Spring 2011 Current - American River Conservancy

THE
CURRENT
Informational Newsletter for Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
American River Conservancy
Resurrecting the Gold Hill
Wakamatsu Colony
ARC Completes Purchase of the 272 Acre
Gold Hill Ranch
By Alan Ehrgott
On November 1, 2010, the American River
Conservancy purchased the 272 acre Gold Hill Ranch
that surrounds the Gold Trail School, a mile south of
Coloma and the Marshall Gold State Historic Park.
This ranch is an interesting mosaic of springs, streams,
wetlands, blue and live oak forest, sweeping vistas and
Elwin Veerkamp flanked by Japanese Americans - circa 1930s
prime agricultural soil. Ranch ponds and the small
lake is a draw for wildlife, particularly migratory waterfowl during the winter and early spring.
But the most compelling feature of the Gold Hill Ranch is its cultural history and the story of 22 Japanese
samurai, including a 17 year-old girl named Okei, that fled Japan in 1869 and arrived in California with a great shipload of mulberry trees, tea plant seed, fruit tree saplings, paper and oil plants, rice, bamboo and other crops to establish the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony. This group of samurai purchased the Gold Hill Ranch in June of
1869, planted their crops and became the first Japanese colony in the United States. The history of the Wakamatsu
Colony has recently been found to be ‚nationally significant‛ by the National Park Service. Congresswoman Doris
Matsui recently stated, ‚To many Japanese Americans, the Wakamatsu Colony is as symbolic as Plymouth Rock was
for the first American colonists. The Gold Hill Wakamatsu Collaborative now has the historic opportunity to acquire
this land and preserve the legacy of these early Japanese Americans.‛ In introducing the Gold Hill-Wakamatsu
Preservation Act (H.R. 4108) to Congress, Congressman Tom McClintock notes that the Gold Hill Ranch ‚is the only
property associated with the immigration of samurai following the Meiji Restoration.‛
To understand the significance of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony, it is important to highlight the context of Japanese society that the Wakamatsu colonists were fleeing. Beginning in the early 17 th century, Tokugawa
shogunates emphasized cultural isolation and prohibited Japanese citizens from traveling abroad. This isolationist
doctrine remained in place for 260 years until Commodore William Perry, acting for the United States, forced open
several Japanese ports to U.S. trade in 1853-1854. By the 1860’s, cultural isolation in Japan was faltering. Matsudaira Katamori (1835-1893) was related by marriage to the Tokugawa family and was a daimyo (local lord) of the
Aizu Wakamatsu province. Matsudaira disagreed with the Tokugawa policy of isolation, and instead chose to walk
the fine political line between ‚Eastern ethics and Western science.‛
John Henry Schnell, an early member of the Prussian embassy, also dabbled
in merchandizing European weapons. Matsudaira was one of Schnell’s best customers. Schnell trained Matsudaira’s samurai in the use of firearms. Schnell was given a
Japanese name, Samurai status as a ‚general‛, and allowed to marry a Japanese
samurai class woman to further strengthen his ties to Japanese society.
Strife between the Tokugawa faction and those who propped up the Emperor for their own benefit resulted in civil war, ultimately leading to the Mejii Restoration and the dramatic defeat of Matsudaira’s force of 4,000 samurai by over
20,000 of the emperor’s soldiers at Aizu, Wakamatsu in 1868. Matsudaira was condemned for execution. After Matsudaira surrendered, Schnell’s life was in jeopardy.
Continued on page 2...
page 2 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
In April, 1869 with Matsudaira’s blessing and funding, Schnell commissioned the steam-powered clipper ship, the SS China to carry his wife Jou, their
first child Frances, and other Wakamatsu colonists. Their arrival in San Francisco
on May 20th caught the attention of the San Francisco Alta Daily News, which
noted that the colonists brought the means for their agricultural productivity with
them, including ‚50,000 three-year old kuwa (mulberry) trees‛ used for the cultivation of silk worms as well as six million tea seeds. The newspaper praised the
Japanese work ethic, as well as Jou Schnell’s beauty and grace.
