Bald eagles on downed tree along Lagunitas Creek.

What's Happening in Year Four: We are just embarking on a new year in the restoration cycle and are excited to see what changes Year Four has in store for us.

We are seeing increases in ducks and several breeding bird species relative to previous years, sightings of bald eagles and otters, and establishment by California red-legged frog, a federally threatened species, and Tidewater goby, a federally endangered species, in one of our mitigation wetlands. The plant community is also rapidly changing into a salt marsh. Learn more about these changes in our articles on this section of the website (click on a link above to learn more about the topic).

• Visit the How Can We Learn About the Restoration? page in the future for more detailed information on potential seminars in 2011 and 2012.
  

• Look for continued updates to the information on our Giacomini Restoration web site this winter about results of our monitoring of water quality, hydrology, vegetation, fish, birds, and more!!!

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Red-legged frog.

• Become Involved Through Our Volunteer Workdays:
  You can have an opportunity to actually become involved with the restoration process through one of our volunteer workdays.

Visit the How Can We Be a Part of the Restoration Process? page for more information on potential volunteer events in 2011 and 2012.

Photograph and information courtesy of Louis Jaffé, Point Reyes Station

Pelicans, egrets, and otters forage together in the northern portion of the East Pasture near Point Reyes Station in August 2009.

• Keep Informed Through Our Web Page: Also, check this web page again in the near future. We will be extensively updating this website through the fall and winter, so that we can continue to share this very exciting transformation with you. This website is intended to keep you up to date on the latest information on restoration status and progress, additional restoration and public access efforts in the future, and volunteer and educational opportunities.

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A kayaking tour explores the wetland habitat along Lagunitas Creek.

• What Happened During Year One?: Visit our 1-Year Anniversary Celebration page to download PDF versions of the presentations from our first anniversary celebration event, as well as 15 posters that summarized the amazing changes in more detail.

Volunteer Rick Johnson with two high school students listening to bird sounds in the Giacomini Wetlands.

• Kids in Wetlands: Summer usually is a time of fun and sun, but some kids enjoyed the fun in a slightly different way. Two classes of Bay Area kids came out to the Seashore last summer to spend time in the Giacomini Wetlands and other Seashore lands learning about natural resources and their value to both humans and wildlife. This program was so successful that PRNSA recently received funding to develop a Giacomini-specific wetlands curriculum for students. Congratulations PRNSA and Jessica Luo, the Seashore's former Ocean Education Coordinator! Learn more from Jessica Luo about the exciting program offered in the summer of 2009, or visit our Kids in Wetlands - Learning Through Experience page.

• "Just Add Water: A Marsh is Born at Point Reyes" - Bay Nature Magazine, October-December 2009
  A year after the levees were breached, wildlife is thriving at Giacomini Wetland at the south end of Tomales Bay. Read about it on BayNature.org.

• Download the "Giacomini Wetland Restoration: A Legacy for Tomales Bay" booklet (2,172 KB PDF)

Not Just a Local Treasure Anymore

Giacomini Wetlands isn't just a local treasure anymore. A visiting reporter from the New York Times returned to Point Reyes Station to find the former Giacomini Ranch greatly changed. Follow this link to learn how flooding and ebbing of the tides gave him a new perspective on time and life.
Time and Tide at Point Reyes, by Verlyn Klinkenborg

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Great Tree Tenders crew removing Himalayan blackberry from Tomasini Creek.

Is Restoration Work Really Complete?

Most of the construction has been completed, but the Seashore and PRNSA intend to continue fundraising efforts to expand or continue active restoration efforts in the Giacomini Ranch and Olema Marsh. In addition, many areas subject to invasives removal in 2008 will require subsequent re-treatment in future years to ensure eradication, with active revegetation conducted when eradication is successful. Lastly, it is important not only to restore wetlands, but to document the success of restoration efforts in achieving project objectives. Through monitoring, the Seashore will follow evolution of the Giacomini Wetlands and determine how well they function relative to natural tidal marshes. Download the "What's Next for the Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project?" poster (122 KB PDF) for a more detailed description of monitoring and potential future restoration actions.

What's Happening with the Restoration?

Water, Water, and More Water
How Long Will It Take For the Tidal Wetlands To Develop?
Two Years Later: Already Dramatic Improvements in Water Quality
Giacomini Wetlands: A Haven for Ducks
Spring is in the Air--and in the Water
Untangling the Food Web: Changes in Prey Base Following Restoration
What's the Long-Term Future of the Restored Wetlands?
How Can We Learn About the Restoration?
How Can We Be A Part of the Restoration Process?
Kids in Wetlands - Learning Through Experience
Where Can We View the Restored Wetlands?

-- Content for this page was composed by Lorraine Parsons, Project Manager, Giacomini Wetland Restoration Project, Point Reyes National Seashore

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