Hikes, Tours & Talks

Walker Creek Ranch Birding and Ranch Habitat Hike

Join MALT Stewardship Director, Patricia Hickey, and a bird expert from PRBO Conservation Science, a restoration specialist from STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) and a naturalist from Walker Creek Ranch (WCR). We will explore riparian, woodland, and grassland bird habitats on this 1,700 acre MALT-protected ranch. WCR is also the Marin County Office of Education Outdoor Education Center and an active beef cattle operation. We may observe neo-tropical migratory birds as well as resident species. In the riparian area we’ll see sparrows, warbling vireos, winter wrens and many more. In the woodland and grassland habitats we may observe towhees, Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, oak titmice, bluebirds, and a variety of hawks. We will learn about the variety of habitats provided on Marin’s farms and ranches and the important role restoration and bird monitoring can play in creating successful bird habitat. Bring a picnic and we will eat in a spectacular spot overlooking 6,000-plus acres of MALT-protected ranches.

Space is limited, and tours fill up at different rates. We do not have waiting lists. Refunds made only if MALT cancels a tour, or if tour is already full.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Walker Creek Ranch, 1700 Marshall-Petaluma Rd., Marshall (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
COST: $40 MALT and PRBO members / $50 non-members
WHAT TO BRING: Water, picnic lunch, hiking shoes, layered clothing, bird books, binoculars

Hog Island Oyster Co. & Straus Dairy

Join local oystermen for a tour and oyster tasting, and enjoy your picnic overlooking Tomales Bay. Then carpool to the Straus Dairy to see their organic operation, the methane digester, and the other clean energy techniques they use. You’ll see the cows being milked and enjoy a delicious Straus product tasting.

Space is limited, and tours fill up at different rates. We do not have waiting lists. Refunds made only if MALT cancels a tour, or if tour is already full.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Hog Island Oyster Company, Marshall (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
COST: $35 MALT members / $40 non-members
WHAT TO BRING: Water, picnic lunch, shoes that can get dirty, layered clothing

Toluma Farms Goat Dairy Family Tour

Toluma Farms has 200 goats, 50 chickens, 13 sheep and 1 predator control bird (a peacock!) on 160 organically certified acres in beautiful Tomales. Owners David Jablons and Tamara Hicks (along with their girls Josy and Emmy) purchased the land in 2003 and spent the first few years working on significant land and water restoration projects. They started the goat dairy in 2007 and currently supply Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery with grade A milk which is Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Humane. In 2010, the land was placed in a land trust with MALT. Toluma Farms is currently in the process building their own creamery (Tomales Farmstead Creamery) and will begin making farmstead cheeses this year. You will have a chance to milk a goat and about their care from herd managers Eric Butler and Laura Freemen. Cheesemaker Anne Marie Vandendriessche will demonstrate how to make chèvre and you will taste Redwood Hill Farm yogurt. Take a tractor ride or hike to the top of the property to savor the West Marin views and learn about the practice and benefits of pasture rotation. Discover the many types of potatoes that are grown on this MALT-protected property by organic farmer David Little.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Toluma Farms, 5488 Middle Rd., Tomales (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map). Directions can be found on Toluma Farms website
COST: Adults—$20 MALT members / $25 non-members
Children—$10 MALT members /$12 non-members

McEvoy Olive Ranch

Visit Nan McEvoy’s 550-acre organic olive ranch in a spectacular valley near the Marin-Sonoma Border. See the orchards ripe with fruit, and learn how olives are grown as well as how this organic ranch links the farmscape with the landscape to increase wildlife habitat. Tour the pressing facility to learn how oil is extracted from the olives. Taste the oil, and if you like, purchase items made with this wonderful farm product.

