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Point Reyes National Seashore will be hosting a couple volunteer events in recognition of National Public Lands Day 2017 on Sunday, September 24. The public is invited to join us for a Habitat Restoration Project workday at Tomales Point or a Yoga and Dune Restoration workday near Abbotts Lagoon. Additionally, we will offer the opportunity to Experience Tule Elk during the rut (mating season) with our volunteer Tule Elk Docents on both Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24. Ranger-led programs will also be offered at 1:30 pm both days at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. 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 also 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 the public lands! 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. Below is a listing of events that will be held at Point Reyes National Seashore on or in conjunction with the 2017 National Public Lands Day.
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. 
Event: Habitat Restoration Workday Join the Habitat Restoration Program at Point Reyes National Seashore on Sunday, September 24 to help remove invasive cape-ivy (Delairea odorata) near Pierce Ranch in the Tule Elk Reserve. Cape-ivy, a vine from South Africa, can cause harm to native plants, nesting songbirds, and fish, and we are working to keep it out of the drainage into Tomales Bay. Visit one of the most beautiful areas in the park and learn about local plant ecology while you work alongside park staff to carry out ecological restoration projects. Get involved, meet new people, and make a positive impact on your environment! Our target is growing amidst prickly salmonberry and stinging nettle so please come prepared with heavier layers to protect your arms and legs. I can provide some gaiters. No poison oak is present. Also please prepare for cool, foggy weather even if it is warm and sunny at Bear Valley. Please wear sturdy layered clothes that can get dirty, sturdy close-toed shoes, and bring a jacket/sweatshirt, snacks, at least 2 liters of water, and lunch. To hold this workday, we need at least four confirmed participants. Please contact Ellen Hamingson at 415-464-5196 or by email by 4 pm on Thursday, September 21, so that she can plan accordingly. She will be in touch with those who respond if inclement weather or lack of participants forces cancellation of the workday. As a special bonus, this event will be included in National Public Lands Day. Be part of a nationwide event in support of our parks. Those participating may receive a coupon (mailed later) good for free admission to one fee-charging national park within the next 12 months. Meet at 9 am in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center. As always, please bring sturdy shoes, extra warm layers. water, and lunch. We'll carpool or caravan to Tomales Point Trailhead. Tools and gloves will be provided. We will work until 1 pm, and then have lunch on site. 
Event: Yoga and Dune Restoration at Point Reyes Come spend a day at the beautiful and scenic Abbotts Lagoon in Point Reyes, where many of the dune plants are in bloom. Help the dune restoration team remove European searocket, an invasive plant that is threatening a thriving patch of Tidestrom's lupine (a federally endangered species). Afterwards, have lunch watching the crashing waves and spend about 30–45 minutes doing yoga on the beach with a certified yoga instructor. Come prepared to work hard, have fun and feel really good by the end of the day! Bring your own packed lunch and lots of water! Work gloves and tools will be provided. To sign up, please contact Cody by email. For more details on the day see below. |
Last updated: April 18, 2022