2026 Marine Wildlife Monitoring Program
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About the Marine Wildlife Monitoring Program
Trinidad Coastal Land Trust (TCLT) works in partnership with the North Coast Seabird Protection Network (NCSPN) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to support, protect, monitor, and interpret wildlife (seabirds and pinnipeds) populations along the North Coast of California. This season, TCLT will collect data on wildlife populations, human disturbance events, and provide engaging opportunities for the public to learn more about these vulnerable populations. The wildlife monitoring program takes place during the seabird nesting and breeding season, from April to August. Marine Wildlife Monitoring (MWM) volunteer shifts are approximately four hours long. Volunteers begin by picking up monitoring and tabling supplies at the TCLT office before heading to their assigned coastal location. Once on site, volunteers collect baseline data on wildlife and human use, monitor for human-caused disturbance events, and engage with visitors by sharing educational information about local wildlife and how to reduce disturbances. This opportunity is open to anyone in the greater Trinidad area, including Arcata, Eureka, McKinleyville, Fortuna, and Ferndale, and no prior experience in wildlife monitoring, data collection, or education is required. Volunteers must attend one classroom training and the in-field training, commit to at least two four-hour shifts per month (8 hours total) from April through August, provide their own transportation, and be able to lift 25 pounds. Students are welcome to apply, including those available only from April through May. All volunteers receive training, tools, and equipment to support their work. For more details on training dates and requirements, please see the application below. History of the North Coast Seabird Protection Network The NCSPN is one of a series of projects funded by the Kure/Stuyvesant Restoration Fund. On November 5, 1997 M/V Kure released 4,500 gallons of oil into Humboldt Bay resulting from a fuel tank puncture on a Louisiana Pacific dock piling near Samoa, California. On September 6, 1999, the dredge M/V Stuyvesant spilled approximately 2,100 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of Humboldt Bay, near Eureka, California. Strong winds after the discharge event spread the oil nearly 15 miles offshore and north to Patrick’s Point near Trinidad. The spills affected coastal beaches and wildlife along the Humboldt County coast. Wildlife response efforts collected and documented the injured and dead wildlife, including seabirds that were affected by the spills between Humboldt Bay and Trinidad. To learn more about the NCSPN, click here to visit the Bureau of Land Managements North Coast Chapter of the Seabird Protection Network. To learn more about the M/V Kure oil spill, click here. To learn more about the M/V Stuyvesant oil spill, click here. |
Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) coated in spilled oil.
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