October 3, 2020
Dear Friends,
I turn around and all of a sudden it's October, with two moons to grace our collective skies this month. On Thursday I celebrated Harvest Moon (the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox) with friends to mark my 101st consecutive swim in Tomales Bay. My mostly morning swims are an anchor for me in what often feels like a free-fall year. With 2020 full of dire milestones – including this week's news that over 1 million people are now lost to COVID-19 worldwide and wildfires have burned 4 million acres of California – there's never been a time when it's felt more important to mark the little and big things that sustain us.
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FIRE STEALS THE SHOW
A week from today we will gather as we have for 11 years to celebrate Point Reyes National Seashore. As the Woodward fire continues to burn in the interior of the park in a contained fashion, we take a cautious sigh of relief. Fire around the Bay Area and western United States reminds me of the fragility of life, but at this year's first ever virtual Dinner on the Pacific Plate we will hear about how strong partnerships and science have made managing our particular fire a success to date.
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• Acting Superintendent, Carey Feierabend
• Dr. Sarah Allen, National Park Service Scientist, Retired
• Dr. Alison Forrestel, Chief of Natural Resources, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Dave Press, Natural Resources Program Manager, Point Reyes National Seashore
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SCIENCE AND SERVICE
If you are looking for something to give you hope, I can't recommend enough checking out our recent Caring for Coho Salmon webinar with PRNSA intern Carter Perez Adamson. Carter's passion for conservation and his expert presentation skills inspire me in my own work.
In this issue we also highlight the service of volunteer John Bielenberg who passed away in August. A kinder soul you would not meet and I will miss the wonderful talks John and I had over the years at the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
AN EVENTFUL MONTH
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It's a once in a blue moon kind of a year, so make sure to find that space in nature that regenerates you. See you at one or all of our events this month!
Stay well,
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Executive Director
Point Reyes National Seashore Association
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It's not too late to sponsor our event; and if you have not already done so, please reserve your FREE ticket today! (You'll need that ticket to access event details)
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Maureen Kennedy
Doune Trust Fund
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Todd and Blanca Johnson
Melissa Nelken and Ronald Lee
Anonymous
William and Linda Tichy
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Pamela and John Casaudoumecq
Mike Deverell and Susy Muscatell
Ron and Amanda Mallory
Kirk Marckwald and Christina Desser
T.M. Ravi and Francine Lejeune
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Barbara Beno and Peter Crabtree
Allan and Sydne Bortel
Anonymous
Anna Kondolf and Peter Brock
Peggy and Dick Mitchell
Caren and Nick Orum
Michelle and Edward Sarti
Anne Scanlan-Rohrer and Scot Rohrer
David and Miriam Wilson
Pamela Wright
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Mike and Bonnie Barr
Anne Baxter
Bruce Baum and Sue Brown
Sandy and Connie Calhoun
Betty Anne Carlin
Ed and Nancy Conner
Danny Dawson and Claudine Co
Kathy Dickson and John Geesman
The Entrekin Foundation
Donna and Steve Faure
Ilona Frieden and Mark Jacobson
Richard and Louisiana Gale
Jane Gitschier
Lucile Griffiths
Holly and John Hanke
Kelly and Alexander Harcourt
Burr Heneman and Lexi Rome
Mark and Shawn Klender
Mary Jane Large and Marc Levinson
Mike and Mary Malloy
Kate and Michael Matthay
Charles and Kathleen Mills
Doug Moore
Johanna Muth and Harris Nussbaum
David Powers and Beverly Schor
Seth and Molly Rosen
Pat and Glenn Rudebusch
Christine Sansom
Judith Shaw
Ken Taymor and Beth Parker
Patty and David Wimpfheimer
Rich and Diane Zimmerman
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Sarah Allen and Dudley Miller
Anonymous
Anonymous
Millicent Bogert and Scott MacDonald
Josie Brownback
Julia and Bruce Burke
Richard and Lisa Cohen
Steve Costa and Kate Levinson
David and Vicki Cox
Ruth Dundas and Jim MacDonald
Michael and Nancy Jo Heaton
Caroline Kindrish
Clare Miller Watsky and Paul Watsky
Mari Loria and Alden Mudge
Patty McCrary and Dale Fehringer
Regina Phelps
