12 Jan The Aquatic sites of GGNRA

Golden Gate National Recreation Area has a lot to offer to the public, between San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Muir Woods National Monument, Point Reyes National seashore, and Fort Point National Historic Site, there’s something for everyone. Millions of visitors come to GGNRA every year to experience parts of its 82.027 acres, but with so much to explore there are just as many acres to manage and protect. With 19 distinct ecosystems, 2,000 plant and animal species, and 35 rare, threatened, and endangered species there’s a lot of science and conservation taking place. One of the great advantages of working in such a large park is that I get to work with multiple sites and I would like to tell you a little about each of them. 

Muir Beach and Redwood creek

Most weeks I spend half of my time at two sites turtle monitoring, one of which is Muir Beach. Using telemetry equipment I try to locate released Western Pond Turtles in order to track their movements throughout Redwood Creek and the connected Lagoon. After rain events occur, I get to spend some time upstream of the Western Pond Turtle habitat in the fairytale esk Muir Woods. Assisting one of the Hydrologic Technicians, we collect streamflow measurements in Redwood creek to determine how much water is flowing in the creek. 

Rodeo Lagoon

Home to several threatened and endangered species I spend many of my hours at Rodeo Lagoon. From my kayak, I use my equipment to trananculate the location of the released Western Pond Turtles in the Rodeo Lagoon area. While I’m in my boat ready to work, I also help conduct a California Red legged Frog egg mass survey. On the shores of the Lagoon I also assist in Tidewater Goby sampling that contributes to the monitoring of the Goby population. 

Working for the park has allowed me to learn a lot about the biology of local plant and animal species, hear their stories, and learn about their history with the parks service. I’m excited to continue these projects and get involved with new projects that will take me to other parts of the park. Miigwech for taking the time to learn about my sites and some of my current work at GGNRA, see you again soon!