Online: Naturalist Book Club

Join us to discuss Oliver Milman’s new book, The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World. The book offers a creative apologue of Wilson’s theory of biophilia, which suggests that humans desire and seek out deep connections with other species and the natural world. Read... Read more »

National Trails Day

Be a part of something special at China Camp State Park. Join other volunteers to take part in the American Hiking Association’s National Trails Day, a day of service for hometown trails and the people who love them. Help spiff up our trails, then relax with lunch provided by Friends of... Read more »

Junior Ranger Program

Summer is the season of insects, bugs, and spiders. Join the fun as our Junior Rangers discover the mysteries of China Camp’s invertebrates. Meet the predators, pollinators, builders, cleaners, and artists of this amazing and diverse community. This program will be guided by naturalists/educators Suzanne Mirviss and Paula O’Connell, and... Read more »

ADVISORY: FOOTRACE

There will be a footrace beginning at Miwok Meadows on Saturday June 18th from 8am-2pm. Please expect increased foot traffic on Shoreline Trail, Bayview Trail, and Oak Ridge Trail during that time. Go to the Inside Trail Racing website for more details.

June Birding Hike

Up in the sky! It’s a bird! No, it’s a plane! No, it’s Superma– no wait, it’s definitely a bird. A Western bluebird! Catch this beauty and its aerial acrobatics on this month’s birding hike at China Camp. These year-round insect-eaters change color during their summer nesting season, transitioning from... Read more »

Naturalist Book Club

Join us to discuss Laura Alice Watt’s 2016 book, The Paradox of Preservation: Wilderness and Working Landscapes at Point Reyes National Seashore. In her well-researched book, Watt discusses how the National Park Service has historically managed Point Reyes National Seashore to balance shifting and sometimes conflicting interests, including habitat conservation,... Read more »

Junior Ranger Program

Credit: Mariposa lily by Sheila Coll Though the summery month of July means hot, dry days, with parched golden meadows and animals retreating to shady pockets, there's still plenty of life to discover. This month, Junior Rangers will head out on a scavenger hunt to discover high-summer wildflowers, cool hiding... Read more »

Full Moon Hike

July 13, 2022 Photo: Stephen Schupp Get ready to feast your eyes on the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2022. July’s “buck” moon orbits closer to the earth than at any other time of the year, offering sky gazers an especially luminous treat. This moon is named after the mid-summer... Read more »

Summer Birding Hike

  Mourning dove by Nancy Christensen/Macaulay Library From backyards to woodlands to across the continent, chances are that you'll hear the soothing coo cooing of mourning doves. These year-round residents at China Camp can be identified by their gray-brownish backs and creamy light ochre to pinkish chest with highlights of... Read more »

CANCELLED: Village Talk-Bay Area Fire Ecology 

  This event has been cancelled and will be postponed to September 25. Stay tuned for updates.   Credit: fire.ca.gov Why are wildfires getting larger and more intense? How does a wildly destructive force like fire fit into biodiversity management? What is the difference between a crown fire and a... Read more »

Naturalist Book Club

Join us to discuss Richard Preston’s novel, The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring. Read this fascinating fictional tale about the northwest’s beloved coast redwood through the eyes of a team of botanists, then join our lively discussion. Excerpt from Powells.com:  “Hidden away in foggy, uncharted rainforest valleys... Read more »

Village Talk: Archeology of Indigenous Refuge and Recourse 

  From the late 1700s to the late 1800s, the Spanish missions and other colonial projects established in central California compromised Indigenous cultures and identities, dispossessed Indigenous peoples of their traditional lands, destroyed natural resources, and hastened the population decline of Native societies.  Join Dr.Tsim D. Schneider, as he discusses... Read more »