Volunteer Events

Half Moon Bay Dune and Bluff Restoration Project

All Engineering volunteer events are sponsored by Stanford Associates.

Please join us as we go ‘back to the beach’ and help restore Half Moon Bay State Beach to its native habitat, enjoy a picnic lunch, and learn about the research going on at your alma mater.
Registration is required.

Saturday, June 28, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (registration and breakfast begin at 9:15 am)
Half Moon Bay, CA

Project Overview
Projects will include planting native plants and removing non-native plants. Volunteers will learn to identify 10 native plants and 5 non-native plants.

Removing non-native plants is vital to restoring the native ecosystem.  The coastal scrub plant community has been significantly reduced in San Mateo County by agriculture and development.  Native wildlife species depend on native plants for food and shelter.

Project Details
We’ll provide water and juice boxes, as well as a light breakfast (with coffee), snacks, and lunch. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.

There is no charge for the day. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to join: individuals, families, and small or large groups.

Project Timeline

9:15 – 10:00		Registration, coffee and breakfast pastries
10:00 – 10:15		Ranger discussion of project
9:15 – 12:00		Project underway!
12:00 – 1:00		A discussion with Stanford Engineering Professor Stephen Monismith* about his research on lakes, estuaries, and the coastal ocean. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be served.

Project Location
We will meet at the Francis Beach Ranger’s parking area, which is at the south end of the main Francis Beach parking lot.  Francis Beach is located at 95 Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay.

From Hwy 280, head west on Hwy 92.   Turn left onto Hwy 1 and head south one block. Turn right on Kelly Ave.  Head west to the beach.  Tell the Park Aid you are here for the Restoration Project.  Work sites are located along the Coastside Trail including Francis, Venice, Dunes, and Roosevelt Beaches.

What to Bring
Layered clothing, closed toed shoes, and work gloves (if you have them).

For More Information
Email Michelle Compton, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at mcompton@stanford.edu

Faculty Profile
Stephen Monismith studies flows in lakes, estuaries, and the coastal ocean. Because his interest in estuarine processes is intertwined with an interest in California water policy issues, he has been involved with efforts at developing management strategies for improving the "health" of the Bay through regulation of freshwater flow into the Bay.

Professor Monismith is currently director of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. Current projects include field and computational work on wave-driven flows over coral reefs, transport in a small estuary/wetland complex, wind-waves in shallow estuaries, benthic grazing on coral reefs and in estuaries, internal waves and mixing in the Florida Keys, circulation and zooplankton retention in ther St. Lawrence estuary, mixed layer dynamics and circulation in the Gulf of Aqaba, as well as lab and computational studies of flows through coral colonies and kelp forests. He especially values field sites that are attractive (e.g. have good diving prospects) and have good restaurants. He is also involved with various scientific panels focusing on the San Francisco Bay/Delta including the IEP Science advisor group (which he chairs) and various CALFED advisory panels and groups.

Professor Monismith was a resident fellow in Robinson House (Stanford's environment theme house) 2000-2002. He is a 1989 recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator award. Prior to coming to Stanford, he spent three years in Perth (Australia) as a research fellow at the University of Western Australia.

Professor Stephen Monismith
Environmental Fluid Mechanics
Director, Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory
B.S. (1977), M.S. (1979), and
Ph.D. (1983) University of California at Berkeley