Marin Group

You can do something about oil spills

The Sierra Club Marin Group suggests joining the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Beach Watch program, which monitors beaches from Sonoma to San Mateo County. During monthly surveys, volunteers monitor an assigned beach to count and photo-document birds, marine mammals, and human activity. During oil spills, volunteers are scouts reporting back essential data to clean-up agencies. To become a Beach Watch volunteer you must be 18 years old, attend all required training, and commit to surveying your beach once every four weeks for a minimum of one year.

The 80-hour training will be held in April and May on weeknights and weekends and includes classroom and field training. Orientations will be:

Tue., March 4, 7- 8:30 pm,
Sanctuary Office, San Francisco;

Thu., March 6, 7- 8:30 pm,
Point Montara Lighthouse, Montara;

Sat., March 8, 10:30 am - 12 pm, Sanctuary Office, San Francisco;
Sun., March 9, 10:30 am - 12 pm, Building 1050, Marin Headlands.

To reserve a spot, email Shannon Lyday at slyday -at- Farallones.org or call (415) 561-6625, ext. 302.

For more information, contact Gordon Bennett, a 15-year Beach Watch volunteer, at gbatmuirb -at- aol.com or call (415) 663-1881.

Gordon Bennett, Marin Group conservation chair