Point Reyes

Visitor Guide National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Point Reyes National Seashore The official visitor guide of Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes Has a Season for Everyone Welcome For nearly a century, National Parks have been sanctuaries for people seeking peace from the turmoil of daily life. Since 1962, Point Reyes National Seashore has been a refuge, protected as a living landscape, and abundant seascape, and wilderness. A typical year on the Point Reyes Peninsula abounds with opportunities to enjoy an enormous variety of natural experiences. Each season has its own character and delights making a visit worthwhile at any time of year. Even shrouded in August fog or pummeled by a drenching cloudburst in March, the beauty of this singular dynamic landscape is inescapable. © Audobon Canyon Ranch, Gordon Sherman Photo Collection Spring - Greening of the Landscape Spring is the natural beginning of the year, when the first flowers emerge and migrants, both fluked and feathered, pass by Point Reyes heading north to nesting and feeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. The peninsula hosts nearly one hundred resident bird species, and another one hundred migrant species winter here. In spring and fall, many birds stop by to take advantage of the abundant food and water available here. Just offshore, the gray whales that passed by in January and February on their way to birthing lagoons in Mexico swim past the lighthouse returning to the rich feeding in the cold waters off Alaska. Mothers traveling with their newborn calves can be seen approaching from the south, passing very near to the Point. From the lighthouse we see their barnacle encrusted backs as they blow a few times and then dive to round the Point. On the opposite end of the Point Reyes headland, at Chimney Rock, wildflowers such as pussy ears, iris, poppies, blue-eyed grass, and larkspur—among dozens of other species—color the hillsides. Down on the pocket beaches below, elephant seal pups—born during the cool rainy winter, nursed for about a month, and then left on the beaches by their mothers—are seen throughout the spring. Joining them, after the adults leave, are the juveniles, returning to molt on the beaches where they were born. Bolinas Lagoon and Drakes Estero provide havens for harbor seal pupping. In these protected waters the seals haul out on sandbars, rest and nurse their young. At low tide they are a common sight from Highway 1 turnouts. These areas are closed to kayakers in order to protect them during this vulnerable time. (Continued on page 2) Fire Permit You may obtain a free permit for a beach fire at Point Reyes National Seashore from any park visitor center. You must follow regulations as described on the permit. On high fire days, all permits are null and void. Call (415) 464-5100 for current fire conditions. From a peaceful walk through a misty shrouded forest to a sunny perch above the wide open expanse of the Pacific Ocean, you have plenty of opportunities to find a suitable retreat. In doing so, you may witness the drama of the changing seasons, as foggy summers give way to clear autumn days, and as sunbrowned fall gives way to winter’s replenishing rains. You may also observe the magic of this place as snowy plovers nest among the seaside pebbles and as harbor seals give birth to their young in the esteros. While the bugling of tule elk on Tomales Point symbolizes fall on the peninsula, the year closes with the return of the northern elephant seal and the migration of the Pacific gray whale. Enjoy your visit and help us to preserve this national treasure so that future generations may find wonder and solace here as well. Through active stewardship, this place will remain a refuge for all. Photos from top: A beautiful day on Drakes Beach. Mule ears are a beautiful sight during the Spring wildflower bloom. Least sandpipers are among the many shorebirds that can be seen foraging on seashore beaches. Elephant seals are winter guests. Weaned pups, like those pictured, are the last to leave in the late spring. Emergencies Report emergencies to visitor center staff or call 911. Cellular service is not available in most park locations. Pay phones are located at all three visitor centers. Lost and Found Items may be turned in or reported missing at Bear Valley, Drakes Beach, or the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Become a Junior Ranger! Ask at the Bear Valley Visitor Center or the Lighthouse Visitor Center for your Junior Ranger activity packet. For more fun, visit these websites: www.nps.gov/pore/forkids/index.htm www.nps.gov/webrangers Don L. Neubacher Superintendent Inside This Issue Page 2 ... .......Seasons of Point Reyes Page 4 ... .......Human Layers on the Land Page 6 ... .......Planning Your Visit Page 7 ... .......Recreation Page 8 ... .......Just For Kids Visit us on the web at www.nps.gov/pore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Established in 1962, Point Reyes National Seashore preserves and protects over 71,000 acres including 32,000 acres of designated wilderness and 80 miles of wild, undeveloped coastline. With its rich biological diversity, and cultural history Point Reyes provides critical habitat to wildlife, is a repository for over 3,000 years of