Welcome to the Marin Audubon Society

Invitation to Community Meeting -Tiscornia Marsh Restoration and Sea Level Rise Adaptation Project

Join the Marin Audubon Society and the Multicultural Center of Marin for this fifth community meeting about the Tiscornia Sea Level Rise Adaptation Project.

Wednesday June 21, 2023 – 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Meeting to be held on ZoomThe link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82227280879

You can also access the Zoom meeting from the Multicultural Center of Marin/Tiscornia Marsh Project webpage along with a project notice in Spanish and English at: https://multiculturalmarin.org/tiscornia-marsh/

The meeting will be moderated by District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni and it will include:

A presentation on the updated design for the Tiscornia Marsh Project by Environmental Science Associates Engineers, Dane Behrens and Pablo Quiroga
Presentation by Kate Hagemann, City of San Rafael Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planner, discussing the Canal Community Resilience Planning Project a collaboration between the Multicultural Center of Marin, Canal Alliance, the County and the City to explore options to reduce the risks of short-term sea level rise
Public Works Director, April Miller, and Civil Engineer, Joanna Kwok, Senior Civil Engineer with updates on the city’s upcoming park improvements adjacent to Tiscornia Marsh
Community Input – Questions and Answers

About Us

The Marin Audubon Society was established in 1956 as part of the effort to prevent development of houses on Richardson Bay tidelands. Our Mission is “To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth’s biological diversity.” More »

For more than 60 years Marin Audubon has worked to protect wildlife habitat in Marin, sometimes stepping in to buy land that is slated for development.

MAS also provides its members and the public many opportunities to experience the birdlife and nature of Marin County and beyond through Field Trips and Events, our monthly MAS newsletter The Rail, and three annual Marin Christmas Bird Counts.

Membership

We invite you to become a Chapter Supporting Member of Marin Audubon to support our important habitat protection and restoration work, conservation advocacy, our full calendar of birding field trips and speakers and our newsletter, The Rail. More »

Field Trips

Jul 01

Big Rock and Las Gallinas – Birding in Marin, Season 8, Trip 7

JULY 1 @ 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Saturday, July 1, 2023
8:30 AM to 3 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip

Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on June 21 at 8:00 AM

Trails at Big Rock, rather steep, allow us to view some of the expansive grasslands and forested ravines in Marin. Some of the grassland nesting birds we will be looking for include Lazuli Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Horned Lark, and Ash-throated Flycatcher. We will also have a vast amount of sky visible so swallows, swifts, and raptors may appear with a chance for a Golden Eagle.

At midday we expect to drive Lucas Valley Road to Las Gallinas where we will be looking for American and Least Bitterns, Green Heron, Cinnamon Teal, Common Gallinule, and Great-tailed Grackle.

DIRECTIONS: From Highway 101 in San Rafael, exit on Lucas Valley Rd and go west approximately 5.5 miles (look for the big rock). We will be walking approximately 3 miles. Because this area can get quite hot this time of year, be sure to wear a hat, use sunscreen and carry plenty of water.

Speaker Series

Jun 15

Marin Audubon Society Properties

JUNE 15 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursday June 15, 2023, 7:00 PM
Speaker: Jude Stalker
Register for this Speaker Series HERE

For almost twenty-five years Marin Audubon Society (MAS) has been acquiring wetlands (or historical wetlands) and adjacent upland properties in Marin County; restoring, stewarding, and preserving the land as valuable wildlife habitat. Some of these properties came very close to being developed but ended up with MAS due to the perseverance of those individuals who early on understood the value and importance of wetland habitat. Some have been stewarded by an impressive group of dedicated volunteers and enjoyed for their beauty and bountiful birdlife by many people throughout the years.

Jude Stalker will take you on a virtual tour of several of these properties and fill you in on the interesting ways that they were acquired and of how they have been restored, enhanced, and stewarded to support the many native plants and animals that are populating them now.

Jude is a wetland biologist who has worked in and around the SF bay wetlands for over twenty years. She is a long-time member of the board of MAS and spends much of her free time volunteering to help steward the MAS (and other) properties.

