Twilight Marsh Walk Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary

One of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge’s most popular programs celebrates twenty years this April. Volunteers Mary and Gene Bobik, the creators of the program back in 1996, never thought they would still be doing the walk two decades later.

Volunteers Mary and Gene Bobik conduct a Twilight Marsh Walk at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy Gene Bobik.

The Bobiks thought after a few months people wouldn’t be interested anymore and they would discontinue the program. The Bobiks couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only is the Twilight Marsh Walk regularly attended, it has garnered many repeat customers.

Rain or shine, the Bobiks meet visitors in front of the Visitor Center one evening a month to introduce or reintroduce participants to the refuge and interpret what they see. Some evenings, a gray fox may saunter by, or herons and egrets could be seen feeding in the sloughs. Other evenings may not yield much wildlife but offer spectacular sunsets.

I can’t believe we’ve been doing this walk this long. And, I also can’t believe that I’m never bored on any of these walks. I love seeing the refuge each month at this special time of day and it never disappoints. — Mary Bobik

Sign up for the Twilight Marsh Walk this spring and congratulate Mary and Gene Bobik for their 20 years of volunteer service.