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National Park Week is an annual week for celebration and recognition of Your National Parks. National Park Week usually coincides with Earth Day (April 22). For 2009, National Park Week lasts from Saturday, April 18 through Sunday, April 26. The theme for National Volunteer Week 2009 is "Celebrating People in Action." The theme captures the meaning behind this signature week-honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. Your National Parks are living examples of the best this Nation has to offer-our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge. Take a moment, an hour, a day to visit the national parks near you. Below is a listing of events that were held at Point Reyes National Seashore during or in conjunction with Earth Day, National Park Week and National Volunteer Week in 2009. All events are co-hosted by Point Reyes National Seashore and Environmental Action Committee of West Marin. Friday, April 17, 2009 - Movie Screening: Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures: Call of the Killer Whale Saturday, April 18, 2009 - Weed Watchers Training and Hike Monday, April 20, 2009 - Habitat Restoration Work Day Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - Life-Saving Service Cemetery Cleanup Day Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Weed Watchers Training and Hike Thursday, April 23, 2009 - Habitat Restoration Work Day Friday, April 24, 2009 - Beach Cleanup at Limantour Beach Saturday, April 25 - Giacomini Wetland Field Seminars: Breeding and Migrant Birds Saturday, April 25 - Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project: Volunteer Day Sunday, April 26, 2009 - Habitat Restoration Work Day
You may also wish to take attend one of the many Point Reyes Field Seminars during National Park Week. These are offered through the Point Reyes National Seashore Association and advanced registration is required. Visit their Month-by-Month Calendar of Classes to find out which classes will be offered during National Park Week. 
Event: Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures: Call of the Killer Whale Join us for an exclusive pre-screening of the newest edition of Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures series: Call of the Killer Whale. This two-hour program features the orca, a complex and magnificent marine mammal. The orca, or killer whale, is the most widely distributed cetacean in the world, whose range extend from the Arctic to the Antarctic. They number fewer than 100,000 worldwide, and learning more about them is a global endeavor for Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team of explorers, who travel to both the Northern and Southern hemispheres as they seek out killer whales in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For more information on this series, visit KQED's Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures. This event is the first in the Spring 2009 Ocean Film and Lecture Series, and is co-sponsored by Point Reyes National Seashore, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and Point Reyes National Seashore Association. For more information, contact Jessica Luo by phone at 415-464-5132 or by email. 
Event: Weed Watchers Training and Hike Event: Weed Watchers Training and Hike April 22 is Earth Day, and one way you can help be a good steward of the land (and enjoy the day) is to learn how you can hike with a purpose! Weed Watchers patrol park trails, detecting and mapping weeds as they first invade. If you enjoy leisurely hikes through the parks but also want to help protect the unique natural resources, then this is the perfect opportunity for you. Weed Watchers is appropriate for adults and teens. Weed Watcher Training will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at noon in the Red Barn Classroom at Bear Valley. A hike along the Abbotts Lagoon Trail will follow, lasting from 1:30 p.m. until approximately 4:30 p.m. This training will also be offered Saturday, April 18 at 10 a.m. in the Bear Valley Visitor Center Auditorium, followed by a hike to be concluded by around 1 p.m. Attend one of these training sessions to become a volunteer Weed Watcher. We will review identification of priority plant species, along with the methods to map and report their findings. We will start in the classroom, and then move outdoors to search for priority species on an introductory hike. GPS training is also provided for those interested. After attending a training session, volunteers can join any of the weekly guided surveys or adopt their own trails. Please bring lunch, water, sunscreen, and a pen or pencil; binoculars and a camera are useful as well. Deepen your understanding of the natural world while playing an important role in the protection of unique park resources. Become a citizen scientist at Point Reyes National Seashore! For more information, call 415-331-5023 or email. 
Event: Habitat Restoration Work Day Event: Habitat Restoration Work Day Event: Habitat Restoration Work Day Volunteers help protect and restore endangered plant and wildlife habitat at Abbott's Lagoon, the Lighthouse Bluffs and other high value habitat areas at Point Reyes National Seashore. Visit some of the most beautiful areas in the park and help eradicate invasive plant species encroaching upon rare, native habitat. Learn about invasive plant ecology and the flora and fauna of Point Reyes National Seashore. Plan to work up a sweat manually removing the nonnative European Beachgrass, iceplant and other invasive species. Get involved and meet new people. Bring lunch, water, and sturdy shoes. Gloves and tools are provided. For more information, contact Michelle Krieg, 415-464-5223. 
Event: Life-Saving Service Cemetery Cleanup Day Come join us as we clean up and prepare the Historic Life-Saving Service Cemetery for the Memorial Day Ceremony. Meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. We will be carpooling out to the Cemetery. Bring work gloves and water. Snacks will be provided. Depending on the weather, a light jacket and sun hat would be good to have as well. We will be raking, pulling weeds, and grooming the gravesites in preparation for Memorial Day. Please sign up by calling 415-464-5130. 
Event: Beach Cleanup at Limantour Beach Come help the earth by taking care of our beaches! We will be hosting a beach cleanup at Limantour Beach from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by our table at any time between 10 and 1 at the parking lot to get some background information on marine debris, sign a waiver form, and grab a bag to start walking the beach! Great for individuals, families, or groups. For more information, contact: Jessica Luo (464-5132) or Melanie Gunn (464-5131). 
Event: Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project - 2009 Field Seminars: Breeding and Migrant Birds We were so amazed by the turnout last year for our Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project field seminar series that we decided to host another series this year, starting in April. Come hear about changes in bird use, hydrology, wetlands, and fish use on Saturdays this spring, summer, and fall. The first seminar will be on Saturday, April 25, 2009, and will feature noted local wildlife biologist Jules Evens of Avocet Research Associates. Jules Evens will discuss changes in breeding and migrant bird use since the Giacomini Wetlands have been restored. All seminars meet at 5th and C Street in Point Reyes Station at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Lorraine Parsons by phone at 415-464-5193 or by email. 
Event: Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project - Volunteer Day Please join us as we remove weeds from one of our revegetation areas from 2007. Come help us improve establishment of native marsh species by getting rid of those pesky weeds! We will meet at the corner of 5th and C Streets in Point Reyes Station at 1:00 p.m. Please bring hiking boots or mud boots, gloves, pruning shears (if you have them), sunscreen, and water. Heavy rain cancels. RSVP requested to Sarah Minnick (email or 415-464-5226). |
Last updated: March 25, 2024