News and Events
from One Tam

Hello!

Dear Friend,

The seasonal soiree of summer heat and coastal fog is upon us in the Bay Area. On Mt. Tam that means One Tam field staff are seeing a variety of conditions of the mountain's diverse habitats- dry, wet, and everything in between! 

Find your favorite microclimate with One Tam on the mountain this August. Catch an ocean breeze at our Creekside Marsh restoration day, hear an update on the Redwood Creek restoration work, or join our dog-friendly walk exploring Bothin Marsh's sea level rise adaptation project.

Stay cool out there!

~ Your friends at One Tam

linc tam students graduate 

LINC Tam students gather for a group photo during graduation night. Photo by Grecia Solis Pacheco/One Tam.

On a fog-swept evening on Tam, LINC Tam students and their families filled the California Alpine Lodge to celebrate the completion of their six-week internship with One Tam. Though frigid outside, the lodge was filled with the warmth that comes from new friendships and the excitement and anticipation of the end of an era. In its fifth year, Linking Individuals to their Natural Communities (LINC Tam) completed another wonderful summer season providing a diverse group of youth with opportunities to explore careers related to our local parks and environments, gain real-world work experience, as well as develop friendships while stepping outside their comfort zones.

This summer students found themselves repairing trails, plasma cutting metal, exploring macroinvertebrates at Laurel Dell, and even constructing their own experimental coastal adaptations to sea level rise. Teamwork, inherently crucial to their challenging work, became second nature as they learned and worked side by side. Through this trust, many students felt comfortable to step outside their comfort zone and try new activities such as kayaking, camping, carpentry, and of course, the much anticipated ropes course!

The 2019 LINC Tam experience can best be summarized by the students themselves:

“Choosing to apply for this program has been the BEST decision I ever made...I learned far more than I imagined I would. Doing this program showed me all the careers and pathways I could take and I can even study environmental justice which is two things I’m very passionate about." -Laisha

“The work we have done almost always felt productive and meaningful which gave us a defined sense of our role in the community.” -Kai

“I’ve grown more willing to take risks and try new experiences like kayaking and walking on a rope up in the trees. This program has made me want to keep growing and changing as a person.” -Julissa

“Building friendships with people of diverse backgrounds allowed me to view the world from a much different angle.” -Amir

“This program has opened my eyes to the protected parks close to my home and has inspired me to visit the parks more often.” -Bob

"My experience during (LINC) One Tam has been something that I'll never forget! I met people of all different races, did things that I thought I would’ve never been able to do, and I learned about important environmental issues and ideas. One Tam has opened my eyes and has shown me that it takes a sense of community to get things done.” -Arly

Congratulations to our 2019 LINC Tam graduates!

One Tam Member Event: adapting to sea level rise, a dog-friendly walk

Ducks wading through the watery shoreline at Bothin Marsh. Photo by Rob LaPorte/Parks Conservancy.

Mill Valley’s Bothin Marsh will likely see ten inches of sea level rise in the next ten years. As a part of our “Evolving Shorelines” series of outings, join project and conservation team leaders for a dog friendly stroll along Mill Valley’s Bothin Marsh and hear about the project to adapt this shoreline and the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Path to sea level rise.

Easily accessible and highly visible, Bothin Marsh is uniquely positioned to model how novel, nature-based sea level rise adaptation techniques used here can be applied elsewhere. 

Well behaved, on-leash dogs are welcome! We also plan to share tips and ideas about dog-friendly outings on Mt. Tam.

Friday, August 30, 2019
9-11 am

REdwood creek Restoration Update

Coho salmon, Steelhead trout, and other fish species rely on the health of Redwood Creek. Photo by Parks Conservancy.

California State Parks and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy are in the early stages of planning a redwood creek floodplain restoration project to improve habitat for endangered Coho Salmon, threatened Steelhead Trout, and other species that rely on the Redwood Creek riparian corridor. This planning builds on the commitment and efforts made under the Redwood Creek Watershed Vision, which includes other projects designed to improve habitat in Redwood Creek, like the Muir Woods Salmon Habitat Enhancement Project, beginning this month!

This planning effort is focused on the section of Redwood Creek in Mount Tamalpais State Park, downstream of Muir Woods and upstream of Muir Beach. Restoration goals are focused on improving salmonid habitat by reconnecting the deeply incised creek to the floodplain, providing winter refugia for protecting young salmonids during big winter storms, and increasing the amount of water in Redwood Creek in the summer and fall.  Channel incision refers to the erosion which gradually downcuts a channel until the banks are steep and the water can no longer flow into the surrounding floodplain. When a creek cannot spread water into the floodplain this has several damaging effects. First, during big winter storms, water in the channel moves more quickly and has more force; this erodes the creek banks and carries large amounts of sediment downstream which effects water quality, and young fish are often carried downstream to the ocean before they are large enough to survive this move. Second, it means that water moves out of the watershed during the winter, leaving less water for fish to use in the summer. When creeks can access their floodplains, water and sediment are spread into these areas which protects water quality, supports wetland habitat adjacent to creeks, and infiltrates water into the soil to be slowly released over the summer and fall.

The first step in Redwood Creek floodplain restoration planning is to expand hydrological and geomorphic data collection efforts for Redwood Creek. This data will be analyzed to better understand this section of Redwood Creek and develop restoration design concepts for specific locations. This year we have established monitoring transects which include surface water monitoring stations and groundwater monitoring wells. Data from these transects will allow us to study the interaction between groundwater and water flowing in the creek, and learn where and when the water dries up in the summer. Next year we plan to continue hydrological monitoring, study the soil around Redwood Creek to understand where to improve groundwater storage, and complete topographical surveys to analyze the best locations for floodplain connections. Once we have collected baseline data, we will complete a site analysis and develop restoration design concepts to review with technical experts and with interested community members.We will share updates as Redwood Creek floodplain restoration planning continues!

coho salmon update

Coho salmon will benefit from improved creek habitat through Redwood Renewal. Photo by Jessica Weinberg/Parks Conservancy.

On a recent Friday at Muir Woods, a visitor stopped a park ranger, pointed to a sign with information on coho salmon, and asked “Can we see any if we look in the creek?”

A major fix underway at Redwood Creek should help rangers answer that question with a resounding “Absolutely!”

As part of the multi-year Redwood Renewal at Muir Woods, the National Park Service (NPS) and its partners are helping undo the damage of the past and restore habitat for the federally endangered coho salmon.

Look close enough at the banks of Redwood Creek, and you’ll see why.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps hauled in boulders to reinforce 3,300 feet of the creek. This “rip-rap” was meant to prevent erosion, but created a straight stream channel with shallow water, not ideal habitat for the coho.

This summer and fall, NPS is removing the rip-rap and installing “woody debris” made of fallen trees from the forest floor. The woody debris will help create a more natural water flow and deep pools needed by juvenile salmon to survive.

The Parks Conservancy has been heavily involved in efforts to save the coho salmon, including a similarly important project to restore Redwood Creek at Muir Beach.