For many years the craggy rock formation perched above the Coast Trail beckoned to me like a siren song in the distance. I thought of these sentinel rocks during the Woodward Valley Fire in 2020 and their bird’s eye view of the fire. The time had come to finally explore these rocks.
Read MoreLearn more about the Bumble Bee Atlas project and get involved.
Read MoreIn early July, I hiked to the Abbotts Lagoon dunes in search of a rare butterfly and flower. What I discovered was something completely different.
Read MoreAs of July 9, twenty-two chicks were hatched and running on the beach. That’s significantly more chicks than we’ve had in previous years at this time which is great news for the threatened Western Snowy Plover.
Read MoreThe endangered Myrtle’s Silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene myrtleae) is at peak numbers in July so now is a great time to spot one in Point Reyes.
Read MoreNorth Beach in Point Reyes was mild and beautiful on Saturday June 25 — a perfect day for volunteering as a snowy plover docent. We had a first — every dog that visited the beach was on leash and stayed on leash.
Read MoreWith fetid in the name of the plant, you would naturally expect the California Fetid Adderstongue (Scoliopus bigelovii) to be a real stinker. On my annual visit to the Bolinas Ridge Trail to admire these stunning leopard-spotted plants, I was finally able to get a good whiff of the scent.
Read MoreIt’s chalky green-gray and covered in sticky webs. Its branches are rangy like tentacles with spiky flower heads bending in all directions. It looks like something from Halloween or a 1950’s sci-fi movie. What is it?
Read MoreMy first day as a Snowy Plover Docent in 2022 was in high winds at North Beach.
Read MoreOn May 21, Matt Lau hosted a training day for the new and returning Snowy Plover docents at the Red Barn in Bear Valley.
Read MoreMarin MPA Watch just announced their summer training dates for volunteers. If you enjoy walking on the beach, this is the volunteer activity for you!
Read MoreVolunteer as a Duxbury Reef Docent. Docents learn about Duxbury Reef flora and fauna, intertidal zonation, reef ecology, anthropogenic impacts, tidepool etiquette, docent protocols, and California Marine Protected Areas and relevant regulations.
Read MoreEager to see how the Woodward Valley Trail had changed after the August 2020 fire, I headed out for a day of hiking and exploring on a 9.5 mile lollipop loop starting at the Laguna Trailhead. I was treated to many surprises along the way.
Read MoreThe season is over but check out Snowy Plovers at Point Reyes and learn about becoming a Snowy Plover docent next season.
Read MoreThe Snowy Plover docent program restarted this summer for prior docents. I was thrilled to get back out to Point Reyes as a volunteer.
Read MoreThe Bear Valley Trail opened on April 30, 2021 for the first time since the Woodward Fire closed access in August. It was just in time to catch late-blooming spring flowers. So, I headed out early to have plenty of time for exploring. I was full of anticipation to see what changes the fire had brought.
Read MoreLast year in February, I timed my foray for California Fetid Adderstongue (Scoliopus bigelovii) a little early. This year, I waited until mid-March to revisit the quest. My reward was an abundance of adderstongue in all stages of growth.
Read MoreThe winter rain has started and that means mushrooms are here!
Read MoreOn a recent hike in barren November with few plants or insects to observe, I turned my attention to spotting Dusky-footed Woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) nests. (photo by Dani Montijo)
Read MoreOf the many excellent webinars sponsored by PRNSA for their #ParkInPlace program, the one I enjoyed most was local educator and naturalist Don Jolley’s Does Earth Have a Memory?
Image: Point Reyes Conglomerate at the Point Reyes Lighthouse which formed about 50 million years ago
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