A global environmental nonprofit with property in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta plans to improve the visitor experience for people viewing Sandhill cranes and other migratory birds.
The San Joaquin County Planning Commission unanimously approved plans last week for a 2,875-square-foot viewing platform at Conservation Farms & Ranches on Staten Island near Thornton.
Eli Ferrier, a representative for The Nature Conservancy, said the platform will be named after Dawit Zeleke, a former employee and founder of Conservation Farms & Ranches.
The Nature Conservancy, which purchased Staten Island in 2001, wants to create a safe, comfortable and accessible gathering space for visitors, Ferrier said. The platform also will help the organization manage where people can access the island for bird-watching activities.
The site, located along North Staten Island Road between Walnut Grove Road and the Mokelumne River, is currently made up of farm roads and agricultural land.
“We have several thousand users who come onto our farm to watch the Sandhill cranes and other birds of the Pacific Flyway,” Ferrier said. “They are exposed to our farm roads, which are narrow, gravel-sided, and have steep ditches. This is creating a place where they can go instead of just anywhere.”
The project also includes a 75-square-foot shade trellis, a parking lot with a bus turnaround and loading area, and a portable restroom.
The viewing area will be built on elevated ground overlooking agricultural fields at the intersection of two farm roads and will accommodate up to 80 people at a time.
“It should be a nice, comfortable place for birders, farm visitors and farm employees to come and spend time,” Ferrier said.
Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy had more than 1 million members worldwide as of 2021 and has protected more than 119 million acres of land.
The organization also had affiliates in 79 countries and territories and operations in every U.S. state.
The organization said Zeleke, who died in 2022, was one of its most effective advocates during a career that spanned more than 30 years.
He helped establish new forests along the Sacramento River and oversaw the 20-year Hamilton City Project, in which residents of the Butte County community partnered with The Nature Conservancy to build a new levee system for flood protection.
Zeleke also led efforts to transform Staten Island into a model for sustainable, wildlife-friendly agriculture and lower-emission farming practices.
He also helped develop the Sierra Valley Preserve as a destination for both visitors and wildlife, including incorporating bird-safe glass into its visitor center, according to the organization.
The Planning Commission approved the project without discussion, and no members of the public spoke in opposition.