It was August 1982 and a new conservation group was just forming. August marks the Elkhorn Slough Foundation's 30th anniversary, and we hope you will celebrate with us. After all, without your support our achievements would not be possible! Save the date and join us on November 2nd for a celebration of conservation success!

The fun will take place at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where you can join us for dinner, drinks, a silent auction, special guest speaker and more. All proceeds will support the Foundation's ongoing work to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed.

We'll let you know how to register for this special event soon, and we hope to see you there. Thank you for helping us protect Elkhorn Slough for the past thirty years!

We'll let you know how to get your tickets for this special event soon, and we hope to see you there. Thank you for helping us protect Elkhorn Slough for the past thirty years!

August's winning Best Shot, taken by amateur photographer Philip Lewis.

Do you love Elkhorn Slough? Do you have a camera? Excellent.

Our annual Calendar Contest is underway, and any photos of Elkhorn Slough are eligible to win, whether the focus is its landscapes, plants or animals. We also love photos of people walking, kayaking, or wildlife spotting in the slough.

You don't need to be a pro to get a great shot. Many of our favorite photographs have been submitted by amateur photographers--you just need to look at our Best Shot contest to see what we mean. Whether you're a seasoned vet behind the camera or jumping into a new hobby, your appreciation of the slough's beauty shines in the photos you send us.

This year, four photo submissions will earn photographers special prizes. The top two entries will receive a private photo tour in Elkhorn Slough with Paul Zaretsky, a local professional photographer who has been photographing the Slough and contributing to ESF for more than 10 years. Two additional photographers will receive annual passes to the Elkhorn Slough Reserve (and other DFG managed Reserves around California).

Send your photos in today! Photo submissions will be accepted through October 1, 2012, so grab your camera and head to the slough!

The eighth annual Monterey Birding Festival is fast approaching! This year the festival will be held September 13-16th at the Watsonville Civic Plaza. September marks the peak of fall migration, with wintering shorebirds arriving en masse.

Greg Miller, one of the three key characters in Mark Obmascik's book "The Big Year" (now a major motion picture) will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, Sept. 15.

When ESF started this festival years ago we had hoped to share the joy of birding with a few local enthusiasts. After all, Elkhorn Slough is a mecca for birders looking to check off their 'life bird' list with our more than 340 species of bird species.

The Elkhorn Slough Birding Festival quickly grew into a giant celebration of all things bird, and became an entity all its own: today's Monterey Birding Festival. You can join other birding enthusiasts on hikes, tours, in classes and more at this years' festival, so we hope you'll come enjoy the company of your fellow fans of our feathered friends! For more information or to register visit http://montereybaybirding.org/

This biddy-biddy (Acaena novae-zelandiae) plant was first found in 1954 in the Carmel Highlands area, and is now considered a successfully eradicated invasive species.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation and Elkhorn Slough Reserve are proud to sponsor the 14th Annual Central California Invasive Weed Symposium this year. The symposium will take place in Felton on November 8, 2012, so mark your calendars! It's a fantastic opportunity for Central Coast "weed warriors" to network and learn from each other new skills and research regarding invasive plant management.

This all day event will include a line-up of fantastic speakers as well as field trips to restoration sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are students discounts, and the symposium counts toward continuing education credits, so it's a great way to learn about watershed stewardship and further your education. You can register today here!

ESF's Executive Director Mark Silberstein is putting on his professor's cap to give a walk and talk on the history and conservation of Elkhorn Slough at CSUMB's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Join him and hear about his 29 years of experience protecting and restoring Elkhorn Slough at his class, Elkhorn Slough: An Ecological Success Story.

ESF's Board President Steven Webster, PhD will also be teaching at CSUMB's OLLI class called Coastal Mysteries. Dr. Webster will cover coral reefs, climate change, and the natural history of the Sea of Cortez.

Classes start in September and are for students age 50 and better. For more information and to register, visit http://olli.csumb.edu/courses/. Classes are filling up fast, so sign up today!