Friends of China Camp

Online: Naturalist Book Club
2021-10-31 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This Month’s Selection:
THE ARBORNAUT BY MEG LOWMAN
Join this month’s naturalist book club as we discuss The Arbornaut. Author and biologist Meg Lowman invites the reader high into the canopy as she shares her adventures, scientific research, and climate activism.

Excerpt from Bayariel.com:
”Nicknamed the “Real-Life Lorax” by National Geographic, the biologist, botanist, and conservationist Meg Lowman—aka “CanopyMeg”—takes us on an adventure into the “eighth continent” of the world’s treetops, along her journey as a tree scientist, and into climate action…

A blend of memoir and fieldwork account, The Arbornaut gives us the chance to live among scientists and travel the world—even in a hot-air balloon! It is the engrossing, uplifting story of a nerdy tree climber—the only girl at the science fair—who becomes a giant inspiration, a groundbreaking, ground-defying field biologist, and a hero for trees everywhere..”

Date: Sunday, October 31
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Venue: Zoom meeting (details emailed once space is reserved).

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.

SAN PEDRO ROAD CLOSURE: Marin 1/2 Marathon
2021-10-31 07:30 - 13:00
ADVISORY: The Marin County 1/2 Marathon will take place on October 31st from 7:30am to 1pm. San Pedro Road will be closed from Main Drive to Back Ranch Meadows kiosk. The north entrance of the park and Back Ranch Meadows kiosk and campground will remain open. Shoreline Trail will also be heavily impacted with foot traffic during that time. Go to trisignup.com for more information.

SAN PEDRO ROAD CLOSURE: Marin Triathlon
2021-10-30 08:00 - 13:00
ADVISORY: The Marin County Triathalon will take place on October 30th from 7:30am to 1pm. San Pedro Road will be closed from Main Drive to Back Ranch Meadows kiosk. The north entrance of the park and Back Ranch Meadows kiosk and campground will remain open.
Go to trisignup.com for more information.

Junior Ranger Program
2021-10-23 10:00 - 12:00
Creatures of the Night – Owls, Bats & Spiders!
Why do owls hunt at night? How do bats ‘see’ their prey when it is pitch black? Why do spiders build webs? Join us for a special spooky Halloween- themed family program as we discover how these creatures use their special powers to survive and thrive in the dark. This program will be guided by naturalist/educators Suzanne Mirviss and Paula O’Connell.

Date: Saturday, October 23
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Location: China Camp Village Beach
Ages: 7 to 9 years
Dress in layers for changeable weather. Bring snacks and water.

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.
Photo credit: Barn owl by Sharif Uddin | Macaulay Library

Full Moon Hike
2021-10-20 17:30 - 19:30
October “Hunter’s Moon”
This month, we will be on the hunt…for a hunter. However the only hunting we’ll allow in our park is the hunt for extraordinary natural and celestial beauty! Join us for a special trek to seek out October’s ‘Hunter’s moonrise”. Docents Harold Hirsch and Brendan Clifford will guide us on a moderately strenuous, 4-mile round-trip hike to a breathtaking vista point where we will watch the radiant full moon cast glittering light over the bay. The “Hunter’s Moon” is named for the beginning of autumn, the time of year when Europeans traditionally hunted in preparation for the long winter. Suitable for kids ages 10+.

Date: Wednesday, October 20
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Difficulty: moderately strenuous, 4 miles round-trip
Bring warm clothing, water, and a flashlight, and wear appropriate hiking shoes.
Note: This hike will begin at 5:30 sharp, so don’t be late or you’ll miss the fun!

REGISTER HERE

Fee: $5 non-members; FOCC members free
Space is limited; reservations required.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.
Photo credit: Visitors enjoying moonrise, Sheila Coll

ADVISORY: Footrace
2021-10-10 09:00 - 13:00
There will be a footrace beginning at Miwok Meadows on October 10th from 9am-1pm. Please expect increased foot traffic on Shoreline Trail in between Miwok Meadows and the Back Ranch Meadows Campground entrance.
Go to the Tamalpa Runners website for more details.

Park Champion Volunteer Event
2021-10-02 09:00 - 12:30
Join other volunteers on our first Park Champions event of the year, sponsored by the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) in partnership with Friends of China Camp. This is the perfect opportunity to get a great workout, enjoy nature, and help out our park all at once.
For this event, we’ll focus on grooming 1-2 miles of our popular multi-use trails. We’ll cut back overgrowth, weed-whip encroaching plants, rake off slough, break down berms, and restore trails to their full width. Your efforts will improve visibility and help reduce runoff and erosion once winter rains arrive (hopefully).

