Upcoming Events
Spring in bloom at Homer Ranch
Don’t miss out on the next Sequoia Riverlands Trust event. Bookmark this page, visit us often, and sign up for our e-newsletter.
Unless specified, SRT requests a $10 donation for members and $15 for non-members to attend events. Become a member on the day of an event and attend that day’s program for free! Your donations allow us to continue providing such unique, fun, educational experiences on our preserves.
If you have suggestions for events that you’d like to see us provide, please let us know via email. We welcome your feedback. Thank you for support. Note - click on our calendar quick links below to read event details.
- March
- April
March
Lewis Hill Wildflower Walk
Join us for a walk through fields of flowers found only in Tulare and Kern Counties
When: Saturday, March 6, 2010, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
What: A guided walk and wildflower immersion experience at Lewis Hill Preserve. Join us for a Saturday stroll among fields of stunning wildflowers including the rare striped adobe lily (Fritillaria striata), a wonderfully fragrant flower with one-inch, white to pink petals and narrow red stripes. This is a unique opportunity to access Lewis Hill Preserve, which is only open to the public once a year for this spectacular guided walk. Bring your friends, bring your family! Please note that the hike is on uneven terrain with some hill climbing and requires crawling under a fence to access the preserve. There are no restroom facilities.
Who: Fletcher Linton, botanist for the Sequoia National Forest, will present this program about the unique geology that creates just the right conditions for the rare striped adobe lily.
Where: The preserve is located just north of Porterville. From Highway 190 in Porterville, exit at Plano, one-and-a-half miles east of Highway 65. Drive north four miles to the crest of the first hill. The preserve is on the west side of the road. Park along the roadway at the top of the hill. Carpooling is encouraged.
Bring: Water, snacks, layered clothing, sturdy walking shoes, sunscreen, hat, binoculars, a camera, wildflower book (optional) and a friend. Dogs are not permitted at the preserve.
Cost: $10 for Sequoia Riverlands Trust members; $15 for non-members. Become a member that day and attend the walk for free! Memberships begin at $35 for an individual or $50 for a family.
Stargazing Party
Join us for a star-studded tour of the night sky
When: Saturday, March 6, 2010, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
What: Stargazing Series at Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s Dry Creek Preserve (this is the first of three public stargazing parties for 2010).
Why: The weather is warming up, spring is in the air. Get outside and lose yourself in the immense sky above you. Join us for an informative and fun evening tour of the constellations, planets, nebulas and super novas that define our night skyscape. Several large telescopes will be on hand, and avid astronomer Greg Eckes and others from the Tulare Astronomical Association will answer your questions about the universe and distant galaxies.
Where: Dry Creek Preserve, located near Lemon Cove. From Visalia, travel east on Highway 198 to Highway 216 (about 17 miles). Follow Highway 216 west toward Woodlake one-half mile and turn right (north) on Dry Creek Road. The preserve is located two miles down on your right.
Bring: Water, layered clothes, insect repellant, blankets or lawn chairs and a friend. If you have a telescope, binoculars or star chart, bring those as well. Please, no dogs.
Special notes:
- If you are late to the event, please park your vehicle on the roadside, outside the gate and walk in. This helps other participants keep their night vision by avoiding your headlights.
- Parking is located next to the nursery and port o potty; make a left turn after entering the gate.
- Because white light from flashlights makes it harder to see the night sky, use only red-lamped flashlights, or retrofit your regular flashlight using red cellophane and a rubber band.
- If you have a new telescope that you’d like to bring, please do a trial run at home to make sure you know how to properly operate your equipment.
Donation request: $10 Sequoia Riverlands Trust members; $15 non-members. Join that day and attend the program for free. Memberships start at $35 for an individual or $50 for a family.
Paul Buxman Farm Tour
Learn more about farming, food and inspired eating
When: Saturday, March 13, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
What: Come out and celebrate the spring blossoms by taking a unique tour of a remarkable piece of San Joaquin Valley farmland. Inspirational farmer and artist, Paul Buxman, will give you a tour of his fruit farm (peaches, nectarines, plums, persimmons, mandarin oranges and grapes) and his stunning paintings. After the tour, you may find yourself wondering which is more spectacular -- the land or the art.