In June of 1869, the Wakamatsu Colonists purchased approximately 200
acres, a farmhouse, and farm outbuildings from Charles Graner who settled the
Gold Hill Ranch in 1856. Once on the Colony site, the colonists quickly went to
work, planting mulberry trees, tea plants and other crops. The Wakamatsu colonists successfully displayed silk cocoons, tea and oil plants at the 1869 California
State Agricultural Fair in Sacramento and at the 1870 Horticultural Fair in San
Francisco. But the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony was destined to be short –
lived. Many factors contributed to the Colony’s collapse: temporary drought,
competition for water and the withdrawal of financial support from Matsuidaira.
Surprisingly, the new Mejii government pardoned Matsudaira; he chose to become a Shinto priest and remain in Japan, cutting off the main source of financial
support for the Wakamatsu colony.
The fate of only three colonists is currently known. Matsunosuke Sakurai
worked for the Francis Veerkamp family who purchased the Wakamatsu lands in
1873. He lived at Gold Hill until his death in 1901. Okei, a young nursemaid for
the Schnells also stayed with the Veerkamp family. She died at age 19 in 1871 and
is buried on the Gold Hill Ranch property. Okei is believed to be the first Japanese woman buried on American soil. Masumizu Kuninosuke married Carrie
Wilson, a woman of African and American Indian descent in Coloma, in 1877. He
and his family eventually moved to Sacramento. Masumizu Kuninosuke died in
1915 and is survived by an extensive family still living in the Sacramento area.
The Mejii restoration brought an end to Civil War in Japan, but also
brought about a period of rapid modernization due to contact with the Western
world. The resulting social upheaval caused many Japanese to look for new
places to settle and continue their traditional agricultural practices. Although
short lived, the Wakamatsu Colony represents the beginning of permanent Issei
migration to the United States. As the Japanese economy worsened in the 1880’s,
large numbers of Japanese began to arrive in the U.S. Many of these Issei immigrants adopted the agricultural colony model of the Wakamatsu colonists as a
mechanism for maintaining their cultural connections. By 1900, there were more
that 24,000 Japanese living in the continental United States. In California, more
that 10% of all California farm products were produced by Japanese Americans.
In the early 1920’s, the Japanese American community began a resurgence
of interest in the Wakamatsu story. Late attorney and Sacramento community
leader Henry Taketa interviewed Henry Veerkamp (75 years old at the time) who
had befriended Okei during his youth. Local Japanese Americans started to tend
Okei’s gravesite in 1924 and emphasized the story of the Wakamatsu Colony as the beginning of Japanese immigration. In 1969,
then governor Ronald Reagan proclaimed the Wakamatsu Colony site to be California Historical Landmark No. 815. At the
same time, the Japanese American community designated 1969 as the Japanese American centennial. Matsudaira Ichiro, the
grandson of the Colonist’s daimyo financier, and the Japanese Consul General Shima Seiichi attended the event and supported
both proclamations. In 2001, the Veerkamp family donated an original silk and gold-thread banner with the Tokugawa/
Matsudaira lotus blossom crest, and a ceremonial dagger (short samurai sword) that is believed to have belonged to Jou Schnell
to the Marshall Gold State Historic Park. In 2007, a Veerkamp family member found photographs of the Wakamatsu colonists in
an envelope. The photographs were taken at the well known photographic studio of Robert Miller in Placerville in 1870.
page 3 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
Over the past 137 years, the Veerkamp family has been principally responsible for maintaining the rural agricultural
nature of the property and preserving the heritage and landscape of the Wakamatsu Colony. In late 2007, the Veerkamp family
heirs came to the American River Conservancy and asked our help in accomplishing three main tasks: (1) restore the GranerWakamatsu-Veerkamp farmhouse; (2) provide public access and interpret the cultural history of the Gold Hill Ranch; and, (3)
purchase the Gold Hill Ranch at an appraised, fair market value. With the recent purchase of the 272 acre ranch and the nearcompletion of the Phase #1 restoration of the farmhouse, the American River Conservancy is well on its way to fulfilling all three
tasks.
