March 11, 2022
Greetings!
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As the official partner to the National Park Service, PRNSA runs the retail operations at Point Reyes National Seashore. Sometimes it's a wonderful ride, other times a rocky road with government shutdowns, pandemic closures, wildfires...all one after another the past few years. We are often the first to shut down and close up operations, and the last to get back up on our feet again. But here we are today with all three of our branch store sites open again. Life is good. |
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Our retail shops at the park fill an important need. We offer nature guides, books, maps and other educational items that remind visitors of their time at this special place. We also offer warm layers for cool foggy days and other convenience items to make a visit better. At the Ken Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach we also have snacks and warm and cold drinks! This year I really get the feeling from our park visitors that the most important thing we are offering them is the valuable gift of just being open and a sign of more normal times at long last. |
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Welcoming You to the Park |
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Every week our retail staff hear visitors’ words of thanks for being here and for being willing to help them with their questions about the park 's trails and wildlife. Working at Drakes Beach store I have the extra benefit of a beach view through plate glass windows and a live show of the elephant seals coming and going. At least several times a day a visitor looks me in the eye and shakes their head and says with longing and appreciation, “Well, what a view you have from your office!” And as busy as I am making coffee, stocking shelves and snacks…I pause and gratefully say, “Why yes, I do.”
We are proud to work literally side by side with the interpretive division of the park to support the park’s education, volunteer, and science programs with our sales revenue. Check out the info below about the new PRNSA/NPS fire monitoring project collaboration. Stay tuned for new products in our stores that reflect the evolving stories at the park. Times are changing and we look forward to the shared challenge that accompanies this change.
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Ellen Dressman
Retail Manager
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PS: To keep our Drakes Beach store open after elephant seal season, we are hiring a new Retail Store Manager Trainee. Please spread the word!
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PARK STORE HOURS
Bear Valley Park Store
9:30-5:00 daily
Lighthouse Park Store
10:00-4:00 Weekends
& Monday federal holidays
Drakes Beach Store
11:00-4:00 Weekends
& Monday holidays thru March 15
(We'll reopen when we have more staff!)
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PRNSA members help support park operations and PRNSA education and community programs. As a thank you, members receive a 15% discount on all park store purchases at Point Reyes, and similar discounts at all national park association stores throughout the country.
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PRNSA retail staff work with National Park Service staff to share the work of local artists who deepen our connection with the park. We've just reopened our art exhibits in the auditorium hallway at the Bear Valley Visitor Center!
The first show begins on March 15 featuring local artist Tess Felix, who communicates the danger facing oceans worldwide by turning plastic debris into beautiful portraits (portrait from Felix's Eco Ocean Hero series featured right).
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The Bear Valley Auditorium is Open:
The Bear Valley Visitor Center Auditorium is now open from 10:00am - 4:00pm daily (same hours as the Bear Valley Visitor Center). Masks are still required for entry
to the visitor center in general, and the auditorium will be reduced capacity.
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Harbor Seal Pupping Beach Closures: Parts of Double Point, Drakes Estero, and Limantour Spit (as signed on beach) are closed to all entry from March 1 - June 30.
Snowy Plover Beach Closures: The portion of the Great Beach from the north end of the North Beach Parking lot to the intersection of Kehoe Beach Trail and Kehoe Beach is closed to pets from March - September 30.
Seabird Colony Site Beach Closures: Miller Rocks, Stormy Stack, Hog Island, and Duck Island are now closed to the public from March 1 - July 30.
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Retail Store Manager Trainee
The Retail Store Manager Trainee will be part of a Park Stores Retail team that runs the daily operations of three Park Stores at Point Reyes National Seashore. We are looking for a reliable, organized individual who enjoys interacting with the public, has great organizational skills, attention to detail, and is familiar with and/or desires to learn more about our Retail Stores and Park.
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Restoration Volunteer Event |
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Come help the National Park Service and the Watershed Stewards Program's Lagunitas Creek Restoration Day to restore habitat for salmon by planting native big leaf maple, white alder, and juncus plugs!
We will be working to revitalize a creek bank and improve riparian habitat. Coho salmon, steelhead trout, and Chinook salmon are all residents of Lagunitas Creek. By revegetating stream banks we will be controlling erosion and creating new habitat for these local fish populations as well as increasing biodiversity in the wetland environment.
When: Saturday, April 2, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Where: 38.054876, -122.759623. Near the junction of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Platform Bridge Road in Point Reyes Station. Follow the signs to the restoration site and parking area.
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Chronolog Fire Photo Monitoring |
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The five Chronolog Fire Monitoring sites throughout the park are installed and activated! These stations allow visitors to participate in community science by taking photos that will help park scientists track re-growth in the Woodward Fire zone, engage the public in learning about fire ecology, and answer questions about plant and animal habitat recovery following the fire. This project was funded by PRNSA’s 2020 Regeneration Fund, and was made possible through collaboration between PRNSA and the National Park Service (NPS).
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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. |
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Point Reyes National Seashore | (415) 663-1200 x 310
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