National Volunteer Week honors the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. For 2013, National Volunteer Week will be observed from Sunday, April 21 through Saturday, April 27.
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 2013, National Park Week will be observed from Saturday, April 20 through Sunday, April 28.
Earth Day began when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, called for an environmental teach-in in 1969, which was inspired by the teach-ins dealing with the Vietnam War. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and drew an estimated 20 million participants. Tens of thousands of people filled New York's Fifth Avenue, Congress adjourned so members could speak across the nation, and at least 2,000 colleges marked the occasion. American Heritage Magazine called the first Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 174 countries by over a half billion people, making it the most celebrated secular holiday in the world, a day on which people get outdoors, plant trees, clean up trash and lobby for the environment.
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.
This year, take a moment, an hour, a day to visit the national parks near you.
As part of our National Volunteer Week, Earth Day, and National Park Week celebration, Point Reyes National Seashore will host or participate in a variety of activities throughout the week prior to and after Earth Day to promote sustainability, to raise environmental awareness, and to discuss actions we can take to help reduce our environmental footprint. The weeks' activities include:
Third Thursday Weeders Volunteering Date: Thursday, April 18 Time: 9:30 am-1:30 pm Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse parking lot Description: Volunteer to remove non-native invasive iceplant with the Third Thursday Weeders. Meet at the Lighthouse parking lot. Contact: Ellen Hamingson, 415-464-5196, email
Steelhead Trout.
Brown Bag Lecture: "Disrupting the flow: Effects of stream fragmentation on juvenile steelhead ecology." Date: Thursday, April 18 Time: 12 noon Location: Red Barn Classroom Description: Jason Hwan from UC Berkeley will discuss the effects of stream fragmentation on juvenile steelhead ecology. Contact: Ben Becker, 415-464-5187, email
On Shaky Ground Date: Saturday, April 20 & 27 Time: 10:30 am Location: Earthquake Trailhead at Bear Valley
Description: Dare to tread the San Andreas Fault where the earth's crust shifted and moved 5 meters (16 feet) in 1906! Meet a Park Ranger at the start of the Earthquake Trail for this easy 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) walk. Program lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Contact: Bear Valley Visitor Center, 415-464-5100 x2 x5, email
Artist's Reception: Thomas Wood Paints the Marin Landscape Date: Saturday, April 20 Time: 11 am - 4 pm Location: Red Barn Classroom Description:Thomas Wood's landscape paintings of multiple locations in Marin County are on display in the Red Barn Classroom at Point Reyes National Seashore from April 6 through June 27, 2013. In addition to the exhibition, the public is invited to an artists' reception at the Red Barn Classroom on Saturday, April 20, 2013, from 11 am to 4 pm. Visit the Red Barn Art Exhibitions section of our Indoor Activities page for more information. To get to the Red Barn Classroom, follow the directions to Point Reyes National Seashore. As you proceed up the driveway toward the Bear Valley Visitor Center, turn left at the sign for the Red Barn Classroom.
Journey of the Whales Date: Saturday, April 20; Sunday, April 21; Saturday April 27; & Sunday, April 28 Time: 1:30 pm Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center Description: Join a Ranger to learn about gray whales as they migrate past Point Reyes. Learn about their habits and adaptations, and hope for a whale sighting from the Observation Deck. Program lasts 30 minutes. This program is given out-of-doors. Come prepared for windy, cold and damp weather.
Contact: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center, 415-669-1534, email
Science on a Sphere Date: Saturday, April 20; Sunday, April 21; Saturday, April 27; & Sunday, April 28 Time: 1:30 pm Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center Auditorium Description: Join a National Park Service ranger in the Visitor Center's auditorium to get a perspective of planet Earth that once was available only to astronauts. Science on a Sphere® gives a view of the Earth and the forces that shape life on our planet. We use the Science on a Sphere® to illustrate various models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other scientists, such as atmospheric warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and other potential effects of climate change. Contact: Bear Valley Visitor Center, 415-464-5100 x2 x5, email
Kule Loklo Walk Date: Sunday, April 21 & 28 Time: 10:30 am Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center Description: Join a ranger for this 1 to 1.5 hour tour of Kule Loklo, a replica Coast Miwok village. This leisurely 1.3 kilometer (0.8 mile) tour introduces visitors to the Coast Miwok Culture. Program lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. Contact: Bear Valley Visitor Center, 415-464-5100 x2 x5, email
Electronic Waste (e-waste) Recycling Collection Date: Monday, April 22, 2013 Time: 10 am to 2 pm Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center parking lot Description: On April 22, at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, from 10 am to 2 pm, Point Reyes National Seashore will host an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling collection, joining thousands of local organizers holding recycling and other events across the country to celebrate Earth Day, the only nationally and globally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating planet Earth and the protection of its resources.
Please note the following items will be accepted:
All computers and related accessories and peripherals
Cell phones, PDAs, and telephones
Audio/video equipment
Small printers, scanners, and faxes
Wires, cables, and power cords
Printer toner and inkjet cartridges
Small kitchen appliances
The following items will NOT be accepted:
Dry cell batteries (AA, AAA, D, etc.)
Light bulbs of any kind
Large household appliances such as refrigerators and stoves
Furniture
Commercial copy machines
NO HAZARDOUS WASTE
All e-waste will be taken to Renew Computers in San Rafael, California, for recycling. For more information about e-waste recycling at Point Reyes National Seashore contact Dale Dualan at 415-464-5286.
415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.
