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October 24, 2021
Dear Point Reyes National Seashore ,
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My favorite kind of walk in the park is a rainy one...either in gentle rain or zipping out of my office in between showers, the trails are all new again. As grateful as I am for this week's rain, I was relieved for the beautiful weather we had earlier this month for our Picnic on the Pacific Plate event. I am also so grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, picnic reception partners, hike leaders, volunteers, and National Park Service and PRNSA staff who helped us raise $330,000, including $54,000—over half our $100,000 end of year goal—to support the expansion of our new Youth in Parks program
Making the Connection
I loved how the activities we planned for our Picnic on the Pacific Plate event highlighted our conservation, education, and community building goals. We offered eight hikes that explored both the amazingly diverse habitats in the park and PRNSA's connection to those places. We are proud of our work to study and care for the dunes, marine areas, fisheries, and so much more. We are equally proud of our work to connect youth to the same beauty and wonder of the park supporters like you explored during our fundraiser. Together, we can all be part of a growing movement to share and care for public lands.
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Exciting Post Picnic on the Pacific Plate Update
While our fundraiser brought us to over half of our goal to expand our Youth in Parks program, we still have a ways to go. I’m excited to share that PRNSA board member Melissa Nelken and her husband Ronald Lee have made a $20,000 challenge pledge to match gifts till the end of the year. Please join Melissa and Ron in investing in a program that welcomes youth who have been most adversely impacted by the pandemic to Point Reyes National Seashore.
Our Picnic on the Pacific Plate, Youth in Parks program, and year-round field classes and membership hikes build connections both to Point Reyes and to each other. I invite you to read Patricia Contaxis’ perspective on how our California Naturalist program helped her feel more hopeful and connected. Meet our new marine science intern who will help us all understand the role of marine science at Point Reyes National Seashore. Check out our upcoming classes and hit the trails, most of which have reopened.
In all weather, a step onto a trail is a time to explore our world and ourselves. Enjoy the rain and your park!
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Donna Faure
Executive Director
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Board Member Melissa Nelken was the original chair of PRNSA’s Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Committee and is an avid advocate for welcoming youth
from all communities to the park. Thanks to Melissa and her husband,
Ronald Lee, all gifts up to $20,000 to support Youth In Parks
programs will be matched through December 21, 2021.
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Picnic on the Pacific Plate Photo Gallery | |
Patricia Contaxis is a writer, musician and California Naturalist. She has been coming to Point Reyes since moving to California in 1987, and volunteering for the National Park Service and PRNSA Field Institute since 2018. Using her recent CalNat studies, she intends to write essays about Point Reyes, California, natural history, and time - both Big Time, and the human-scale version we all know and love. | |
Science Communications Intern | |
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Welcome Theodora!
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Theodora Mautz grew to love Point Reyes National Seashore through visits to her aunt and a summer working on climate change adaptation with Alameda County’s Office of Sustainability. Theodora plans to spend her career making science and research more inclusive of those who have historically been oppressed or left out of historical narratives. She has conducted research on – and spread awareness of – the science behind chronic vulvovaginal pain conditions, visual neurobiology, implicit biases with race and gender, and psychological motivations behind environmentally sustainable behaviors. Theodorais excited to work with PRNSA, NPS, and local communities to communicate marine science and research at Point Reyes National Seashore. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University in Neuroscience.
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Most park trails have reopened post-Woodward fire. See the NPS website for current information, visitor alerts, COVID guidelines, and other safety and program information. | |
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Community Volunteer Ambassador Internship
Point Reyes National Seashore is recruiting for a Community Volunteer
Ambassador intern (CVA) who will have service and career opportunities
to strengthen communities and preserve natural resources.
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Work alongside park staff to develop, grow, and diversify the Visitor Services and Trail Patrol volunteer programs. This paid internship is a one-year position and open to those 18 - 30 years old (or up to 35 years old if a veteran).
Internship begins February 7, 2022.
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Free housing
- A baseline living allowance of $500/week
- An AmeriCorps Award of $6,345 (pretax), and
- Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon completion of the internship (non-competitive hiring status for federal jobs for two years following the completion of the internship)
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Ranger Doug Hee, Community Volunteer Ambassador May Slen, and volunteer John Bielenberg Photo: May Slen | |
FIELD INSTITUTE CLASSES & EVENTS | |
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Monthly Full Moon Member Hikes
Welcome to Fall and Winter in Point Reyes, where, with the earlier sunsets, we start our full moon hikes at 5, when dusk is starting to fall. We will be spending a little more time in the dark than during our summer hikes, and we will, as always, end in the dark, allowing you to view the moon and to get back home not too late. Full Moon hikes are open to current PRNSA members. Visit here to join!
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