Long-billed curlew photo by Carlos Porrata at Drakes Beach. January 2020.
Greetings!
Happy New Year from Bear Valley! As we take flight in the new year and new decade I’m excited to tell you about some of the new ways we are sharing our love of the Seashore with students, teachers, families, our community, and park lovers of all backgrounds.
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Launching
Seashore Restoration Partners
,
our new habitat restoration program for youth. This program takes students into the diverse coastal and wetland habitats of the Seashore to perform hands-on habitat restoration, conservation, and monitoring activities. This is our next step in helping youth feel empowered in contributing to the health of our planet by maintaining and restoring healthy and resilient watersheds.
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Expanding our popular
Summer Camp
program to include a new
Family Camp. Kids
and parents will join together for end-of-summer adventures exploring the wonders of the Point Reyes National Seashore, bonding over campfires, and creating life-long memories at the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center.
Registration opens January 23rd at 10am!
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Deepening our commitment to climate change education as early adopters of
UC California Naturalist's
new
Climate Stewards Initiative
.
We are excited to have been selected to pilot a new program for adults to deliver statewide climate change initiatives right here at Point Reyes National Seashore. The program will combine climate change literacy and civic engagement to strengthen community and ecosystem resilience. Our staff are excited to begin training and planning for new programs this year.
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Thank you for making all of our conservation and education work possible. We value your voice and will be sending out a survey to our members next week to hear more about what you hope to see at PRNSA and the Park over the coming year and over the long haul.
Below are some of the rich volunteer, education, and community-building opportunities we are offering this month. I hope to see you at one of them or on a Seashore trail or beach.
Warmly,
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Donna Faure
Executive Director
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Gray Whales and Elephant Seals!
Winter is here and Winter Wildlife season is officially upon us. It is an exciting time to see elephant seals as they return to Point Reyes to breed. In addition, the Pacific gray whales have started their annual migration between Alaska and Mexico.
The winter shuttle buses are now running between Drakes Beach, the lighthouse parking lot, and Chimney Rock on fair weather weekends and holidays. Plus, if you come out on a weekend or federal holiday, you can see our
Winter Wildlife Docents
in action as they educate visitors about these amazing marine mammals.
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"Brown Bag" Science Series
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Thursday, January 23
12 pm - 12:45 pm
Red Barn Classroom
Bring your lunch and join us at the Red Barn Classroom.
This event is free and open to the public.
Thomas Whitley, Ph.D. of Sonoma State University's Anthropological Studies Center will present
"
Dynamically Visualizing the Past and Future Ecosystems, and Climate Change, at Point Reyes
".
Learn more
.
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Kule Loklo Workdays
Saturday, January 11 and Saturday, February 8
10am - 4pm
Kule Loklo volunteers assist park staff in maintaining the
Kule Loklo cultural exhibit
for educational purposes. Work will vary from month to month. To register, contact Carlo Arreglo by
email
or by phone at 415-464-5146.
Learn more
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Quarry Gulch Creek Restoration
Saturday, January 25
9am to 1pm
Come help Point Reyes National Seashore and the Watershed Stewards Program restore riparian habitat for salmon by planting native oak, alder, willows, and more! Great family activity!
Learn more
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Point Reyes Field Institute
Volunteer Facilitator Training
Saturday, January 25
10am - 3:30pm
Are you interested in volunteering for the Point Reyes National Seashore Association? Do you want to take classes for free? The Point Reyes National Seashore Association will be hosting a facilitator training for all those interested in volunteering in the future. This is a one day training on how to become one of our many great volunteers who assist the various Field Institute classes held all year round. This training is for those interested in becoming facilitators and for current facilitators, as many regulations and procedures have changed.
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Habitat Restoration Workdays
Sunday, January 26 and
Sunday, February 23
9am to 1pm
This month we will be tackling invasive
Scotch broom
.
We have seen native grasses and forbs expand with past broom removal efforts. We need at least 4 volunteers in order to hold this workday. Please RSVP by January 23 by
email
or by phone to 415-464-5196.
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There are many incredible science and conservation efforts taking place at the park. We continue to support research and monitoring as well as fund interns for this important work. Here are some key species updates:
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The first elephant seal pup of the season was seen on Dec. 22, 2019. The season is progressing as normal with adult females and pups at all of the main pupping sites. The peak of pupping will be at the end of January.
