Will you be ready? The Elkhorn Slough 2012 calendar can help. With local tidal information, holidays, and other important dates, the calendar is a great way to know what to expect at the slough. And it includes so many beautiful photographs it will be an artful addition to any wall. 2012 marks the Elkhorn Slough Foundation's 30th year, so we'll be adding some historic photos to the mix this year. Be sure to reserve a copy today!

If you shop at the REI in Marina, you've got another way to support the Elkhorn Slough. From November 15th through December 31st you will have the option to "round-up" your purchase, giving the difference to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation.

It works like this: the holiday gift you purchase for $33.67 can be rounded up to $34, or to $35, or even $40, resulting in a gift to ESF of $0.33, $1.33, or $6.33. You name your round-up amount and the change you give will go directly to ESF.

A big thank you to REI for their support in our efforts to conserve the Elkhorn Slough and selecting ESF as the "round-up" charity this holiday season. And as always, thank you for supporting of our work. Donors like you make our work possible!

These days climate change throws an extra obstacle at the decision-makers who have been tasked with conserving and restoring our coastal resources. To overcome these new challenges, they need planning tools based on robust science that will help them to design effective strategies.

An interdisclipinary team from San Francisco Bay and Elkhorn Slough has just been awarded more than $900,000 to research answers to various questions for Olympia oysters and climate change.

The grant funding is from the National Estuarine Research Reserve Science Collaborative, and the lead investigators are the Research Coordinators from the San Francisco Bay and Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserves, Matt Ferner and Kerstin Wasson, respectively. Other principal investigators include colleagues at the California Coastal Conservancy and University of California Davis.

The ultimate goal of the project is to increase the resilience of oyster restoration projects in the face of climate change. Understanding answers to questions like, "will climate change impact oysters more so than existing stressors," or "will oyster population connectivity affect how oysters adapt to climate change" will help decision-makers create good policies for oyster management.

The project will produce restoration planning tools to aid practitioners and policy-makers in the selection of sites where oyster restoration is mostly likely to be successful, both under current climate conditions and under projected future conditions. Scientists and policy-makers will work together from the start to generate tools that are useful in making management decisions.

Anyone involved in oyster restoration, from grassroots community participation to policy and permitting, is encouraged to contact Principal Investigator Wasson to become engaged in this project (email kerstin.wasson "at" elkhornslough.org).

ESNERR is looking for a committed volunteer to help with monthly water quality sampling. The Water Quality team needs a helping hand, the first Tuesday of the month, approximately four hours of field work, and the first Wednesday of the month, either all morning, all afternoon, or the entire day for laboratory work at Moss Landing Marine Labs. Time is variable: as early as 7 am as late as 5 pm.

The ideal volunteer should be willing to help out with this work for at least six months, ideally for a year, as there is some training involved. Most importantly he or she should be someone who is consistently available, who is very reliable, and who pays attention to detail. The work will require volunteers to get in and out of a truck frequently, are able to walk a good distance, and stand up for some hours during the lab work.

More than one volunteer may be needed. For more information, email Rikke Preisler (rikke "at" elkhornslough.org).

The California Coastal Commission's 2012 Art and Poetry Contest is accepting student entries now through January 31, 2012. Winners and honorable mentions from last year's contest can be seen online.

The contest has five grade level categories that include ranges from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Students who submit their California coastal or marine themed art and poetry may be featured in California Coastal Commission materials and on their webpages, and the website has many resources available for aspiring young artists to help them get started with their submissions.

By encouraging youth to reflect on the beauty and spirit of California's beaches and ocean, the Commission hopes to inspire a greater sense of stewardship for these natural places. A population that cares about the coast is more likely to be engaged in conserving and protecting it.

You can find the entry form and complete contest rules on the CCC's website.

The Moss Landing Power Plant is a landmark often used to find Elkhorn Slough. Its owner, Dynegy, is also a good corporate citizen. Recently Greg Hughes and Lee Ganz of Dynegy Inc. presented $20,000 to Mark Silberstein for our conservation efforts.

"We value Elkhorn Slough," stated plant manager Greg Hughes, "Dynegy will do what we can do when we can to support the Foundation's work."

Dynegy has been a Land Partner since 2008, providing tremendous support to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation's work. The company provides wholesale power, capacity and ancillary services in six states. The Moss Landing Energy Facility has been operating since 1967 and is the largest producer of energy in the state in terms of megawatts.

We are grateful to have such generous corporate neighbors. Thank you Dynegy!