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Hello!
Dear Friend,
We’re excited to share that we’ve published the much-anticipated Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy!
It’s a plan to increase the health and resilience of forests that brings together community engagement, environmental justice, climate planning, and the best available science. It's a major collaborative achievement for the One Tam partnership that will benefit the whole county. It’s how we can protect our precious forests that give us so much going forward, especially in light of climate change.
See more below and stay tuned to our calendar for opportunities to learn more and get involved in this important collaborative effort for forests. In particular, we hope to see you at two special opportunities happening later this fall that blend community science and forest health – sign up below!
Best,
Danny Franco, Senior Project Manager, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
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Protecting Forests Into the Future
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It's here! The Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy will help us protect forests into the future.
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Forest and woodland comprise over a third of Marin County, and they’re essential: they have cultural value, and provide clean air, drinking water, recreational opportunities, habitat for diverse species, and more. But forests face threats such as climate change, lack of beneficial fire, invasive plants, and diseases. The unpredictable fire seasons we've experienced have underscored the need for healthy and resilient forests. How is One Tam working to protect forests?
We recently published the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy, a new model for understanding and caring for forests collaboratively at a meaningful scale in Marin County. We worked with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, fire agencies, scientists, and consultants to study the current condition of our forests, threats to their health, and how we can prioritize collaborative action to help them.
We invite you to learn more about this important effort and ways that you, too, can care for forests. Check out the links below to explore the strategy and get more resources, including a self-guided tour where you can see this work in action (available in English and Spanish). Don’t forget to stay tuned to our calendar to find out about upcoming events.
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Register Now For Fall Events!
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Volunteers look for organisms to document at a One Tam bioblitz earlier this year. Photo: Mellice Hackett/Parks Conservancy
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This fall, we've got unique experiences lined up to get outside and explore the mountain with our knowlegeable One Tam partner staff! Space is limited and available on a first come, first-served basis. Register today!
For One Tam Members: Join us for two upcoming member tours along two beautiful trails. Not a member yet? Join at onetam.org/join!
Get Outside with One Tam Community Science: Mark your calendars for these very special community science opportunities: a bioblitz we’re offering in partnership with Friends of Mt. Tam, plus explore the intriguing world of lichen and how it relates to forest health at two amazing parks. We'll search for and document the species we find during these bioblitz events.
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Marin WildLife Watch Returns!
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This coyote was seen by one of our Marin Wildlife Watch cameras. This program documents and monitors wildlife using motion-activated cameras on the mountain.
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We are thrilled to welcome previous volunteers to Marin Wildlife Watch this fall, the revamped volunteer opportunity formerly known as Marin Wildlife Picture Index Project. The new Marin Wildlife Watch will have all the wildlife you love, with several changes for a better-than-ever experience:
- Volunteers will be able to catalog at home (or wherever!) using the new Wildlife Insights platform.
- Trainings will have in-person and online options to optimize convenience and fun!
- Volunteers will be asked for a quarterly commitment and can pick how much (or how little) to catalog depending on their time and interest.
One Tam Community Science staff will reach out directly to previous volunteers regarding the launch of the first Marin Wildlife Watch cohort this fall. If you haven’t volunteered with this program before and are interested in being contacted for the next cohort, watch this newsletter or submit this interest form >>
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What Are the Monarchs Up To?
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Monarch butterfly observed during our work to monitor milkweed and enhance breeding habitat at several sites on Marin public lands. Photo: Nicole Parra/Parks Conservancy
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Right now, monarchs can be seen passing through the Bay Area – you might even see them feeding on nectar in your garden! Beginning in late spring, western monarch butterflies move southward from the northwestern U.S. and Canada in search of milkweed to lay their eggs on. Once they reach adulthood, the offspring live for about two months and continue moving south towards and through California, again seeking more milkweed habitat for their offspring. This continues through the summer for four to five generations. Around October, the final generation of western monarchs must find a safe place to overwinter along the California coast until the following spring.
Currently, the One Tam collaborative is assessing monarch breeding and overwintering habitats for future enhancement in the region to better support the species as it migrates from inland to coastal areas. You can help support our vital butterfly conservation research by posting any egg, caterpillar or butterfly pictures on iNaturalist, even from your backyard!