Date: Saturday, October 2nd
Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
REGISTER

Please note: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the event is required for participation.
Please register on the CSPF website. Once registered, you will receive additional information about what to bring (in addition to your can-do attitude) and where to meet.
Wear long pants, long-sleeve shirt, and close-toed shoes. Bring a mask and work gloves. A hat and sunscreen are advised.
Ages 14 and older welcome (minors must be accompanied by an adult and bring a waiver signed by a legal guardian).
Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to park and check in. Be sure to bring your signed waiver (included with your registration).

Online: Naturalist Book Club
2021-09-26 19:00 - 20:00
NATURAL HISTORY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY: ENVISIONING MYTH AND HISTORY
BY ARIEL RUBISSOW & KATHLEEN WONG
Join this month’s naturalist book club as we discuss the Natural History of San Francisco Bay. This edition of the California Natural History Guides, published by the University of California Press, is very close to China Camp’s salt-marshy heart. Authors Ariel Rubissow and Kathleen Wong provide a comprehensive overview of the San Francisco estuary; its ebbing tides, geological origins, and the impact human development has had on the bay’s complex biodiversity.
Excerpt from Bayariel.com:
”This book, part of the California Natural History Guide series, includes over 300 pages of text, color photographs, maps and charts. At its most basic level, Natural History of San Francisco Bay tells the reader what lives in the Bay, how its waters move and change, and whether it is safe to swim in or eat fish caught from the Bay. On a deeper level, it offers an overview of how the Bay became the most altered and invaded estuary in the world, describes how history has shaped its present shores, and explores how recent generations of activists and scientists have rekindled interest in the Bay’s current and future health.”

Date: Sunday, September 26
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Venue: Zoom meeting (details emailed once space is reserved).

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.

POSTPONED: Indigenous Storytelling and Songs
2021-09-25 13:00 - 14:00
The Coast Miwok Storytelling and Songs event on September 25th has been postponed to October.

We apologize for the inconvenience and we will let you know the new date of the event as soon as possible.

IN CELEBRATION OF HERITAGE MONTH:
Why did the trickster god Coyote steal music from Water, the sacred being?
What is a clapper stick? How do you play it?
Join us for a fun, family-friendly program as we listen to traditional Coast Miwok folktales and sing songs in the Coast Miwok language. This program will be led by Alicia Mary Retes, storytelling performer throughout the Greater Bay Area, and a Mayo/Yaqui descendant.
Not only is Alicia an engaging storyteller, she also composes songs in the Miwok language. Be prepared to sing along as she performs with elderberry clapper sticks.
This program is great for children, but all ages are welcome!

Date: Saturday, September 25
Time: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Miwok Meadows. Location details provided upon registration.
Free (donations appreciated).

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited and reservations are required.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
You will be notified of cancellations via email.

Full Moon Hike
2021-09-20 18:30 - 19:30
September “Harvest Moon”
Want to enjoy the harvest moon with us? No, not the Neil Young song, but the real deal! Join us for this special walk lit by September’s full moon. Naturalist Harold Hirsch will guide us on a moderately strenuous, 4-mile round-trip hike where we will stop at a vista point and watch the radiant full moon cast glittering light over the bay. This September moon is deemed a “harvest moon” as it is the closest full moonrise to the fall equinox. Suitable for kids ages 10+.

Date: Monday, September 20
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Difficulty: moderately strenuous, 4 miles round-trip
Bring warm clothing, water, and a flashlight, and wear appropriate hiking shoes.
Note: This hike will begin at 6:30 sharp, so don’t be late or you’ll miss the fun!

REGISTER HERE

Fee: $5 non-members; FOCC members free
Space is limited; reservations required.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.
Photo credit: Moonrise over the bay, Sheila Coll

China Camp Village Museum Tour
2021-09-19 10:00 - 11:00
IN CELEBRATION OF HERITAGE MONTH:
Join us as we journey back in time to see life as it was along the San Pablo shoreline in the mid-1800s. The Gold Rush had ended, and San Francisco was developing into a burgeoning city—and a city of hope for Chinese immigrants. Faced with war, famine, and poverty, thousands of these immigrants left their homeland in China to seek a better life within California’s booming economy.

