|  | | Greetings Friend, Happy New Year! I wanted to thank each of you for your generosity and commitment in helping us reach our 2025 year-end goals. Because of your support, we’ve continued to defend Marin’s unique coastal lands, waters, and biodiversity — making measurable impact through local advocacy, stewardship, community science, and education. Your contributions fuel all of this work and more, and we couldn’t do it without you. This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate two remarkable milestones: - 55 years of EAC’s grassroots environmental advocacy, and
- 50 years of the California Coastal Act, the landmark law that has protected public access, wildlife habitat, and our iconic coastline since 1976.
These anniversaries are a powerful reminder of what’s possible when passionate people come together to stand up for the natural world. But they also remind us that our work is far from over. Every day, new pressures from climate change and habitat loss, to legislative attacks on environmental protections, challenge the very things we cherish and work to safeguard. In 2026, our work to defend the Coastal Act, protect marine life and water quality, oppose harmful development and offshore drilling, and advocate for strong climate action will require all of us. Your ongoing engagement — whether you donate, volunteer, share your voice, or connect others to this mission — makes it possible for us to stand up for resilient ecosystems and healthy communities. Want to get involved directly? We’re hiring for a part-time Finance Manager and a part-time Major Gifts Director, roles critical to our operations that help grow our capacity to protect what we all love. Catch up with us by reading our advocacy news, partner shares, and ways for you to engage with us in the new year below, including the upcoming 17th Annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival, April 24th - 26th. From all of us at EAC, thank you for your support, your passion, and your belief in a thriving future for Marin’s coast. Together, we will keep this legacy alive for generations to come. In gratitude, |
| | P.S. Take a moment to fill out our survey to better inform us about the issues that mean the most to you. |
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| | ~ Save the Date: 17th Annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival ~ |
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| Come have a hoot with us to celebrate the wonder of spring migration along the Pacific Flyway and coastal Marin, and in honor of EAC’s 55 years of environmental advocacy on the coast. The festival showcases over 50 field events with experienced guides highlighting birds, wildlife, plants, and marine life — plus opportunities for kayaking, photography, and art workshops. View festival highlights The festival includes an art show with Alison Spreadborough, a Friday keynote with Meghan Walla-Murphy on Bears & Beavers, and a Saturday keynote benefit with Peter Cavanagh on How Birds Fly. The event is family-friendly, featuring special free Sunday activities for kids 3+, and most field events suitable for ages 8+ and all levels of experience. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, there’s something for everyone! The schedule at a glance and full descriptions will be available in February, with early bird EAC member registration week slated for 10 A.M. on Friday, February 20th, until Friday, February 27th at noon. Learn more about early bird registration, and keep your hawkeyes on the website for additional information. |
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| Interested in guiding with us? We’re inviting passionate, experienced guides, teachers, naturalists, or artists to join our guide team, which directly supports conservation, education, and community engagement throughout our region. Guides ideally have 3+ years of experience, a passion for sharing knowledge and inspiring stewardship, and the ability to lead engaging, educational, and inclusive experiences. These positions are voluntary in nature and include some benefits. Contact us to learn more. |
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|  | Duxbury Reef Petition Update In 2023, we submitted a petition to the Fish & Game Commission about our recommendation for a proposed regulation change that would better protect Duxbury Reef’s unique and vulnerable intertidal habitat and the amazing creatures that live there, like crabs, turban snails, and octopi. Our request is based on the peer-reviewed science that fully protected reserves are the most effective in preserving and restoring biodiversity and in gaining public understanding of regulations, and based on Marin MPA Watch human use data, which has shown high levels of visitation and unpermitted take at the reef, as well as the recommendations of local agencies and scientists. Compliance is higher with clearer regulations, and the number of harmful activities will likely be reduced in a marine reserve. Following conversations with community members and new information that informed us a portion of our petition was mapped larger than we requested, we sent a letter to the Commission in November requesting an amendment to our petition, reducing the offshore portions of our request, focusing on intertidal protection. These changes intend to maintain offshore commercial and recreational fishing uses, which we know is of significant concern to the local community. We have continued attending public meetings and are actively meeting with community representatives to explore ways to work together, and are open to solutions that could allow for some fishing while still providing greater regulatory protection for this sensitive habitat. Read the Full Update
Learn More |
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 | Educational Exhibits for Loan Educational exhibits are now available for rental! We are excited to share our office exhibits with other organizations, schools, libraries, and more by offering free rentals. Exhibits include items like educational posters, photo blocks, interactive displays, banners, and more. Detailed lists of rental items are available here. Exhibits include: |
| Want to support strong MPAs and a resilient Duxbury Reef? Here are 3 things you can do: - Email isabel@eacmarin.org for more info.
