Friday, January 31, 2025

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Tour 1: Spanish Bilingual Sandhill Crane Tour
This is your opportunity to see Sandhill Cranes! Join Preserve staff on a Spanish-bilingual guided Sandhill Crane tour behind locked gates and explore the wonders of the Preserve. The Cosumnes River Preserve is cooperatively managed by 10 different partners and is a key link along the Pacific Flyaway . On your tour, you will explore areas that are not open to the public and learn about the Preserve wildlife-friendly organic rice farming operations. Expect to walk short distances.

Tour 2: Cal-Waste Recovery Systems Materials Recovery Facility Tour

Take a guided tour through our Materials Recovery Facility.  See what we do and how we do it.  Each day we recover discarded natural resources destined for landfills, conserve natural resources, create new jobs, and reduce local carbon footprint.  Our goal is to preserve our environment and build a better future for our community and the lands and waterways that surround it.  Good for all ages.  Kids’ activity will be included during your visit.

Tour 3: Family Fun at the Cosumnes River Preserve
If you are interested in learning about the Cosumnes River Preserve’s native flora and fauna while enjoying a family fun walk along the trails, well this tour is for you. Join Preserve staff on a two-hour guided walk along the Cosumnes River Preserve River Walk Trail. Participants will get the opportunity to learn about the native plants and animals that can be found at the Preserve. Come prepared to have fun!

Tour 4: Behind Lock Gates Track and Scat Walk 
Join Preserve Docents on a family-friendly walk at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Learn about ways to identify animal tracks and scat! One of the best ways to know who and what has been on a trail before you, is by learning how to identify what is left behind. On this guided tour, you’ll learn about common wildlife found in the Preserve and how to identify them when they aren’t around. Bring a pen, notepad, and binoculars, and get ready to learn!

Tour 5: Blue Heron Trails
Trail consists of a 2 mile (roundtrip) flat gravel and dirt road in a normally restricted area. The walk goes near managed wetlands hosting various migrants such a s hawks, shorebirds, Sandhill cranes and waterfowl. No pets, and no restrooms on the trail. This is a slower paced, relaxed walk for viewing wildlife, so you must stay with the guide.

Tour 6: Botany Walk
Join Preserve botanist, Sara Sweet, along the River Walk Trail and experience the plant life that lives among us. On this guided walk you will learn about the native flora and the in-depth history of the preserve. Participants on this hike will likely see many budding plants getting ready for their spring emergence.  This hike is highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about plants. This walk will cover a fairly flat elevation trail, which consists of an uneven dirt path. Please come prepared with water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, and layered clothing. The hike is open to all ages, but all participants should be of good enough physical ability to walk 3 miles.

Tour 7: Paddling Tour
Experience the wonders of the Cosumnes River Preserve from a Canoe! Join preserve staff on a two-hour leisurely guided paddle of the sloughs connected to the Cosumnes River. We’ll likely see forest birds, raptors, egrets, herons, cormorants, and maybe deer, a beaver, and/or an otter. We’ll talk about the flora and fauna found in this riparian corridor, and about the first people to live here, the Plains Miwoks.  No experience or equipment is required as participants will share space in our 24-foot Voyageur canoes that hold 10 people.

Tour 8: Restoration Tour 
The Cosumnes River Preserve has always highlighted the importance of restoration to wild lands. Join Preserve staff, behind locked gates and take a tour of Oneto-Denier, a previously restored wild area from farmland to riparian habitat. This successful restoration project now supports several different species of wildlife including migrating and local birds in the forest canopy and wintering visitors when the area is flooded.

Tour 9: Behind Locked Gates Rice and Wetlands Tour
Join Preserve biologists on a tour of the Cosumnes River Preserve wetlands and rice fields behind locked gates! This driving tour will showcase a variety of different wintering bird habitats, what goes into managed wetlands, and wintering birds. We will begin at the Farm Center and discuss some of the Preserve highlighted features followed by a tour of the wetlands and rice fields with discussion in between. This unique tour will provide you with the background of the Preserve, our operations and so much more! We hope you join us.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

February Regional Nature Journal Club Field Trip @ Cosumnes River
Join the SF Bay Area Nature Journal Club for a field trip to the Sacramento Valley in Northern California to explore the active bird life and the beautiful wetlands of the Cosumnes River Preserve.
We'll meet at 10am at the Cosumnes River Preserve Visitor’s Center and explore wetland paths through the morning. Mid-day we'll break for a potluck lunch and journal share. In the afternoon we'll continue at the reserve until 3:30pm, do a final journal share and closing circle, then wrap at 4pm.

BONUS: Sandhill Cranes migrate to the area for the winter! As an optional add-on, you can head to Staten Island Road to watch the fly-in of vast numbers of cranes before nightfall. Though the meetup ends at 4pm, sunset will be around 4:45pm, and this is often a magical time with the cranes. Consider leaving yourself a little wiggle room in your schedule should you want to stay and sketch the wonders of the evening Sandhill Crane fly-in. Maps to Staten Island are available at the Preserve which is open limited hours on Sundays.

https://www.meetup.com/nature-journal-club/events/30321738