There is only one vote per email allowed for the duration of the contest, so getting the word out is crucial.

Here is a link to the voting website: www.dogchowveterans.com/

Let’s do all we can as a South Valley community to see that Todd & Ivy win!

Herman Garcia and his crew of volunteers’ mission to clean up the watershed and save steelhead trout is well-chronicled in the local region.

But now, the story of Gilroy-based Coastal Habitat Education and Environmental Restoration (CHEER) is going national.

A crew from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division visited Gilroy Aug. 22 to film Garcia, one of the state’s most outspoken advocates for watershed reclamation and fish recovery.

Charlotte Ambrose, NOAA Fisheries’ California programs coordinator, said the film project is an initiative to highlight stories of people and organizations across California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho who are working to save these fish from extinction.

“Herman helps support NOAA’s mission to save salmon and steelhead, works with the homeless, educates underserved communities and builds a community-supported steelhead restoration,” she said. “If not for Herman and CHEER, we wouldn’t have steelhead in Gilroy.”

Since 2006, CHEER has worked to reclaim and restore watersheds decimated by toxins and pollution, cleaning up more than 1,300 square miles from Morgan Hill down into San Benito County and Watsonville, taking on the challenge of removing garbage from the rivers and creeks before it makes its way into the Monterey Bay.

Garcia said the group has no problem clearing out thousands of pounds of garbage daily from the watershed, and since it began, CHEER has removed 60 vehicles, five boats and two motorcycles from the waterways.

The interviews, once all are completed, will be posted on NOAA Fisheries’ website for viewing.