Currents Prepping for king tides and seasonal flooding, pet-friendly airlines, poisonous mush- rooms to be aware of, a local nonprofit celebrates its crystal anniversary and holi- day ephemera.

In Marin

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

HIGH WATER

The tides, they are a rising — be prepared.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Even though this has been a historically dry year, Marin residents are encouraged to take action on their own property prior to the rainy season and during king tides — projected to hit December 23 and 24 — to help reduce the risk of flooding.

Clear dead leaves from driveway pipes, rooftop gutters, and storm drains. If you live in a flood-prone area, test your sump pumps, stock up on sandbags and learn how to properly use them prior to storms.

ReadyMarin.org provides a variety of detailed resources, including emergency “go-bag” packing checklists, that can help residents to prepare for the unexpected.

Alert Marin is another important notification system in emergency situations. The service, provided by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, gives the public time-sensitive alerts targeted toward specific addresses or neighborhoods.

If you’re already registered make sure your contact information is up to date. Keep in mind that Alert Marin is different from the Nixle, which provides general safety announcements and/or post-disaster information. marincounty.gov

Catch Flights With Fido: A Guide to Safe Pet Travel

Whether you’re looking for flights to Aspen, Colorado to hit the snowy slopes, or to spend Christmas with your relatives on the East Coast, you don’t have to leave your pooch behind. Let your furry — or feathered, or scaled — friend fly high and see the sights on your next trip. Before you pack your bags, make sure to do ample research, so you can ensure a safe flight for you and your pet. In recent years, airlines have been more accommodating to travelers with pets. However, not all share the same pet policies and procedures, which makes it difficult to guarantee your pet will have a stress-free experience. As of 2021, these are the top five domestic airlines that accounted for 84% of transported pets in the U.S. — PAULA PHOMMOUNIVONG

ALASKA AIRLINES

Animals transported

107,042

Pets accepted

Cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, nonpoisonous reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish. Incident rate Zero

reported incidents Fee $100 each way

AMERICAN AIRLINES

Animals transported

80,817 Pets accepted Dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, pot-belly pigs, primates, rabbits, rodents, zoo animals and many cold-blooded animals.

Incident rate 0.71 (out of a total of 405,719) Fee $125 per kennel Note AA will not trans-

port ferrets to or from California.

HORIZON AIR Animals transported

38,813 Pets accepted Small pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds) in cabin as well as checked cargo (cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, nonpoisonous reptiles, pot bellied pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish) if the pet and carrier do not weigh more than 150 pounds. Incident rate Zero

reported incidents. Fee $100 each way Note Emotional support animals will no longer be accepted as of January 2021.

DELTA AIRLINES

Animals transported

18,934 Pets accepted Small dogs, cats and household birds can travel in the cabin.

Incident rate 1.05 (out of a total of 371,689 animals transported) Fee $95 each way dogs, cats and household birds can

travel in the cabin

Incident rate Zero

reported incidents Fee Please contact

SKYWEST AIRLINES

Animals transported

16,805 Pets accepted Small Skywest Airlines for more information.

Courtesy of veterinarians.org

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PET PARENTS:

• Schedule an appointment with your vet to see if your pet is healthy enough to fly and to determine what documentation you’ll need for check-in.

• Check the breed restriction list on the airline’s

website to make sure your pet can fly with you. • Purchase an airline-compliant travel carrier and let your pet become accustomed to it in advance.

• Bring your pet’s health and vaccination records.

• Search up pet relief areas at the airports you’ll be departing from/arriving at.

Holidays Through the Decades

We asked our friends — Carol Acquaviva and Jennifer Christensen — at the Anne T. Kent California Room to gather some of their favorite seasonal mementos from our county’s past. Here are their top picks. KP

Beware of Deadly Death Caps

The death cap and its cousin, the destroying angel, are names coined for two of the world’s most poisonous mushrooms — the Amanita Phalloides and the Amanita Ocreata. A serious concern for dog lovers and mushroom foragers, these mushrooms

are prolific in Marin County, Northern California and beyond. The nonnative death cap is thought to have been brought to California’s Central Coast in the 1930s by Spaniards importing cork oaks for the early wine industry.

The spores of specific amanita mushrooms are symbiotic with live oaks, coastal oaks, tanoaks and pine trees. They thrive on tree roots, particularly those of the oaks in Marin. Most often they appear during the rainy season, but can grow year-round in irrigated gardens and damp, decaying matter such as mulch and compost. These mushrooms will sprout overnight and are capable of eluding even the most diligent eye. Because dogs are attracted to the fishy scent of these mushrooms, it is important to keep them on leash on wooded trails and check lawns and gardens regularly. According to Kevin Sadlier, a mushroom expert and owner of

Green Jeans Nursery in Mill Valley,

“There is no way to get rid of the mushrooms. Learn to identify them and then physically remove them if you do find something. The other option is to periodically check underneath the soil in your gardens. The mushrooms look like small eggs before they mature and appear above ground releasing their attractant odor.” If your pet becomes sick for unknown reasons, don’t hesitate to take him or her straight to the vet and ask to check for signs of mushroom poisoning.

WILD MARIN

— ROBIN BREUNER

Clean Air Crystal Anniversary

In 2007, Carleen Cullen and her husband co-founded Cool the Earth, a Marin-based nonprofit that encouraged students nationwide to keep track of and reduce their carbon footprint. Fifteen years later, Cool the Earth celebrates its crystal anniversary. The organization has mobilized over 500,000 people worldwide and put more than 10,000 households on the path to electric vehicles through their collaborative campaign, Ride and Drive Clean. Founded in 2019, Ride and Drive Clean is now the nation’s largest collaborative EV education campaign. “I believe in organizing from the ground up, and Marin County is the perfect launching pad,” says Cullen. “We started to hear of some problems with public EV charging stations, so we developed the Reliable Electric Transportation Initiative, and collaborated with a Professor Emeritus from UC Berkeley to test stations in the Bay Area,” she adds. The study found that about one-quarter of the stations had functionality issues, and Cullen is now working with state and federal leaders to

ensure new standards include stringent rules for uptime, field testing and maintenance. Want to help? Cool the Earth is the backbone of Ride and Drive Clean — donations support the work to reduce GHG emissions and improve air quality. — KEVIN MORRISON