September 10, 2021
Greetings!                
September is a time of transition. Although tomatoes and watermelons are still going strong, it’s time to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall activities. This year in particular summer felt extra special as we welcomed our first youth programs back to the park since the onset of COVID. As part of the YIP (Youth In Parks) Initiative, youth from Oakland, Richmond, and Sonoma explored the park and played on the beach, many for the first time, and young campers from across California challenged themselves by backpacking in the park during our modified summer camp. It was a great feeling to share in the joy and release of kids splashing in the surf after such a difficult year.
We are also saying goodbye at this time to the wonderful staff and interns who supported these summer programs, as well as to the conservation staff who have wrapped up their summer monitoring and restoration of this important habitat. Thank you for making this education and conservation work possible! Below, please read Education Intern Grace Fujii’s reflections on working in the park this summer. 

As hard as it can be to say goodbye, we are also excited to welcome fall with the promise of school groups returning to the Ed Center, growing youth access through new YIP partnerships, and many wonderful opportunities to enjoy and learn about fall migrations in our field classes.

We hope that your own fall routine includes a visit to the park, and that you will join us in celebrating the rhythms of this natural transition.
Warm Regards,
Biret Adden
Education Director
PARK UPDATES
Trail Openings:
The Wittenberg Trail is now open to hikers (but remains closed to equestrians). The Woodpecker and Morgan trails are also open with signs posted that there are still hazard trees in those areas. All of Horse Trail is now open as well. Kule Loklo, Woodward Valley, and the Coast Trail between Kelham and Coast Camp remain closed.

Lighthouse Update:
The equipment building is now open to the public, but the tower remains closed. Masks are required past the visitor center, on the observation deck, and on the stairway. Although the Lighthouse Visitor Center is closed, staff is available to answer questions at the door.

Park-Wide Updates:
Although most of the Point Reyes National Seashore is open, some areas remain closed due to COVID-19 and the Woodward Fire. For current road and trail conditions, visit the park's website and social media. Here is a map of current closures.
CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP
Saturday, September 18, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Join Point Reyes National Seashore, the California Coastal Commission, and Point Reyes National Seashore Association to help remove marine debris and trash from Drakes Beach. This is part of an annual statewide effort when citizens come out to help collect data and clean up our beaches. At the last cleanup in 2019, volunteers collected 172 pounds of trash and debris!

This is a family friendly event, but please keep in mind that dogs and pets are prohibited at Drakes Beach. Participants should bring sunscreen, lunch and/or snacks, and their own water bottles, work gloves, and bucket. Please dress in layers and be prepared for cool, coastal conditions. For more information and to pre-register visit the NPS website or contact Ranger Fiona O'Kelly by email. Pre-registration for single participants or families is optional but recommended. Please pre-register if you will be bringing a group of participants.
After an exciting summer Grace Fujii’s Environmental Education internship has come to an end. Grace worked alongside our Education Team, helping run day programs, overnight backpacking trips, Get to the Point events, and so much more. They also helped PRNSA refine our social media, and take new steps in our online presence. We will miss Grace’s lighthearted presence in our office and wish them luck on their next adventure!