Recently, Mary Jean Eisenhower, the President of People to People International, encapsulated the benefits of the project, ‚The tale of a small group of Japanese immigrants who traveled to California and the Veerkamp family who befriended
them is a wonderful example of People to People International in action. When my grandfather [Dwight D. Eisenhower]
founded People to People, he said, ‘ I have long believed, as have many before me, that peaceful relations between nations requires understanding and mutual respect between individuals.’ What better example of this than people from such diverse
backgrounds working together through the shared bond of agriculture? The historical value of their partnership is immeasurable and is certainly a testament to the regional connection between the people of California and Japan.‛
The American River Conservancy and their partners support this view and will continue to work diligently in making
the Gold Hill Ranch and site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony a place of understanding, mutual respect and a place to
share the joy of cultural diversity and friendship.
Gold Hill Wakamatsu Colony Project
By The Numbers
The 272 acre Gold Hill Ranch was appraised June 1, 2010 at a value of $3,288,000. This appraisal was approved by both the
State Department of General Services and by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Purchase funding raised to date include: $1 million from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (competitive grant); $485,000 from
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (Farm and Ranchland Protection Program – competitive grant); $515,000 in private donations
has been raised from 286 individual donors.
In order to close escrow, ARC arranged bridge loans in the amount of $1,288,000 from New Resource Bank and the Veerkamp family. ARC must pay off this bridge loan amount within two years (Oct. 2012).
Farmhouse Restoration: In addition, $483,750 was raised from the California Cultural and Historical Endownment (CCHE)
competitive grant program managed by the California State Library for the structural restoration of the historic GranerWakamatsu-Veerkamp farmhouse first built in 1856. This restoration project will be completed by the end of November,
2010. Additional funding is being sought to complete the interior restoration and equip the farmhouse as a house museum.
Key Partners: The Veerkamp Family, Japanese American Citizens League (national and local chapters), The National Japanese American Historical Society; Consulate General of Japan; The City of Aizu Wakamatsu, Japan,; Warabi El Dorado Sister
City Association; Takahashi Foundation; California State Office of Historic Preservation; The Sierra Nevada Conservancy;
The California Cultural and Historical Endowment; The Natural Resources Conservation Service; California Rice Commission; El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce; The Coloma Lotus Chamber of Commerce; El Dorado County Historical
Society; High Sierra Resource Conservation and Development Council, Gold Trail Union School District, The Gold Hill Wakamatsu Colony Foundation, Madrona Vineyards, David Girard Vineyards, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congressman Tom
McClintock, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Congressman Mike Honda, County Supervisor Ron Briggs, Susan Lindstrom
Ph.D. (Archaeologist And Historian), Rebecca Allen, Ph.D. (Archaeologist and Historian), John Van Sant, Ph.D. (Historian)
and the American River Conservancy.
How you can help: ARC is seeking grants and donations to help pay off the bridge loan required to protect
this site indefinitely. If you would like to help, please send your donation payable to ARC-Wakamatsu Project to
American River Conservancy, P.O. Box 562, Coloma, CA 95613.
Or make an on line donation by selecting the ‚donate to Wakamatsu‛ link at: www.arconservancy.org
page 4 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
Education Update
The environmental education staff spent much of September and October in our Nature Center teaching nature education to El Dorado and Sacramento County
schools. The unseasonably warm weather through October provided some great days of outdoor exploration
along the South Fork. As school programs taper off for
the autumn, we are still taking registration for school
programs through the remainder of the school year.
Please call our education staff, 621-1224, to schedule a
program for your class or child’s class.
Nature Bowl
Our annual Nature Bowl semi-final dates are scheduled for the spring time. Third through sixth graders
from El Dorado County private, public and home
schools participate in this exciting, cooperative team
event every year. Teams descend upon the American
River Nature Center on Friday, March 18th and Monday, March 21st, 2011. The Coaches’ workshop is
Thursday, January 13th, 2011 from 4:30 to 5:45 pm.