The immigrants who settled in the area now known as China Camp brought advanced knowledge of shrimp fishing and seafaring technology, which allowed them to develop a thriving industry—an industry that would later collapse due to rampant discriminatory policies.
Join docent Steve Deering for this informative tour of China Camp Village. Learn about the legacy of the 19th-century Chinese shrimpers and those that continued their family businesses into the 20th century.
Date: Sunday, September 19
Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Venue: China Camp Village Museum

Please Note: Masks required. Marin County Health and Human Services requires that masks be worn, regardless of vaccination status, within indoor venues..

REGISTER HERE

Free (donations appreciated)
Space is limited and reservations are required.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
You will be notified of cancellations via email.

Photo credit: Chinese family at McNear’s beach circa 1906/ California State Parks Historical Archive

Coastal Cleanup Day
2021-09-18 09:00 - 12:00
Even after more than a year apart, we’re still all connected from the mountains to the ocean. Come back together on September 18 for California Coastal Cleanup Day, and help us clean up the shoreline of China Camp State Park.

Date: Saturday, September 18
Time: 9 a.m. – noon

REGISTER HERE

Please note: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the event is required for participation.
Space is limited.
Reservations are required.
Location details will be emailed to you when you register.
Questions?
Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org
or call (415) 456-0766.
You will be notified of cancellations via email.

EVENT POSTPONED: Miwok History Walk
2021-09-12 09:00 - 11:00
The Coast Miwok History Walk event on September 12th has been postponed to October.

We apologize for the inconvenience and we will let you know the new date of the event as soon as possible.
Join us this month for an informative walk through Back Ranch Meadows. Naturalist Jerry Coe will focus on plants that pre-Colonial Coast Miwok collected in late summer to use for tools and housing. For example, tule plants were cut, dried, and carefully bound together to make fishing boats. Pliable hazelwood was gathered to make burden baskets in preparation for the acorn harvests of October.
Coast Miwok people, who once thrived in the area now known as China Camp, still live in the Bay Area today, with the largest group at Graton Rancheria in Sonoma County. For more information about California’s indigenous history, visit the California Native American Heritage Commission website.

Date: Sunday, September 12
Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1½ miles

REGISTER HERE
Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.
Photo credit: Traditional Miwok tule kotcha/ Novato Museum of American Indian

Junior Ranger Program
2021-09-11 10:00 - 12:00
WILDLIFE HOME-BUILDERS:
If we look closely, we can see that the forest isn’t just a bunch of trees. It’s also a neighborhood for many animals and insects.
Join us for this month’s Junior Ranger Program, where we will explore the master builders of the woodlands. We’ll search for woodrat dens, delicate turret spider homes, and bird nests. We’ll also examine the building materials that animals use to make their homes at China Camp. Then we’ll use natural objects, such as leaves, twigs, and moss, to create our own miniature nature homes. This program will be guided by Suzanne Mirviss and Paula O’Connell, who have both been longtime school teachers.

Date: Saturday, September 11
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Ages: 7 to 9 years
Dress in layers for changeable weather. Bring snacks and water.

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.

Photo credit: Dusky-footed woodrat by Dani Montijo

Summer Birding Hike
2021-09-11 08:00 - 10:00
For this month’s birding hike, we will focus on the effects of climate change on the birds of the Bay Area. Local backyard birds like dark-eyed juncos, acorn woodpeckers, and chestnut-backed chickadees (shown here) are at serious risk of extinction from the projected effects of climate change. A new report by Audubon suggests that birds like chestnut-backed chickadees may be forced to relocate to Canada as the trend towards extreme heat and torrential springtime rainstorms in the Bay Area could destroy nestlings.

On this month’s birding walk, naturalist Jerry Coe will discuss more about how local birds are being affected by climate change. We will also observe and identify these vulnerable species in the park. He will show us how to identify birds by shape, flight patterns, calls, and habitat, and give tips on how to effectively use binoculars and bird guides.

Jerry Coe has over eight years of intensive training in ornithological field identification. He spent 15 years as a volunteer in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, using bird activities to assess the health of habitats. Jerry has also guided outdoor expeditions all over the world.

