About the 2008 Golden Gate National Recreation Area Endangered Species Big Year

The 2008 Golden Gate National Recreation Area Endangered Species Big Year is a race against time to observe each of the 33 endangered and threatened species found within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, while taking 33 discrete conservation recovery actions that will prevent these species from going extinct. It is a competitive event: the person who sees and helps the most species between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, will win the Big Year.

The GGNRA Endangered Species Big Year will enable you to explore the diverse habitats of the GGNRA while helping each of the 33 endangered and threatened species that call the Park home. In the process, we hope you will discover the humility, compassion, and hope embodied in the legal protections for this land and our imperiled neighbors.

Here is how the Endangered Species Big Year works:

Sign-up for the 2008 Golden Gate National Parks Endangered Species Big Year and download your checklist of the 33 listed species found in the GGNRA and the 33 conservation action items you can take to help these species recover.

Check-out the Calendar of Endangered Species Big Year events for special trips to observe endangered species and opportunities to help them recover, and sign-up for some trips. Or explore the park on your own.

In order to check one of the 33 federally protected threatened or endangered species off your list, you must observe the species alive while you and/or the species are within the GGNRA's legislative boundary.

If you are within the legislative boundary but the species is outside of the legislative boundary (for example, you witness a Humpback Whale breaching 5 miles off the coast while you are standing on Ocean Beach) you can still count it as a sighting. Similarly, if the species is inside the boundary but you are outside of the boundary when you observe it, you may still count it as a sighting. However, if both the species and you are outside the legislative boundary when you observe it, you may not count it as a sighting.

In order to check one of the 33 conservation action items off your list, you need to complete the specific conservation action item listed on the checklist: no substitutions allowed. The action items are located at the bottom of each species' page.

All participants must agree to comply with the Endangered Species Big Year’s Ethical Principles. No exceptions.

All sightings and all conservation action items must be completed no sooner than 12:00:00 a.m. on January 1, 2008, and no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on December 31, 2008.

The Big Year runs on the honor system. No one will be looking over your shoulder to make sure you fill out your checklist accurately, but highly unusual sightings may be subject to verification.

Enter all of your sightings on the Big Year web site.

Sign-up for an e-mail alert so you’ll be the first to know when a Southern Sea Otter is spotted off Ocean Beach or the San Bruno Elfin Butterfly is flying.

Interact with other participants on each species' Big Year profile: it works like comments on a blog.