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Embracing Fall and Our New Interns!
Marin Park Stewardship November 2017 Newsletter
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Dear Friend,
Along with the beautiful Bay Area October sun, Marin Park Stewardship welcomed our new interns last month: Ailsa and Maria! Below you can find a brief introduction for each of them, and volunteers will have the opportunity to meet them out in the field throughout the next year!
In This Newsletter
Welcome New Park Stewardship Interns!
Ailsa Harju
Hello! I was born in Wisconsin and graduated from UW Madison with a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Environmental Studies, with a minor in Global Cultures.
I love eating, backpacking, nature photography, gardening and traveling in my spare time. Although through my travels I have seen much of the world, I am excited to begin to explore the western United States and to start that journey in San Francisco.
Here, I am looking forward to easier access to large and impressive parks on my days off. What volunteers may notice quickest about me is my interest in food. I look forward to discussing local restaurants with readers while we work together…or during snack time!
Through this internship, I am most excited to hang out in nature with all of you wonderful volunteers! I look forward to learning together about the local flora and fauna, and keeping us all informed on the changes, challenges, and new projects within the park.
I am thrilled to be joining the team as an Ecological Restoration and Volunteer Management Intern in Marin County, and look forward to meeting you all!
Maria Prezza
Hello all! I look forward to meeting many of you in person very soon, but for now, allow me to introduce myself. I am a long-time resident of Kansas and a graduate of Kansas State University, where I studied Geography and Natural Resources.
My most recent job was running a community recycling center for the city of Overland Park, KS, where I got to help residents be the best possible stewards of their city. I love having conversations about everything from composting and green building methods to creative reuse.
Some of my favorite things include hiking (in a forest, if at all possible), used bookstores, maps, thunderstorms, and cooking and eating (mostly eating) new foods. I also love to travel, and am currently making a concentrated effort to see as much of the USA as possible before getting back to my international “wish list”!
I am new to the San Francisco area (and the state of California, for that matter) and am thrilled to be working and learning in this diverse, energetic, and beautiful part of the country. I love exploring parks of all shapes and sizes, but some of my favorite places to visit are urban parks, because of the connection people have with their city and its wild places.
I am especially looking forward to meeting all the passionate people who volunteer to care for their parks—I can’t wait to work with you!
Marin Volunteer Program Information and Work Day Schedules
Marin Park
Stewardship
Saturdays, 10 am–1 pm, and Wednesdays, 1–4 pm
We alternate
between sites, so check the details for each work day. Work day events include
a combination of hands-on service and short natural or cultural history
lessons.
Click here to learn more or sign up.
Wednesday Programs 1–4 pm
November 22: Muir Beach
November 29: No Program
December 6: Alta Avenue
December 13: Muir Beach
December 20: Wolfback Ridge
December 27: No Program
Saturday Programs 10 am–1 pm
November 18: Mt. Tam Day of Thanks at Horse Hill
November 25: No Program
December 2: Alta Avenue
December 9: Alta Avenue
December 16: Muir Beach
December 23: No Program
December 30: No Program
Meeting Locations and
Directions
Muir Beach: Meet at the parking lot picnic tables. Map
Alta Avenue at
Oakwood Valley: Meet at the park gate located at the
end of Donahue Street. Map
Oakwood Valley Tennessee Valley Road
Entrance Meeting Location: Oakwood Valley | Park on the right
shoulder of the road opposite to the Tennessee Valley sign; do not drive all
the way to the parking lot by the locked gate. Parking is limited, so please
carpool. Map
Wolfback Ridge – Take a right on Bunker Road
(immediately before the tunnel). Park in the lot by the bus shelter behind the
Marin Headlands sign, only in a designated parking spot (not along the road).
We will meet in the parking lot. Map
More Volunteer Opportunities
Marin Headlands Nursery
Wednesdays, 1–4 pm
1st and 3rd
Tuesday of every month, 10 am–2 pm
Come grow with
us at the Marin Headlands Nursery! Each year, we grow over 30,000 plants to
restore natural habitats within the Marin Headlands. The dedication and support
of our volunteers are vital in the effort to grow plants, collect seeds,
maintain the nursery facility, and much more. Our projects are outdoors, fun,
and always hands-on.
For program
updates and registration, click here.
Habitat Restoration Team
2nd and 4th
Tuesdays, 10 am–2 pm
Sundays at
9:30 am–2:30 pm
Help restore
and monitor critical natural areas from the Marin Headlands to Bolinas Ridge.
Volunteers and staff meet at different scenic locations each week to restore
native habitat throughout the Golden Gate National Parks. Come out and explore
beautiful areas while assisting in invasive plant removal, winter planting, and
seed collection. For more information, click here.
Invasive Plant Patrol
Wednesdays, 10 am–2:30 pm
An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure. Invasive Plant Patrol volunteers hike
throughout the Marin Headlands to find new invasions of exotics and remove
localized infestations before they get out of control. Get to know the park
trail systems and learn to identify plants, both native and invasive. Hikes
will last approximately four hours. Locations vary from the Marin Headlands to
Bolinas Ridge. For locations and to register, click here.
Thank you for supporting the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy!
-Marin Park Stewardship
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