Winter Wildlife Docent Day 8 - final shift
The mighty wind of April accompanied me throughout my final shift as a Winter Wildlife Docent on Sunday April 28th. All elephant seals had left the beach near Drakes visitor center — it was bittersweet. No more adorable weanlings to watch from the parking lot. The few weanlings that remained on the beaches at Point Reyes were scattered in more remote spots. The west side of Drakes Beach is closed now due to the large number of elephant seals molting — hundreds of females and juveniles. The adult males will arrive in the summer to molt. I was allowed to walk for a short distance on the west side to collect scraps of molted fur to show visitors. I got about 15 minutes along the beach before I came to the large molting group and turned around to avoid disturbing them. It was a minus tide with many rocks revealed along the shore. I was lucky enough to see a single purple sea star on a rock.
Next, I headed east on the beach to talk to any visitors with questions and also to do my Marine Protected Area Watch survey — it was a double volunteer day for me. The winds were fierce so only a handful of visitors ventured far on the beach. I was fortunate to encounter a person who spends as much time as he can at Drakes Beach. He loves the beauty of Drakes Beach and watching wildlife. We chatted for a few minutes and I left him to enjoy the solitude of gazing at the ocean and breathing in the fresh sea air.
Volunteers had worked with the National Seashore the day before to clean the beach and it looked great! I knew a spot — between the ocean side and Drakes Estero side of the beach — where garbage always gathers and I easily filled a bag. I found the usual items — shotgun plastic casings, cigar tips, and plastic bottles and a few interesting finds — remnants of a plastic ghost face and a black widow spider ring with a plastic jewel. I fought the wind to carry the flimsy garbage bag and large pieces of plastic back to the visitor center. My hands were full so I couldn’t stop my hat from banging into my sunglasses and turning inside out. It was an adventure but I made it back without losing any garbage.
In the afternoon, I headed over to the Lifeboat Station. I hiked the Chimney Rock Trail and talked to visitors about wildflowers, whales, and elephant seals. I returned to the Lifeboat Station to find half a dozen young men watching the nearby elephant seals. They asked great questions about the seals and they regretted missing the battles of the breeding season. I discovered they were training for the Coast Guard and stationed in Petaluma. They asked if they could see the historic boat in the Lifeboat Station. It was the end of my shift but I realized how much it would mean to them so I escorted them in. They were absolutely overjoyed to see the old boat and to read about the Lifeboat Station. I took a photo of them under the Point Reyes Historic Lifeboat Station sign to share with their team leader. Their joy and gratitude to see the historic boat and building brought me joy. I was 30 minutes late but it was worth it. What a great way to end my season as a docent.
Consider volunteering next year — it’s a fabulous program!
