Article

Events & Announcements, December 2017

Mt. Tam Pollinator Survey Underway – Volunteers Needed

Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) and San Francisco State University have begun studying the bees of Mt. Tamalpais. This is the first time this part of Marin has ever been surveyed for pollinators. Community-science volunteers are needed to help sort and prepare bee specimens collected on the mountain to be sent to entomologists for further study.

Researchers will also generate a historical species list and review plant species currently known to be extirpated or declining to identify pollinator species that may be at risk. In addition, they will seek to understand changes in bee composition relevant to MMWD’s Forest Resiliency Project, and whether fuel break work opens up the landscape for bee populations to increase.

The team has chosen sites with high wildflower diversity, a good predictor for pollinators. The sites will be sampled again in five years to study species increases or decreases. However, information from this will be immediately useful to land managers; the data sampling method aligns with methods used nationally, so the data can be compared to sites across the nation. The team may even encounter new species of California pollinators!

Saturday, January 13 and Saturday January 27; 9 am–Noon. Meet at MMWD office in Corte Madera. Ages 13 and up. RSVP to volunteerprogram@marinwater.org is required as space is limited.

One Tam Wildlife Symposium Presentations Now Available

This year’s event featured some preliminary results from the Wildlife Picture Index Project, updates on new inventories of the mountain’s bats and bees, the health of several key species, and enhancement projects that will support wildlife on the mountain.

In addition, a special naturalist panel demonstrated several perspectives about local wildlife, including ecology, illustration, soundscapes, and keen observation through a naturalist’s point of view to spotlight a common but rarely seen denizen of the mountain: the woodrat.

The informative day closed with a call to action to do everything we can to protect our natural environment—and in doing so, protect ourselves. One Tam programs offer opportunities to learn about, discover, and engage with the ecosystems of Mt. Tam.

View presentations from the event at www.onetam.org/peak-health/resources-downloads.

Upcoming Park Academy Classes

  • John Muir Laws: Oil Sketching in Nature January 11, 12 –1:30 pm
  • One Tam Event: Wildlife Picture Index Workshop January 12, 1–4 pm
  • Marin Pollinator Workshop January 13, 9 am–2 pm
  • One Tam Event: Wildlife Picture Index Workshop January 18, 1–4 pm
  • One Tam Event: Wildlife Picture Index Workshop January 23, 1–4 pm
  • Marin Pollinator Workshop January 27, 9 am–2 pm

Classes are free for NPS and Conservancy staff and volunteers. For more details or to register see their website.

Upcoming Field Institute Classes

The Point Reyes National Seashore Association's Field Institute has many classes coming up, including:
  • The Magic of Water in your Watercolor Nature Journal November 4, 9 am–3:30 pm
    • An Evening of Lights: Astronomy and Bioluminescence Friday, January 12, 8–11 pm
    • Winter Birds of Tomales Bay January 13, 9 am–4 pm
    • Birding 101 January 20, 9 am–3 pm
    • Mushroom Identification January 21, 9 am–4 pm
    • Learn to Use an Adjustable Camera January 27, 10 am–5 pm

Point Reyes staff can register for a class at no charge, contact the Field Institute at 415-663-1200 x307 for more details.

Last updated: December 28, 2017