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2022 One Tam Summit: Peak Health

2022 One Tam Summit: Peak Health

Watch a recording of the October 26 "Sneak Peek into Peak Health" event here >>

Is Mt. Tamalpais at "peak health"? This question is central to One Tam's work, and to protecting the region's resources into the future. What do we know about the health of Mt. Tamalpais, and how do we know? What information are we missing? How can you measure the health of a mountain? In 2016, the One Tam partners came together to try to answer these questions, and kicked off an ongoing body of work we call Peak Health. This year, we have come together again for our first mountain-wide update. The 2022 One Tam Summit: Peak Health will present how One Tam has approached these questions and updates on what we're learning.

The One Tam Summit is a biannual program that brings together One Tam partner staff, scientists, students, and community members to learn about the health of Mt. Tamalpais, where we need more information, and how we can all help protect the mountain. These events bring actionable research to land managers, and provides a forum for sharing information with each other and with interested stakeholders and community members. 

This year's Summit is a series! This page will serve as your map to find all related activities - see below for a current list of events and check back as more will become available. We are excited to offer different ways to engage in this body of knowledge we are building together.   

One Tam Summit: Peak Health text in yellow overlaid on a photo of Mt Tam from a distance

Upcoming One Tam Summit Events

This event is now passed.

Learn about how sea level rise is impacting Bothin Marsh and what One Tam is doing to help. The tour will be led by our Evolving Shorelines project staff, including Rob LaPorte, Project Manager at the Parks Conservancy, and Veronica Pearson, Sr. Ecological Restoration Planner at Marin County Parks. This tour is part of the 2022 One Tam Summit: Peak Health. 

This tour will happen right before the October 26 Sneak Peak in to Peak Health program (above) - you must register for each event separately. 

Date/time: Wednesday, October 26, 1 pm. This tour will last about 45 minutes.

Location: Meets here (on the marshside path near the Holiday Inn Express in Mill Valley)

More details are available on the registration page. 

Bothin Marsh by Craig Solin

Photo: Craig Solin

This event is now passed.

The Tamalpais Bee Lab is offering a special One Tam Summit edition of its volunteer programs. 

Learn more about the Tamalpais Bee Lab >>

Date/time: Saturday, October 29, 9am-12 pm

Location: Sky Oaks Watershed Headquarters, 49 Sky Oaks Rd, Fairfax, CA 94930

In collaboration with Dr. Gretchen LeBuhn and her lab at San Francisco State University, One Tam is continuing our efforts to monitor and understand more about Mt. Tamalpais’ wild bees and other pollinators. Building on the initial 2017 survey of Mt. Tam’s wild bees, we’ll be expanding monitoring to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin Municipal Water District, California State Parks, and Marin County Parks from 2021-2025. 

The initial survey yielded remarkable results, recording 32 genera and 122 bee species from 20 sites managed by Marin Water and California State Parks! You can hear more about these results from Dr. LeBuhn and Dr. Lisette Arellano, One Tam’s Community Science Program Manager.

Community science volunteers play a critical role in this study by pinning, sorting, and labeling specimens collected from the field. Join us to connect with the One Tam community of staff and volunteers, learn more about Mt. Tam’s wild pollinators, and gain skills in scientific collections management and insect identification! 

To comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, these events are limited to 12 pre-registered individuals on a  first-come-first-serve basis. More details on protocols and logistics will be sent to registered attendees the week of the event.  Please visit onetam.org/tamalpais-bee-lab for more information and FAQs about these events.

Abbotts Lagoon bee Sara Leon Guerrero

Photo: Sara Leon Guerrero/One Tam

This event is now passed.

Learn about community science efforts that document the western monarch butterfly migration each fall and winter, and contribute to the official count for fall 2022! You'll also meet One Tam staff working to support monarch butterflies on public lands here in Marin and hear more about our work. Please dress warmly, wear walking shoes, and bring a pair binoculars if you have one (we will have some binoculars to share). Led by Ranger and Marin Community Liaison Mia Monroe, National Park Service.   

Date/time: Tuesday, November 15, 4-5:30 pm

Location: Fort Baker, parking lot at the corner of East Road and Down Road Trail (circled on page 2 of this map

Monarch butterfly by johnisaacwhitaker via iNaturalist

Photo: iNaturalist user johnisaacwhitaker

Winter abounds with watery wonders! Learn about an important home for creatures that especially thrive in this season, and which are also indicators of the habitat's health, with One Tam scientists who study them. Join us for The Watery World of Big Lagoon: a winter peek at turtle, frogs & friends’ habitats!

REGISTER and learn more >>

Photo: Kirke Wrench/NPS

Join One Tam at Roy’s Redwoods for a winter naturalist adventure! A bioblitz is a quick, intense survey of the species present. Hone your observation skills, become a field biologist for the day, and enjoy some forest fun! Mushroom-curious folks of all ages and experience levels are welcome.  

REGISTER and learn more >>

False chanterelle. Photo: David Greenberger

Photo: David Greenberger

Join us for a virtual opportunity to learn more about the why's and how's of One Tam's work to help improve the health and resilience of the mountain's forests. 