cultural history, and serves as a haven for the restoration of the human spirit. Seasons of Point Reyes Limantour Beach is a fine destination in any season, but spring walks along its shore reveal the results of winter and spring storms. Driftwood and kelp wash up on the beach and changing wind patterns strand thousands of Vellela vellela, a colonial hydroid, coloring the beaches a bright blue. Limantour Beach © Susan Van Der Wal Superintendent Don Neubacher Chief of Interpretation John A. Dell’Osso Contributers Catherine Ball Loretta Farley Doug Hee Chris Lish Alice Nash Danielle Norris Melinda Repko Emily Scott Mary Beth Shenton Mailing Address 1 Bear Valley Road Point Reyes, CA 94956 Website www.nps.gov/pore Fax Number (415) 663-8132 Park Headquarters (415) 464-5100 The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. Tule elk, a species reintroduced to Point Reyes in the 1970s, flourish on Tomales Point. In spring, they are calving and should always be observed from a safe distance. These majestic animals once numbered 500,000 in California, but following the Gold Rush, they were hunted nearly to extinction. In 1874, a Los Banos rancher discovered a few elk on his property and Tule elk cow & calf © Frank Binney became the first to commit efforts toward protecting them. Today more than 3,200 Tule elk range over several protected areas of California. Summer—Fog Over Fields of Gold In summer, the hillsides made green by the abundant winter and early spring rains, turn a golden brown. Flowers still bloom along the coast and in cool, wet areas where water is still plentiful. In stark contrast to hot inland areas, thick fog blankets the headlands, making it necessary to bundle up in warm layers. To find the warmth of the sun, you need only return to the Bear Valley area where temperatures can be 20 degrees higher. (Continued from front page) Over 130 bird species nest at Point Reyes. As the season progresses the young birds test their wings. This is an opportunity to see juvenile plumage and feeding behaviors, as young birds continue to beg for food from parents. Over 20 federally and state protected bird species, such as the Northern spotted owl and the Bank swallow, make Northern spotted owl fledglings their home on the peninsula. A natural stopover for migratory birds jutting ten miles out into the Pacific Point Reyes has abundant wetland areas for resting and feeding. The Tule elk enter into their mating rut in late summer. The bulls’ plaintive bugle resounds along this headland a few hundred feet above the crashing waves. The bulls challenge each other for control of large harems of females with which to mate. To aid you in spotting elk and understanding their behavior, docents are on site at Tomales Point on weekends and holidays, from June to September. Tule elk bull © Bruce Farnsworth Labor Day signals summer’s end with the Drakes Beach Sand Sculpture Contest. Dozens of competitors arrive in the morning to carve their masterpieces, while spectators and judges provide encouragement. 2007 Sand scuplture contest Lighthouse fog This publication was funded through a grant from the Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA). PRNSA is the primary non-profit park partner working with the community to fund and implement preservation projects throughout the park and to educate people about the environment. To learn more visit www.ptreyes.org. Golden hills of summer Abbotts Lagoon, a good wildflower destination in spring, bears fruit in the form of blackberries and salmonberries in summer. The dunes provide good nesting habitat for the Western snowy plover, a bird protected under the Endangered Species Act and monitored at Point Reyes since 1977. The critical nesting habitat among the low dune vegetation has been altered by the spread of non-native beach grasses, that predators use as screens to access birds and nests. Human activities, such as dog-walking, also impact the nesting success of the plovers. Exclosures around the nesting sites help protect the birds. Please don’t approach or disturb these sites. On weekends and holidays during nesting season, docents are on site to help you learn more about these threatened shorebirds. This publication was printed on recycled paper. Western snowy plover © Callie Bowdish Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Guide Autumn—Sunny Days and Warm Southerly Breezes Fog and wind subside on the coast, bringing forth the warm days that we longed for during the summer chill. The Lighthouse and Chimney Rock temperatures can climb to near eighty degrees during these warm spells. Stalks of dried hemlock and cow parsnip rise up from the drought-laden hillsides, reminders that it has been six long months since the last rain storm. Great Beach Acorns, the season’s bounty, droop from live oaks and tanoaks in the Bear Valley area. In autumn, Coast Miwok Indians sent their sons into the trees to dislodge this coveted seed. Acorn woodpeckers store them in excavated niches for future eating. Insect larvae invade the cached acorns, providing the woodpeckers with protein to complement the fat. Tan oak acorn Page 2 1946, led to the recovery of this gentle species. The Pacific gray whale population is estimated at about 20,000 today. The black-tailed deer enter their rut during this time. The Bear Valley