- Submit an op-ed about why Duxbury Reef needs protection. Are you a long-time visitor or community member? What changes have you observed at the reef? Why is intertidal protection and protecting the educational and tidepooling experiences of future generations important to you?
- Participate in a Fish & Game Commission meeting and voice your support for a strong Marine Protected Area network.
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| |  | Community Water Guide Struggling to think of New Year’s resolutions? What about becoming an advocate for your local waterways? EAC’s California Community Water Advocacy Guide can help you do just that! Whether you’re a seasoned participant in the public process or just getting started, this guide is a practical resource to help communities protect local water resources, advocate for equitable access, and navigate key state policies. As the Coastal Act celebrates its 50th anniversary, there’s no better time to refresh on essential legal frameworks, enforcement agencies, information sources, and steps to safeguard water quality and coastal resources. Download your copy for FREE here! |
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 | Join Our Team! We’re hiring for two part-time positions that provide critical operational support and the capacity to grow our work to protect West Marin’s unique lands, waters, and biodiversity. The Finance Manager is responsible for managing, controlling, planning, and organizing the processes for finance and accounting. Their primary duties include creating and implementing financial and accounting procedures. The Major Gifts Director is responsible for designing and implementing EAC’s major gifts and annual giving programs. The position is responsible for strategies to develop and grow major gifts programs and annual giving campaigns that advance the organization’s mission, align with its strategic plan, and support long-term financial sustainability. Please share widely! |
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 | New Oil Comment Deadline On January 16th, elected officials, Tribal representatives, state agencies, community organizations, scientists, commercial fishers, and concerned members of the public gathered at Sausalito’s Bay Model for a people’s hearing to oppose offshore oil. Similar people’s hearings have been held up and down the state in a push to meet last week’s comment deadline on the Department of the Interior’s draft plan that would open California’s coasts to offshore oil and gas drilling as soon as 2027. Almost 300,000 comments were submitted across the nation! The public is now invited to provide information on places where offshore drilling would be inadvisable off our state's Southern and Central coast. We have until Feb 26, 2026, 8:59 PM PST to comment on which areas should NOT be open to dirty oil! Learn More |
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| |  | Help the Kelp: Film Screening & Celebration Join us for Blue Frontier's Help the Kelp Film Screening & Community Celebration, a vibrant event bringing together film, food, art, and ocean advocacy. Enjoy a screening of Sequoias of the Sea, savor fresh Hog Island oysters, explore kelp-inspired art from local artists, and connect with conservation groups working to restore Northern California’s disappearing kelp forests. Your ticket includes the film, oysters, snacks, drinks, and access to community partner tables and discussions. Come celebrate our coastal ecosystems and learn how you can help the kelp thrive! When: Sunday, February 1st, from 3 - 6 PM
Where: Dance Palace, Point Reyes Station Tickets: $25
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bluefrontier/1993933 |
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 | Make Roads Safer for Newts Since 2019, the volunteer Chileno Valley Newt Brigade has rescued nearly 36,000 newts migrating across Chileno Valley Road to breed in Laguna Lake. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, more than 10,000 have become roadkill in the same time. The Newt Brigade needs your help to ask Marin County Supervisors and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) to allocate transportation funds to improve Chileno Valley Road, providing life-saving undercrossings for newts and other reptiles to safely cross. Contact your Supervisor in the next few weeks, and attend TAM’s February 26th Board of Commissioners meeting to speak on why you support funding improvements to Chileno Valley Road. Need help with your comments or want to learn more? Reach out to info@chilenovalleynewtbrigade.org. |
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| | | |  | | Did you know you can set up a recurring gift online? Whether you choose to set up an annual recurring gift or spread out your giving monthly or quarterly,
a recurring gift is a great way to help provide consistent donations, so we can focus on protecting what you love in West Marin. |
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| | | | MISSION To protect and sustain the unique lands, waters, and biodiversity of West Marin. We achieve this goal through advocacy, science, education, and engagement. |
| VISION Protected resilient ecosystems in West Marin’s coastal communities
for current and future generations. |
| EQUITY & JUSTICE We apply an equity lens to our guiding principles and work. We acknowledge how systemic, historical, and current social structures impact human relationships with our natural environment. We recognize that inequities and racism, past and present, result in reduced access to resources and increased environmental vulnerability. We are committed to evolving on an organizational level, expanding our program outreach, and broadening the voices and perspectives that drive our vision and policy work. The health of our environment thrives on ecological diversity, and the movement to protect it must be diverse and inclusive, which has not always been the case. |
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| Contact Us Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC)
PO Box 609 | 65 Third Street, Suite 12
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
(415) 663.9312 | info@eacmarin.org |
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