Volunteer Training Classes to Begin at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Saturday, January 17, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR) invites you to participate in the 2015 Volunteer Training Classes. Discover the wonders of Elkhorn Slough Reserve and learn how to share these wonders with others.

Naturalist training class topics include: ecology, biology, current and past research at the Reserve, ongoing Reserve projects, cultural histories, interpretation skills, communication techniques, trail mechanics, and educational activities. Everyone is welcome.

The Introductory Orientation training classes will be held on Saturdays, January 17, 24, and 31, 9:30am – 4:00pm. Participants interested in becoming volunteers must attend two of the three Saturday classes: either January 17 or 24 and January 31. This basic class is for anyone interested in learning more about volunteering at the Reserve and for those wanting to help with our Research, Stewardship or other non-public projects. Volunteers with our Research and Stewardship programs help as wildlife monitors, habitat restorers, maintenance assistants, administrative support and more.

Advanced training sessions are open to any potential ESNERR Volunteer but required to be a Volunteer Naturalist. Naturalist Training classes will be held each Saturday in February (Feb. 7, 14, 21 & 28).

All classes will be held at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. Applications are available on line at www.elkhornslough.org or by contacting Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda Ankenbrandt at 831-728-2822 ext. 303.

Get involved with your community and discover a treasure here in your own Monterey Bay backyard. Join the dedicated volunteers who learn about and share this rare and beautiful coastal wetland, enjoy its recreational opportunities by teaching others, and help to protect the natural resources.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) manages the 1,700-acre Reserve, which features rare habitat while providing five miles of public trails, education, research, and volunteer programs. The work of the Reserve is supported by an active volunteer corps of nearly 100 community members.  The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR), funded through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is one of 28 reserves established nationwide to support long-term research, water-quality monitoring, environmental education, and coastal stewardship. For more information on Elkhorn Slough Foundation and the Reserve visit www.elkhornslough.org.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) is a community-supported non-profit land trust whose mission is to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. ESF protects 4,000 acres of rare habitat including oak woodlands, maritime chaparral, and wetlands. Since 1982, ESF has been the non-profit partner of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR), one of 28 research reserves funded through NOAA.

Elkhorn Slough, located in the central Monterey Bay area encompasses a wide variety of habitats — from oak woodlands, maritime chaparral and coastal prairie the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay — that support an incredible diversity of life. Elkhorn Slough hosts 550 species of marine invertebrates, and 100 species of fish, as well as resident sea lions, harbor seals and the densest concentration of endangered Southern sea otters on the west coast. As part of the Pacific flyway, Elkhorn Slough bird numbers can soar during migration seasons, nearly doubling the resident bird counts. The slough is designated a Globally Important Bird area, with more than 340 species identified in and around the slough.