The Parsons sill is completed. It is successfully slowing the ebb tide to help trap sediment and slow erosion in the slough. While construction is done, the work is not over.

Monitors are still carefully watching the area to see how marine mammals are reacting to the changes. Throughout the project, they have kept animals safe and collected data for research. The data is helping to inform scientists on marine mammals' reactions to different kinds of sound and man-made changes in their environment.

Although this project's main objective was to address the critical need to slow erosion of marsh and soft mud in the slough, two other benefits were built into the project. First is the valuable data collection mentioned above, and the second is the enhancement of Kirby Park. As part of the agreement to use Kirby Park as the staging area for the construction, three major improvements are being made at this site - a new dock providing improved access to the slough, resurfacing the parking lot, and reinforcing the banks of the parking lot to slow erosion.

This project has involved many people who have invested a lot of time to make it happen. We will continue to monitor the work to ensure it is in the best interest in the Elkhorn Slough and the life the slough supports.

Sure, it may seem like just plain water, but if you look closely you will find much more. Each drop of the slough's salty water is teeming with microbial life. If you really want to peer beneath the slough's surface, consider looking at the unseen slough on March 25th from 6PM to 9PM.

What might you find? One look through the powerful microscopes in the Reserve's Education Lab could reveal baby jellies swimming about, while another might show a little shrimp fighting over some leafy algae. As you discover these tiny wonders, our Education Program staff will be happy to point out the interesting details of what you see, making for a truly insightful evening. It's like a field trip for adults!

This special Elkhorn Slough Foundation event is free, but for members only. Attendees will spend an hour looking into petri dishes, learning to identify the organisms that hide in the slough's brackish waters. Members are invited to enjoy refreshments and a presentation on the recently completed Parsons Project and subsequent changes that scientists have seen in the slough.

This amazing night happens just once a year. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP online or call Quinn at 831-728-5939 ext 240.

What's beautiful, needs very little water, and attracts helpful insects? If you answered native plants, you'd be right! And not only that, native plants promote global biodiversity, making the whole planet a richer place to live.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation works hard to ensure our corner of the watershed stays a biological hotspot, and going native is a big part of that strategy. Our land stewards pull up invasive weeds that crowd out native species and replant the hills with a plethora of beautiful native grasses and flowering plants. These natives attract a diverse set of wildlife, from insects to birds and all that's in between.

The Elkhorn Slough Reserve's greenhouse makes it easy to keep our seedlings happy and warm while they wait to be planted, and ensures that we have plenty to put in the ground. And this year we can share our baby grasses, flowers, and even trees with you!

Join us on Saturday, March 19th from 10AM to 3PM for our First Annual Native Plant Fair. The event will feature talks, activities for adults and children and, of course, the opportunity to purchase native plants from the greenhouse. All plants come from local seed sources and have been collected by hand by our faithful stewardship team. We have dozens of species for sale, and the proceeds go toward maintaining our greenhouse.

So bring your friends and neighbors to our greenhouse on March 19th to get beautiful native plants for a steal--and support a great cause.

Elkhorn Slough Foundation has teamed up with Green Boot Media-now you can help conserve and restore the slough with every step you take. Download the Green Boot Media smart phone app and use it whenever you walk, hike, or run. The pedometer app from Green Boot Media counts your steps, and the more steps taken in the name of Elkhorn Slough Foundation, the more money you raise.

Using the app is easy--just visit the Green Boot Media website to download it to your phone, then enter the Elkhorn Slough Foundation's code--1113--and you're good to go!

By turning on the app and carrying your phone with you while you shop at the grocery store or explore the trails at the Reserve, you can make every step you take count for the slough. Now walking can make you feel good twice--it's great for your health, and it supports a cause you believe in!

Pulling weeds, digging holes, getting good and dirty--sounds like a typical Spring Break for students at Vanderbilt University! The Elkhorn Slough Foundation was happy to host these students for the second year as part of Alternative Spring Break--a program that pairs students and nonprofits for volunteer work during their time out of school.

The students enjoyed being outside and learn about the environmental work being done at Elkhorn Slough. For many of students it was their first time on the West Coast. The Alternative Spring Break program provides a way for students to see a different part of the country, learn about the environment first hand, and do something meaningful on their time out of class.

This year, students spent their time pulling up Scotch broom from the Hambey property and helping weed and plant at the Reserve by the overlook.

We are happy to show them a good time and grateful for their desire to help.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation wants to know what you think--join us on facebook and tell us how we're doing! It's a great way to follow what's going on in the slough, and if we like your post you could find yourself quoted in the next Tidal Exchange newsletter!