Date: Saturday, September 11
Time: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1½ miles

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Photo credit: Chestnut-backed chickadee by John Reynolds ©/Macaulay Library

Park Champion Volunteer Event- Postponed to 10/2
2021-09-04 09:00 - 12:30
This event has been canceled due to a scheduling conflict. However, you can still pitch in for our next event on October 2nd.
Join other volunteers on our first Park Champions event of the year, sponsored by the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) in partnership with Friends of China Camp. This is the perfect opportunity to get a great workout, enjoy nature, and help out our park all at once.
For this event, we’ll focus on grooming 1-2 miles of our popular multi-use trails. We’ll cut back overgrowth, weed-whip encroaching plants, rake off slough, break down berms, and restore trails to their full width. Your efforts will improve visibility and help reduce runoff and erosion once winter rains arrive (hopefully).

Date: Saturday, October 2nd
Time: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
REGISTER

Please note: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the event is required for participation.
Please register on the CSPF website. Once registered, you will receive additional information about what to bring (in addition to your can-do attitude) and where to meet.
Wear long pants, long-sleeve shirt, and close-toed shoes. Bring a mask and work gloves. A hat and sunscreen are advised.
Ages 14 and older welcome (minors must be accompanied by an adult and bring a waiver signed by a legal guardian).
Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow time to park and check in. Be sure to bring your signed waiver (included with your registration).

Advisory: Footrace
2021-09-04 08:00 - 13:00
There will be a footrace beginning at Miwok Meadows from 8am to 1pm on September 4th. Expect increased foot traffic on all trails during that time. For more information about the trails that will be impacted, check out the Inside Trail Racing event website.

Online: Naturalist Book Club
2021-08-29 19:00 - 20:00
AUGUST’S BOOK SELECTION:
CALIFORNIA EXPOSURES- ENVISIONING MYTH AND HISTORY
BY RICHARD WHITE

Join this month’s naturalist book club as we discuss Richard White’s award-winning book, California Exposures. White teams up with his son, photographer Jesse Amble White, to produce this vivid narrative of human history as it has been etched into California’s diverse terrain.

Excerpt from Amazon.com:
“A brilliant California history, in word and image, from an award-winning historian and a documentary photographer. ‘This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.’ This indelible quote from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance applies especially well to California, where legend has so thoroughly become fact that it is visible in everyday landscapes. Our foremost historian of the West, Richard White, never content to ‘print the legend,’ collaborates here with his son, a talented photographer, in excavating the layers of legend built into California’s landscapes. Together they expose the bedrock of the past, and the history they uncover is astonishing…”

Date: Sunday, August 29
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Venue: Zoom meeting (details emailed once space is reserved).

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.

Family Nature Walk at Turtle Back
2021-08-28 10:00 - 11:15
What tiny mouse can drink salt water? How does an egret keep from sinking into the mud? Why do madrone trees shed their red bark? Discover the secrets of the marsh and forests of China Camp State Park during this engaging family-friendly hike. Moms and dads with nature-loving kids will join nature guide Harriot Manley for a gentle ramble along our newly resurfaced Turtle Back Nature Trail. We’ll learn why our salt-marshes are so important, how they help keep our bay and ocean healthy, and what amazing plants and animals live there. We’ll also keep an eye out for forest birds like Cooper’s hawks and clownish acorn woodpeckers. Curiosity and wonder will be our guide.

Date: Saturday, August 28
Time: 10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 3/4 mile
Ages: 7 and up with parent or guardian.
REGISTER HERE
Space is limited.
Reservations are required.
Location details emailed to you when you register.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions?
Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org
or call (415) 456-0766.
You will be notified of cancellations via email.

Photo credit: Harriot Manley

Miwok History Walk
2021-08-22 09:00 - 11:00
Join us this month for an informative walk through Back Ranch Meadows as we learn how pre-colonial Coast Miwok people used controlled burns to benefit their community. Wildfires started by lightning are a natural part of our region’s oak woodland forest ecology. But Miwok people intentionally set periodic, slow-burning fires to clear deadfall and improve grassland habitat. Grasslands attract game animals like deer, and produce wildflowers like clarkia and suncup, the seeds of which would be collected and ground into edible pinole. These controlled fires also reduced the overall fuel load in the forest, preventing dangerous, rapid-spreading crown fires.
Join naturalist Jerry Coe as he discusses more about the history of the Coast Miwok people and how they survived and thrived in the area now known as China Camp. Coast Miwok people still live in the Bay Area today, with the largest group at Graton Rancheria in Sonoma County. For more information about California’s indigenous history, visit the California Native American Heritage Commission website.

