Ross+School+(CA)

What's in our neighborhood?
1. Lots of leafy trees, including redwoods, oaks, and elms 2. Ross Commons is next to us 3. Lots of mountains and hills surrounding, including Mt. Tam and Mt. Baldy 4. Corte Madera Creek or Mt. Tamalpais Watershed 5. Near Phoenix Lake, Ross Creek, 6. Lots of boulders and rocks 7. Phoenix Creek runs into Phoenix Lake which runs into Ross Creek which runs into Corte Madera Creek which runs to the Bay and then to the Pacific Ocean 8. Construction of our new gym and courtyard continues; there is also construction of new homes 9. Green, tree-covered hills around the school 10.Schoolyard includes flowers, trees, shrubs, grass lawn, ground covers, wood chips, paved paths, a blacktop, a courtyard with a pond that was filled at the beginning of the school year but not now 11. Small commercial zone at end of playing field

** Write an overall description of your habitat, including photos if you can. **
Ross School is situated adjacent to the Ross Town Common and a minute's walk from Corte Madera Creek. Although the habitat has elements of the Rural Residential and Lake Community categories, it best fits in the Suburban/Small City group. Mount Tamalpais and other hills surround the school and its playing field, and Phoenix Lake is about a 20 minute walk away. The habitat includes many trees, but the school grounds are lacking in low (except for lawn) and mid-height habitat for birds. Our gym and courtyard are under construction at this time. The school courtyard has some native plants and will include fruit trees chosen to attract beneficial insects and birds.

** What features make our neighborhood a suitable place for birds? **
There are lots of trees which provide shelter and places for nests. To provide water for birds we have nearby creeks and Phoenix Lake. We have acorns in our oaks (for acorn woodpeckers), worms in our lawns (for robins), fruits such as apples and blackberries. Some families plant plants that attract birds and beneficial insects, and others hang feeders.

** What birds do you regularly see on your bird counts? **
We see many crows, scrubjays, pigeons, and gulls around our school. At our nearby homes we see hummingbirds, mourning doves, California towhees, California quails, barn owls, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. On a recent 15 minute bird walk with PRBO ornithologist, Lishka Arata, we identified four birds: the American crow, the black phoebe, the western scrubjay, and the acorn woodpecker.