Registration will open in April!

Walk and talk with One Tam partner staff through a Forest Health project site. Learn more about the why's and how's of One Tam's work to help improve the health and resilience of the mountain's forests. Led by Danny Franco, Project Manager at the Parks Conservancy, and Suzanne Whelan, Volunteer Coordinator at Marin Water.

Saturday, May 6, 10am-12pm. Meets at the Lake Lagunitas parking lot. Bring your own lunch and have a picnic after the tour. 

REGISTER >>

Forest disease

October 26, 2022: Sneak Peek into Peak Health

Watch a recording of the October 26 "Sneak Peek into Peak Health" event here >> 

Thank you to all who joined us for a Sneak Peak into Peak Health on October 26, where we heard brief updates on key Peak Health topics. Below you can check out the program and other event details. Catch the recorded livestream here >>

The One Tam Summit isn't over! Check out upcoming events in the series below, which will run fall 2022-spring 2023.

Program:

1:30 Doors open

2:00 Welcoming Words - Yolanda Molette, Director of Conservation & Community Science, Parks Conservancy and Max Korten, Director and General Manager, Marin County Parks and Open Space District

2:15 Vital Vegetation. Updates on key vegetation topics.

  • Vegetation Mapping - Rosa Schneider, Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Parks
  • Forest Health - Daniel Franco, Project Manager, Parks Conservancy
  • Serpentine Barren Endemics - Rachel Kesel, One Tam Conservation Management Specialist, Parks Conservancy

2:40 Species Spotlight: Wildlife. Updates on Peak Health indicator species.

  • Bees - Sara Leon Guerrero, One Tam Community Science Program Manager
  • Fish - Eric Ettlinger, Aquatic Ecologist, Marin Water
  • Western Pond Turtles - Darren Fong, Aquatic Ecologist, National Park Service

3:05 Break

3:15 Species Spotlight, Continued

  • Northern Spotted Owls - Taylor Ellis, Wildlife Technician, National Park Service
  • Bats - Gabriel Reyes, Biologist, US Geological Survey

3:35 Community Connections. Panel conversation highlighting community contributions and different ways of engaging in science with One Tam.

  • Lisette Arellano, One Tam Community Science Program Manager
  • Frederic Leist, One Tam Volunteer
  • Andy Nguyen, One Tam Program Participant
  • Kvothe Sánchez, One Tam Program Participant
  • Suzanne Whelan, Volunteer Coordinator, Marin Water

4:15 Closing Comments - Allen Fish, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Director, Parks Conservancy and Mia Monroe, Marin Community Liaison, National Park Service

4:30 Science Soiree. Connection time with speakers, staff and community members. Pizza and beverages will be available.

6:00 End

When: October 26, 2022, 2-6 pm

Where:The Junction Beer Garden, 226 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA, 94941

More details:

You must register in advance to attend.

COVID-19 protocol will reflect local public health regulations at that time.

The presentation portion of the program will take place indoors, and refreshments and connection time will take place outdoors.

Seating is limited. If you are not able to attend, we hope to see you a future events in this series. This event will be livestreamed from this page. 

Parking at the Junction may be limited. Additional public parking is available in the area - such as locations marked on this map (this map is not exhaustive, please verify your own arrival plan and try to arrive early). Biking, carpooling, and transit are encouraged if possible.

Registrants will recieve any updated event information by email.

Eric Ettlinger, Aquatic Ecologist, Marin Water

Eric Ettlinger has a master’s degree in Wildland Resource Science from UC Berkeley, and has been working as the Aquatic Ecologist for the Marin Municipal Water District since 1999. His major responsibilities include monitoring populations of coho salmon, steelhead trout, and other aquatic species, and enhancing aquatic habitats, particularly through the installation of large woody debris.

Allen Fish, Director, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, and Associate Director, Conservation & Community Science, Parks Conservancy

Biologist Allen Fish has been director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory since its inception as a hybrid program of the Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service in 1985. Allen studied ecology, evolution and policy at UC Davis, then returned there in the 2000s to teach Raptor Biology. He was given the Maurice Broun Award in 2003 for contributions to raptor biology and conservation, and the Bay Nature Award for environmental educator of the year in 2016. 

Darren Fong, Aquatic Ecologist, National Park Service

Darren Fong has been the Aquatic Ecologist with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1994 and works with the various creeping, crawling, and swimming organisms and the habitats that support them in the Park. Prior to this, he worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. He has a M.S. in Wildland Resource Science from UC Berkeley along with a B.A. in Environmental Science.

Danny Franco, Project Manager, Parks Conservancy

Danny Franco has been working with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for 12 years primarily on natural resource conservation, vegetation management, and landscape-scale habitat restoration projects. He is also currently managing development of the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy, and recently delivered parallel countywide projects in Marin and San Mateo to produce regional fine scale vegetation maps and other GIS layers.