Our education staff is always looking for volunteers to
help serve as judges and at the registration table for the
all day events. If interested, please contact Molly
Hucklebridge at 530-621-1224 x 24.
Summer Camps and Epic Sierra Adventures
Though it’s 9 months away, our education staff is getting an early start with next summer’s camp schedule.
Look for dates of summer day camps and Epic Sierra
Adventures in the February edition of the Current. In
the meantime, we are pleased to announce that REI has
granted us a $10,000 award for Epic Sierra Adventures
in 2011. The funds will help us buy supplies for the
program as well as offer limited discount scholarships
for potential participants. Please call Michael or Molly
at 530-621-1224 to inquire about Epic Sierra 2011. We
would like to extend a big thank you to the local Folsom and Roseville stores for nominating the Conservancy for the grant program.
Craftmaking at Christmas in Coloma
The Nature Center will once again host a candle making craft during Marshall Gold State Park’s Christmas
in Coloma event. This year’s festivities will be held on
the weekend of December 11th and 12th, and the Nature
Center will be making candles between 10:30 a.m. and
3:30 p.m. both days. This is a great place to bring the
kids, in fact, have the whole family come by and create
a handmade gift for the holidays!
Homeschool Tuesdays
*REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR ALL
PROGRAMS*
Join our next round of engaging hour and a
half programs here at the ARC nature center.
Do fun activities, play games, interact with
other homeschoolers, and enjoy learning some
new science. We’d love to have you join our
dedicated group of regulars!
October
paper capers
Recommended age: 6-10
All classes 10—11:30 am at the
ARC nature center in Coloma except as noted
$12/student for members
$15/student for non-members
Please send payment one week before program.
Note: we also accept P.O.s and vouchers from charter home schools.
Please contact Alice or Molly at 530-621-1224 to sign up.
More Mushroom Madness- January 18, 2011
(Rain date: January 25th, 2010)
Join ARC educator, Michael Dotson, as we explore the wonderful
world of fungus again. Like last year’s popular program, we will
go on a mushroom hunt, identifying species found at Dave Moore
Nature Area. We will discuss the role these decomposers play in
the cycle of life and learn about the different categories of mushroom. Students will leave with instructions on making an art project from the spores of mushrooms. Heavy rain cancels.
No Place Like Home- February 15, 2011
Join us as we explore the many faces of homes, both human and
otherwise. Explore the changing materials and sizes of our own
homes, including a look at new kinds of homes being built. Discover some of the many ways people are working to make their
homes ‚green‛. Try your own hand at making a scale version
model of a human shelter of the future, and also a nest as though
you only had a beak to work with!. Take a nature walk in the
park as we look for homes of our neighbors- furry, feathered, and
scaled. Explore the amazing variety of shelters that animals create. We will also visit at least one historic human home and imagine what it would have been like to live there.
California Gold: From solid to liquid
March 15, 2011
Experience the gold rush! Try panning for gold directly in the
river and keep any gold you find. Visit some of the tools left behind by the real miners of 150 years ago. Engage in an interactive
skit to see how early settlers coped with some of the environmental problems left behind by the gold miners. Play a fun game
that brings home the message that today’s ‚gold‛ is water! Understand how the river before you is tied to 25 million California
faucets, as well as millions of plants and animals.
page 5 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
Please be our guest at t he A merican River Conservancy’ s A nnual
Wint er Dinner 2 0 1 0
t ill
s
s
eer t o !
t
n
d
es
lu
V o n eed e t ab lt h
at ect Judi
r
o
d ecCo nt a
A n evening of celebrat ion and recognit ion host ed by
t he A RC Board of Direct ors
Thursday, December 2 nd
5 :3 0 - 8 :30 pm
Shak espeare Club
2 9 4 0 Bedford A venue
Placerville
RSVP t o ( 5 3 0 ) 6 2 1 -1 2 2 4 or
julie@arconservancy.org
Spaces are limit ed; reserve early!
