June 18, 2024
Greetings!           
Bear Valley Trail is a special place to me…my go to spot for walking meetings, problem solving, and celebrating successes. This month, I returned to the trail in honor of our third annual Pride in Our Park Walk with colleagues, friends, and community members.
In June 2021, a staff member asked if we could display a pride flag outside our office after explaining what Pride meant to him. Even after Pride Month, we left the flag flying high. Over the years, visitors and colleagues alike have told me how seeing the flag upon entering our building signaled safety, acceptance, and belonging.

Thank you, Craig!
In June 2022, we hosted our first Pride in Our Park walk with the wonderful support of the then new park superintendent, Craig Kenkel. Craig’s openness to new ideas has been foundational to our successful partnership, and I am so grateful that the last three years of Craig’s 41-year career with the National Park Service were gifted to Point Reyes National Seashore.

After Craig’s last day on June 1st, 2024, he returned to join our Pride celebration without his uniform, but with all his wisdom and friendship. Anne Altman, who has been serving as deputy superintendent for two years, also joined us at the walk—I am looking forward to deepening our work together in the coming months.
Queer Ecology, Connection, and Healing
During each of our Pride Walks, I’ve encountered new people—each with unique backgrounds, experiences, and identities—that help me think more deeply about how to make the Seashore truly welcoming. I am grateful for the personal stories shared along the trail and around our reflection circle at Divide Meadow, where we also considered our connections to the beauty and queerness of nature. I learned about the concept of queer ecology and the beautiful examples of diversity that the natural world offers us (such as the banana slugs which we saw dotting the trail—see below). The walk was an affirmation of the role that natural spaces such as Point Reyes play in fostering healing and connection.
Thank you for supporting our collective work to map a park for all. Please feel free to share your ideas on how to make the Seashore welcoming year-round.
Warmly,
Donna Faure
Executive Director
Banana Slugs & Pride Month
At our 2024 Pride Walk, attendees reflected on how queerness is represented in the natural world. Photos by Avani Fachon, PRNSA.
This Pride month, we're highlighting a slimy creature commonly spotted on trails around the Seashore—banana slugs (Ariolimax)! These creatures are hermaphroditic, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive organs (they're intersex). It's comforting to know that LGBTQIA+ identities are represented in nature—that queer is natural. Read more about queer animals, and how science is finally catching on.
Our Recommended Reads:
• Queer is Natural Webinar (Peninsula Open Space Trust)
• "Lessons of Resilience from Queer Movements for Liberation" (Interview with Vanessa Raditz, Bioneers)
Volunteer Updates & Opportunities
Photos by Bridget Dugan / NPS
On June 1st, NPS and PRNSA co-hosted a Drakes Beach Volunteer Maintenance Workday in celebration of National Trails Day! We successfully cleared out ice plant and driftwood debris to create an accessible pathway for our beach wheelchairs. Thank you for all of your hard work, volunteers!
Want to Volunteer?

1. Giacomini Wetlands Restoration: We need help keeping the Giacomini Wetlands ecosystem healthy! On Saturday, June 29th (10am-12pm), we'll be working to remove invasive plants, such as fennel and poison hemlock. Keep an eye out for the registration page link on our social media. Questions? Email Volunteer Manager Cristobal Castañeda (cristobalcs@ptreyes.org).

2. Party on the Pacific Plate: We're looking for volunteers to help at our 15th annual Party on the Pacific Plate on September 21st! Tasks will include setting up the bar and food station, clean up, waste and recycle station monitoring, and assistance with decor and service. If interested, please contact Suzanne d'Coney (suzanned@ptreyes.org).
Upcoming Classes & Events
Looking for a summer adventure? We have several fun hikes and classes planned for June and July! See more on our full calendar.

Sun, Jun. 30, 10:00am - 2:00pm

Trees are drama in slow motion! Learn to identify a variety of tree species in Bear Valley while enjoying their stories and relationships.

Sat, Jul. 20, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Join us at the peak of summer to pay homage to the moon which signals the close of some of the longest days of the year at Bolinas Ridge Trail
Sat, Aug 3, 9am-3pm

Learn to express the moods of the environment and channel the natural soundscapes of Point Reyes with your acoustic instrument.
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. Support Point Reyes as a High Tide Monthly Supporter!
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