Category Archives: Activities

Activities

Today is National Get Outdoors Day!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Why are you inside reading this?

National Get Outdoors Day is an annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun.

No Adventure Pass is required today across the San Bernardino National Forest!

And if you are looking for fun things to do with your family, come join us for lots of fun activities outside:

  • 9:30am-10:30am- Build a Birdhouse (Fee: $6)
  • 10:30am-11:30am- Nature Craft- FREE!
  • 10:00am-12:00pm- Gold Panning (Fee: $3)
  • 11:00am- Map & Compass- FREE!
  • 12:00pm- High Flying Rockets- FREE!
  • 1:00pm-3:00pm- Kayak Eco-Tour ($30 per person)
  • 4:00pm-6:00pm- Kayak Eco-Tour ($30 per person)
  • 8:00pm- Campfire: Bluejay Blues By Firelight, Campfire Songs (Suggest Donation $5)

More information at www.mountainsfoundation.org or call 909-382-2790

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Activities, Wildlife

Today, I screamed like a little girl and boldly ran away from a tiny rattlesnake

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’m not too proud to admit it: snakes are scary.  Not spider scary, but scary nonetheless.  So, since summer is quickly approaching, here’s some timely tips from the USDA so you don’t end up looking like me … running away from a tiny little 1.5′ lightning-fast rattlesnake:

Warmer weather lures humans to the outdoors about the same time snakes are increasing their activity, making encounters of the slithering kind inevitable. California has many kinds of beautiful and harmless native snakes. However, one kind of snake that is a safety concern for anyone outdoors in California is the rattlesnake. All snakes, including rattlesnakes, provide humans with a tremendous service because they control rodent populations.

Rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in California that can cause serious injury to humans; however, very few people die from rattlesnake bites in California. Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, and given room they will retreat. Never try to pick up a rattlesnake. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing.

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Activities, National Parks

Yosemite’s Housekeeping Camp

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

YosemitePark has just made a really interesting post about one of the unique camps in Yosemite.  From the “A Short History of the Oddly-Named Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite” post:

Located on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley with an unusual name, Housekeeping Camp straddles the line between camping and hotel accommodations and inspires fierce loyalty among park visitors. With amenities not usually found in campsites such as three walls, a canvas roof, beds, electrical lights and outlets, as well as standard amenities of picnic table and campfire ring, Housekeeping Camp is perennially popular with visiting families. Many of these families return year after year to the same units for easy access to the Merced River’s sandy beaches and activities like rafting and swimming. By examining the origin of Housekeeping Camp and its odd configuration and designation, it is apparent that this particular type of Yosemite accommodation has had great influence on the evolution of national park campgrounds as we know them today.

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Activities, Adventures, National Forests, National Parks

Wells Fargo Foundation funds NatureBridge’s Yosemite Summer Field Research Course

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Wells Fargo Scholars program, generously funded by a grant from the Northern and Central California Region of the Wells Fargo Foundation, gives students from Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties an opportunity to attend NatureBridge’s Summer Field Research Course in Yosemite National Park.

Students have the chance to receive a full or partial scholarship based on the strength of their application, recommendations from supportive educators and community leaders, and the individual’s financial need.

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Activities

Trail Life USA Leadership Training is coming to a city near you

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Trail Life USA’s (TLUSA) National Director of Field Operations, Rob Green, announces a robust training program beginning in April and running through September in cities across the nation. “We are so impressed with our Area Teams and Point Men; they are fulfilling our vision of a volunteer-driven organization!” said Green.

Trail Leader Trainings (TLT’s) are designed to inform and support adult volunteers, Troop Committee members, and “direct contact” Program leaders. Troop leaders will connect with peers from other nearby Troops, find support from Area Team members, get the latest information, and have (nearly) every question answered.

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