Goals & Needs

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Marin Water has been managing over 22,000 acres of watershed lands for over 100 years, delivering high quality drinking water to local communities while responsibly managing the watershed for biodiversity and public access. Healthy forests play a large role in preserving and protecting water resources. Managed, healthy forests also reduce the risks of catastrophic wildlife. Wildfire has the potential to degrade forests and watershed processes that could impact water quality. Wildfires increase susceptibility of watersheds to increased overland flows that can result in erosion and can have both short- and long-term impacts on water supplies, such as increased treatment costs, need for alternative supplies, and diminished reservoir capacity. The Grizzly Corps Fellow will work with Marin Water Ranger department and Volunteer program to connect people to nature and their water source by offering educational and stewardship activities on the Mt Tamalpais Watershed. Through these programs we are able to demonstrate how public agencies use ecological principles to manage and conserve natural spaces.

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Capacity Building Projects

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The GrizzlyCorps fellows would serve Marin Water and work on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. Marin Water is a founding member of One Tam which leverages the skills and resources of public agencies, nonprofits, and individuals to support the health of Mt. Tam. The Fellow working with the Ranger and Volunteer departments would increase community engagement around climate change through public outreach and hands-on volunteer activities. Improving forest health and managing forests to reduce fuels has the benefit of not only directly improving watershed functions and processes but indirectly reducing the risks of and impacts following wildfire. Forest health improvements can be achieved through habitat restoration planning; through aggressive removal of invasive weeds that outcompete native species, reduce forest diversity, and increase watershed fuel loads; and improving forest resiliency through removal of diseased trees and replanting with disease-resistant species. Wildfire risks can additionally be reduced through fuel reduction, creation of defensible space and re-introduction of fire through prescribed burning. Forest management, guided by research, greatly benefits the ecosystem, which in turn, protects the water supply. 

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Project 1: Forest Health Strategy – Community Engagement

A primary goal of our Fellow would be to enhance the public’s understanding of fire, drought, and proactive forest management. Community engagement takes place through our hands-on volunteer projects; conversations are also fostered through our Watershed Ambassador program. The Fellow will work with the Ranger and Volunteer departments to expand the Watershed Ambassador program to better support Marin Water’s public outreach and engagement efforts. Watershed Ambassadors, both staff and volunteers, receive public outreach training which includes communication strategies, developing outreach goals, and techniques for protecting natural resources. The fellow will develop outreach material to better engage with watershed visitors and educate them about responsible recreation, wildfire and forest restoration, biodiversity, and watershed resiliency. 

 

Project 2: Forest Restoration and Prescribed Fire– Capacity Building

The GrizzlyCorps fellow will increase Marin Water’s capacity to implement forestry restoration, prescribed fire, and work with early career field crews implementing vegetation work on the watershed. Marin Water’s natural resource staff include fisheries ecologists, vegetation ecologists, rangers, educators, and watershed maintenance, all working together to ensure a healthy watershed. The fellow will be introduced to many aspects of forestry stewardship and will assist Marin Water with the implementation of the One Tam Forest Health Strategy and Biodiversity Fire, and Fuels Integrated Plan. The fellow will have the opportunity to build a strong professional network, participate in field trainings relating to forest ecology and native plants, and on-the-job training relating to Ranger duties. 

 

We are optimistic that in the coming year we will be able to introduce fire into one or more of the prescribed burn sites that have been approved. GrizlyCorps fellows will increase Marin Water’s capacity to implement forestry restoration, prescribed fire, and work with early career field crews implementing vegetation work on the watershed. The GrizzlyCorps fellow will have the opportunity to get trained as a Wildland Firefighter Type II (Red Card Certification): https://www.nwcg.gov/positions/fft2. 

 

Project 3: Recreation Management Plan – Community Stewardship

Marin Water’s stewardship programs offer volunteers the chance to directly mitigate the effects of climate change while supporting the educational and recreational pursuits of visitors. The GrizzlyCorps fellow will assist with all aspects of managing a volunteer program and coordinating outreach. The fellow will support Rangers and Watershed Maintenance to develop a volunteer trail work plan and annual trail maintenance goals. The fellow will serve side-by-side with volunteers to provide guidance, identify the connection between stewardship and climate resiliency, and to improve the volunteer experience.

 

This includes:

• Organizes and co-leads volunteer habitat restoration, trail maintenance, and other community stewardship events

• Build competency for group management, trail building, maintenance, and planning

• Recruit and train volunteers in these stewardship skills

• Supports the vegetation, maintenance, and ranger teams, plus One Tam partners, in achieving community engagement goals;

• Create, edit, and produce educational and outreach materials

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Organizational & Community Highlights

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Marin Water’s watershed team is a group of about 22 permanent staff and up to 10 early career folks (interns, seasonals, and AmeriCorps fellows) dedicated to protection and management of watershed lands. Our staff include fisheries ecologists, vegetation ecologists, rangers, educators, heavy equipment operators and watershed maintenance, all working together to ensure a healthy watershed. Fellows will have a chance to see how this work is done and be a part of the team doing the work. Marin County is part of the San Francisco Bay area which includes diverse celebrated urban centers and extensive protected natural areas. The Fellows will be mentored by seasoned dedicated professionals with years of experience mentoring early career folks.