Date: Sunday, August 22
Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1.5 miles

REGISTER HERE
Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.

Photo credit: Realtree.com

August Birding Walk
2021-08-21 08:00 - 10:00
Attention birdbrains! Allow us to introduce two year-round natives in our park that we hope to see during our August birding hike: the brown creeper and the white-breasted nuthatch. Both hop vertically along tree trunks in search of tasty insect morsels hidden among the bark. Creepers are tiny with curved beaks and beautiful feathers striped with brown, black, and tan. White-breasted nuthatches have a blue-gray back and a bright white belly. Look for these species on tree trunks and large branches in Miwok Meadows and in Back Ranch Meadows Campground.
On this month’s birding walk, we’ll hone in on our observation skills and try to spot these and other forest-dwelling songbirds. Naturalist Jerry Coe will show us how to identify birds by shape, flight patterns, calls, and habitat. Also, we will learn how to effectively use binoculars and bird guides.
Jerry Coe has over eight years of intensive training in ornithological field identification. He spent 15 years as a volunteer in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, using bird activities to assess the health of habitats. Jerry has also guided outdoor expeditions all over the world.

Date: Saturday, August 21
Time: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1.5 miles

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Photo credit: Brown Creeper by ©Scott Martin/ Macaulay Library

Speaker Series: Native Bees of the Bay Area
2021-07-31 19:00 - 20:00
For this month’s online Village Talk, we will discuss one of our most critically important insects: bees. Join naturalist Harold Hirsch as he discusses the biology, evolutionary history, and ecological function of wild native bees of the San Francisco Bay Area.
For millions of years, bees have followed a close symbiotic coevolution with the clade angiosperms—the fancier term for flowering plants. About 135 million years ago, most plants reproduced by wind-borne pollen, with only 0.1% of the particles actually reaching the female flower and the rest going to waste (do you think dinosaurs had allergies?).
A great change occurred as flying insects with a taste for pollen unintentionally began to pollinate flowers, flitting from blossom to blossom as they fed. Thus began, as noted in an article in Scientific American, “the longest marketing campaign in history,” where the morphology of flowers changed to become more noticeable and desirable to these roaming pollinators. Of these insects, bees went on to become the most highly specialized group to reap nutrient-rich nectar and pollen.
Join us for this informative online lecture via Zoom.
Date: Saturday, July 31
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Venue: Online meeting via Zoom. Register for details.

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Photo credit: Honeybee on flower courtesy of UC Berkeley website

Online:Naturalist Book Club
2021-07-25 19:00 - 20:00
BUZZ: THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF BEES
BY THOR HANSEN

Join our monthly book club as we discuss this vitally important book from the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers. In his book, Thor Hansen imparts a natural and cultural history of the insect lineage that includes honeybees, one of the world’s most vital keystone species.

Excerpt from Goodreads.com:
“ Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz, the beloved Thor Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They’ve given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you’ll never overlook them again.”

Date: Sunday, July 25
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Venue: Zoom meeting (details emailed once space is reserved).

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs(at)friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.

Miwok History Walk
2021-07-25 09:00 - 11:00
Join us as we walk through Back Ranch Meadows and learn how pre-colonial Coast Miwok people harvested food throughout China Camp.
Surrounded by the diverse and lush habitats in their homeland here, Miwok people enjoyed an abundance of animal protein. They harvested local fish and shellfish, and used net traps in the marshes to catch geese, ducks, and other shorebirds. Miwok were also known for their long-standing tradition as falconers, training hawks to catch rabbits and quail.
Join naturalist Jerry Coe as he discusses the history of the Coast Miwok people and how they survived and thrived in the area now known as China Camp. Coast Miwok people still live in the Bay Area today, with the largest group at Graton Rancheria in Sonoma County. For more information about California’s indigenous history, visit the California Native American Heritage Commission website.

Date: Sunday, July 25
Time: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1.5 miles

REGISTER HERE
Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.
Illustration credit: Coast Miwok natives wearing various headbands and headdresses. Meriam Library, California State University, Chico

Junior Ranger Program: Nature Art
2021-07-24 10:00 - 12:00
Join us for this month’s Junior Ranger Program. We’ll investigate nature’s works of art and musical sounds hidden amongst the trees, grasses, and marshland at China Camp Village. We will search for examples of beautiful art in nature, like the patterns in spider webs or whorls in tree bark. Then we’ll use natural objects, such as seeds, leaves, and twigs, to create our own natural works of art.