What’s in the Corner?
Have you ever considered what it would be like if there were no
public lands? Have you thought about the myriad of ways we
benefit from those public lands? Our new exhibit gives insight to
those questions and provides a brief overview of the history of
public lands in America- from early accumulation, then being
sold and given away, to finally being preserved for the future.
Pam Evans
The library is finished!
Although our popular sustainability exhibit has been dismantled,
still try your hand at the model sustainability house beautifully
made by volunteer Hersch Leffler. The house has become a permanent fixture in the Nature Center so if you missed it before
come visit it now and see how green of a home you can create!
Thanks to volunteers Elizabeth Rocke and
Pam Evans, we have a well stocked and
organized library for our members to borrow from. Come in and check it out.
Potential Board Member Profile (Jason Shapiro)
On the ARC Board of Directors ballot for the 2011-2012 term is Jason Shapiro. He looks
forward to assisting with conservation and preservation efforts of our Sierra Nevada watershed and its surrounding ecological environment. Jason is a licensed CA Real Estate Broker with his main focus in residential and commercial real estate lending. Living in El Dorado County for the past 14 years with his wife and son, Jason enjoys time with his family,
horses, dogs and cats. His passion in life is paragliding and can often be seen soaring above
the Coloma Valley, amongst many other parts of the Sierra Nevada. As an Advanced Paragliding Instructor he feels his greatest reward is the euphoric elation experienced by a student's first flight.
page 6 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
Teens: Tis the Season to Volunteer
Molly Hucklebridge
Interested in helping others or giving back to the Earth? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26.8% of the US population volunteered with or for an organization
in the past year (2009). Youth have had the lowest participation rate consistently for the last
4 years; approximately 22% of 16-24 year olds claimed they participated in community service between September 2008 and September 2009.
Reasons why youth don’t participate can quickly become a laundry list of legitimate
reasons and familiar excuses. ‚I have too much homework.‛ ‚I don’t have time.‛ ‚I have
sports or play practice.‛ ‚I’d rather play with my friends.‛ ‚I prefer to spend my time on the
computer or watching TV.‛ The list goes on.
Looking beyond these excuses, local youth and ARC staff have found some fun,
creative service opportunities in El Dorado County. Perhaps there is one idea that fits with
you (youth or adults) or a local teen you know!
Yosemite
Service: Francesca Eubank,
15, and Lizzie
Trathen, 15,
help remove
bull thistles in
Yosemite
Valley
1. Participate with your class on an ARC field trip or at your school program. Both the NEST (Nature Exploring for Students and Teachers for
1st-5th graders), and PEER (Protection Education Ecological Restoration for 6 th-12th graders) programs incorporate a service project into the curriculum. With the help of ARC environmental educators, students complete a hands-on, age appropriate stewardship project on their school’s
campus or on a local public land. Older teens can help maintain and build trails on our public lands as well.
2. If the school year is too hectic, consider volunteering in the summer. In 2010, 30 volunteer Counselors and Counselors in Training, ages 1218, helped mentor younger kids at ARC’s Summer Nature Camp. Counselor application information and camp dates will be listed in the
spring edition of The Current.
3. For those who prefer adventure or want to work with their peers, consider an Epic Sierra Adventure with
ARC. Epic Sierra combines adventure – rafting, kayaking, backpacking – with fun outdoor service projects.
Some examples of projects: building trails along alpine lakes in the eastern Sierra and completing restoration
projects in Yosemite. Last summer, each teen participant completed 15 hours of community service and 14
days of fun. 2011 dates are coming soon!
4. What about working independently or service project requirements? Propose an idea to ARC staff. Edith
Chavez is partnering with ARC to complete her Girl Scout Silver Award. She’ll be building bluebird nest
boxes and setting up a trail to monitor baby blue birds.
