- California Art Club Celebrates 50 Years of Point Reyes National Seashore
January 13, 2012 through April 5, 2012
The San Francisco chapter of the California Art Club presents a selection of juried plein air landscape oil paintings created within Point Reyes National Seashore to kick off a year-long celebration of the park's 50th Anniversary.
The public is also invited to an artists' reception on March 10, 2012, from 11 am to 4 pm.
The Red Barn art gallery is open by appointment only, Mondays through Fridays, 9 am to 4 pm; closed holidays and as otherwise noted. Please contact Carola DeRooy at (415) 464.5125 or by email to schedule an appointment or for more information.
 The second Point Reyes Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4Kids) took place on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at Point Reyes National Seashore. Organized by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA), in partnership with the National Park Service, Sonoma Birding and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the event brought together over 100 children and parents who counted 977 birds and 71 species.
The children and parents split into nine groups led by naturalists who volunteered their time to teach the fundamentals of bird watching and counting. Each group covered a different part of the park and then returned with their tallies and stories to present their findings at the Tabulation Celebration. After the presentations, the families were treated to an educational visit by Sonoma Bird Rescue who introduced a Red-tailed hawk and Great horned owl. The event was expanded this year to include younger children, allowing youth ages 3 – 18 to participate. Additional support was provided by photographer Galen Leeds, Bovine Bakery of Point Reyes Station and REI.
Among the rare and interesting birds sighted were the Red-breasted nuthatch, the Mute swan, Swainson’s thrush, and the Peregrine falcon. The children also reported other interesting sightings, including a woodrat’s house, horses, a ranger, and the first violets of spring. A few things learned during the day were how to use binoculars; that you hear more birds than you see; that Acorn woodpeckers store acorns in tree trunks; and that ospreys like to nest on top of tree snags.
“We are thrilled to co-sponsor this free annual event for children and their families. It was especially gratifying to have such a tremendous turnout for the first event of Point Reyes National Seashore’s 50th anniversary,” said PRNSA Executive Director Deb Callahan.
Last year’s event was the first of its kind to be held in a national park. “Point Reyes National Seashore is proud to hold this special event in our park as it underscores the important role of the National Park Service in life-long learning,” said John Dell’Osso, Chief of Interpretation and Resource Education at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Every year for over a century, Christmas Bird Counts (CBC's) have been organized across America through Audubon Society chapters, mainly for adults, during mid-December and early January.
Young children with their families are often not included with this important 24-hour rigorous “citizen science” effort, so the CBC4Kids was created to instill some of the important basic ingredients of this grand old Audubon tradition. The objective is to have fun and potentially create a hometown team of birders and conservationists for the future while encouraging families to enjoy and respect nature together.
CBC4Kids was created by Tom Rusert and Darren Peterie of Sonoma Birding six years ago. The event has now gone nation-wide and was introduced in Canada this year. This year’s event was produced in support of the Let’s Move Outside project, a campaign spearheaded by Michele Obama to promote outdoor physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle for children.
Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) received the Heart of Marin Award for "Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence" from the Center of Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin. The award honors our work in the areas of conservation and environmental education, including our efforts to increase access for underserved youth to environmental education opportunities and the natural world.
This year we will provide scholarships, fee waivers, transportation and equipment so that over 780 youth can attend our summer camp and school year environmental education programs that are run out of the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center. Scholarships allow underserved youth the opportunity explore, study, enjoy, and gain a sense of ownership of public land. Over one third of all participants who attend our youth programs are provided a scholarship, more than twice as many as three years ago. Youth who spend time in nature perform better academically, have better social relationships, and experience less stress. For many young people who attend our youth programs the experience is life-changing, offering a window to new experiences and career paths. For some, it is also their very first visit to the ocean or sleeping under the stars.
"There is a certain passion that comes with love of the environment and a certain bond with people that comes from this passion that excludes no one. There is nothing in my life more important than this, and I know that it was born in the foggy hills of Point Reyes."
~ Megan B., Counselor-In-Training 2008, Counselor/Intern Naturalist 2010-11
We would also like to thank the many people who provide community grants to support our Summer Camp and School Program.
Point Reyes National Seashore Association is pleased to report that the the National Park Service (NPS) signed agreements this week with the California State Parks to keep open two popular West Marin parks slated for closure next year due to the State's budget shortfall. Tomales Bay State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park will remain open, but on reduced schedules.
"Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay State Park share geography, history, ecosystem and visitors. We are committed to working with our State Park colleagues and the community to keep this vital community resource open," said Cicely Muldoon, Superintendent at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Tomales Bay State Park
Beginning July 1, 2012, Point Reyes National Seashore will assume visitor and resource protection responsibilities and routine maintenance operations at Tomales Bay State Park. Through this agreement, the NPS will preserve the existing State Park maintenance position and will provide additional maintenance support with existing NPS staff. The NPS will collect the regular State Park visitor use fees for the park on behalf of the State; the State will provide those funds back to the NPS to help offset the cost of operating the state park on a reduced schedule.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park/Mt. Tamalpais State Park
An agreement between Golden Gate National Recreation Area and California State Parks calls for extended cooperative management in the operation of Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Beginning January 1, 2012, the NPS will collect a $2.00 State Park day use fee at Muir Woods, with the funds going to a special account, the Redwood Creek Watershed Collaboration Fund. This fund will be used to support operations at Mt. Tamalpais State Park, and will enable the state to continue operation of Samuel P. Taylor State Park at least 5 days per week, and also complete projects to enhance park visitor experiences and protect resources in the watershed of Redwood Creek. Annually, the state and national park partners will select the projects to be supported by the Watershed Collaboration Fund.
