With salmon fishing off limits, where will local boat tour operators go? In search of flying fish perhaps?

There are indeed flying fish — 40 species worldwide. But they are found in warm oceans, not in our cool north coast waters.

However, the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society is sponsoring a pelagic birding trip on May 18, taking a boat load of locals and tourists from Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg aboard the Trek II to search for birds at sea. Trip leaders are Fort Bragg’s noted wildlife photographer Ron LeValley from Mendocino Coast Photographer Guild and Gallery in the Company Store on Main Street in Fort Bragg. For details and reservations, contact Karen Havlena jkhavlena@yahoo.com or 707-964-1280. Noyo Habor-based trips also are planned for Aug. 8 and 10 by Debbie Shearwater Journeys.

Johanna Jensen, a major Fort Bragg booster and former owner of Cowlick’s Ice Cream, loves dogs. So much so, that she got together with a group of other civic minded folks, such as Doug Hammerstrom and Diane Harris, to build an off-leash dog park in Fort Bragg. Here’s the story Johanna submitted:

MCDOG, Mendocino Coast Dog Owners Group, is pleased to announce the Fort Bragg Dog Park is officially open, and it’s a huge success! The dog park is located on the grounds of the C.V. Starr Community Center, at Maple and S. Lincoln in Fort Bragg. The park is almost an acre of fenced land where well-behaved dogs can romp and play between dawn and dusk each and every day. There are two areas, one for big dogs, and a slightly smaller one for small and shy dogs. Visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon and you’ll find a dozen or more dogs, and their people, enjoying the park. (more…)

As Fort Bragg continues to build a reputation as a popular tourist destination, local businesses are building and running green businesses. Not surprising. Living in a rural community, especially one surrounded forests and ocean, tends to heighten your awareness of the earth’s beauty and its limited resources. (more…)

There is lots of talk these days about “going green.” And, that’s good with global warming playing havoc with the planet. But one company, Thanksgiving, has been supporting sustainability since the company was founded by Paul and Joan Katzeff 37 years ago. Their company motto is “Not Just a Cup, but a Just Cup.” And they have backed up the words with support for gorillas, songbird habitat, fair trade pricing for poor farmers in third world countries and more. (more…)