Martin Dunes Restoration Crew At — Big Sur Land Trust (BSLT)
Located within the Monterey Bay dune complex, Martin Dunes protects critical habitat for several special status species, including the Monterey spineflower, Smith's blue butterfly, and Western snowy plover. However, introduced invasive species such as iceplant and annual grasses are prime threats to this native coastal dune system.
3 Service Learner Slots
Students serving on Big Sur Land Trust's Martin Dunes Restoration Crew will have exclusive access to this beautiful coastal dune preserve as they are supervised and mentored by Big Sur Land Trust volunteer Fred Hochstaedter (current board member with Monterey Audubon Society, former professor of Earth Sciences at Monterey Peninsula College) in iceplant pulling and use of iNaturalist for cataloguing of dune biodiversity and mapping of invasive grasses. Students should be prepared for half-days of physical work, including hiking through deep sand, in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Students will receive a general orientation to Big Sur Land Trust, which will review Big Sur Land Trust’s mission, vision, history, organizational structure, self-guided hiking system, preserves, major projects, and more. Students will receive field training on seed collection and land stewardship. Martin Dunes is an amazing outdoor classroom, and service learners will come away with a new understanding of conservation issues and management techniques.
Opportunity Supervision
Big Sur Land Trust volunteer Fred Hochstaedter will supervise the students during their workdays at Martin Dunes. Jenny Jacox will serve as an additional resource and point of contact.
Students will be required to sign a liability waiver and adhere to its terms.
Interested students need to fill out this application: https://forms.office.com/r/SGd2aw9K7n
Students must then also submit their resume to Jenny Jacox at jjacox@bigsurlandtrust.org
Students can then expect a follow-up phone call and informal interview.