A place for educational opportunities 

In recent months, Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Cypress Grove Preserve has become a nexus for educational opportunities and community-building for school-age children and youth. The preserve welcomed new friends, long-term partners, and collaborations with local schools, expanding educational access to 100 acres of unique estuarine habitat along the eastern shore of Tomales Bay. 

A first for the preserve 

In early November 2024, the very first overnight education program took place at the preserve. Vini Souza, the education partnerships coordinator, was on hand to welcome a group of students from Branson School in Ross and Bellarmine High School in San Jose, who were there to share and learn from each other about their Indigenous identities and cultures. They spent the afternoon exploring the land, exchanging stories of their own cultures, and enjoying meals around the campfire before traveling to the Indigenous Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz Island the next morning. 

The youth retreat was organized by E3: Education, Excellence & Equity, an organization with a mission to end educational inequity by honoring the real-life experiences of students. JuanCarlos Arauz from E3, who led the retreat, shared this reflection: “Taking a walk with the students and listening to the origin story of Coastal Miwok had me reflect on everywhere we go there are stories still to be told. I appreciate that this land is still undeveloped so that we can somehow listen to the stories waiting to be told.” 

With a backdrop of bird song, the waters of Tomales Bay close at hand, and the community revelry around campfire, youth from the retreat offered valuable insights about their experiences on the preserve. One student shared, “I can’t believe this place existed. I want to one day build my own home for my family that has such a calming presence. I think if my family had this kind of calm then our home would have been much more at peace.” Another student said of their experience, “I loved the view! I loved the camping! I loved that people would let us stay here and just listen to the birds!” 

Deepening ties with partners 

Later in November, long-term partners Brothers on the Rise, based in Oakland, spent an action-packed weekend exploring West Marin ecosystems. With Martin Griffin Preserve as a homebase, the group of teenagers visited the tidepools at Duxbury Reef during a low king tide when the tidepools were optimally accessible. Souza and Catie Clune, the director of education, helped the youth spot and identify the colorful and abundant sea creatures. 

The next day, the teens made their way to Cypress Grove Preserve, where they got a firsthand look at the inverse of the previous day’s low king tide, seeing the high king tide encroaching the shores. Witnessing king tide became a learning opportunity and point of discussion about how sea level rise may impact coastal communities and the preserve itself.  

Rain or shine 

In early December on a rainy day, third graders from Ashley Dumbra’s class from West Marin-Inverness School explored the preserve undeterred by the weather. The kids spent the day with Clune and Andrea Salazar, the bilingual environmental education specialist, scanning the shoreline and learning about the wetlands.  They observed a dead leopard shark and encountered newts, which they learned to properly handle.  

The field trip was complemented by sea urchin dissection in the classroom led by Souza in partnership with the UC Davis–Bodega Marine Laboratory. The dissection and the field trip were supported through the WHALE TAIL® grant program. 

Real-life lessons 

Just a few days after the field trip, Cypress Grove Preserve experienced one of the largest king tides of the year coupled with a large storm surge that included heavy rains and high winds. Low-lying areas of the preserve, including in and around a few buildings, were flooded for several hours.  

According to our records, Cypress Grove Preserve hadn’t experienced a tidal surge like this in about 20 years. As with the Brothers on the Rise field trip, a king tide offers an excellent example of how rising water levels can affect coastal habitats and the people living and working in low-lying areas. Damage to the buildings was minimal, and the staff cleaned up debris, tree branches, sand, and mud. With the preserve back up and running, the education staff looks forward to once again welcoming youth to the preserve in 2025 to appreciate its beauty, explore its natural history, and engage in the timely lessons it offers. 

Supporting the next (and now) generation of conservation leaders 

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