Jeanne Reisman and Len Goldschmidt
Anne and Boyard Rowe
Lorelei and Jerry Sontag
Michael Warren and Mary Pieper-Warren
Zac and Amy Weinberg
Margaret Wu and Ciara Cox
Lena and Gabe Zentall
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Mark Anderson and Kimberlee Stryker
Steven H. Brock and Leah Sirkin
Dick and Deane Bunce
Paul and Helen Chapman
Phillip Chavira
Heather and Jeff Clapp
Barbara Goodyear
Claudia and James Harrison
Robert Houghteling and
Elizabeth Fishel
Sally Jones
Belinda Kremer
Ilene Levinson
Ivan and Leah Light
Ralph and Mae Mihan
Lawrie Mott
Emily Murphy
Catherine Porter
Jeannene Przyblyski and Eric Jaye
Phyllis Silverberg
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David Ackerly
Earl Blauner and Linda Marks
Anne Cook
Maureen Cornelia and
Peter Sheremeta
Monica and John Salusky
Timothy and Sherry Stanton
Susan Tillett
Maureen Tracy
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WOODWARD FIRE UPDATES
Visit this website to get the most up to date information on the fire, including park closures.
Visitors are reminded to respect trail and road closures. The fire continues to burn in the interior in large stumps and downed logs. Keep yourself and first responders safe by staying out of the closure zone. go.nps.gov/pore/woodwardfire
Fire crews have been clearing hazards and chipping downed fuels in closed areas of the #WoodwardFire. This photo gives us a glimpse of what the work looks like on the Bear Valley Trail. After the Type 4 team leaves, there will still be a lot of work to be done. The park will continue the work to reopen trails and roads affected by the #WoodwardFire.
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IN REMEMBRANCE
John Bielenberg
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We are sad to share that beloved volunteer John Bielenberg passed away on August 28, 2020. For three years John worked at the front desk of the Bear Valley Visitor Center welcoming people to the park, answering their questions, and helping them plan amazing days in the park. He also eagerly swore in Junior Rangers after children completed the requirements for this honor.
John donated 1,456 hours of his time, often working twice per week for at least six hours each day, double the minimum commitment asked of volunteers for this position. He was dedicated to making a difference and to being of service.
Point Reyes National Seashore not only lost a volunteer but a friend for those who knew and worked with him. We will truly miss John as a member of the Point Reyes family.
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Terry Tempest Williams Talk:
Erosion: Essays of Undoing
Friday, October 16, 7 pm
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Terry Tempest Williams's fierce, spirited, and magnificent essays are a howl in the desert. She sizes up the continuing assaults on America's public lands and the erosion of our commitment to the open space of democracy. She asks: "How do we find the strength to not look away from all that is breaking our hearts?"
Erosion is a book for this moment, political and spiritual at once, written by one of our greatest naturalists, essayists, and defenders of the environment. She reminds us that beauty is its own form of resistance, and that water can crack stone.
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PRNSA Community Book Read
& Conversation with Author Dr. Carolyn Finney
Rescheduled to: Thursday October 29, 4-5pm
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Since midsummer, members of the Marin County Free Library & PRNSA community have been reading the book Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors. On Thursday, October 29th at 4pm PST, we will be joined on Zoom by author Dr. Carolyn Finney, who will elucidate our discussion of the histories and critiques in her book. We encourage typed questions using the Zoom Q&A, and a limited number of attendees will be invited to join our panel. Click here to register!
Copies of the book are still available at both Inverness and Point Reyes Libraries. Please call and reserve a copy for pickup, or stop by during curbside hours and request the book. Black Faces, White Spaces is also available on Hoopla through the library with no wait. Instructions for downloading to Hoopla on the library's website: https://marinlibrary.org/ebooks/
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Saturday, October 17, 10am – 2pm
Saturday, October 17, 10am – 4pm
Saturday, October 31, 10am – 5pm
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Point Reyes National Seashore | (415) 663-1200 x 310 | development@ptreyes.org | www.ptreyes.org
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