Rachel Kesel, One Tam Conservation Management Specialist, Parks Conservancy

Rachel Kesel is the Conservation Management Specialist for One Tam. Leading invasive plant early detection and rare plant surveys across the mountain, she thrives on a good search. Rachel has a fondness for grasslands, serpentine habitats, and the bounty of Bay Area biodiversity more generally.

Max Korten, Director and General Manager, Marin County Parks and Open Space District

Max started with Marin County Parks in 2014 as parks and open space superintendent, and has been director and general manager since 2016. He has a history of working for both local and federal parks and natural resources programs, including Conservation Corps North Bay, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S Forest Service. Max graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Science, and went on to obtain a Master of Science in Natural Resources from Humboldt State University.

Frederic Leist, One Tam Volunteer

Frederic Leist grew up on both sides of the Atlantic. After finishing a degree in Mediaeval Studies and Linguistics at Princeton in the early seventies, Frederic moved to Iran, where he taught English language and literature at the University of Isfahan. He travelled overland in Asia for a year, then worked as a freelance writer, editor and translator, before starting what has turned into a forty-plus year career in IT. Frederic has been a UC-certified California Naturalist since 2013, leads walks to show people spawning salmon in season, and is a Gulf of the Farallones Naturalist. He volunteers with a variety of organizations, such as Pepperwood Preserve, the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, and the Marine Protected Area Watch (specifically at Duxbury Reef). He has also been a frequent speaker at the Odd Salon, a group whose motto is "Expert Talks on Odd Subjects; Odd Talks on Everything Else."

Sara Leon Guerrero, One Tam Community Science Program Manager, Parks Conservancy

Sara Leon Guerrero is a Program Manager with the One Tam Community Science team, where she helps further their vision to address ecological data gaps, implement long-term monitoring, provide formal and informal science education, and promote curiosity and participation in a wide range of audiences. She spends her time working in the field and with the public on the Marin Wildlife Picture Index Project, bioblitzes, and, soon, monitoring native pollinators. Prior to joining One Tam, Sara was a lab and project manager at the UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab studying bee-plant relationships and working with local farmers to install native bee habitat.

Yolanda Molette, Director, Conservation & Community Science, Parks Conservancy

Yolanda Molette is an applied Plant Ecologist and has a master’s degree in Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Concentration in Conservation Biology from San Francisco State University. She started her career in conservation with the Parks Conservancy as a year-long volunteer at Wolfback Ridge in the mid-nineties. She worked as a summer botanical Biotech and a contractor with Golden Gate National Recreation Area, then moved on to working 16.5 years in natural resources compliance planning, permitting and surveying consulting work at CH2MHILL and ESA. Yolanda returned to the Parks Conservancy 2.5 years ago to oversee landscape-scale conservation/restoration management, planning, and community science programs. She remains an active community volunteer.

Mia Monroe, Marin Community Liaison, National Park Service

Mia is an NPS ranger, currently working as the Marin Community Liaison yet still deeply rooted in several decades of park work at Muir Woods. She helped establish park nurseries, took part in restoring Redwood Creek Watershed from the lagoon at Muir Beach to the old-growth redwood forests, was part of the 2014 BioBlitz, and is currently in the thick of the new One Tam collaboration. Guided by Rachel Carson’s suggestion to foster a sense of wonder in youth, Mia believes that walking to observe and learn, and involving others in dialogue and stewardship, is the way to work. She watches out for monarch butterflies, has a fondness for ferns, and kisses banana slugs.

Andy Nguyen, One Tam Program Participant

My name is Andy Nguyen, I’m 18 years old and I was born and raised in San Rafael in the Canal area and got into the LINC program summer of 2022. I enjoy learning about the relationships between organisms and their surrounding environment, like how they adapt/evolve, or just the anatomy of them (I lean more towards plant anatomy). I want to know more about botany and what it has to offer so if you’d like, please feel free to share what it’s like to study botany! 

Kvothe SánchezOne Tam Program Participant

My name is Kvothe (he/him). I’m an 18-year-old environmentalist, activist, jack of all traits and a master of none. I grew up in Marin County. I was a REYL participant 2020-2021, a REYL drink or intern 2021-2022, and a LINC participant the summer of 2022.

Rosa Schneider, Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Parks

Rosa Schneider is a Senior Environmental Scientist with California State Parks in the Bay Area District's Natural Resource Management Program. Previously, Rosa worked for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy as a foundational staff member of the One Tam partnership, engaging the public in restoration and community science projects. She completed her M.S. in Biology at San Francisco State University, conducting research on endangered and invasive wetland plants. Rosa has also worked on regulatory permitting for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, monitored effects of fire on vegetation for the National Park Service, and taught middle school and high school science.

Suzanne Whelan, Volunteer Coordinator/Ecologist, Marin Water

Suzanne grew up more attuned to the screech of trains in Boston than the melody of plants and animals. A well-timed visit to Colorado gave her the realization she is a "mountain person" and that all people should have access to the circle-of-life-affirming wonders of nature. Suzanne is the Volunteer Coordinator/Ecologist for Marin Water and has been so for 13 years. She finds joy in working with volunteers, as experiential education empowers people of all ages with critical thinking, observation, and leadership skills!