Photo by Carlos Porrata January 2020
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We are seeking a full time
Accounting Manager
with advanced bookkeeping skills for a full-time staff position. The successful candidate will be experienced in managing and performing multiple accounting activities and duties, including developing, implementing, and maintaining accounting and bookkeeping systems. Also responsible for policies and procedures, preparation of accounting schedules, reports and financial statements, and supervisory oversight of various basic bookkeeping through complex accounting functions and duties. Experience in a nonprofit organization along with accounting procedures related to contract and grants administration is highly preferred. Accounting related to sales/retail is also preferred. For the full job description and wage details
click here
, or email us at
careers@ptreyes.org
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9th Annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids
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9th Annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids - LAST CALL!!
Saturday, January 11
10am - 3pm
Families with children ages 3 - 18 years are invited to the 9th Annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids in Point Reyes National Seashore! Our biggest FREE event. Everyone is welcome! Gather your fledglings for this celebration of nature, parks, and outdoor family fun. The event brings together all the basic elements of birding to introduce the next generation of stewards to the importance of birds in the ecosystem and the annual tradition of bird counts.
More Info
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Featured Artist - Tess Felix!
Please stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center and bookstore this month to see the incredible work of
Tess Felix
, our featured artist for January and February. Tess creates portraits from beach-scavenged plastics from Marin and around the world. Her raw materials are also gathered by West Marin local
Richard James
. Portraits include international figures like the Pope as well as her son, a Marin County Firefighter at Station Point Reyes.
Bear Valley Visitor Center Bookstore
Weekdays: 10am to 4:30pm
Weekends & Holidays: 9am to 4:30pm
Drakes Beach Bookstore
Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays: 10am to 4:30pm
Lighthouse Bookstore
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, & Mondays: 10am to 4:30pm
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Monthly Member Hike
Bear Valley Trailhead
Saturday, January 11
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
We love getting to know our members better! We are offering our next full moon hike this Saturday, January 11, in Bear Valley. We will learn about the important influence of the Coast Miwok in Point Reyes and walk the Kule Loklo trail. We will meet at the Bear Valley picnic area at 5 PM. Isaac Taylor, PRNSA Education and Outreach Analyst, and Loretta Farley, retired NPS Ranger and Kule Loklo Caretaker from 2001 - 2016, will be on hand to share with you this special trail.
Register today for this special member event. Rain will cancel.
This event is FREE to members and up to 3 guests (Bring a friend!).
Can't make it this time? No worries. Full moon monthly member hikes will take place every month on the Saturday closest to the full moon. The next hike will be on
Saturday, February 8 at Limantour Beach during a special negative king tide.
Full Moon photo by Piro Patton
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PRNSA Run Club
Estero Trailhead
Sunday, January 12
10am - 11am
You, your family, and friends are invited to join us for our growing PRNSA Run Club! You can jog, walk, or run. All you have to do is show up with athletic shoes and attire! All running abilities are welcome. Run is around 30 mins. - 1 hour (approx. 3 miles round-trip).
Route: Estero Trail to the Bridge and back.
Additional Info
:
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Winter Birds of Tomales Bay
Sunday, January 12
8:30am - 12:30pm
Winter and Spring are the seasons of greatest abundance for many birds at Point Reyes. Coastal estuaries are extremely rich feeding areas for thousands of ducks, shorebirds, grebes and other water birds. Over ten species of hawks, falcons and other raptors occur in large numbers due to these rich feeding conditions. Warblers, thrushes, kinglets, flycatchers and other land birds are also found here in huge numbers.
More Info
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Mushroom Identification
Sunday, January 12
10am - 4:30pm
Explore the mysterious and fascinating world of wild mushrooms in Point Reyes. We'll learn basic mushroom terminology, collecting techniques, spore prints, ID keys, and much more, including a fresh wild mushroom specimen display provided by the instructor.
More Info
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Birding 101 - Discovering Birds at Point Reyes
Saturday, January 18
9am - 3:30pm
Point Reyes is an exceptional place to discover why birding is so popular. This class will cover the basics of field identification in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Learn how to enhance skills in the National Seashore's wonderful landscapes.
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Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
Sunday, January 19
10am - 5pm
Learn to take your adjustable camera off Auto, or just get more familiar with the knobs and dials. You'll learn the basics of the "exposure triangle" and understand the inherent trade-offs when choosing settings to take a photo.
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For More Field Institute Classes in February and March, please visit our
website
.
Questions? Please contact our
Field Institute
.
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Thanks to those of you who have joined our new monthly supporter program. Your monthly donation helps sustain our year round conservation and environmental education programs and bring more faces out to the Seashore. Go green and join our rising tide!
Become a
High Tide Monthly Supporter
today. It is the easiest, and greenest way to show your love for the park!
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