Space is limited, and tours fill up at different rates. We do not have waiting lists. Refunds made only if MALT cancels a tour, or if tour is already full.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 9:45am – 12:00 pm (please arrive on time)
WHERE TO MEET: McEvoy Ranch, 5 miles south of Petaluma at 5935 Red Hill Rd. (aka D Street or Point Reyes-Petaluma Rd — Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
DIFFICULTY: Easy
COST: $30 MALT members / $40 non-members
WHAT TO BRING: Water, walking shoes

Historic A Ranch (Nunes Dairy) Family Tour

Meet three generations of the Nunes Family at the A Ranch just before the lighthouse on the Point Reyes Peninsula. This spectacular property overlooks the Pacific Ocean on one side and Drakes Bay on the other. We will learn about the dairy operation, feed the calves, watch the cows being milked, and visit the old granite quarry.

Space is limited, and tours fill up at different rates. We do not have waiting lists. Refunds made only if MALT cancels a tour, or if tour is already full.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
WHERE TO MEET: “A” Ranch, the last dairy on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. before the Point Reyes lighthouse (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
COST: Adults—$20 MALT members / $25 non-members
Children—$10 MALT members / $12 non-members

Nicasio Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch

Bring the kids to this MALT-protected farm for pumpkin picking, hay rides and mazes, farm animals, farm stand, and the bouncy house and slide. Nicasio Valley Cheese Company will be open Thursday — Monday and delicious BBQ and ice cream will be on hand every weekend. PLUS: educational exhibits and activities supported by MALT’s Farm Field Study Sponsors: Bank of Marin, Clover-Stornetta Farms, Earl’s Organics, Good Earth Natural Foods, Veritable Vegetable and Straus Family Creamery.

Special weekend events include:
October 2, 9, 23: Children’s musician Tim Cain (11:00 am – 12:00 pm)
October 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23: 6-piece band Manzanita Moon (12:30 pm – 4:30 pm)
October 9, MALT Day (10:00 am – 4:00 pm): Kids’ games and crafts, local food booths, Iron Springs Brewery beer and educational booths. 10% of pumpkin sales this day support MALT!

No pre-registration is required.

TIME: Daily 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Nicasio Valley Farms, Nicasio (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
COST: Admission is free. Call 415-662-9100 for weekday school group rates.

16th Annual Black Mountain Hike

Join MALT staff, volunteers, ranchers, historians, and naturalists for a strenuous hike to the top of this West Marin landmark—one of the largest properties protected by a MALT easement. The mountain provides spectacular views and supports an active beef cattle operation.

No pre-registration is required.

TIME: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Carpool from West Marin School, 11550 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
COST: Free

Marin Artisan Cheese Tasting at The Fork with Slow Food Marin/Petaluma

Join Cowgirl Creamery founder, cheesemaker, and MALT board chair Sue Conley and other cheesemakers for a talk and a tasting of award winning cheeses produced on MALT-protected dairies, including: Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Barinaga Ranch sheep cheese, and Andante Dairy goat cheese. The Fork is on the Giacomini Dairy overlooking Tomales Bay. We will also tour the ranch, see the milking, and sip local wines

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Giacomini Dairy, Point Reyes Station (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map).
DIFFICULTY: Easy
COST: $75 MALT or Slow Food members / $100 non-members
WHAT TO BRING: Walking shoes

Linking Farms, Food, & Health — Making it Happen!

“The kitchen must become as crucial as the clinic” says Dr. Preston Marring, the physician who brought farmers markets to Kaiser Permanente. Join him for a dynamic conversation with organic farmer and MALT board member Peter Martinelli, who sells at a variety of farmers markets, and restaurant professional, Frank Klein, who developed First Crush Restaurant and who worked with the National Park Service to redesign the Muir Woods concession to increase healthier food. These speakers will share the challenges and opportunities of getting healthy food into homes, hospitals, restaurants, and parks. Presented in collaboration with Institute at the Golden Gate.

Pre-registration is required.

TIME: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
WHERE TO MEET: Cavallo Point, The Lodge at the Golden Gate, Sausalito (Please use the following map for directions—Googlemaps, Mapquest and other GPS directional systems are often inaccurate out here in West Marin: map)
COST: $10 MALT members / $15 non-members