Photo: Anela Kopshever / NPS

August 19, 2025



Dear Friend, 

The PRNSA board of directors recently gathered in person for the first time since we welcomed five new members. Connecting with each other and staff in this place we all love was revitalizing. We each bring distinct strengths, skillsets, and perspectives to this work, but what unites us is the deep care we all hold for the Seashore and its communities, and a commitment to our mission of conservation, access, education, and restoration.

We completed our open board recruitment process this spring, after casting a wide net that helped us add five skilled new directors, each with unique experiences that complement PRNSA’s stellar staff and our NPS colleagues, ensuring they have the support they need:

Alder Wheeler is a PhD student in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. Originally from West Marin, they bring a background spanning botany, natural history education, and land stewardship to our organization, alongside deep experience in social services, community organizing, and collective work. 

Jim Stephenson is a nature finance specialist with 19 years of experience working in sustainable land use and conservation, and is motivated to help improve the accessibility of Point Reyes for people from all backgrounds across the Bay Area.

Roberto Reichard has 30 years of experience in the engineering, construction, and energy industries. He is passionate about clean energy and climate adaptive and resilient infrastructure, and is an avid hiker, kayaker and outrigger canoe paddler.

Stef Williams is a CPA, holds a Certified Financial Planner credential, and runs a wealth management firm in Marin. He likes to bird the world, has visited every National Park in the system and hiked nearly every mile of trail at our Seashore.

Yensing Sihapanya is a seasoned leader in the San Francisco non-profit sector, with extensive passion for early childhood education, family support, and community organizing. She first fell in love with Point Reyes as a 6th grader on a school field trip from the Tenderloin.

Learn more about each of them and find our full board roster here. We are tasked to be ambassadors for the Park, listening ears in our communities, and wisdom keepers for staff and our NPS partners.

You can count on running into PRNSA board members on the trails, and at our many field programs and events—including our fabulous annual Party on the Pacific Plate on September 20th. Please welcome our new board members when you see them, and know they’re here to serve the Seashore!

Catherine Porter

PRNSA Board Chair

Plover Rescue & Release

In May, a severe windstorm led to the loss of 12 of 17 active plover nests at the Seashore. However, PRNSA and Point Blue conservation biologists found and recovered two eggs in the process of hatching—they were buried almost six inches deep in the sand. After confirming the eggs were abandoned, they were rushed to International Bird Rescue’s facility in Fairfield.

Over the next eight weeks, IBR’s expert team cared closely for the plovers, hand-feeding them and subsequently introducing them to new foods, weighing and examining them to ensure normal growth and development, and mimicking their natural environment to prepare them for release. On June 30, IBR, PRNSA, and Point Blue gathered at North Beach to release all five plovers.

Upcoming Events

Thursday Weeders at

Abbotts Lagoon

August 21, 10am-2pm

Join PRNSA and park staff every other Thursday from 10am-2pm at Abbotts Lagoon to help restore critical coastal dune habitat.

North Beach Habitat Restoration

Sat. August 30, 11am-1pm

Join park staff and volunteers in removing invasive plant species at North Beach to restore our shoreline habitats. Meet by the visitor parking lot.

September Member Full Moon Walk

Sat. Sept. 6, 6pm-8:30pm

Join us for a five mile hike at Tomales Point, a spectacular place to watch both the sunset and the moonrise. Become a member!

California Naturalist Program Fall 2025

Sept. 27- Nov. 1

Become a Certified California Naturalist at Point Reyes! Explore and learn alongside some of the state's most knowledgeable naturalists.

Council of All Beings Point Reyes

Sat. Oct. 4, 10am-3pm

During this practice of empathy and connection, invite the presence of an animal, plant, element, or landscape to speak through you.

Mountain to Sea Guided Hike

Sat. Oct.18, 8:30am-3:30pm

Venture from Douglas fir forests to coastal chaparral. This rigorous route clocks in at 10.1 miles and just under 1,700' elevation gain.

Volunteer at POPP 2025!

We're looking for event volunteers to support our 16th annual Party on the Pacific Plate on Saturday, September 20! Tasks will include setting up the bar and food station, cleaning up, monitoring the waste and recycle station, and assisting with decor and service. Please register here or contact cristobalcs@ptreyes.org if you are interested.

Join our Legacy Circle

August is Make-a-Will Month, the perfect time to create or update your will, and a reminder that your legacy can shape the future for generations to come. A legacy gift to PRNSA will support projects and programs that preserve and protect Point Reyes National Seashore resources and enrich the visitor experience forever. The vast majority of legacy gifts are made by bequest through a will or trust.

Gallery Route One's BOX SHOW

"Family" by M. Kathryn Thompson

Through September 13, our friends at Gallery Route One are hosting their annual BOX SHOW. This exhibition is GRO's biggest fundraiser of the year, and a chance for artists from around the Bay Area to showcase the inventive and ingenious ways works of art can emerge from the starting point of a simple wooden box. Visit the gallery to view the artworks—many of which take inspiration from the natural beauty of the Seashore—and place your bids today!