1982
The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR) Advisory Committee creates the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) to support programs on the Reserve and promote education, interpretation, research, and conservation of the Elkhorn Slough.

ESF founders, left to right: Warren Church, Anne Frassetto Olsen,
and John Warriner; not shown: Lou Calcagno.

1983
ESF establishes a volunteer program with initial funding from The Nature Conservancy. The program merges with ESNERR, managed by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG). Hundreds of community volunteers have been trained through the program.

The new Foundation hires Mark Silberstein to develop programs on the Reserve with the DFG, with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

1984
A teacher training program is created by ESF. In 1988 the program is transferred to DFG. To date more than 3000 teachers have been trained.

1985
ESF develops curriculum materials for school groups, which are still in use by DFG. More than 200,000 students have visited the Reserve on school field trips since the program was established.

Children play the Web of Life Game
when they visit the Reserve.

ESF receives a grant from NOAA to initiate a monitoring and research program on the restored wetlands of the Reserve.

ESF receives a grant from the State Office of Education to develop an environmental education program and teacher workshops.

1986
ESF receives its first gift of property, 15 acres on Moro Cojo Slough, from the Sandholdt family.

1988
Elkhorn Slough Water Quality Monitoring Program is established to monitor lower reaches of the 45,000-acre watershed. Today this is the longest-running surface water quality monitoring program in the Central Bay, a collaborative effort of ESNERR, ESF, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, and dedicated volunteers.

1989
ESF Executive Director Mark Silberstein co-authors the first book ever written about the Elkhorn Slough, published by Monterey Bay Aquarium.

ESF builds the wheelchair access path at Kirby Park, to this day, the only barrier-free trail along the Slough shore.

1992
The Nature Conservancy contracts with ESF to manage 900 acres of Conservancy land and easements in the Elkhorn watershed.

Hundreds of animal species rely on lands preserved
by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation for habitat.

1994
The Sandholdt family deeds a second 15-acre parcel of land in Moss Landing to ESF.

1995
ESF assists DFG in developing award-winning exhibits at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Visitor’s Center.

1996
ESF polls its membership and finds that land protection is among their highest concerns.

1997
ESF Board of Directors votes to become a land trust.

1998
ESF purchases 212 acres of low-lying marshes and diked wetlands and begins restoration of wetland habitat. This land had been the proposed site of a Humble Oil Refinery.

ESF purchases the 425-acre Long Valley property with the assistance of Big Sur Land Trust and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The property had been slated for development.

ESF deeds five acres of Monterey Bay shoreline and beach property to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

1999
ESF develops and adopts, with the help of The Nature Conservancy, the Watershed Conservation Plan, which continues to guide its land protection program.

2000
ESF completes the protection of the lower Triple M Ranch by purchasing a conservation easement prohibiting development on 200 acres. The ranch includes productive farmland, a mile-long stretch of Carneros Creek, important freshwater wetlands, grasslands, and maritime chaparral. The property is owned by the Agricultural Land Based Training Association.

2001
ESF assembles a $22 million Land Acquisition Fund with contributions from The Coastal Conservancy ($4 million), The Wildlife Conservation Board ($3.5 million), The Regional Water Quality Control Board ($7 million), The David and Lucile Packard Foundation ($5 million), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ($.5 million), and private donors ($2 million).

The Foundation completes two transactions to protect important working ranches: ESF purchases the Elzas Ranch (134 acres) and Bernice Porter donates Las Lomas Ranch (256 acres) to ESF.

Carneros Creek, the main sourse of fresh water
for the slough, runs through Porter Marsh.

2002
ESF announces plans to double the land it protects from 2000 acres to more than 4000 acres within three years.

ESF creates the Stewardship Circle for those contributing more than $1000 a year towards managing newly acquired lands.

ESF purchases two working ranches in the Upper Slough, Brothers (336 acres) and El Chamisal (201 acres).

2003
ESF acquires the Brennan (5 acres) and Cormack (11 acres) properties (story), Hambey Ranch (540 acres; story), and Sea Mist (6 acres; story).

Changes in a California Estuary, a comprehensive summary of 80 years of scientific research on Elkhorn Slough, is jointly produced by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.

2004
ESF acquires Harris/Vasquez Ranch (32 acres) and Renteria Ranch (100 acres; story) bringing the total amount of land under ESF management to 3,500 acres.

2005
ESF and partners launch a two-year planning process to address tidal scour ­ the widening and deepening of Elkhorn Slough and the loss of salt marshes.

ESF leases its first land for organic farming, 20 acres on property we protected in 2002. ESF now leases over 300 acres for farming and ranching.

ESF completes its 1000 member campaign, doubling its membership in the past three years.