Restoring the Giacomini Wetlands At Point Reyes National Seashore

The Giacomini Wetlands after the breaching of the levees in 2008. Photo by Robert Campbell Photography for NPS. This area in the photo has been diked for more than 60 years.

Restoring landscapes can be as simple as cleaning them up and letting nature take over. This video shows how humans and nature collaborated to restore nearly 600 acres of wetlands in Tomales Bay at Point Reyes National Seashore.

"Since the last levees were removed from this former dairy operation, new habitats have formed that have led to the return of numerous species of plants and wildlife that reflect the historic conditions of this vital wetland," say officials with the National Park Service and the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds are using the newly restored wetlands, with 350 acres of the 550-acre former Giacomini Dairy Ranch now open to the tides. River otters, raptors, and even bald eagles have been frequent visitors to the new marsh, which is quickly converting from dairy pasture to salt and brackish marsh."

Editor's note: This is a 10-minute, 74,198 KB video, so you might need to give it time to load. Go get a cup of coffee or tea while it's loading.