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July 18, 2023

Greetings!                
World Listening Day is a reminder to listen more attentively on all levels…without, within, and with one another. Through our YIP (Youth in Parks) program, we help bring youth to Point Reyes who may never have experienced a place like this before, so it’s important for us to pause and take in the surroundings with all our senses, especially the sounds. For most youth who come, they have never been somewhere so quiet, yet at the same time there’s so much to hear! Time and again they comment on how relaxing the silence is, but also how surprised they are to hear so many birds, or the wind in the trees, or the ocean at the end of the trail. The auditory landscape of Point Reyes is a world apart from the white-noise built environments where most of us live.
Listening with Open Hearts
To make these moments possible requires another kind of listening as well - a deep attention to the needs of our community partners. Each YIP program is planned collaboratively and tailored to meet the needs of each specific group. Do these youth mostly need to move their bodies…get to know one another…learn something new? Will they feel nervous, or ready to explore? For their trip to be successful it is essential to listen carefully and meet the group in a way that’s best for them, but a common thread will always be pausing to listen and ground ourselves in a Point Reyes moment.  
Youth from new YIP partner Frontline Catalysts play at Limantour Beach.
Listening without, we are soothed and inspired by the Point Reyes soundscape. Listening within, we understand that it is essential to help all youth have these experiences. Listening to one another, we grow together and meet the needs of the entire community. These experiences are possible thanks to your support. Maybe during your next visit you will also hear excited giggles as little feet touch the ocean for the first time. 
Warmly,
Biret Adden
Education Director
Point Reyes National Seashore Association
P.S. Read yesterday's Marin IJ article on Project Avary, one of our amazing YIP partners that works to support youth with incarcerated parents. The article focuses on Project Avary's summer camp hosted at our Education Center in Point Reyes and touches on the importance of offering this space to our partners to meet their needs.
We are also pleased to work with school districts to bring classes to Point Reyes for experiences in nature with the support of Youth in Parks funding. Additional partners include: El Dorado Union High School District, Oakland Unified School District, Shoreline Unified School District, and Richmond College Prep Schools.
Youth in Parks
EVOLVING & EXPANDING
In early 2021, PRNSA partnered with six local youth serving nonprofits to co-create the Youth in Parks program that provides free opportunities for outdoor science and recreation to youth most impacted by economic and social inequalities. We now work with 22 partners and have explored this park with over 2,400 youth from around the Bay Area.
With the addition of new educators to PRNSA’s team, we’ve also increased our capacity to develop and lead programs entirely in Spanish. This summer we’ve co-hosted Spanish Youth in Parks program days with the California Conservation Corps and The Watershed Project. These expansions to the YIP program ensure that participants feel supported and welcomed at Point Reyes each time they visit.
PRNSA Bilingual Educator leads YIP program. Photo credit: Canal Alliance.
With over two years under our belt we’re inspired to continue forming new partnerships and expanding program capacity. We hope you’ll join us by supporting YIP!
Music of Point Reyes
Saturday, August 5 | 9:00am – 3:00pm
Do you play an instrument and love spending time outside? Join the Music of Point Reyes class to tune into the sounds of nature and channel it into music. This class is for ALL experience levels, ages, and types of acoustic instruments.
Click the image above to hear how instructor David Boye incorporates natural elements into his music.
Through specific practical exercises and a discussion of general musical themes, you'll learn how music can evoke the natural world. Then, using your acoustic instrument, participants take part in guided personal songwriting, composing, and/or improvising.

The class is taught by David Boye, a musician and educator who has done several artist-in-residencies for the National Park Service. David composes music inspired by nature with his acoustic guitar, music he calls atmospheric soundscapes. Register here!
World Listening Day Sounds
Test your ears and enjoy Seashore sounds gathered by our Soundscape Team. Click here for a trail sound post, and check our Instagram Stories for a mini sound quiz (only available for 24 hours). Make sure to have your sound on!
Summer Lighthouse Hours
This Summer (now through November), the Point Reyes Lighthouse and steps will be open Thursday to Monday, 10am - 4pm. Be sure to check conditions before you head out, the stairs must close under high wind conditions (weather near bottom of page)!
We partner with the National Park Service to create opportunities for all people to experience, enhance, and preserve Point Reyes National Seashore for present and future generations.
Point Reyes National Seashore | (415) 663-1200 x 310