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Hello!
Dear Friend,
How heartwarming it is to see the first signs of spring! Especially after the winter we’ve had—it will be informative to see how the unusual storms echo through the unfolding of the new season.
If you’re out enjoying a spell of sunshine or the newest wildflowers, be on the lookout for the Tam Van! The Tam Van is our mobile trailhead from where we can greet visitors to Mt. Tamalpais with fun activities and information about what’s happening around the mountain. It also brings the mountain and our work into communities. Visit our page to stay up to date on its whereabouts and see below what we’ll be up to this spring.
Did you know you can also volunteer with the Tam Van? Find out how below.
Best,
Monica Stafford, One Tam Community Engagement Manager
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New Member Events!
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One Tam members enjoy an afternoon improving photography skills on the mountain at a previous members-only event. Photo: Monica Stafford/Parks Conservancy
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Have you missed One Tam member events? We have too! Our reinvigorated membership program is ready to welcome you with a new series of fun and informative opportunities—register now!
Saturday, April 29, 9 am-12 pm: The Creatures of Carson Falls. Meet us at the Tam Van, stationed at the trailhead to Azalea Hill and Carson Falls, located above the town of Fairfax for this family-friendly member event! Learn about local pollinators, the foothill yellow-legged frog, and more! Then take what you’ve learned out on the trails for a self-guided hike or a pollinator scavenger hunt. REGISTER >>
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 1-3 pm: Bothin Marsh Walk and Talk. Learn about how sea level rise is impacting Bothin Marsh and what One Tam is doing to help. The tour will be led by Evolving Shorelines project staff Rob LaPorte, Project Manager at the Parks Conservancy and Veronica Pearson, Senior Ecological Restoration Planner for Marin County Parks. REGISTER >>
June 21, 2023, 5:30-7:30 pm: Summer Solstice Forest Health Tour. Celebrate the longest day of the year—the Summer Solstice—by celebrating forests! Come walk and talk with One Tam partner staff through this special site where we’re taking action to protect the mountain’s forests. This walk will be led by Danny Franco, Project Manager at the Parks Conservancy, who led the development of the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy. REGISTER >>
Not yet a member? Learn more about membership and join online here: onetam.org/join. Or reach out to Sarah Lincoln at slincoln@parksconservancy.org
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Biodiversity in Our BackyardS
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Anyone can help build our collective knowledge of local biodiversity! Photo: Lieven Leroy
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Did you know that no matter where you live, no matter your level of nature knowledge, you can be a community scientist? All you need to do is get the iNaturalist app and follow your curiosity! After all, nature is everywhere, and tools like iNaturalist make it easy to participate and learn about what’s around us. Check out these upcoming events which are great ways to get started:
Now till April 22: Western Monarch Mystery Challenge. Monarch butterflies are on the move as we head into spring, and you can help document where they go as they depart overwintering sites and search for breeding habitat. Learn more about how the monarch butterfly is doing right now, and how community science programs like this contribute to their conservation here.
March 17-31: Bay Area Urban Species Search. More urban biodiversity data is needed for regional conservation planning efforts, and you can help find and document these 24 Bay Area species where you live and work. The gray areas on this map are places that need more data!
April 28-May 7: City Nature Challenge. Join thousands of participants observing their local environment worldwide for an international celebration of the biodiversity around us! See some local fun finds from last year on our Instagram – from wonderful wildlife to lovely lupines.
Get more details on these special events >>
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VISIt The Tam Van
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Visitors stopping by the Tam Van two springs ago learn about wildlife on the mountain with Sara Leon Guerrero, One Tam Community Science Program Manager. Photo: Monica Stafford/Parks Conservancy
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Enrich your next outing to Mt. Tam with a visit to the Tam Van, our mobile visitor center! In addition to general visitor information, a visit to the Tam Van can help you get up to speed on One Tam's work to help the mountain and ways to get involved. Here’s what’s on deck for the Tam Van:
On March 25, visit us at Family Nature Day, at the Richardson Bay Audubon in Tiburon to learn about our work relating to monarch habitat enhancement.
Throughout the month of April, learn about Marin Water's long-term efforts to protect the foothill yellow-legged frog at Carson Falls. These frogs are special because they are only found in a few isolated ranges in California, and because they have been identified as an indicator of Mt. Tam’s overall health in One Tam’s Peak Health initiative.
In June, visit the Tam Van at Lake Lagunitas to learn about One Tam's Forest Health work.
No matter where you find us, enjoy activities for the young at heart, test your animal ID skills, or pick out a temporary wildlife tattoo!
For those who enjoy working from beautiful locations and talking to park visitors, consider volunteering at the Tam Van! If interested, please reach out to Monica Stafford at mstafford@onetam.org.