Who: Paul Buxman is a visionary farmer, who came up with a new method of farming called "California Clean." He is also a renowned plein air painter who has painted hundreds of scenic views of our Valley's working landscapes. Paul believes very strongly in keeping a land use balance in the Valley between urban and rural lands, and for that reason, he was one of the first farmers in the region to place a conservation easement on his farm. Furthermore, Paul is an engaging and informative speaker -- this will surely be an unforgettable farm tour!
Where: "Sweet Home Ranch," 4399 Ave 400, Dinuba, CA 93618
Donation request: $10 Sequoia Riverlands Trust members; $15 non-members. Join that day and attend the program for free. Memberships start at $35 for an individual or $50 for a family.
April
Vernal Pool Tour at Herbert
Explore restored wetland prairie & wildife habitat
When: Saturday, April 3, 2010, 10:00 a.m. - noon
What: An easy, two-mile guided walk through Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s James K. Herbert Wetland Prairie Preserve, where you will get a chance to view the rare and exotic vernal pool ecosystem. The 725-acre preserve protects one of the largest remaining vernal pool grasslands in the San Joaquin Valley. View wildlife and gain an understanding of the distinctive species adapted to such a unique environment. Over 130 bird species, including burrowing owl, golden eagle, black-necked stilt, western meadowlark and red-winged blackbird, nest or forage on the preserve.
Who: Bobby Kamansky, biologist and ecologist.
Where:The preserve is located at the junction of Road 168 and Highway 137, between the towns of Tulare and Lindsay, on the south side of the road. From Highway 198 in Visalia, take the Lover’s Lane exit and travel south eight miles. Turn east (left) on Highway 137 and go just under three-and-a-half miles to the stop light at Road 152. Continue east, driving beneath the power lines. Look for the preserve sign to the south (right); enter at the pole barn just past the sign. Note: If you are approaching the preserve from the east, enter with care, since oncoming traffic does not stop.
Bring: water, snacks, binoculars, field guides (optional) and a friend. Wear waterproof shoes, layered clothing, sunglasses and a hat. Please, no dogs.
Donation request: $10 Sequoia Riverlands Trust members; $15 non-members. Join that day and attend the program for free. Memberships start at $35 for an individual or $50 for a family.
5K Earth Day Run at Kaweah Oaks Preserve
What better way to show your appreciation for your local landscape than to get outside and take a jog or a stroll along oak and sycamore-lined trails at Kaweah Oaks Preserve? Please join us for the first 5K Earth Day Trail Run at KOP.
If you’ve been wanting to try out trail running, but were afraid of the hills, then this is the race for you. The 5K course will take you along two of the four primarily flat dirt trails (Sycamore and Swamp Trail) that make up Kaweah Oaks Preserve’s 322-acre oak woodland. Along the way, say hello to the several species of birds and critters that happily make the preserve their home. The course is mostly single-track with some double-track trails.
Pre-registration: $20 - Register by April 15 to receive free t-shirt and guarantees size request.
Event day registration: $25 - If you register between April 16 and April 24, you will receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last.
Event day registration begins at 6:45am.
All participants will receive a finisher’s medal. Refreshments will be provided after the race. The race will take place rain or shine.
Fun, eco-friendly awards made by local elementary school students will be given to the overall male and female finisher and to the 1st place male and female finishers in each age group (under 20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, 41-45, 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, 61-65, 66-70, over 70).
Click here to dowload your registration form today. Fill it out, then mail or drop your form off with payment to:
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
427 S. Garden St.
Visalia, CA 93277
(Make checks payable to: Sequoia Riverlands Trust)
Directions to KOP: Kaweah Oaks Preserve is located approximately seven miles east of Visalia. Take Hwy. 198 east and make a left (heading north) on Rd. 182. You’ll find the preserve entrance about ½ mile up the road on the left-hand side (west) of the Rd. 182. Event-day parking attendants will help guide you to park your vehicles on the preserve. We request that you please carpool.
A special thanks to the Visalia Runners who will be running the race clock and finisher’s chute with their valuable expertise!
For questions, call us at: 559-738-0211, ext. 108 or email niki@sequoiariverlands.org