The agreements will maintain operations at the parks during the proposed closures from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. The pilot program will then be evaluated, and may extend beyond 2013.
While the agreements will provide basic operations to continue at Tomales Bay and Samuel P. Taylor, it does not provide any support for capital improvements or repairs.
National Park Service Press Release: National Park Service and California State Parks Sign Agreements to Keep State Parks Within National Park Boundaries in Marin County Open - October 6, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dear Friends of Point Reyes,
Here's what was planned...a four lane highway up the Olema Valley, a
massive housing development at Limantour, eight new cities in Marin,
150,000 more people on the Point Reyes peninsula and east shore of
Tomales Bay...instead what happened, 49 years ago today, was the creation
of Point Reyes National Seashore, 70,000+ acres enjoyed by more than 2
million people every year, inheritor of a deep human history on the land,
and one of the planet's most biologically rich areas. What a gift.
Preservation of this place, like so many parks across the system, didn't
happen by accident - it was the action of a committed citizenry together
with the National Park Service that fought to preserve this amazing
landscape, and thanks to them we enjoy this spectacular national park
today. We who are privileged to work in this place today have inherited a
great legacy, and bear a great responsibility to pass it on to future
generations. That's work worth doing. As Peter Behr said, "conservation
victories can be temporary, while the losses are permanent." A heartfelt
thanks for your support of this special place.
And if you are stuck in an office today, get outside at some point, and
think about what might have been if this great place had not been set aside
for all Americans, for all time.
Happy Birthday Point Reyes National Seashore!
Cicely Muldoon
Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
 From all our Board and Staff, we would like to thank all our event sponsors, business partners, guests, auction donors and winners who made our 2nd annual Dinner on the Pacific Plate such a success. On Saturday, September 10, 2011, we had over 250 guests join us in celebrating our beautiful park by the sea. Guests enjoyed 1 of 12 pre-dinner hikes, cocktails and appetizers with many local vendors and dinner under an elegant tent presented by Pam Ferrari Catering. Environmentalist and journalist Doug McConnell hosted the evening's program and our young stewards of our summer camp program spoke about why their experiences at Point Reyes National Seashore means so much to them. Relive the moments by checking out our event photos taken by Paige Green, or be enticed to join us in our Dinner on the Pacific Plate celebration of the park's 50th anniversary next year on Saturday, September 22, 2012.
To learn more about this event, or to get involved next year visit our Dinner on the Pacific Plate event page.
The Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) Board of Directors is proud to share first with you, our loyal supporter, the exciting news that in early June, Deb Callahan, a nationally recognized environmental leader and strategist will become our new executive director.
Most recently Deb served as president of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to improving the scientific and economic foundation for environmental policy. Teresa Heinz Kerry, the center's founder, describes Deb as "an extraordinary advocate for conservation."
Prior to the Heinz Center, Deb was president of the League of Conservation Voters for 10 years, leading its transformation into the national organization that has helped elect over 100 pro-environment Republican and Democratic members of Congress. She was the founding executive director of the Brainerd Foundation and a program officer with the W. Alton Jones Foundation, both major environmental grant-making foundations. Early on Deb worked on environmental issues for state and national political campaigns; now she is a recognized innovator in applying grassroots organizing strategies to achieve environmental policy goals.
Impressive as Deb's accomplishments are, character also matters very much to us. Deb is an optimist whose passion, energy, vision and determination are contagious, encouraging us to look for possibilities rather than limits. This is the outlook and energy we really wanted. In her words: "Point Reyes National Seashore is a unique and inspiring place with extraordinary natural, cultural and recreational resources. I look forward to working with the National Park Service in contributing to the proud tradition of protecting Point Reyes and helping people appreciate its wonders."
A native Californian, Deb is delighted to be moving back to our state and to this beautiful area in particular, leaving behind the urban congestion and politicized atmosphere in Washington. She grew up in Southern California and received her B.A degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her husband, Ken Cook, is president and co-founder of Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit using the power of public information to protect public health and the environment; among his interests are agricultural policy and organic farming. They have a 3-year-old son, Cal.
We are so glad that Point Reyes and brought her to us at just the right moment. All of us at PRNSA and the National Park Service management team are excited to have her at PRNSA's helm as we prepare for the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Point Reyes National Seashore in 2012. While we look back with admiration at the great people who worked so hard to create this park 50 years ago, we also look forward to the exciting possibilities the next 50 years will offer for this park and the PRNSA-NPS partnership. All of us at PRNSA appreciate that a place as special as our park demands our very best efforts.
Sincerely,
Betty Anne Carlin, Chair
PRNSA Board of Directors
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