area is full of this activity in autumn. Out on the coast, visitors might catch a glimpse of blue or humpback whales, as they make a brief, but unforgettable, appearance for the fortunate onlooker. Black-tailed deer Humpback whale spouting Migratory birds are winging over the peninsula again. This year’s fledglings, inexperienced in long-distance travel, often end up in the Monterey cyprus trees near the ranches and the lighthouse. Godwits & willets © Rich Stallcup Fall is a great time for hiking and backpacking. Without the fickle weather and high winds of spring, hikers can rely on more amenable conditions. The summer rush is over and camping permits are easier to obtain. Common Yellowthroat © Susan Farrar Winter—Blow, West Winds, Blow Winter storms ravage the coastline, depositing wrack on the beaches and occasionally causing landslides. But between storms, some of Point Reyes’ most beautiful days offer ideal weather for being outdoors. Come prepared for these capricious conditions. Another conservation success story, the Northern elephant seal hauls out on pocket beaches surrounding the Point Reyes headland in early winter. Females are among the first to arrive, giving birth to pups conceived during the previous year’s visit. By the end of the 19th century, Northern elephant seals had declined to as few as 20, victims of hunters taking advantage of the seals’ vulnerability during breeding season. Elephant seal populations are now estimated at 150,000, thanks to Mexico’s 1922 seal hunting ban, which helped save these charismatic giants from extinction. Northern elephant seal bull © Susan Farrar Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Guide Poison Oak Toxicodendron diversilobum Contact with any part of the poison oak plant causes a blistering rash. Generally this can be treated at home. More severe cases may need to see a health professional. If you know you have had contact with poison oak, thoroughly wash the affected area as soon as possible to remove the active oils. Preventative topical ointements are available to help avoid reactions to poison oak. From late December through March, on weekends and holidays, a shuttle bus is required for transport to whale and elephant seal observation areas. Inquire at any visitor center for more details. In January and February, Coho salmon and Steelhead trout swim up the creeks from their ocean home to spawn. Lagunitas and Olema Creeks flash with silver as the thrashing fish create depressions in the river gravels, called redds, and lay their eggs. The males fertilize the eggs and the fertilized eggs are covered by gravels when the female scrapes out another redd just upstream. The young spend 1—2 years Coho salmon in freshwater before tackling the open ocean, where they spend their adult lives before returning to spawn. Human activities, such as logging and dam construction, have impaired and destroyed fish habitat, leading to a drastic decline in the species’ numbers. Through habitat restoration efforts, stream conditions are improving and Coho salmon and Steelhead trout are returning to many of their historic spawning Coho salmon eggs streams. Hidden underground, networks of mycorrhizae facilitate the water and nutrient uptake of trees and plants. These structures are the result of the integration of fungi with specialized plant roots. In winter, this hidden process erupts to the surface when the fungal reproductive structures—what we call mushrooms—emerge. Hundreds of mushroom hunters also emerge, seeking delightful edibles—such as chanterelles and boletus—but also to simply enjoy the amazing diversity of these often overlooked beauties. Please use extreme caution as many mushrooms are not edible and some can be fatal if consumed. Winter storm © Al Simms Winter is far from a dormant season here. Visitors crowd the lighthouse observation deck to watch for the return of the Pacific gray whales, usually first seen in December. Making their annual 10,000—mile roundtrip journey between Alaska and Mexico, they are drawn to the protected, warmwater lagoons of Baja to bear their calves. By the 1930s, intensive whaling along the California coast caused the gray whale population to dwindle to a mere 1000 individuals. A ban on gray whale hunting adopted in 1937, and an international whaling ban signed in Whale watching at the Lighthouse Be on the Lookout for... Poison oak Stinging Nettle Urtica diotica Bare skin brushing up against a stinging nettle plant tends to break delicate defensive hairs on the leaves and stems that protect the plant from browsing animals. This releases a trio of chemicals, usually resulting in a painful skin rash, typically lasting less than 24 hours. A topical analgesic (used to treat poison oak or bug bites) can be applied to help alleviate the sting. Stinging nettle Deer Ticks Ticks that carry Lyme disease are known to occur in this area. Stay on trails and check your clothing frequently. The sooner that ticks are removed, the less the chance of transmittal of the organism that causes illness. Wearing lightcolored, long pants helps you spot them; tuck your pant legs inside your socks to keep them from crawling up your legs. Always check your body completely at the end of your hike. actual size Just For Kids—Answer Key Clockwise from top left: Amanita franchetii; Clavulinopsis corniculata © Dimitar Bojantchev Melastiza chateri; Inocybe cinnamomea; © Darvin DeShazer Every season at Point Reyes has a flavor and texture all its own, leading millions of visitors to return year after year, to walk the shoreline, hike the trails, explore the forests, and enjoy the great natural variety of plants, animals, and landscapes protected here. Seashore Scavenger Hunt: Across: 1. Drake 5. Lighthouse 7. Chimney 8. elephant Down: 2. Andreas 3. Miwok 4. dairy 6. Tule Who am I? 1.Tule Elk; Habitat: open grassland and marshes. 