The Point Reyes National Seashore, a 70,000-acre park, was established in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy to preserve and protect the natural ecosystems and cultural resources along the undeveloped coastline of the western United States.
In September 2012, the Seashore will be observing its 50th anniversary and there will be many special events marking this significant milestone. Located just an hour's drive from the densely populated metropolitan area of San Francisco, the Seashore is a sanctuary for myriad plant and animal species and for the human spirit — for discovery, inspiration, solitude, and recreation — and exists as a reminder of the human connection to the land.
We are forever beholden to the forces that brought us to this place. Truly wild places are an analgesic to the knocks modern life lays on. The David Browers, the John Muirs, the Clem Millers of the world have been the doctors-in-residence to keep places like the Point Reyes Peninsula healthy and intact. The natural impulse is to join forces and care-take a place we find so nourishing.
We have been blessed to have this place as our “backyard” where we have hiked and camped. We have wandered through tunnels exposed at super low tides seeing anemones and starfish overhead. We have seen a pair of spotted owls, the fluffed-up teddy bears of the raptor world, above us clutching a branch with razor talons. We’ve learned that winter in the forest means fungus. And that, winter on the beach means buffeting storms at sea flush out great quantities of plastic depositing it in swags entangled with the seaweed.
Kehoe Beach was where we had our first date and where we discovered our passion for each other and for picking up plastic detritus from the beach. What are the chances of meeting someone who liked to pick up trash and make art out of it? It was our good luck and Kehoe Beach became the site of our regular beach combing collecting. We appreciate fresh air and exercise and have, by proximity and by predilection, found Kehoe Beach, a perfect place to enjoy both.
