Remember to bring your holiday guests to your favorite place this holiday season to explore the great outdoors together! But please keep in mind, the Reserve will be closed December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

It's December! The year has flown by, but not without leaving many beautiful memories captured on film by local photographers and visitors to the Elkhorn Slough. This year the submissions to our 2013 Calendar Contest were simply incredible, and we look forward to sharing them with you! You can see the twelve final shots on our website right now.

If order your copy today online, we'll mail it to you in time for the start of the new year! These calendars aren't just a great way to showcase your love of Elkhorn Slough, they're a great way to support the research, education, conservation and restoration work that take place here all year long. Order a copy today!

Elkhorn Slough is pleased to be part of the Monterey County Gives program once again. This year we are focusing this special campaign on our outreach efforts with the goal of creating more opportunities to engage the community. We are hoping to increase our ability to offer after school tours, stewardship events, and educational tours for all ages.

You can help this happen! And MC Gives! will pitch in too. Your donation will go further because the Monterey County Weekly matches a portion of each contribution - adding to your dollars. Last year, because of the matching aspect of this program, we raised nearly $9,000 to help our programs. We have just a few days left and we'd love to hit that number again. Make your gift go further, please give.

The Elkhorn Slough Reserve installed a 6,000-gallon capacity rainwater collection system, just in time for the most recent storms we've received! The reservoirs are already full and being used to water plants in the greenhouse. The new system will cut down on our use of groundwater and truly adds a silver lining to our winter rain clouds. To use the words of Water Quality Specialist John Haskins, "there is no alternative to water!" The Reserve continues to be "green" in more ways then one.

Yes the holidays are around the corner, but there is still time for excellent gift giving that will make the holidays happy while helping the slough.

Light up your gift giving with a top-of-the-line bike and outdoor lights from Light and Motion. Now through January 7, when you purchase in item through the Light and Motion website and use the code "lightupelkslough" you will receive a 25% discount on the price. You will also help Elkhorn Slough because Light in Motion is generously donating 7% of their earnings from these purchases to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation.

Do you know someone who has everything? Well perhaps a gift membership is the green answer to putting a gift under their tree. Elkhorn Slough Foundation gift memberships allow your gift recipient to enjoy the slough all year long while being reminded of your generosity too. Through Jan 15, each gift membership comes with a 2013 calendar.

The Reserve's Cortland Jordan and Kenton Parker have created a beautiful video about a remarkable fish. The plainfin midshipman is a noisy neighbor from deep in the ocean. And what's with those spots on its belly? You can find out when you watch this short video on our website.