Activists form a water caravan beside an almost dry lake in Tomales Bay in the Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes Tule Elk Water Caravan

Citizens send a message to help a protected species neglected by the Parks Service

On August 28th, 2021, more than 90 California residents gathered at the Tomales Bay trailhead in Point Reyes National Seashore. They carried over 300 gallons of water to an almost dry lake for tule elk in the park. Protective fencing around privately owned cattle ranches on the public lands has severely limited their access to food, water, and mates. 153 of the 283 remaining elk perished during 2020 due to thirst and starvation. Legal challenges to improve the elk's conditions have failed or been stalled. Marin County, where the national park is located, is currently in its fourth-driest year ever. The state has experienced extreme wildfires and drought for many of the last twenty years, which has pushed wildlife to the brink. The citizen-led water caravan, organized by People for Point Reyes and local photographer Jack Gescheidt, hopes to increase pressure on park authorities to guarantee livable conditions for the tule elk.

Photographs and posters with slogans mark the meeting point for participants in the tule elk action.

Armed park rangers stand by near the gathering crowd participating in the water caravan.

A woman rests among a cluster of water containers as participants await the beginning of their action.

Jack Gescheidt, a local photographer and long-time advocate for the tule elk herd at Point Reyes, briefs the crowd of over 90 people participating in the action.

Participants make the 6-mile roundtrip trek to the lake where they will be depositing over 300 gallons of water.

A family participating in the action together get a group photo while taking a break walking up the 300-foot slope with several gallons of water.

Two women participating in the water caravan survey the barren landscape as tule elk forage for food upon the ridge in the distance.

The group of participants arrives at the mostly dry lake near Point Tomales Bay as a tule elk stands at its bank.

Participants form a "bucket brigade" to efficiently transport water containers from the trail down to the nearly dry lake. The line will minimize disturbance to the elk's habitat compared to many people walking up and down in the area.

A participant hands over a gallon of water to another participant in the bucket brigade.

A woman pours a gallon of water into the lake as the bucket brigade brings in more water containers.

Two participants empty water containers into the lake. The water in the lake is muddy and dark.

A group of tule elk patiently waits on a nearby ridge to access the fresh water supply in the lake.