Our Impact

The impact of conservation isn't always visible. 

Conservation is woven into the landscape.

Drive through West Marin and you may pass places where something remarkable has happened without ever knowing it. 

A creek once cut deeply into its banks. Today, native plants grow along the water's edge. 

A hillside once sent soil downstream with every heavy rain. Today, the soil stays on the land. 

A pasture holds more water. A wetland functions again. Young trees shade a stream. Habitat reconnects across a landscape. 

There may be no sign telling you what happened there. 

That's partly the point. 

Our work is designed to become part of the landscape—to repair natural processes, strengthen what is already working, and help the land become more resilient over time. 

When we do our job well, eventually it can be difficult to tell where the project ends and nature begins. 

 

May contain: grass, plant, person, walking, field, grassland, nature, outdoors, wilderness, vegetation, countryside, farm, pasture, rural, clothing, pants, path, soil, adventure, hiking, leisure activities, slope, landscape, land, face, head, photography, portrait, meadow, scenery, trail, footwear, shoe, and tree
Looking closely at what was once an eroding headwaters of an intermitent stream now fully vegetated with grass.
Two people stand in a green field under a clear blue sky, surrounded by grass and small bushes, with a fence in the background.
An eroding gully that is fully vegetated with grass, willows and other native plants. A rock repair is barely visible amoungst the healthy vegetation.

 

Conservation is a collective effort. 

What looks simple in the landscape rarely is. 

Behind a restored creek, healthier soil, or thriving habitat is often a network of people working together: land stewards who know their properties intimately, scientists and technical specialists, local organizations, contractors, funders, public agencies, and community partners. 

Marin RCD helps bring those pieces together. 

We listen. We plan. We connect people with expertise and resources. We help navigate funding and implementation. And we stay involved as projects take root and landscapes respond. 

Our impact belongs to everyone who makes this work possible. 

Because no single organization can restore a watershed. But together, we can help a watershed restore itself. 

 

 

Since its founding in 1959, the Marin RCD has impacted the evolution and outcomes of on-farm conservation and stewardship. The Marin RCD’s clear intentions and organized objectives began over 60 years ago, with dedicated people laying a foundation of stewardship, trust, collaboration, and sustainability that continues today.

 

Read “A Half Century of Stewardship: programmatic review of conservation by Marin RCD & partner organizations (1959‐2009)”

The image is a document cover titled "A Half Century of Stewardship," reviewing conservation efforts by Marin RCD from 1959-2009.

Some accomplishments by Marin RCD, land managers, and partner organizations include:

  • Improved water quality with measurable improvements in Stemple Creek and shellfish production areas in Tomales Bay
  • Erosion prevention and sediment delivery to streams equaling 669,423 ±346,843 cubic yards
  • Saved coho salmon & preserved steelhead populations
  • Preserved red-legged frog habitat
  • Improved wildlife diversity with 300 percent increase in neomigratory bird species following riparian revegetation
  • Preserved municipal water supply for Marin County in Stafford Lake watershed
  • Streamlined permitting for land managers’ conservation projects
  • Supported partnering organizations, agencies, and local contractors
  • Educated youth and adults about land stewardship in Marin County
  • Increased stewardship ethic through increased participation in grant programs