Join the Marin MPA Watch volunteer team at the Limantour Beach and become one of our valuable VIPS!
This training will include:
An overview of California Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marin MPA Watch.
The roles, requirements and benefits of the Marin MPA Watch Volunteer Program.
After orientation we will walk the survey route, and practice how to collect and record data using the survey form.
Please wear layers, sunscreen and a hat, a face mask for COVID protection (even if you have been vaccinated), and bring:
Reusable water bottle, water and snacks.
Your personal calendar to schedule your first two survey dates (volunteers required to conduct 1-2 surveys per month over the course of three months).
Clipboard and pen.
Additional items: camera, binoculars, and a trash bag if you want to help pick up trash.
What is the the MPA Watch program?
The MPA Watch Program:
is a community science program
trains volunteers to collect scientific data on consumptive and non-consumptive coastal and marine resource use by ocean users using specific protocols and a survey in control areas and Marin Protected Areas (MPAs). Surveys are observational only, and collect human activities in and outside of MPAs, such as surfing, kayaking, fishing, boating, running, etc., with the intention of improving our understanding of how people are using our statewide MPAs.
informs MPA management and supports the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The California MPA Watch program is implemented by ten different organizations throughout the state. The Marin MPA Watch Volunteer Program is managed by the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC), and in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, and Point Reyes National Seashore. The Marin MPA Watch focuses their efforts at Corte Madera Marsh, Drakes Beach, Drakes Estero, Point Resistance, Point Reyes Headlands, and Agate Beach Marin County Park.
Not only do local volunteers learn about their coastal environment and become community scientists and stewards of the area, but they generate monitoring data that would not otherwise be possible.