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Pollinator Power
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Bombus melanopygus, or black-tailed bumble bee. Photo: Nevin Cullen
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Spring, coinciding with so many blooming plants, is peak time for pollinators in the Bay Area. Pollinators are important members of our ecosystems—we know that without them, our world would look very different! A local Pollinator Week is springing up with activities to learn about and support pollinators from April 22-30. During this week, visit the Tam Van to learn about pollinators, pick up a pollinator scavenger hunt and choose your favorite pollinator tattoo (they are brand new and hot off the press!) Keep an eye on our calendar for more Pollinator Week opportunities.
Just in time for celebrating pollinator power, our Tamalpais Bee Lab is returning to Saturday volunteer events starting in late March. The Tamalpais Bee Lab is an unprecedented effort to inventory Marin’s wild bees, and it takes a lot of people power to conduct. Last year, 87 community science volunteers contributed 468 hours to help process specimens for identification! If you haven’t joined a bee lab event before, it's a great way to learn more about local bees and insect identification.
Bee labs fill quickly, so sign up now >>
What have we learned so far about the mountain’s bees? Learn more >>
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Peak Health Meets Forest Health
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Forests are the focus of final One Tam Summit: Peak Health events this year. Photo: Bill Disbrow/Parks Conservancy
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What’s up next for the One Tam Summit: Peak Health series? We had several fantastic field trips already, including searching for monarch butterflies at Fort Baker, learning about wildlife habitat at Muir Beach, documenting mushrooms and more at Roy’s Redwoods, and more. We’re excited to go “into the woods” next!
One Tam is working toward publishing the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy, which will help increase the health and resilience of forests throughout the county. This work stems from our Peak Health effort to study and monitor the health of the mountain’s natural resources and focuses on the particular needs of forests. This spring we’ll offer both a virtual and a field visit to explore what health means for forests, and what the One Tam partners are doing to advance forest health.
The One Tam Summit is a community conference reporting on Peak Health findings and progress. Starting last fall, we’ve been bringing you a series of opportunities to learn about how plants, animals, and ecosystems are doing, and the work happening to study and protect these resources. You can see what’s coming and watch a recording of our "Sneak Peek into Peak Health" presentations at onetam.org/summit.
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CA State Parks Week @ Mt. Tamalpais State Park
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California State Parks Week celebrates and expands access to our state parks' natural and cultural history. Image: castateparksweek.org
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Mark your calendars for the second annual California State Parks Week coming up this June 14-18! Each day will feature a special theme with corresponding activities happening at parks statewide, including here on the mountain at Mt. Tamalpais State Park. The event celebrates the “amazing diversity of California’s State Park System and the people who visit and help protect these iconic places.” Keep your eye on the webpage and Facebook page for updates on these offerings.
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Breathe/Respira Community Grants
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Community grants from Marin County Parks become available this month. Photo: Marin County Parks
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Breathe/Respira community grants connect people to Marin County parks and preserves. Since 2014, these grants have helped people in underserved, high-risk, and vulnerable communities get outside and enjoy their public lands. The grant application period for 2023-24 will begin in mid-March. Qualified community organizations are invited to apply, using the online application form that will be posted on this webpage.
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Supporter Spotlight: Meadow Club
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Special thanks to the Meadow Club for five years supporting One Tam!
Are you a business interested in supporting One Tam? Reach out to Sarah Lincoln at slincoln@parksconservancy.org
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Spring Spotlight: Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog
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Help protect the foothill yellow-legged frogs this spring by staying out of creeks during their breeding season. Photo: Ben DeDominic
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Spring is breeding season for the foothill yellow-legged frog, a species of special concern in Marin County. They are only found in isolated ranges in California and nowhere else in the world. They also tell us important things about the health of the fast-flowing streams where they live and have been identified as an indicator species in our Peak Health work. One Tam partners are working hard to protect foothill yellow-legged frogs in our parks and open spaces, giving these isolated populations a chance to survive and even expand.
Foothill yellow-legged frogs are a rare species where small actions on the part of humans and their furry friends can have a big impact. They like to hide under rocks and lay their eggs in the creek bottom. Tadpoles then metamorphose into frogs in the same season the eggs were laid. So, staying out of creeks during the spring breeding season will give the emerging generation a better chance.
Learn more about the foothill yellow-legged frog and why we are working to protect them >>
You can contribute to efforts to protect special species in Marin – learn more >>
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About Us
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Photo: Monica Stafford/One Tam
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One Tam works to ensure a healthy, vibrant and diverse landscape for our treasured Mt. Tamalpais. We are the community-supported partnership of Mt. Tamalpais’ land agencies.
One Tam leads programs that care for the mountain, inspire our next generation of land stewards and strengthen our local community. We invite you to join us.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here >>
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Going Further, Together
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| One Tam brings together inspired community members with its five partners to support the long-term stewardship of Mt. Tamalpais. |
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