05 Jun Point Reyes National Seashore – MY Worksite

My worksite may have the word “seashore” in its title, however Point Reyes National Seashore encompasses so much more: a wide variety of ecosystems molded by ongoing abiotic factors, such as the weather and geology.

Regardless, it’s appropriate to begin by talking about the seashore. The seashore itself is made up multiple beaches with amazing rock formations, sandstone peaks and intertidal zones. The water is far from warm and it follows the trend in which the Pacific Ocean’s water decreases in temperature as latitude increases. As an interpreter, I should note that Point Reyes represents the foggiest place in the continental United States and is also the second most windiest place—so feel free to leave the swimsuits at home and layer up if you decide to visit (it can be warm, but the it cools down dramatically). The seashore is home to a diverse collection of wildlife. I wish I could list all of them along with their genus and species (for my taxonomy enthusiasts), but these are a few that I have observed so far in the beach: snowy plovers, brown pelicans, cormorants, sea lions, and the one of the most famous and highly requested animals, the elephant seals.

As you move inland (West to East), you can find grasslands, estuaries, sand dunes (not as monumental as those we encountered in Mojave), forests, wetlands. In its entirety, Point Reyes is dream come true for the botanist, the geologist, the zoologist (mammalogist, herpetologist and ornithologist); it’s a paradise for every member of your party. I have been at the park (“seashore”) for a week a now and I have hiked at least one mile each day at different settings—it’s a natural sensory-overload. I have heard about million notes sung by the passerines. I have observed countless of flowers, shrubs (I can lead you to poison oak city with towering buildings of hemlock), and conifers. I have been fortunate to see hawks with rabbits in their talons, I had brief encounter with a long-tailed weasel and this place has as many deers and fawns as Los Angeles has pigeons. Everything is a highlight in this place and when visitors ask for wildlife I always recommend them to explore the Tule elk reserve (a subspecies of the elk that occurs in Humboldt county).

Point Reyes is a whole lot of everything. If you plan on visiting make sure you stay for a few days to explore and experience all the ecosystems and its organisms this place has to offer. When you visit, I highly recommend you to make a quick stop at the Bear Valley Visitor Center since it has an amazing display of all the ecosystems of the area and the staff will certainly provide you with the best available information.

Point Reyes is a mosaic of nature.

Hasta la próxima colegas.