Photos: Bahia Property
Photo by: Jude Stalker

Speaker Series

Marin Audubon hosts a monthly Speaker Series on the second Thursday of the month, from September through June. The programs feature lectures on birds, mammals, and other natural history topics and are given by speakers who are experts in their field. Programs are free and open to the public. More »

Conservation

Maybe you have had the experience of passing a favorite spot only to be disappointed at the sight of bulldozers and “progress” at work. Maybe you’ve lamented about the inevitability of it all, enraged that it occurred, or maybe you are frustrated about loss of wildlife, trees, habitats and/or climate change. If you have, then it is time to think about Marin Audubon’s Conservation Committee. More »

Volunteer

MAS offers many opportunities to meet fellow members and to support our environmental protection and conservation efforts. Would you like to serve on the Board of Directors? Help with the Christmas Bird Count? Help with restoration projects? Join the MAS Conservation Committee? Help with the annual MAS/ACR Mother’s Day BBQ event in May? These are just a few of the many ways that you can pursue your interests or share your talents. More »

Properties

Consistent with our mission “To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity” the Marin Audubon Society has been acquiring properties in Marin County with current or restorable habitats. Some properties are restored and turned over to a public agency and some properties remain in the ownership of the Marin Audubon Society. More »

Stewardship/Restoration

Marin Audubon plans and implements habitat restoration and enhancement projects, maintains habitats, and monitors activities on properties it owns. Restorations focus on recreating tidal marshes and associated transition zone and upland habitats. Restorations usually involve moving dirt fill or levees to lower elevations or remove obstructions(levees) to tidal waters and are usually undertaken with grants from federal, state or private foundations. More »

Birds

Photo Credits

Photographs throughout this website were contributed by Len Blumin, Elyse Omernick, Dave Strauss, Jude Stalker, Gerry Jarocki, Ann Thomas, Ed Nute, Richard Bohnet, and Barbara Salzman.

MAS BOARD OPPORTUNITY

Marin Audubon has extensive programs, has made impressive accomplishments preserving and restoring habitats, and conducts volunteer work days to maintain habitats we own. Our programs include conservation to protect our environment, the Breeding Bird Atlas, field trips to see and learn about birds, and monthly illustrated talks about birds and natural history.

At this critical time when climate change threatens birds, habitats and ourselves, a strong and involved board of directors is even more important to help us deal with these issues locally. We depend on volunteers, including members of our Board, to plan and oversee our programs. To find out more about our Board, and other volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, please contact a member of our Nominating Committee:

Douglas Waterman: moc.l1686357028iamg@1686357028nmrtw1686357028slgd1686357028
Lelia Lanctot: moc.l1686357028iamg@1686357028totcn1686357028alnna1686357028ailel1686357028
Martha Jarocki: moc.l1686357028iamg@1686357028ikcor1686357028ajaht1686357028ram1686357028

Speaker Series

Jun 15

Marin Audubon Society Properties

JUNE 15 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursday June 15, 2023, 7:00 PM
Speaker: Jude Stalker
Register for this Speaker Series HERE

Photos: Bahia Property
Photo by: Jude Stalker

Field Trips

Jul 01

Big Rock and Las Gallinas – Birding in Marin, Season 8, Trip 7

JULY 1 @ 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Saturday, July 1, 2023
8:30 AM to 3 PM
Birding with Jim White and Bob Battagin
Register HERE for this Field Trip

Registration required for this trip. Registration opens on June 21 at 8:00 AM

Become a Marin Audubon Society Member Today!

CLICK HERE

ALERT: Report Barred Owl Sightings

Barred Owls have extended their range to the west coast, from the east coast, and have been seen in Marin. There is increasing concern about their impact on Marin's Northern Spotted Owl population. Barred Owls are larger, more agencies have begun to monitor Barred Owl activity in Marin and they need your help! Notify the appropriate agency asap should you see what might be a Barred Owl: For sightings on federal land, notify Bill Merkle - National Parks Service Wildlife Biologist;...