YOUTH IN PARKS PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
Canal Alliance
PRNSA is a proud partner of Canal Alliance, a local community-based nonprofit supporting Latino immigrants and their families in Marin County through legal services, education and career programs, and social services. PRNSA works with the University Prep (UP!) team at Canal Alliance—an afterschool program for first generation students in 6th through 12th grade. UP! is working to break the cycle of poverty by helping students enroll and graduate from college. Students are offered tutoring, homework help, academic workshops, counseling, college enrollment help, and scholarships and case management to support student access. PRNSA supports their work by facilitating programming in the park, including overnight camps at the Clem Miller Environmental Center, which add a level of community and fun to their learning experience.
You can learn more about the impact that UP! has had on hundreds of middle school, high school, and college students on their website and from the Canal Alliance UP! program update video by Desire to Inspire Studios.
SEA OTTER WEBINAR
Untangling California's Kelp Forests
Kick off Sea Otter Awareness week with PRNSA and UC Santa Cruz's Dr. Joshua Smith. Take a deep dive with him in this free webinar to understand the critical role of sea otters in ecosystem stability, especially in the face of marine heatwaves and catastrophic impacts to sea star populations.
This is the opening event for Sea Otter Awareness week. This year’s theme highlights the idea that the sea otter’s ecosystem is a mosaic in which the removal of key elements or damage to the system’s structure renders the ecological picture incomplete. Lets see what role we can play in that mosaic together. Learn more about the "otter" upcoming Sea Otter Awareness Week events here. This is event is brought to you in part by our friends at Sea Otter Savvy!
BOOK SIGNING & BIRD WALK
With Keith Hansen
Saturday, September 11, 12:00 PM
Bear Valley Visitor Center
Join author illustrator Keith Hansen for a fun and free outdoor event! The book signing will begin outside the Bear Valley Visitor Center and will be followed by a gird walk on the paved earthquake trail.

Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada
showcases artist-naturalist Keith Hansen’s 16-year project to illustrate the birds of the Sierra Nevada. Paired with stunningly detailed portraits is text informed by decades of birding experience—prose that while firmly grounded in expertise will nonetheless delight readers with its whimsy, allusion, and affection. This book is the field guide companion to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada: Their Natural History, Status, and Distribution, also coauthored by Edward C. Beedy and illustrated by Keith Hansen.
COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENT
Litter Bug Me
Saturday, September 18, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Join Environmental Action Committee and other community groups for Litter Bugs Me, an annual roadside clean up effort in West Marin, organized by EAC and scheduled concurrently with Coastal Cleanup Day. You can join your village association or community group to clean up roadside routes September 14-18, or register with EAC to help clean up roadsides around Point Reyes Station on September 18th, from 9am-12pm. Let’s get all the accumulated trash off our roadways before the winter rains arrive!
FALL FIELD INSTITUTE CLASSES & EVENTS
Saturday, September 11, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Limantour Beach and Estero is one of the most productive wetlands at Point Reyes. Enjoy the variety of shorebirds that rest and feed there!

Saturday, September 18, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Anyone can become a member!

Saturdays, Sep 25 – October 23, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Become a Certified California Naturalist immersed in the natural history and unparalleled beauty of the Point Reyes National Seashore.

Friday, October 1, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Fall is an exciting season; warblers, flycatchers and others may be near the Lighthouse and Drakes Beach. Explore to find them!

Friday, October 8, 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Wander in a state of awareness, closely observing and interpreting animal tracks and signs!

Sunday, October 17, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Macro photography is the art of becoming intimate with the minuscule and presenting it prominently.

Sunday, October 17, 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Forest bathing is a guided nature meditation, a slow meander in the forest. Slow down to experience the natural world through your senses.

Saturday, October 30, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Create beautiful photos – if you are taking a hike, meandering in a Farmer’s Market, or on vacation. Learn to capture magical moments!

Tuesdays, Nov 2 -23, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Photograph some of the seashore's most beautiful beaches under the best tidal conditions during this series of online and in person classes.

Sunday, November 7, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
The smartphone is the camera of choice for many. Learn how new apps can unlock your full potential to take breathtaking photos!

Sunday, November 21, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Nothing is more elusive and mysterious than the wild mushroom. Join us for an introduction to the mushrooms of the Central Coast!
We are eagerly preparing for this year’s annual fundraiser, Picnic on the Pacific Plate. With shifting CDC and Marin County Covid guidelines, we are planning to safely convene in person this year to celebrate our park and the community of friends who care for it. On October 9th, we will gather for small-group guided excursions throughout the park followed by a socially distanced picnic reception featuring live music, cocktails, and individual picnic boxes filled with local food!
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.
Point Reyes National Seashore | (415) 663-1200 x 310