InyoService: Alex Mitchell, 17, helps
construct new trails with other Epic
Sierra participants
Instead of finding an excuse for why we can’t do something, consider a reason for why you should give back.
‚I felt like I had accomplished something.‛ ‚I liked knowing that I was helping hikes.‛ ‚Thank you for providing an awesome experience that really helped me realizes what matters to me.‛ All of these comments
came from teens who participated in ARC community service events. Are you ready to improve your community and make a difference?
ARC’s New
Development and
Marketing Director
Noël Robinson
Many have asked how this New York City-born woman landed in the beautiful ColomaLotus Valley. Noel fell in love with nature when she was 10 years old rafting the Grand Canyon
with her family.
Upon graduation from Michigan State University, she adventured to Seattle, then Los
Angeles and Denver to delve into the world of Broadcast Advertising and ignite a passion for surfing. To bring life full circle the city-bred, ocean-loving girl fell for a former raft guide who reintroduced her to the river. Satisfying her need for action and involvement and blending aspects of her
working past with her family’s rural passions, Noel gravitated to the American River Conservancy
where her kids attend Nature Camp and bike, hike, and kayak in the South Fork American River wonderland.
Noel loves playing at all things outdoors with her husband and two boys and is grateful to live in the perfect paradise of our river
valley.
page 7 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
PROGRAM CALENDAR
January 2011
December 2010
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
February 2011
Thursday
Friday
Sunday
Saturday
Monday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
DECEMBER 2010
5:30—8:30pm
Winter Dinner
10am—noon
Wakamatsu/Gold Hill walking tour
9am—5pm
Snowshoe to Loch Leven Lakes
6—7:30 pm
Donner Summit presentation
10:30am-3:30pm
KDD-Candle Making
Snowshoe to Peter Grubb Hut
9am—5pm
Saturday the 1st
Tuesday the 4th
Saturday the 8th
Sunday the 9th
Tuesday the 11th
Saturday the 15th
Saturday the 22nd
JANUARY 2011
9am—11am
Monroe Ridge Trail Hike
9:30am—12pm
Greenwood Creek Hike
10am—3pm
Soap Stone Carving class
1-2:30pm
KDD-Story Time
6:30-8pm
The Natural & Cultural history of Baja
10am—1pm
Mushroom Presentation
11am—12:30pm
Winter Herbs for Health
9am—2pm
1—3pm
6:30—8pm
1—2:30pm
Thursday
2
Thursday the 2nd
Saturday the 4th
Wednesday the 8th
Thursday the 9th
Sat & Sun the 11th & 12th
Wednesday the 29th
Saturday the 5th
Sunday the 6th
Tuesday the 15th
Sunday the 20th
Wednesday
1
FEBRUARY 2011
Cronan Ranch hike
KDD-Nature’s Music-Animal calls and sounds
Africa-A photo presentation
Innovative Building tour
The
American
River
Conservancy is a member of
Earth Share of California,
providing charitable giving opportunities in the workplace.
For more information on how you can get involved with one
or more of these programs, contact the Conservancy.
Little Bald Mountain hike
OUR MISSION
The American River Conservancy serves our community by protecting and enhancing natural habitats where wildlife
can flourish. Through education and recreation we promote a broad ethic of stewardship, ensuring healthy ecosystems
now and for the future.
page 8 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
PROGRAMS PLUS
KIDS’ DISCOVERY DAYS
CRAFT MAKING AT CHRISTMAS IN COLOMA
December 11 & 12 10:30am—3:30 pm
The Nature Center will once again host a candle making craft during Marshall Gold State
Park’s Christmas in Coloma event. This
year’s festivities will be held on the weekend
of December 11th and 12th, and the Nature Center will be making
candles between the 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. both days. This is a
great place to bring the kids. In fact have the whole family come by
and create a handmade gift for the holidays.
KDD-STORY TIME
Sunday, January 9th 1-2:30pm
Join us for this open story reading time. Have children
bring their favorite books about anything related to rivers or wild
animals. If they are able (and practiced) they can read aloud by
themselves, or they can have an adult read for/with them. FREE.
