Greetings!

It is a beautiful morning in West Marin and the serenity is hard for me to reconcile with the painful news of the last weeks. While I am writing today with some good news, I want to first acknowledge that this is an especially troubled time that underscores the need for equity and justice in the United States.

Beginning today, Point Reyes National Seashore has increased access for visitors as the National Park Service, in conjunction with the County of Marin, has deemed it safe to allow more visitation. As a national park, the Seashore belongs to us all and I am glad that more beaches and trails are now available to provide comfort, inspiration, and relief. We believe in a park where all are welcome and safe to hike, run, bird, and breathe.

Rangers will be on hand to support visitors around following physical distancing rules. They will monitor for crowding and provide guidance on how to safely access the Park. Below are a few tips on how to enjoy the Park best at this time.

Know Before You Go

For the latest details on what parts of the Park are accessible, visit the National Park Service's Point Reyes website.

#ParkInPlace Continues

We will continue to bring you news and stories from the Seashore and tips on how to connect with nature close to home, wherever that may be, throughout the pandemic. If you missed last week's webinar on the return of the black rail to the Giacomini Wetlands you can enjoy it here .

PRNSA will continue to work with communities to welcome and share the wonders of this park with all. Below are links to a series from UCSF on the role of parks as an essential service during a pandemic that I found especially helpful as we adjust our programming at this time.

Stay safe and welcome back to Point Reyes National Seashore!

Warmly,

Donna Faure

Executive Director

Parks As An Essential Service During A Pandemic: Three-Part Webinar Series

 1) Principles of Communicative Disease & How Parks Can Help Flatten the Curve

2) Staff and Visitor Safety

2

3) The Role of Parks in Addressing Toxic Stress and Inequity

A Behind the Scenes Look at Point Reyes 

National Seashore

Prior to the pandemic, writer, activist, and founder of the Outdoor Industry CEO Diversity Pledge , Teresa Baker, visited with our team to learn more about the lesser told stories of Point Reyes. We enjoyed sharing these stories with Teresa. We hope you enjoy too. Here is the  'Op-Ed' article in Bay Nature , which was released on April 20.

Still not quite ready to head out to the Seashore or looking

for something to jazz up your next online meeting?

We've got just the thing for you! Two more Zoom backgrounds. Enjoy!

ZOOM INTO POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE!

Select one or both of the images below to download.

Alamere Falls

Drakes Beach

Does Earth Have a Memory? A Conversation with Don Jolley on Memory, Timescales, and Where we are Today

Thursday, June 4

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Eocene fish fossil, Green River Formation, WY

SLIDING SCALE - donations benefit the Bolinas Museum and PRNSA



Does Earth have a memory? (... and if it does, what does it remember?) How do we make sense of a story extending 4.5 billion years into the past? And what events in that long history have left their marks most indelibly on the planet we call home. Please join us in a fun and engaging introduction to the concept of deep time, presented as a backdrop for better understanding not only the world of the past, but also the world of today, and where we might be headed in the world of tomorrow.

Don Jolley is a recently retired teacher of Maths and Sciences. His career spanned three decades at the Bolinas School where he developed a robust program in outdoor education, leading students and their parents into the mountains and deserts in California, and across the Western Interior to the Colorado Plateau. He has been a resident of West Marin since 1979, and currently lives in Inverness Park with his wife Cenize and their beloved dog Zion.

Presented by: Bolinas Museum and Point Reyes National Seashore Association .



REGISTER HERE Instructions and webinar link will be provided upon registration.

The Connection Between Nature and Good Health: In Conversation with Florence Williams, author of "The Nature Fix"

Thursday, June 11 - 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

SLIDING SCALE - donations benefit presenting nonprofit organizations (see below)

Getting outside has never been more important during this time of isolation and anxiety. What is it about nature that is so important to our physical and mental health that our public lands are now—finally—considered “essential”? Parks and other natural spaces are critical for our well-being yet access remains a major issue for most.

Join us in a discussion of these timely issues with Florence Williams, journalist and the author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative— which was written in part during her 2018 residency at the Mesa Refuge.

Dr. Anna O’Malley, local integrative medicine physician and Director of Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine, and Donna Faure, PRNSA’s Executive Director, will join Florence in conversation.  

Presented by: Point Reyes National Seashore Association , the Mesa Refuge , Natura Institute for Ecology and Medicine , Black Mountain Circle and Point Reyes Books .

Books can be ordered through Point Reyes Books . 

REGISTER HERE - Instructions and webinar link will be provided upon registration.

Impacts of Bay Area Sea Level Rise: How Can Nature Help?

Tuesday, June 18 (Online)

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Rising shorelines and high groundwater will require significant adaptation. Now is the time for Marin communities to develop and implement plans for adapting to sea-level and groundwater level rise. We are partnering with the Environmental Forum of Marin  to bring you the latest research findings that affect you and information on how to support proposed solutions. Join us on June 18 to learn about Marin's challenges and opportunities for adaptation. This event features presentations from local experts:



Register here - instructions and webinar link will be provided upon registration.

We hope you’ll share what you’re up to with us through our #ParkInPlace campaign! 

Stay tuned on social media and don’t forget to tag us in your posts and stories on Facebook and Instagram .

#ParkInPlace and #PointReyes_PRNSA

If you do not use these platforms, please email me your ideas, stories,

and photos at [email protected].