NATURE OUTINGS
Spring/Summer 2009

STAR GAZING
Tour of the Night Sky
Saturday, October 17th 6:30 - 9:30pm

Yes, stargazing in the fall. Bryn returns from her travels abroad to lead the ever popular stargazing outing. She’ll focus on changes in the sky compared to spring, point out planets, deep sky objects & constellations and share stories on the mythology of the night sky.

There is a 1¼ mile, slight up hill, hike to the meadow where the group will observe the night sky. This outing fills up quickly so RSVP early. Wear appropriate clothing for evening; binoculars are optional.

Guide: Bryn Bishop

PHOTOGRAPHY & NATURE
Take only photos, leave only footprints
Sunday, October 25th, 10:00 - 1:00pm

Do you want to develop some photographic technique and learn how to take fantastic nature photos? Join Daniel Ng as he guides you how to uniquely capture an image with film or a digital camera. Bring a camera and a sense of wonder.

Guide: Daniel Ng

NATURE & CULTURE
Saturday, March 28th 9 - Noon

How do humans fit into nature? How does the culture we’ve created effect the continuation of our species? On this outing, two of the instructors from the Nature & Culture program at UC Davis share insights and draw out discussion on the important relationship between nature and culture. The hike will be at a gradual pace along the Homestead trail.

Guides: Jeffrey Clary & Laurie Glover

COLD CANYON, A POSSIBLE FUTURE
Sunday, November 1st 9:00 - 1:00pm

Andrew Fulks will lead a loop trail hike that includes exploration of property at the Cold Canyon headwaters. Currently the property is privately owned, but Tuleyome, a non profit organization dedicated to protecting both the wild and agricultural heritages of the Putah-Cache bioregion, will talk about plans to purchase the property and add to the existing trail system. Andrew and the people at Tuleyome have a wonderful vision for maintaining the natural beauty of the region while expanding recreational opportunities. The hike will be approximately 6 miles long with a 1,200 elevation gain, steps and boulder hoping on the ridge

Guide: Andrew Fulks

BOBCAT RANCH
A place to explore!
Sunday, November 5th, 10:00 - 1:00pm

To the north-east of Stebbins Cold Canyon is the 6,800-acre Bobcat Ranch. For decades the ranch was privately owned but a few years ago Audubon, California purchased the property for conservation, restoration and recreation. Currently the ranch is not open to the public but ranch manager, Alex Palmerlee, will lead a special outing into the inner reaches of the property and highlight the natural habitats and local wildlife inhabiting this region. The hike is moderate. The group will meet at Steady Eddy’s in Winters @ 8:30am.

Guide: Alex Palmerlee

BASIC BOTANY
As a way to ID plants
Saturday, November 21st 10:00 - 1:00pm

Come on out and take an easy hike in the sunshine while learning about some fundamentals of plant anatomy that provide clues to identifying major plant families. With this skill you might be surprised how many plants and wildflowers you can identify at the reserve and at home in your own backyard.

Guide: Barbara Byrne

LOOP TRAIL
What are you thankful for?
Saturday, November 28th 9:00 - 1:00pm

On this outing, the group braves the elements of winter and experiences the canyon near the shortest day of the year. The group will perform a winter solstice ritual and then record some impressions of the canyon to later compare them with an outing in spring.

Guide: Jeff Falyn

ANIMAL TRACKING
(at Lake Solano)
Saturday, December 5th 9:00 - Noon

It is easy to forget that the places we live and play are also home to foxes, mink, coyotes, and other mammals. Usually these animals stay out of sight, but they always leave behind clues to tell you they were there. Learn to read animal track and sign with experienced tracker Sean Clemenza and see the landscape through an animal’s eyes. This outing meets in the day use parking lot at Lake Solano.

Guide: Sean Clemenza

GESTURE DRAWING
Sunday, December 6th 10:00 - 1pm

Gesture drawing trains the hand to draw what the eye is seeing before the brain gets in the way. Learn basic techniques to help you capture on paper what you see in nature. Make holiday cards from your gesture drawings! Everyone is welcome. Bring a pen, marker, crayon, colored pencil...

Guide: Alison Kent

BOTANICAL DRAWING
Saturday, December 12th 10:00 - 1pm

Botanical illustration is a fun way to record the unique and diverse flora in your sketchbook. Botanist Ruth Williams will lead participants through the process of observing key details of flowers and forbs and show you how to create a visual, botanically accurate rendering of native plants. Materials will be provided, but you may bring your own sketchbook and pencil if desired. In case of rain, an umbrella is recommended.

Guides: Ruth Williams

WINTER SOLSTICE
Renewal
Sunday, December 20st 10:00 - 1pm

On this outing, the group traverses the canyon and experiences the reserve on the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice is a time for reflection and optimism. Participants will have the opportunity to focus on the seasonal changes taking place around them and within.

Guides: Jeff Falyn

GUIDE TRAINING
January 9th, 16th, 23rd 10:00 - 2pm

Everyone has a story to tell, something they are interested in or passionate about. The guide training program helps participants identify possible topics and mold them into a presentation for the public.

Are you interested in sustainability, geology, flowers, yoga, water conservation, bilingual outings? The list of possible presentation topics is endless.

The guide training program is a two part process. In the first part, participants receive an overview of the natural history of the canyon and the general logistics for running a group outing. The second part of the training asks each participant to choose a topic of interest and give a mini-presentation to the group. Group feedback is then given to further strengthen the presentation.

Training dates are January 9th, 16th & 23rd from 10:00 to 2:00pm at Stebbins Cold Canyon. The training is $15 per person (printing expenses) and limited to 10 people.

If you are interested, e-mail Jeff Falyn – jfalyn@ucdavis.edu. Please include your phone number in the e-mail.

Saturday, 10/24
10 - Noon

For ages:
4-8