After 32 years of connecting people and nature, the Elkhorn Slough Reserve will be raising the cost of both the Day-use Pass and the Annual Pass. This is the first increase in cost for visiting the slough in the Reserve's history.

Effective November 1, the cost to visit the Reserve will be $4 per visitor 16 years or older (there is no charge for those under the age of 16) and an annual pass fee will increase to $20.75. The annual pass is good at all Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Areas.

With five miles of hiking trails, more than 340 bird species, and ancient coastal oaks to enjoy, the Reserve remains as one of the best values on the central coast.

Join ESF Executive Director Mark Silberstein on a small group tour of the Elkhorn Slough. Members will be treated to the sight of the slough from atop the water, and we are sure to see an abundance of birds, oodles of otters and scores of sea lions. This is the last ESF kayak tour of the year and there are only a few kayak spaces left, so be sure to join us October 9th from 9AM to noon. You can sign up online, or call the Foundation at 831-728-5939 and ask for Quinn.

On September 30th Congressman Sam Farr was honored with a commemorative bench at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve. The dedication of the bench was recognizing Congressman Farr's Distinguished Service Award received earlier this year for his work on behalf of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

The award acknowledges the congressman's extraordinary service in support of environmental conservation and protection. His work to promote the protection, awareness, and science-based management of our state's estuaries and coasts and the California environment is substantial. Throughout his career, Congressman Farr has been an advocate for policy and budget initiatives supporting the environment.

Dr. Jaime Kooser, Manager of the San Francisco Bay NERR, helped dedicate the bench. "Really this award is for not just the support you've given to the NERRS, but for living your ideals," she said. "I hope that you sit on this bench and receive the energy of the land, of the sky, and of the slough, and that others who sit on the bench will be able to see your vision."

The bench--donated by ESNERR docents--overlooks one of the restoration projects for which Congressman Farr helped secure funding. It has a plaque that reads: "View from the Farr Side: We dedicate this spot to honor Congressman Sam Farr who has been a stalwart champion of conserving Elkhorn Slough and the beautiful coast of central California. Thank you Sam for your decades of exemplary public service and your unwavering dedication to caring for our environment. In the year 2011, Your constituents, friends and colleagues from Elkhorn Slough."

Every two years, volunteers and staff from ESNERR and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary re-visit about 30 permanent sites around the slough to assess changes to channel edges and biological communities. ESNERR began monitoring these sites in 2001, re-occupying permanent sites established by MLML student Chris Malzone in the early 1990s.

This fieldwork is extremely challenging because long distances of deep mud need to be traversed to access sites, and because erosion and species assessments must be made rapidly before the tide rises or the sun sets. Monitoring has revealed that the slough's banks have been eroding badly, with large chunks periodically being lost. Researchers attribute this to the high tidal velocities associated with the artificial estuary mouth created in 1946 to accommodate Moss Landing Harbor.

While they monitor erosion rates, researchers also conduct rapid assessments of all species observed in a rectangle in front of the bank markers. This enables them to detect major changes in biological communities in the estuary, such as declines of important native species like gaper clams, or increases in invasive species such as the Australian reef-building tubeworm.

It is skilled monitoring like this that makes the Elkhorn Slough a hub for science, education, and land management.

The art of Mary Warshaw is a beautiful reflection of the life she lived, and a great reminder of the things she valued. Mary recognized the importance of protecting natural treasures like our wetlands after seeing one of her favorite sloughs in Southern California overrun by development.

If you love art and treasure the natural world around you, there is still a window of opportunity for you to support both by purchasing some of Mary's art. The Mary Warshaw Restrospective will be on exhibit through October 9th, at the Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery in Watsonville, and proceeds from sales of her wetland paintings will go to both the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and the Watsonville Wetlands Watch.

If you can't make it to the gallery but want to purchase one of Mary's beautiful pieces, please contact the Elkhorn Slough Foundation for information on how to do so.

Are you interested in weeds? Do you want to learn how to get rid of those pesky invasive plants? The 13th Annual Central California Invasive Weed Symposium will be held November 10, 2011 at Laguna Seca Recration Area's Trackview Pavillion in the Monterey area. This years' Symposium theme is 'Movin' On Up! Stages and Strategies for Weed Control.' The all-day event will include field trips to restoration sites on Fort Ord, Monterey Beaches and the Big Sur Coast. Register at http://ag.co.monterey.ca.us/pages/invasive-weeds-symposium