National Public Lands Day Various projects took place across the park all weekend, coinciding with one of the largest service days on public lands across the nation. As a special treat, each household or individual participating in the workday received a Fee-Free coupon that provides one free visit in the next year to any of the fee-charging units of the agencies that participate in National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Besides the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service are part of National Public Lands Day. National Public Lands Day (usually observed on the fourth Saturday of September) is an annual event designed to encourage people to get outside and visit places such as Point Reyes National Seashore. National Public Lands Day is a national volunteer effort to encourage folks to give back to the very lands we use to hike, bike, swim, explore, picnic, or just relax. It is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance public lands of the year! National Public Lands Day began in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Now, eight federal agencies and many state and local lands participate in this annual day of caring for shared lands. In 2015, about 200,000 volunteers worked at over 2,500 sites in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Point Reyes hosted the following projects (click on the links below for more details). Projects: Drakes Estero Shoreline Cleanup and Habitat Restoration Shoreline Cleanup from 10 am to 1 pm The public was invited to join Point Reyes National Seashore and REI to help restore Drakes Estero. From summer 2016 through February 2017, work crews have been working to remove an estimated 500 tons of marine debris in the estero. The public was offered the chance to help and ensure the legacy of this restoration effort by cleaning up the shoreline along Drakes Estero. From 10 am to 1 pm, volunteers combed the shore for any plastic, trash, or debris. Snacks were provided by REI, along with a raffle and other Centennial gifts for volunteers. Volunteers also received a fee free coupon, good for one free entry to any federal public lands that charge an entry fee. Habitat Restoration from 9 am to 1 pm Palomarin/Bass Lake Trail Cleanup 
Pierce Point Habitat Restoration The park also offered visitors the opportunity to experience tule elk during the rut (mating season) with our volunteer Tule Elk Docents on both Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25. Tule Elk Docents can be seen at the trailhead (Pierce Point Ranch) and along the Tomales Point Trail. Ranger-led programs were also offered at 1:30 pm both days at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. 
Event: Experience Tule Elk Every summer, visitors have the opportunity to see the tule elk during the rut (mating season) weekends and holidays July through September, weather permitting. Docents are stationed at the Tomales Point Trailhead from ~10:30 am to 4 pm and at Windy Gap (1 mile north along the Tomales Point Trail) from ~11 am to 3:30 pm. Visitors have the opportunity to interact with volunteer docents who have binoculars and spotting scopes to allow visitors to observe elk rut behaviors. |
Last updated: May 25, 2024