2. Brown pelican; Habitat: prefer shallow inshore waters such as estuaries and bays; never found more than 20 miles out to sea or inland on fresh water. 3. California quail; Habitat: open woodlands, brushy foothills, desert washes, forest edge, chaparral, stream valleys, agricultural lands, and suburb areas. Cover is needed for roosting, resting, nesting, escaping from predators, and for protection from the weather.4. California sea lion; Habitat: mostly water but they will haul out for long periods of time on rocky shorelines. Arrowhead Challenge: 1. Plants 2. Animals 3. History 4. Land forms (beautiful scenery) 5. Water resources Bonus Question: late December through early April with peak sightings mid—January and mid—March. Page 3 Human Layers on the Land O ver 5,ooo years of human history awaits your discovery at Point Reyes. More than just a natural sanctuary, this peninsula holds within its forested ridges, rolling grasslands, and coastal expanses the stories of people who came before us. Their cultures, interactions, and experiences are echoed in the landscape. These human layers offer a window into our past and hold the potential to shape our lives even today. Coast Miwok—The First People Coast Miwok people inhabited small family villages in present-day Marin and Sonoma Counties for thousands of years. They enjoyed a rich economy based on gathering, fishing, and hunting. At the time of European contact, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 Coast Miwok lived in Coast Miwok in Regalia the area. Acorns, a nutritious starchy seed, were a favored staple of the Coast Miwok. A family of four ate about 500 pounds of acorns a year. Acorns, collected in autumn, were stored in granaries, and later prepared and cooked by the women. Miwok women also gathered and prepared plant materials, such as willow, hazel, lupine and sedge, for making baskets. Many of these beautiful baskets are now in museum collections around the world. Coast Miwok Basket Miwok men made at least two types of arrows, one long and one short. The longer was used for deer and bear, and the shorter for accuracy. Tips were made from manzanita wood, obsidian, and other stone. Sinew was used to attach three feather fletchings and the point. Early Explorers— Missionaries and Privateers The home of the Coast Miwok people remained undiscovered by Europeans until a quest for new land and riches brought European explorers to the California coast in the late 1500s. In 1579, the English privateer, Francis Drake, became the first European to land in present-day California. Thought to have careened his ship, the Golden Hind, into an estuary along the Point Reyes Sir Francis Drake © National Archives peninsula to make repairs, Drake camped along a nearby beach which today bears his name. He claimed this new land for Queen Elizabeth, before completing a circumnavigation of the globe. Trade routes led Spanish galleons past Point Reyes and in 1595, the wreck of Sebastian Cermeño’s galleon, the San Agustin, became the first recorded shipwreck here. On January 6, 1603, Sebastian Vizcaiño sighted the headlands on the feast day of the Epiphany. Vizcaiño named the point “la Punta de los tres Reyes”-the Point of the Three Kings-to honor the three wise men. Franciscan missionaries arrived overland in 1775 and changed the traditional life of the Coast Miwok forever. Disease, malnutrition, cultural loss, and depression destroyed 90% of the Miwok population in less than 100 years. The mission fathers released large herds of feral cattle, which grazed as far west as Point Reyes. Secularization of the missions followed Mexican independence from Spain and led to land grants that divided the peninsula and expanded cattle ranching. The expansive coastal prairie that early ranchers found here was partly the result of Coast Miwok burning practices over more than two millennia. Ranching by the Sea In 1849, a wave of immigrants came west in search of gold. Settlers on the Point Reyes peninsula found their fortune not in nuggets of precious metal, but in great golden wheels of cheese and casks of butter made for the growing city of San Francisco. The cool, moist climate of Point Reyes was ideal for dairy ranching: plenty of grass, a long growing season, and abundant fresh water. The 1880 History of Marin County remarked of Point Reyes, “The grass growing in the fields on Monday is butter on the city tables the following Sunday.” Although the peninsula was granted to Mexican settlers, their claims were often disputed. Eventually, a San Francisco law firm, Shafter, Shafter, Park, and Heydenfeldt established ownership. They sold the northernmost tip to Solomon Pierce and divided the rest into tenant dairies, largely run by new immigrants. The ranches were designated alphabetically: “A” Ranch-closest to the Lighthouse-through “Z” Ranch-on the summit of Mt. Wittenberg. Park headquarters and Bear Valley Visitor Center stand at the site of “W” ranch. Point Reyes dairies set the standard for product quality and soon were producing record yields of butter and cheese. In 1919, the Shafter firm sold the tenant ranches, and many immigrant families bought the land they had worked so diligently. Light Keepers, Lifesavers and the Age of Wireless Radio Gold-miners, dairy farmers, and lumbermen counted on safe passage through the waters offshore of Point Reyes to transport valuable goods to and from the booming port of San Francisco. Jutting ten miles out into the ocean and plagued by treacherous currents, thick fog, and punishing winds, the sheer granite headlands of the Point Reyes provided a deadly challenge to even the most skilled sailor. Recognizing the severity of these conditions, the U.S. Lighthouse Board constructed the Point Reyes Lighthouse in 1870. With its revolutionary first order Frenchmade Fresnel lens and mechanism, this beacon helped provide safe passage and served as an aid to navigation. Point Reyes Lighthouse E. Muybridge Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Guide In addition to tending the light, keepers in 1870 had to wash the lens, polish brass, and, at foggy times, stoke the furnace with coal for the steam-powered fog signal. Keepers often responded to shipwrecks and risked their lives to rescue others from the raging seas and deadly cliffs below the lighthouse. A the end of each shift, they had to ascend nearly 300 feet along a wooden stairway, often in howling winds, to reach the comfort of their homes. Loneliness and depression were constant companions, and many drank alcohol, though it was forbidden. A San Francisco Chronicle writer noted that one keeper was “notorious for his love of the flowing bowl. It is said that he even regaled himself when out of whiskey with the alcohol furnished for cleaning lamps…” Lifesavers at work Despite the heroics of lighthouse keepers, ships continued to founder along the rocky shores of Point Reyes. In response, the first lifesaving station was established in 1889 on the Great Beach, north of the lighthouse. Like the lighthouse keepers, lifesavers endured grueling and dangerous conditions. They walked the beach day and night in four-hour shifts through bone chilling fog and fierce winds watching for shipwrecks and passengers in need of rescue from the frigid waters and powerful currents. Even their weekly drills were dangerous requiring the seamen to launch the lifeboat through the pounding surf twice a week. The severity of that risk resonates through the Life Saving Service motto—“Ye have to go out but ye don’t have to come in.” In 1927, a new station was built along the protected shores of Drakes Bay, proving to be more efficient and less daunting. The new life-saving station was equipped with motorized boats, which were launched from the boathouse on rails. Though many successful rescues took place along the treacherous headlands at Point Reyes, several boatmen did not survive drills and rescues in such threatening waters. The Life-Saving Service Cemetery near the historic G Ranch commemorates four men whose lives were lost while on duty at Point Reyes. Beginning in 1913, Guglielmo Marconi pioneered a wireless radio communication facility in the Point Reyes area, establishing a telegraphy transmitting station in Bolinas and a receiving station in Marshall, along Tomales Bay. Together, these stations formed “KPH”, the most successful and powerful shipto-shore and land station on the Pacific Rim. The Marshall station was replaced in 1929 by a new Art Deco style facility on the G Ranch at Point Reyes. The entrance is marked by two rows of Monterey cypress trees that still line the driveway today. Guglielmo Marconi © National Archives Page 4 Creation of a National Seashore As early as 1929, Californians were concerned about the fate of their coastline. Development had swallowed most of the eastern seaboard, and plans were being made for the west coast. Congressional reports recommended the creation of a system of national seashores both, to protect these vanishing landscapes and to provide public access to beaches. When we look up and down the ocean fronts of America, we find that they are passing behind the fences of private ownership. The people can no longer get to the ocean... Harold Ickes, Interior Secretary 1933-1946 In 1953, the first national seashore was established at Cape Hatteras, on the dynamic barrier island system off the North Carolina coast. Local, state, and federal advocates for protection of the Point Reyes peninsula were encouraged by this success. However, Drakes Bay Estates, with proposed development of over 400 housing units, began construction near Limantour Beach in 1956, lending urgency to the conservationists’ battle. Development at Point Reyes In the late 1950’s, legislation was first proposed to establish a national seashore at Point Reyes. When he took office, President John F. Kennedy announced two conservation agendas: the creation of national seashores, including Point Reyes National Seashore, and the adoption of the Wilderness Bill. Key players in these struggles were President Kennedy’s Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Sierra