Date: Saturday, July 24
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Ages: 7 – 9
Dress in layers for the changeable weather. Bring snacks and water.
REGISTER HERE

July Birding Hike
2021-07-24 08:00 - 10:00
In the summer, when many bird species are wrapping up nesting in China Camp, warbling vireos are just starting to raise their young here. A great place to look for them is in the tall trees surrounding Miwok Meadows. With a little practice, you can identify these beautiful seasonal visitors.
First, listen for the vireo’s rapid, undulating call. Next, scan the canopy. Warbling vireos have a gray-olive upper body, creamy belly and throat, and a black stripe bounded by white stripes crossing the eye.
To up your chances of spotting vireos and other summer birds at China Camp, join a morning stroll with naturalist Jerry Coe. Learn how to identify birds by their shape, flight patterns, calls, and habitat. Also learn how to use binoculars and bird guides as we search for other species, including violet-green and barn swallows, warblers, white-tailed kites, and acorn woodpeckers.
Jerry Coe has over eight years of intensive training in ornithological field identification. He spent 15 years as a volunteer in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, using bird activities to assess the health of habitats. Jerry has also guided outdoor expeditions all over the world.

Date: Saturday, July 24
Time: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Location: Details emailed to you when you register.
Walking difficulty: Easy; 1.5 miles

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated).
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Photo credit: Warbling vireo by ©Ryan O’Donnel/Macaulay Library

Full Moon Hike
2021-07-23 19:45 - 21:45
Moonrise over Rat Rock by Steve Ziman
July “Buck Moon”The “buck moon” is named for the season when bucks begin to grow new antlers. For this full moon hike, we will go on a moderately strenuous, 4-mile round-trip hike and watch the radiant full moon cast glittering light over the bay. Suitable for kids ages 10+.

Date: Friday, July 23
Time: 7:45 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.
Length: 4 miles round-trip
Difficuly: moderately strenuous
Please bring warm clothing, appropriate hiking gear, water, and a flashlight.
We will meet at 7:30 p.m. sharp.

REGISTER HERE

Space is limited; reservations required.
Location details emailed to you when you register.
Fee: $5 non-members; FOCC members free
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.

Footrace: Sasquatch Racing
2021-07-18 08:30 - 13:00
There will be a footrace beginning at Miwok Meadows picnic area on Sunday, July 18th, 2021. Please be advised that there will be increased foot traffic from 8:30am until 1pm as a result. Plan your trip to the park accordingly.
Check out the Sasquatch Racing event website for more information.

Naturalist Book Club
2021-06-27 19:00 - 20:00
Join us as we discuss The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California’s Coast, written by Kim Steinhardt and Gary Griggs. Steinhardt, a writer and nature photographer, and Griggs, an earth sciences professor at University of California in Santa Cruz, present a timeline of the environmental and social pressures that have shaped the past, present, and future of the California coastline.
Excerpt from Barnesandnoble.com:
“The Edge is a dramatic snapshot of the California coast’s past, present, and probable future in a time of climate change and expanding human activity. Written by two marine experts who grew up on the coast, The Edge is both a celebration of the coast’s natural and cultural uniqueness and a warning of the many complex changes that threaten that uniqueness.”

Date: Sunday, June 27
Time: 7pm – 8pm
Venue: Zoom meeting (details emailed once space is reserved).

REGISTER HERE

Space limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated)
Questions? Contact programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Cancellations notified via email.

Father's Day Hike
2021-06-20 09:00 - 11:00
Bring dad along for this fun father’s day hike with naturalist Harold Hirsch. What better way to celebrate dad than to share the open sky and bay breezes. Learn about the flora and fauna of the oak woodland habitat on this easy, 3 mile loop which will feature beautiful bay vistas and oak woodlands.
Please Note: We do not require masks to participate, however we do ask that only people who have been vaccinated can attend the event. Group sizes will be limited, so register early.

Date: Sunday, June 20
Time: 9am – 11am
Meeting Location: Location emailed to you upon reservation.
Difficulty: Moderate hike, 3 miles

Register Here

Space is limited; reservations required.
Free (donations appreciated)
Cancellations notified via email.
Questions? Email programs@friendsofchinacamp.org or call (415) 456-0766.
Photo credit: Sheila Coll
