Coastal Stewardship Day

Put your love of the coast into action at our Coastal Stewardship Day at the Cypress Grove Preserve on the east shore of Tomales Bay. Join together with other caring community members excited to tend one of California’s richest and most diverse coastal habitats. Jim Jensen, Tomales Bay land steward and preserve manager, will guide volunteers in a beach cleanup and invasive plant removal at the breathtaking preserve framed by towering Monterey cypress trees, eelgrass beds, native grasslands, and coastal marsh.

Bring your curiosity since the day will offer learning as well. The roughly 100-acre preserve serves as a hub for long-term monitoring and focused research especially critical as the bay faces increased pressure from sea level rise, coastal flooding, and king tides. The effects of these events impact sensitive habitats, shorelines, water quality, and distributes trash along the beaches and inland areas. You’ll see first-hand how rising seas and extreme high tides impact coastal systems — from eelgrass and marshes to wildlife and infrastructure — and you’ll make a difference putting your care into action.

All tools and gloves are provided—just bring sturdy shoes, curiosity, and a friend or two who are eager to learn, give back, and care for our changing coastal ecosystems.

About Jim Jensen, Tomales Bay land steward and preserve manager: Jim joined All Hands Ecology in January of 2021, bringing his local expertise and familiarity with the area from growing up on a sixth-generation family ranch near Tomales. Jim manages the physical operations and land stewardship at Cypress Grove Preserve and All Hands Ecology’s Tomales Bay properties. Previously, Jim was the Stewardship Manager for the Marin Agricultural Land Trust where he spent eight years supporting conservation and stewardship on working farms and ranches. Jim also played an active role in establishing strategic partnerships to incentivize stream and habitat restoration and carbon farm plans throughout West Marin. Prior to MALT, Jim worked with the National Park Service in Wildland Fire Management for nine seasons where he led a fuels crew, worked on an engine, hotshot crew, and helped implement prescribed fire in National Parks across the western US. He holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and natural resources with a minor in rangeland resources management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is an Associate Rangeland Manager with the Cal-Pac Society for Range Management, is a Fibershed producer member, and serves on the MALT Board. When Jim is not at the office or in the field, he can be found spending time with his family stewarding and working on the family ranch.

Photo credit: Sarah Warnock and Andrea Salazar

Also check out other Nonprofit events in Marshall.