Club executive director David Brower, California Congressional Representatives Claire Engle and Clem Miller, and author Harold Gilliam, among many others. In August of 1961, a second national seashore was established at Cape Cod in Massachusetts, gaining further momentum for the Point Reyes cause. The 1962 Sierra Club publication of Gilliam’s book, Island in Time, brought muchneeded publicity and a poetic voice to the campaign to protect Point Reyes. David Brower distributed a copy to every member of the 87th Congress. Congressional floor debates took place during the summer of 1962, as battles waged over incorporation of ranches and other private property into the seashore. The intense effort finally ended with the passage of S. 476 and on September 13, 1962, President Kennedy signed “The Point Reyes Authorization Act.” On October 20, 1966, Lady Bird Johnson and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall came to Point Reyes to dedicate the park. In her dedication speech, Lady Bird warned that “the growing needs of an urban America are quickening the tick of the conservation clock.” She called Point Reyes “a bright star in the galaxy of conservation achievements of the 1960s.” The Seashore Today Congress authorized the National Park Service to purchase the ranches, which were leased back to the existing ranchers. Currently, thirteen ranches operate in the park, and continue to provide fresh, healthy food for the local community and the nation. Black and white Holstein cows are raised on seven ranches. Black Angus and the brown and white Hereford breed are raised on six beef ranches. The National Park Service and the ranchers act as stewards - protecting the natural landscape and the cultural history of ranching. The historic Pierce Ranch at Tomales Point offers a self-guided walking tour of what was once Point Reyes’ premiere dairy. Maritime history is preserved as well. Though replaced with an automated light in 1975, the Historic Point Reyes Lighthouse still stands, offering visitors a glimpse into the life and work of a 19th century keeper. The Historic Lifeboat Station at Chimney Rock has been restored, complete with the last intact marine railway on the west coast. The home of KPH wireless radio at the G Ranch, though also out of service, remains intact, functional, and used for ceremonial occasions by former RCA key operators today. Though newer technology has eclipsed the need for these installations, the park cares for these sites to preserve a piece of maritime history and honor the lives of those who kept vigilant watch over this coast for over 130 years. We Are Still Here To gain tribal rights, the modern Miwok people, consisting of more than 1,000 descendents, retraced their family trees to redefine and rediscover their cultural and historic lifeways. After 30 years of research and documentation by the tribe, President Clinton granted the Coast Miwok federal recognition in 2000. They are known today as the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Point Reyes National Seashore in partnership with the Miwok Archeological Preserve of Marin, community volunteers, and Coast Miwok people, constructed and maintain a recreation of a Coast Miwok village called Kule Loklo. Located near the Bear Valley Visitor Center, this site honors the “old way” of the first people. It is a place to remember their great struggle; it is a reminder that they are still here. Today, Point Reyes National Seashore serves as a model for land stewardship and resource protection. Providing a needed escape from crowded urban areas, it is a place to remember our connection to the land. It is also a place to reflect on the many ancestors that have left their mark here, and to contemplate how best to ensure the protection of this special place in the future. Lady Bird Johnson at the 1966 dedication of Point Reyes National Seashore Support Your Park Point Reyes National Seashore Association Point Reyes National Seashore relies on community partnerships to accomplish its mission. You can get involved by becoming a volunteer or by supporting the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Volunteer-In-Parks Get involved by volunteering your time and talents to Point Reyes National Seashore. As a volunteer you can: •Help combat invasive, non-native plants •Restore stream habitat for Coho salmon and Steelhead trout; monitor spawning success •Educate seashore visitors about elephant seals, whales, snowy plovers, and tule elk •Assist researchers by monitoring tule elk and harbor seal populations Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Guide Elk docent and visitor at Tomales Point •Perform trail maintenance •Patrol the park on foot, horseback, or kayak •Help catalogue and manage the Seashore’s museum collection •Collect native grass seeds and re-vegetate restoration areas •Orient and identify points of interest to visitors at a seashore visitor center •Help preserve Native American culture by maintaining the Kule Loklo cultural exhibit Please visit www.nps.gov/volunteer/ for additional volunteer opportunities and to apply. The Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) is the parks non-profit partner organization that supports park programs through fundraising, bookstore sales, memberships, and education. Yo