Date: April 10, 2012
Contact: John Dell’Osso, 415-464-5135
As Point Reyes National Seashore commemorates our 50th Anniversary this year, Earth Day celebrations will take place along with several volunteer opportunities. National Volunteer Week honors the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. For 2012, National Volunteer Week will be observed from Sunday, April 15 through Saturday, April 21.
National Park Week is an annual Presidentially-proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks. National Park Week usually coincides with Earth Day (April 22). For 2012, National Park Week will be observed from Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, April 29.
Earth Day began when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, called for an environmental teach-in in 1969, which was inspired by the teach-ins dealing with the Vietnam War. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and drew an estimated 20 million participants. Tens of thousands of people filled New York's Fifth Avenue, Congress adjourned so members could speak across the nation, and at least 2,000 colleges marked the occasion. American Heritage Magazine called the first Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 174 countries by over a half billion people, making it the most celebrated secular holiday in the world, a day on which people get outdoors, plant trees, clean up trash and express support for the environment.
Your National Parks are living examples of the best this nation has to offer-our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge.
This year, take a moment, an hour, a day to visit a national park near you. In the San Francisco Bay Area, that includes Eugene O'Neill NHS (Danville), Golden Gate NRA (Marin, SF and San Mateo Counties), John Muir NHS (Martinez), Muir Woods NM (Marin County), Pinnacles NM (Paicines), Point Reyes NS (Marin County), Port Chicago Naval Magazine NMem (Concord), Rosie the Riveter/WWII Homefront NHP (Richmond), and San Francisco Maritime NHP (San Francisco).
As part of our National Volunteer Week, Earth Day, and National Park Week celebration, Point Reyes National Seashore will be hosting activities throughout the week prior to and on Earth Day to promote sustainability, to raise environmental awareness, and to discuss actions we can take to help reduce our environmental footprint. The week's activities will include:
Earth Day Soy-based/Natural Beeswax Crayon Mural
Date & Time: Monday, April 16-Sunday, April 22. 9 am-5 pm.
Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center
Description: Stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center and draw an Earth Day/sustainability-related or artistic message on our Earth Day mural.
Contact: Dale Dualan, 415-464-5100 ext. 5942
Green Junior Ranger Pledge Activity Sheet
Date & Time: Monday, April 16-Sunday, April 22. 9 am-5 pm.
Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center
Description: For kids of all ages. Stop by and pick a junior ranger activity and fill out an Earth Day pledge on what you will do to help the environment.
Contact: Anela Ramos, 415-464-5146
Third Thursday Weeders Volunteering
Date & Time: Thursday, April 19. 9:30 am-1:30 pm.
Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse
Description: Volunteer to remove non-native invasive iceplant with the Third Thursday Weeders. Meet at the Lighthouse parking lot.
Contact: Ellen Hamingson, 415-464-5196
Brown Bag Lecture: Point Reyes National Seashore Sustainability Program
Date & Time: Friday, April 20. 12 noon.
Location: Red Barn Classroom
Description: Earth day is around the corner! Come hear all about Point Reyes National Seashore's sustainable operations, how we are getting the message out to visitors, and highlights on some future sustainable projects.
Contact: Sara Hammond, 415-464-5165
Earth Day Marin
Date & Time: Saturday, April 21. 11 am - 6 pm.
Location: Marin Civic Center Lagoon Park
Description: Earth Day Marin is a free, day-long event with exhibitors, food, celebrity chefs, fun for kids and great music.
Contact: www.earthdaymarin.org
Science on a Sphere
Date & Time: Saturday, April 21 & Sunday April 22. 11 am-12 noon.
Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center Auditorium
Description: Join a National Park Service ranger in the Visitor Center's auditorium to get a perspective of planet Earth that once was available only to astronauts. Science on a Sphere® gives a view of the Earth and the forces that shape life on our planet. We use the Science on a Sphere® to illustrate various models such as atmospheric warming, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and other potential effects of climate change.
Contact: Bear Valley Visitor Center, 415-464-5100 x2 x5
Journey of the Whales
Date & Time: Saturday, April 21 & Sunday April 22. 1:30 pm-2 pm.
Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center
Description: Join a Ranger to learn about gray whales as they migrate past Point Reyes. Learn about their habits and adaptations, and hope for a whale sighting from the Observation Deck. Program lasts 30 minutes. This program is given out-of-doors. Come prepared for windy, cold and damp weather.
Contact: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center, 415-669-1534
On Shaky Ground
Date & Time: Saturday, April 21. 2 pm-3 pm.
Location: Earthquake Trailhead at Bear Valley
Description: Dare to tread the San Andreas Fault where the earth's crust shifted and moved 5 meters (16 feet) in 1906! Meet a Park Ranger at the start of the Earthquake Trail for this easy 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) walk.
Contact: Bear Valley Visitor Center, 415-464-5100 x2 x5
Illuminating the Point Reyes Light
Date & Time: Saturday, April 21. 7:45 pm.
Location: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center
Description: Experience the Point Reyes Lighthouse at sunset as many keepers have over the years. Learn about the lives of the keepers and the operation of the light amidst darkened skies. Space is limited on this popular program. Call 415-669-1534 after 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 21 to reserve space for your group. Group size is limited to 8. The program will be cancelled if winds exceed 40 mph. Call back between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to confirm status of program.
- Wear very warm clothes as the weather is often cold and windy.
- Bring a flashlight for the 0.6 km (0.4 mile) walk back to your car after sunset.
- Meet at the Lighthouse Visitor Center.
- Access to the Lighthouse requires a strenuous descent and ascent of 308 steps.
Contact: Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center, 415-669-1534
Earth Day Beach Cleanup
Date & Time: Sunday, April 22. 10 am-3 pm.
Location: Drakes Beach
Description: Come help pick up litter at Drakes Beach. Please bring gloves and a bucket. Meet at the Ken Patrick Visitor Center.
Contact: Sara Hammond, 415-464-5165
2012 Point Reyes Trails Challenge Information Table hosted by Point Reyes National Seashore Association
Date & Time: Sunday April 22. 10 am-3 pm.
Location: Outside in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center
Description: Register for and get information about the upcoming Trails Challenge program that will kick off on June 2012!Contact: Donna Faure, 415-663-1200 x303
Compost Demonstration
Date & Time: Sunday April 22. 10 am-3 pm.
Location: Outside in front of the Bear Valley Visitor CenterDescription: Learn how to start your own home composting and vermicomposting system.
Contact: Dale Dualan, 415-464-5100 x5942
Cultural History Talk at Kule Loklo with Nick Tipon
Date & Time: Sunday, April 22. 2 pm-3 pm.
Location: Bear Valley Visitor Center
Description: Come hear a talk given by Coast Miwok descendant Nick Tipon, who will discuss the Native Miwok's relationship to the earth. Nick will lead visitors along a 1.3 kilometer (0.8 mile) walk to Kule Loklo, a replica Coast Miwok village.
Contact: Anela Ramos, 415-464-5146
A Reading of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Date & Time: Sunday April 22. 10 am.
Location: Bear Valley Visitor CenterDescription: A classic children's story, with an environmental message, written by Dr. Seuss.
Contact: Kim Hawkins, 415-464-5130
Commemorating 50 years of Point Reyes National Seashore, 1962-2012
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