Sacramento Weed Warriors -
Invasive Weed Removal Work Group,
American River Parkway
Saturday, April 22, 9:00 am - Noon
SWW will host an invasive weed community work group along the American River Parkway. We provide an orientation to invasive plants and educational materials, as well as tools and gloves. Call Frank Wallace at 427-5694 to sign up and get directions.

Tour the Ueda Parkway on Horseback
Saturday April 22, 10am - Noon
Come ride your horse along Steelhead Creek to the Wolf Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary. Meet at the Walter S. Ueda staging area, Elkhorn Blvd. and East Levee Rd. The most challenging aspect of the ride is the active train track. Trains can be seen in advance to increase distance if necessary. Register early with Barb Eggleston (916)834-6118 or email rocknbarb@hotmail.com. Rental Horses are available at JB Ranch (916)991-9500.

Bufferlands Birds and Blooms Tour
Saturday, April 22, 1:30 - 3:30pm
Thousands of waterfowl winter at the Fishhead Lake wetlands, and many live year-round to nest and raise their young.  California poppies, lupines, owl's clover, and baby blue-eyes grow around the uplands and wetland edges.  Come enjoy the birds and flowers, the meeting location is weather-dependant, so contact Roger Jones at (916)875-9174 or email jonesro@saccounty.net the week preceding the event for exact meeting location and directions.

Creek Watcher
Saturday, April 22, 1:30pm
Creeks are ideal places for people to play, learn and explore. These important waterways are also vital habitats for a great variety of plants and wildlife. Take a walk along Carmichael Creek to discover and learn about this habitat. Please contact the Effie Yeaw Nature Center for further information or directions at 489-4918.

Creek Walk
Saturday, April 22, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Debra Bishop, Senior Restoration Ecologist with EDAW, Inc will lead a short walk along Arcade and Verde Cruz Creeks. The focus of the trip will be floodplain interaction, riparian vegetation, and restoration of urban creeks. Meet at Arcade Creek Park. From Manzanita Avenue go west on Verde Cruz Way and north on Hackberry Lane (or south on Hackberry Lane from Madison Avenue). Take Omni Drive west into the Park. For additional information call 414-5800, ask for Debra.

Mather Vernal Pools
Sunday April 23 - 10:00 and 1:00pm
Join the Mather vernal pool docents of the Sacramento Chapter of the California Native Plant Society for a tour in Mather Regional Park. These unique wildflowers bloom only for a brief period in the spring. We will be enjoying those flowers at the beginning of the blooming cycle. From Hwy 50 take Sunrise Blvd. south for 4 miles. Turn right on Douglas Blvd and take the first left just after the huge statue. Meet at the picnic pavilion on the east (side) of Eagle's Nest Road. Bring $2.00 for County Park parking. For more information and to sign up, call Bonnie at (916)574-0372. To reserve space for the Saturday April 15 tours (10:00 or 1:00), call (916)737-WILD.

McClellan Nature Area Visit
Sunday, April 23, 12:00 - 3:00pm
Come visit a 250-acre wetlands nature area tucked away in the back of the former McClellan Air Force Base.  Vernal pools, seasonal wetlands, Magpie and Don Julio Creeks and Beaver Pond are home to a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Expect to see black-tailed jackrabbits, pheasants, quail, great blue herons, great egrets and others.  The walk will be on well-used dirt paths, and gravel or paved roads.  From Interstate 80 take the Winters Street Exit and travel North. Turn right at Dudley Blvd. Turn left onto Forcrum Ave. Turn left onto Dean St. Turn right onto Lang . Continue to the nature area. Park on the left in the commercial parking lot.

Creek Walk
Sunday, April 23, 1:30 - 3:30pm
As we walk along the trail in the Arcade Creek Park, we'll look for some of the many birds visiting or living in the area. We'll scout the creeks underwater interactions looking for macroscopic aquatic organisms as well as aquatic invertebrates. Come and discover this diverse outdoor world. For ages 5 and above. Take Hackberry Lane south from Madison Avenue. Turn right on Omni Drive. Meet at Arcade Creek Park parking lot at the end of Omni Drive. Call 482-8377 for more information.

Clean Water and You
Monday, April 24, 9am - Noon
Get an introduction on water quality testing and evaluating stream health conditions along Arcade Creek. Beginners will have the opportunity to learn about basic concepts of water quality and how to evaluate/survey conditions of local waterways. Meet at Arcade Creek Park parking lot at the end of Omni Drive. Monitoring kits will be on loan and space is limited. Call (916)874-4711 or (916)874-3910 to sign up and receive more information.

Restoring Native Plant Habitat
on the American River Parkway
Wednesday, April 26, 9am - 11am
Join Mary Maret, natural resource specialist, and Frank Wallace, Sacramento Weed Warriors project director, for an educational tour along the American River. We will highlight different types of native and non-native plants and point out the remarkable natural restoration that takes place when invasive plants, such as red sesbania and giant reed, are removed. Great walk for students! Call Frank at 427-5694 for directions.

Local Fish & Fauna
Wednesday, April 26, Noon - 2:00pm
What lurks in the murky depths of Sacramento's urban creeks?  Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) Bufferlands staff will demonstrate fish sampling techniques, help with hands-on fish identification, and discuss the natural history of California's diverse fish communities.  This tour includes a short, ½ mile walk and an opportunity to see some of the Bufferlands riparian and wetland habitat restoration projects within the Morrison Creek floodplain.  The meeting location is weather dependent, so contact Steve Scott at (916) 875-9307 or email scotts@saccounty.net the week preceding the event for exact meeting location and directions.

Steelhead Creek Beaver Pond Walk
Wednesday, April 26, 6:30 pm
Early evening is the best time to see beaver activity and lots of other local wildlife. Take a stroll with Mary Tappel along Steelhead Creek. Meet at the Ueda Parkway Staging area parking lot on Elkhorn Blvd. and Sorrento Rd. east of Steelhead Creek. Call 925-1933 or email mtappel@waterboard.ca.gov for further information or directions. NOTE: this event will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain

Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) Wetland Tour
Thursday, April 27, 9 - 11am
Natural Resource Specialists Sarah Ross and Amy van Riessen will lead a tour of Wolf Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, a 60 acre wetland created by SAFCA. The wetland is a major habitat feature of northern Sacramento and has a large variety of watchable wildlife. Meet at the Ueda Parkway staging area at Elkhorn Blvd. and Sorrento Rd. just east of Steelhead Creek. Please call (916)874-6099 or email rosssa@saccounty.net to sign up or for further information.

Go with the Flow
Saturday, April 29, 1:30pm
Why are water striders, backswimmers and diving beetles so important to the health of a creek, pond or river? Join a naturalist to find out the answers to these questions and learn how to get involved in caring for waterways. Please contact the Effie Yeaw Nature Center for further information or directions at 489-4918.