Marin County Parks

Owls at Mount Burdell Full Moon Hike, Stafford Lake Nature for Kids: Birds at Las Gallinas Naturaleza para los niños: Aves en Las Gallinas Learn to Skate, McInnis Skatepark Birds of Bolinas Lagoon Cascade Canyon Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Nature for Kids: Cascade Canyon Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Focus on Gulls, Whitehouse Pool Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Birds at Stafford Lake Senior Stroll: Las Gallinas Thanks- giving Day Hunger Hike, Stafford Lake Learn to Ride, Stafford Lake Bike Park Aramburu Island Enhance- ment Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Aramburu Island Enhance- ment Pizza Party on Horse Hill Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Hands On Tam, various locations Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park Kokoro: Rocky Graham Park 5 12 19 26 4 11 18 25 3 10 17 24 2 9 16 23 1 8 15 22 7 14 21 6 13 20 Sat Fri Thur Wed Tue Mon Sun November MARIN COUNTY PARKS EXPLORE YOUR PARKS | FALL 2016 | PAGE 3 November cont 3 2 1 30 29 28 27 Sat Fri Thur Wed Tue Mon Sun As the temperatures cool and the leaves fall, great horned owls hoot and birds are on the move. What else might we fi nd in Marin's open space preserves? Bats. There are fourteen different species of bat native to Marin County and they feast on insects around dusk and dawn. Female Townsend's Big-eared Bats, a California Species of Special Concern, disperse into the woods throughout Marin's preserves in October. Badgers. These elusive mammals are a California Species of Special Concern and have recently been caught on wildlife cameras in the Lucas Valley Preserve. Many other animals including burrowing owls—another California Species of Special Concern—have also been recorded there, indicating a healthy ecosystem. California red-legged frogs. Healthy popula- tions of this federally listed species are found in Point Reyes, but very few have been found in the eastern county. Recently, populations have been discovered at Mount Burdell preserve and McNears Beach Park. Shorebirds. Sandpipers, stilts, plovers and many more species arrive every day. The healthy mudfl ats at Bolinas Lagoon and beaches like Agate Beach provide important refueling stops for these long distance travelers. Owls. Great horned owls begin to vocalize during the fall months. If you listen closely, you can often notice that the hooting you hear is a duet—the higher pitched call is the female, while the male is distinctly deeper. Bobcats, Coyotes, and Foxes—oh my! To learn more about the animals found in the Mount Tamalpais watershed, wildlife cameras were installed in 2014 and have so far yielded over 1.5 million images! As part of this One Tam project, cameras have been placed at Gary Giacomini, Roy's Redwoods, French Ranch, Cascade Canyon, and White Hill preserves. Deer, gray squirrels, gray foxes, bob- cats, coyotes, opossums, river otters, mountain lions, and western spotted skunks have all been recorded. The more we know about when and how animals use different habitats, the better we can protect them. MARIN'S PRESERVES—WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE! CREEKSIDE RESTORATION PROTECTING MARIN'S SPECIAL PLACES AND RARE SPECIES To fi nd out more, attend a free naturalist outing, subscribe to our enewsletter, or visit online at marincountyparks.org, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. GRAY FOX GREAT HORNED OWL BADGER PHOTO CC-BY JON NELSON PHOTO © LEN BLUMIN From Bolinas Lagoon, designated a Wetland of International Importance, to the Tiburon Peninsula, home to rare fl owers found nowhere else on earth, Marin County's open space preserves are very special places. At last count, there were over 100 rare species in the preserves, including 22 listed as federally endangered or threatened. The Vegetation and Biodiversity Manage- ment Plan, slated for fi nal approved this fall, aims to protect, restore, and maintain these special places.

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