SSU Restoration Ecology: Point Reyes Tule Elk talk

Off we go to Tomales Point in hopes of seeing Tule Elk!

Felicia happy we have arrived and off of those windy roads! Look at that view!

We arrived at Pierce Point ranch where we were greeted with Tule Elk examining us as well.

Dillon taking in Point Reyes beauty!

Dave Press telling the classes about Tule reintroduction, their life cycles, and how the National Park service has been dealing with them the last 30 years.

Dave making the Tule Elk impression. Look at that antler!

The classes we able to learn a lot about the landscape, the history of Point Reyes and some current issues that the park service is encountering. Dave taught us about how well the Elk reintroduction has been, maybe even too well, contraceptives were an experiment to help maintain their populations because NPS was not aware of how many elk Tomales Point could hold. As of now the point holds 480 Elk and they are doing better than expected.

The class climbing up to one of the experimental squares.

Nick and Emma examining the shrubs and grasses inside the fence as opposed to the landscape we had just previously waked through.

We learned about an abandoned experiment out at Tomales Point, which SSU has now adopted back into commission. Elk have a large impact on the lands due to their stomping, antler rubbing, wastes and constant stomping down the area. They are studying the impacts that Tule Elk have upon the landscape. By squaring off a portion of land, they are able to save the vegetation inside to study the soil, plant time, and ground cover just to name a few.