Join us to celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual international event that is held to demonstrate support for environmental protection sustaining a healthy, diverse biosphere. China Camp is participating with a full day of Earth Day activities. In conjunction with this event, California State Parks Foundation has provided grants to hosting parks to sponsor restoration and cleanup activities. China Camp is one of the hosting parks, and in the morning, we will be building and sealing food storage lockers for our campground.

In the afternoon, Friends of China Camp will be offering family-friendly, naturalist-led walks and activities with Earth Day themes.

MORNING VOLUNTEER EVENT

To register for the morning volunteer event, please go to the California State Parks Foundation website.Your registration helps us plan for supplies, equipment and, of course, food.

8:30 am Check-in time (required for the morning event only). Park near the Ranger Station, 101 Peacock Gap Trail, San Rafael. From Hwy 101, take North San Pedro road exit. Drive east on North San Pedro Road for approximately 5 miles. Look for the California State Parks Foundation sign at the entrance to the Ranger Station.

9:00 am –12:30 pm Food Locker building and sealing.

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch for morning volunteer work crew. Bring: a smile, some work gloves, a full water bottle, a hat, sunscreen. Your clothes may get sealant on them, so dress accordingly.

AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES

1:30 – 2:30 pm Plants have Families (and Live in Communities) Too! Like people, plants come in families, with many relatives, close and distant. Together, all the different plant families make up the amazing salt marsh and oak woodlands that you see at China Camp State Park. Each contributes something different, from the beauty of spring wildflowers, to plants that feed animals (and humans) in the web of life. Come meet these families on an Earth Day walk with naturalist Harold Hirsch. FREE! Limited to 20 people; family friendly. Pre-registration required: contact Bethanie Gilbert at 415/459-0766 or email: abay2315@pacbell.net

2:30 – 3:30 pm Following the Tracks: A Plant and Animal Detective Story: Spring is a very busy time for the animals of China Camp State Park. Have you ever wondered what they are really doing? Learn to spot the clues that animals leave as they move through the Park every day. Come join Lynn Hinck, master tracker, for a walk that goes beyond footprints. FREE! Limited to 20 people; family friendly. Pre-Registration required: contact Bethanie Gilbert at 415/459-0766 or email: abay2315@pacbell.net

3 to 4 pm – San Francisco Estuary – Challenges and Solutions. An Interpretive Walk By the Bay, led by Sarah Ferner, scientist and educator from NOAA’s San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Learn about challenges facing the San Francisco Estuary, like sea level rise and microplastic pollution, and ways you can be a part of the solution through citizen science and other actions. We’ll stop by the Park’s newest interpretive sign on the way!  FREE! Limited to 20 people; family friendly. Pre-registration required: contact Bethanie Gilbert at 415/456-0766 or email: abay2315@pacbell.net)