Wildlife at Risk from Sea Level Rise

Volunteer Creativity Raising Awareness

Aiden Chen, 15 year old student, artist and Loma Prieta Chapter volunteer, has a passion for birds and worries about their welfare as sea levels rise due to the progressive impacts of climate change. Aiden has found a fun way to expand his volunteer contributions and raise awareness around sea level rise impacts on birds and wildlife, through this awareness through artwork series. He has been drawing and painting San Francisco Bay shoreline birds and wildlife in their natural, wild habitats and is writing fun facts or quiz questions to accompany his artwork.

Sierra Club's Bay Alive and 30x30 campaigns promote the use of nature based solutions to protect the San Francisco Bay wetlands, associated habitats, and human communities from sea level rise. The 30x30 campaign works to conserve 30% of California’s lands and waters by 2030.


Burrowing owls

Burrowing Owl

Burrowing owl nests are underground and face flooding from sea level rise. Compounded with increasing urban development, burrowing owls’ habitats along the bay are rapidly declining.


Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Nests made by skimmers are on beaches and are vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise. Areas that skimmers settle in tend to also be frequented by humans, who trample and destroy nests.


Ridgeway's Rail

Ridgway's Rail

The Ridgway’s rail depends significantly on marsh habitats for survival. With the flooding of these marshes from sea level rise, the rails are pushed out from safety and face increased vulnerability to predators, which are the direct leading cause of mortality for the Ridgway’s rail.