The Nature Hike will meet at the Coastal Access Trail about 1 mile north of Pt. Reyes Station. These tours offer a great chance to share this historic restoration project. We will talk about the project, the history of the Giacomini Ranch, and the natural history of the area, viewing wildlife galore! The birding in the wetlands is just phenomenal.

A BIT OF HISTORY:  The Giacomini Ranch was established over 50 years ago at the head of Tomales Bay near downtown Point Reyes Station.  In order to create pastureland from existing salt marsh, Rancher Waldo Giacomini built levees and tide gates to manage tidal incursion.  The levees significantly altered the patterns of estuarine circulation and sediment deposition in the area. In 2000 the Point Reyes National Seashore purchased 563 acres of the Giacomini farmland in order to begin the long, delicate process of restoring the wetlands.  The project took eight and a half years to finish. The levees have now been removed, adding approximately 4% to existing California salt marshes. The Giacomini Wetlands can be viewed from strategically placed, yet somewhat limited trails and viewing areas, or (even better) from a kayak at high tide, gliding through areas where the human foot is now forbidden but non-motorized boats are not.

Time: 9 - 1. Fee: $49
Dates: see Calendar