Event
Habitat Restoration Program Workdays through May 2019
Fee:
Free.Location: LAT/LONG: 38.040928, -122.799679
Variable, meet at the Bear Valley Visitor Center
Dates & Times
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Type of Event
Description
Volunteers help protect and restore endangered plant and wildlife habitat at Abbotts Lagoon, the Lighthouse Bluffs, and other high value habitat areas at Point Reyes National Seashore. Visit some of the most beautiful areas in the park and learn about local plant ecology while you work alongside park staff to carry out ecological restoration projects. We encourage volunteers nine years of age and older of all backgrounds and experience levels to participate. Tools, gloves, and training are provided. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes, long pants, long-sleeved tops, and other seasonally appropriate clothing (i.e., extra warm/windproof layers), as well as to bring lunch and at least 2 liters of water. Get involved, meet new people, and make a positive impact on your environment!
Please join us for our next Habitat Restoration Program (HRP) volunteer workday on Sunday, December 9, 2018, removing invasive Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). We will be removing Scotch broom on Home Ranch near Estero Road. As well as increasing fire risk and degrading habitat for native plant communities and the wildlife they support, Scotch broom reduces available forage for cattle.
We will be working in a coastal scrub/grassland mix and may be climbing some slopes. Plenty of small-to-medium-sized plants are present in the more open grassland sites in the pasture just north of the Estero trailhead and further south adjacent to the road, so although poison oak is present in nearby scrub, participants should not have trouble avoiding it during this project. Broom removal can be physically challenging and also very rewarding. We have seen native grasses and forbs expand as we have removed Scotch broom.
Meet at 9 am in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center. From there we'll carpool and caravan to the work site. We will work until 1 pm, and then have lunch near the work site.
We need at least four volunteers to confirm their participation by 3 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2018, in order to hold this workday. Please RSVP to Ellen Hamingson at 415-464-5196 or by email so that she can plan accordingly. She will be in touch with those who respond if inclement weather or lack of participants forces cancellation of the workday. The workday will proceed if light to moderate rain is forecast. Ellen can provide some raingear; please contact her with your jacket, pants, and/or boot size if you would like to borrow some gear.
If you are interested in helping restore habitat at Point Reyes, but can't participate in this day's event, visit our Volunteer: Habitat Restoration page to learn about other HRP workdays, including Third Thursday Weeders workdays, which are held on the third Thursdays of some months.
California Invasive Species Action Week
The 2018 California Invasive Species Action Week was observed from Saturday, June 2, through Sunday, June 10, 2018. The goal of the Action Week is to increase public awareness and promote public participation in California's fight against invasive species. There are numerous ways for people to participate, either independently, or as part of an organized effort. For example, you can learn which invasive species are issues in your area, remove invasives from your property, select native plants for your garden, harvest them for food, or volunteer to remove invasives from a participating park.
California Invasive Species Action Week Youth Art Contest
Kids, you can learn about an invasive species that threatens your favorite outdoor place, and enter the Department of Fish and Wildlife's "Pledge to Not Spread!" youth art contest. The deadline for entries was June 1, 2018, and winners were announced during the Action Week! Check out the CISAW web page for poster contest details and to find out how you can take action: www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Action-Week.
The CISAW Schedule of Events will be filled with volunteer opportunities and events hosted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, California's National and State Parks, and dedicated volunteer programs and organizations across the state. Check the Action Week web page to find a participating organization or event near you, or for details on hosting a project or event of your own!
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