Last week we lost a colleague, leader and dear friend. Pauline passed away after a sudden illness but left a lasting impact not only at the park, but with everyone who knew her. She led the tidepool volunteers at Cabrillo for over 8 years, and she understood the importance of protecting the coastal area at Cabrillo.
Pauline started out as a volunteer along with her Dad. They worked at the Tidepool Education Table and came up with the idea for our Creature Feature signs. The changeable signs display different tidepool creatures with photos and fun facts to help educate the public.
After volunteering for several years, Pauline transferred to a park staff position as Assistant Tidepool Coordinator under Ranger Bonnie. When Bonnie transferred to another park a few years later, Pauline became the Tidepool Coordinator. She was responsible for protecting the Coastal area, and she led a group of approximately 70 volunteers to help protect the resource, educate the public on the importance of the area, and help visitors have a wonderful experience at Cabrillo.
She was an avid photographer who especially loved taking photos of the birds at Cabrillo. While she was usually the photographer and not the subject, we still managed to capture some candid photos of her as well.
Because of her attention to detail, she left documents and procedures to keep the program running smoothly even though she is gone. What will be missing are her sense of humor and camaraderie among staff, volunteers and the public.
Her impact will be long lasting and we will miss her very much. We will do our best to continue her work protecting the delicate resources in the Coastal area at Cabrillo National Monument.
Our tribute to her is a gallery of some of the photos she took over the years at Cabrillo.
Rest peacefully. Goodbye my friend.
NPS Photo/Pauline Geisler – An orange sunset over the Pacific Ocean viewed from the Event Bluff at Cabrillo National Monument.