Learn more about monarch comings and goings here, and how you can support monarch conservation here in Marin >>
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Giants Live Here!
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The California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus) is the subject of a new One Tam conservation effort launched over the summer. Photo: Paul Myers
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It was a humongous summer for California Giant Salamanders on Mt. Tam. Over 150 community scientists have joined our project to document them. Thank you!
These observations were used by Bria Boose, Parks Conservancy intern and SFSU graduate researcher, to build a fine-scale distribution map of salamander occurrences since 2008. Angel Meza-Cerna, Parks Conservancy intern and CCSF student, annotated each observation including notes about the health of each salamander. This map is a first step to compare the historical and present-day distributions of California Giant Salamanders, and to identify actions that can help this special species thrive on Mt. Tam.
Many staff had their first encounter with these salamanders while supporting the restoration of Redwood Creek in Muir Woods. Staff from nearly all the One Tam partner agencies rolled up their sleeves to relocate fish and salamanders before work could begin. The collective wonder experienced by all those that saw the giant salamanders underscored just how special the redwood forest is. We are looking forward to sharing more of this wonder with visitors through outreach materials this winter.
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Mt. Tam Watershed ProJects Underway; Plan Ahead for Road, Trail Closures
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Plan for road and trail closures on the watershed this fall due to Marin Water improvement projects. Photo: Marin Water
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A flurry of activity has commenced on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, with Marin Water working to repair an important access point and lay the groundwork for a more resilient and reliable water supply. The projects, comprising repairs to Worn Spring Road and the installation of two water storage tanks near Sky Oaks and Bolinas-Fairfax roads, will result in changes to watershed access, with the most significant impacts occurring through October.
Pine Mountain Tanks Project: To ensure visitor safety, heavy truck routes between Bolinas-Fairfax Road and Natalie Coffin Greene Park along Concrete Pipe Road and Shaver Grade will limit access to roadways and trails that interact with the truck hauling. Access to the truck hauling route and intersecting roads and trails will be closed weekdays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through October. Learn more >>
Worn Spring Road Landslide Repair Project: During historic winter rainfall, a landslide took place on the south side of Worn Spring Road, about 400 feet from Phoenix Lake. Worn Spring Road will be closed throughout the duration of the 100-day construction window, which began in August. Learn more >>
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Happy Trails
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Adriana Castillo (left) and Rachel Kesel (right).
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Please join us in wishing well two departing Parks Conservancy staff members that have supported the One Tam collaborative as they head off down their next trail. Youth Program Coordinator Adriana Castillo designed and led transformative experiences for Marin youth interested in the outdoors and conservation, especially youth from backgrounds underrepresented today in conservation fields. For information on our offerings for youth, find the current programs and contacts here >>
One Tam Conservation Management Specialist Rachel Kesel has led our Early Detection Rapid Response weed management program, now a state-wide model, as well as rare plant monitoring and other collaborative efforts to protect the mountain’s ecosystems since 2015. Learn more about these ongoing efforts here >>
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ICYMI: Living With Bears in Marin
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Black bears (Ursus americanus) were the subject of a recent virtual program to learn more about this important species and answer questions from the community.
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Sightings of black bears have been increasing in Marin County, and many community members have questions about living with bears. Recently, we ventured into the world of black bears in Marin and beyond during a very informative webinar that we hosted along with partners from CA State Parks, CA Department of Fish & Wildlife, and North Bay Bear Collaborative. We learned about bears in Marin’s public lands, ongoing conservation initiatives aimed at documenting the black bear population in the North Bay, practical tips for coexisting with these amazing animals, and how we can contribute to a bear-friendly culture in Marin.
Watch the recorded webinar now >>
Get more resources about living with bears >>
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About Us
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Photo: Monica Stafford/One Tam
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One Tam is the community-supported partnership of Mt. Tamalpais’ land agencies. We lead efforts to care for the mountain, inspire our next generation of land stewards and strengthen our local community. We invite you to join us.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
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. Tam. |
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