May 31, 2021
Greetings!                
On this Memorial Day we remember the service members over the ages who sacrificed their lives for our country. The National Park Service honors these brave people at many parks throughout the country.

I’m also reflecting on the hardships over the last year, including the many essential workers who lost their lives to the pandemic in service to others, as well as the millions of people worldwide who died from Covid. It was over Memorial Day weekend that George Floyd was murdered a year ago, setting off a new wave of reckoning.  

The story of the encounter between a dog walker and birder in Central Park also captured the news cycle last Memorial Day weekend. Combined with the murder of George Floyd, it hit a nerve, demonstrating in full view not only the weaponization of race, but also the truly different experiences that people of different races can have in the outdoors. 
A WELCOMING MAP
Linked here we feature Ranger Carlo Arreglo, who shares his path to becoming a National Park Service staff member. Thank you Carlo for the great birding tips over the years and for your talent for making everyone you meet at Point Reyes National Seashore's visitor centers and trails feel so very welcome and respected.

IT'S ALL NEW
We are so excited to announce that we’ve reopened our retail shop at Bear Valley Visitor Center and launched a brand new website in the last week. Save October 9th for Picnic on the Pacific Plate, a new version of our beloved annual fundraiser. Read below for all the details.

Today we close out our May Membership Month. We've raised $17,800 towards our $20,000 match. If you love Point Reyes National Seashore, please consider a gift to strengthen our support of the park and help us reach our match! 

Memorial Day also marks the unofficial start of the summer season and with more trails open and many more people vaccinated, the scene at the park is quite different from last year. Happy start of the summer!
Warmly,
Donna Faure
Executive Director
May Is Membership Month!
New and increased gifts up to $20,000 matched this month
A membership gift, of any level, will support the continuation of our community building programs, environmental education, and conservation in the park. It will also help us share the park and all its stories with a broader community. Here is what you will receive in return:
  • 15% discount on merchandise at our stores (Bear Valley store opening soon!)
  • Member discounts for our Field Institute classes
  • Subscription to our e-newsletter
  • A warm feeling of belonging to a strong community of public lands advocates
PARK UPDATES
Bear Valley Updates:
  • Bear Valley Visitor Center is now open daily from 10am - 3pm.
  • PRNSA's Park Shop is open Friday through Sunday, plus Memorial Day!
  • Bear Valley trail and several connecting trails are now open. See the current map of this area that details trails that are open and those that remain closed.

Park-Wide Updates:
Many areas of Point Reyes National Seashore are open. For current road and trail conditions, visit the park's website and social media. Here is a map of current closures.

Annual Closures for Nesting Snowy Plovers:
The annual beach closure for nesting snowy plovers between the North Beach parking lot and just south of the mouth of Abbotts Lagoon will be in effect every Saturday, Sunday, and holiday starting Saturday, May 29, through September 6 (Labor Day).
The NPS App is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The NPS App is the new official app for the National Park Service with tools to explore more than 400 national parks nationwide. Find interactive maps, tours of park places, on-the-ground accessibility information, and much more to plan your national park adventures before and during your trip.
PRNSA RETAIL REOPENING
Friday - Sunday
& Memorial Day
10 am - 3 pm
(inside the Bear Valley Visitor Center)

Big thanks to PRNSA staff Ellen Dressman for taking the lead on re-booting our retail operations, with the great support of Phillip Chavira, Sam Chiriboga, and Loretta Farley!
Books, Maps, Apparel, Gifts, and more!
PRNSA WEBSITE REDESIGN
After months of strategizing, navigation, and content building, we have unveiled our beautiful new website last week. PRNSA is one of 36 park partner organizations to receive a Strong Parks, Strong Communities capacity building grant from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. This grant enabled us to redesign our website to include simplified navigation and added accessibility on phones and tablets as well as desktop computers. Big thanks to PRNSA Assistant Director Sam Chiriboga for managing the project and web designer Uli Weeren for his beautiful work!
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Join us for hikes, cocktails, great food, live music and fun!
1 pm - Hikes throughout the park
4 pm - Cocktails & picnic-inspired supper

We guarantee you will have an unforgettable time with new and old friends. Click here for sponsorship info. Tickets go on sale early August!
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Staff Pics
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Here we share some book and film recommendations from PRNSA staff.
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong  
Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong, the daughter of Korean immigrants, grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. This book exposes fresh truths about racialized consciousness in America. Part memoir and part cultural criticism, Hong’s writing is vulnerable, humorous, and provocative. It will change the way you think about our world.
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
A phenomenal book about homelessness, not in a traditional sense. This book is about lying and being forced to lie to get by; about passing as an American and as a contributing citizen; about families, keeping them together, and having to make new ones when you can’t. It is about constantly hiding from the government and, in the process, hiding from ourselves. This book is about what it means to not have a home.
Chinese Couplets 
A Film by local filmmaker Felicia Lowe 
Part memoir, part history, part investigation, filmmaker Felicia Lowe’s search for answers about her mother’s emigration to America during the Chinese Exclusion era reveals the often painful price paid by immigrants who abandoned their personal identity, and the intergenerational strife between immigrants and their American-born children. 
The film can be watched for free (along with her other films) on Kanopy (anyone with a library card can sign up for Kanopy). 
JUNE CLASSES
Saturday, June 5, 2021 - 7:00am to 10:00am
Advance your photographic skills capturing the beauty of plants in Point Reyes!
Designed for those who wish to advance their photographic skills, this field workshop is an introduction to botanical photography, with an emphasis on composition, lighting and exposure.
Saturday, June 5, 2021 - 10:30am to 4:30pm
Experiment with writing forms, learn from listening, and hone a deep attention to the natural world as you write in the wild!
Participants will follow prompts for writing short pieces of prose and/or poetry and share new work—a practice of deepening our understanding of what writing can do, how our voices matter, and how writing can sharpen our attention to the world around us.
Sunday, June 6, 2021 - 9:30am to 3:00pm
Join naturalist David Wimpfheimer for a wonderful five-mile loop hike near the coast.
The Muddy Hollow and Coastal trails make for a diverse route including some beach walking along Drakes Bay.
Saturday, June 12, 2021 - 10:00am to 3:00pm
Find Patterns in Nature
The theme "finding Patterns in Nature" will guide learners through various prompts and exercises, while inspiring a daily journaling practice. Students will learn how to use a box-and-line note pad to document observations and practice fundamental journaling skills.
Saturday, June 19, 2021 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
Meet the arboreal residents that call Point Reyes home.
Whether you know them by sight or all you see is "green,” come learn to identify species along with their stories and how they interact with the ecosystem at large. No prior knowledge necessary for this gentle hike.
Saturday, June 19, 2021 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
Find your vision by discovering tips and techniques to create beautiful photos at Point Reyes!
Bring out your camera and your creativity. Explore techniques and tips to create wonderful photos.
Saturday, June 26, 2021 - 10:00am to 2:00pm
Through observation, poetry and sketching, we'll explore Bear Valley creek, probing relationships between streams and their surroundings.
Sunday, June 27, 2021 - 10:30am to 1:30pm
Forest bathing is a guided nature meditation, a slow meander in the forest. Slow down and experience the natural world through your senses.
Sunday, June 27, 2021 - 10:00am to 4:00pm
The smartphone has become the camera of choice for many. Learn how new apps can unlock your full potential to take breathtaking photos!
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