Please call for meeting location (Coloma area) and to signup. For
children of all ages.
KDD-NATURE’S MUSIC-ANIMAL CALLS AND SOUNDS
Sunday, February 6th 1 – 3pm
What do whales, frogs, crickets and birds have in common? They all have the ability to communicate using sound. Discover the fascinating world of animal calls, with a focus on animals
that live here in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Learn how scientists
study animal communication and monitor wildlife populations
throughout the world using bioacoustics. Make an Animal Sounds
Bingo card that you can take on hikes to sharpen your listening
skills. Instructor: Elena DeLacy (ARC staff biologist). This KDD is
suitable for children ages 4 through 10. Cost per child: $5/ members, $8/non-members (materials fee). Please call for meeting location (Coloma area) and to signup.
NATURE WALKS
WAKAMATSU/GOLD HILL WALK AND TOUR
Saturday, December 4th 10am - noon
Join Alan Ehrgott, ARC’s Executive Director, for a firsthand look at the property recently acquired by ARC. This ranch is
an interesting mosaic of springs, streams, wetlands, blue and live
oak forest, sweeping vistas and prime agricultural soil. Ranch
ponds and the small lake is a draw for wildlife, particularly migratory waterfowl during the winter and early spring. Along with its
beauty, learn about the rich history of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk
Farm, the 1st Japanese Colony site established America in 1869.
Please call for meeting location (Gold Hill area) and to sign up. Donations towards the Wakamatsu project encouraged.
SNOWSHOE TO LOCH LEVEN LAKES
Wednesday, December 8th 9am – 5pm
(approx.)
Our trip will begin at the
Donner Pass Rd/Troy Rd junction and
follow the rail road service road crossing the rail road tracks, then following
the "blue diamond" route to Upper
Loch Leven Lake. Along the way we
will enjoy grand views of Castle Peak, Devils Peak, matrimony
tree, and the North Fork American River canyon beyond Snow
Mountain. Bob Griffis will lead this moderate hike of 6 miles
round trip. Children 12+ w/adult supervision. Chain control on
80 cancels. Please call for meeting location (Colfax area) and to
sign up. Suggested donation: $10 members/ $15 non-members.
SNOWSHOE TO PETER GRUBB HUT
Wednesday, December 29th 9am – 5pm (approx.)
Our trek will begin at the snow park near Donner Lodge at Boreal Ski area. We will start out on the Castle Peak Trail climbing
Castle ridge and into Round Valley. Peter Grubb Hut is a
warming hut managed by the Sierra Club and serves as a warm
up station for cross-country skiers and snowshoers and can be
rented for overnight stays. Bob Griffis will lead this moderate
hike of 7 miles round trip. Children 12+ w/adult supervision.
Chain control on 80 cancels. Please call for meeting location
(Colfax area) and to sign up. Suggested donation: $10 members/ $15 non-members. *** A snow park pass is required for
each vehicle ***
MONROE RIDGE TRAIL-HIKE
Saturday, January 1st 9 – 11 am
Tom Petersen, ARC volunteer, author, and hike enthusiast will lead you on this 3-mile Coloma hike. Moderate hike at
a moderate-fast pace. Rain or shine. Some elevation change –
All-terrain strollers OK. Ages 10+ encouraged. Suggested donation: $5 members/ $10 non-members Please call for meeting
location (Coloma area) and to sign up.
GREENWOOD CREEK HIKE
Tuesday, January 4th 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Get a start on your New Year’s Resolution to get out
more with this pretty, approx 4 mile loop hike, along the South
Fork of the American River. Sheila Toner, ARC volunteer and
past board member, will lead this hike where you’ll take your
time and stop to enjoy views alongside and overlooking the
South Fork of the American River. This short hike has it all,
views, sandy & rocky beaches, forested trails, open meadow,
sun, & shade. Suggested donation: $5 members/ $10 nonmembers. Please call for meeting location (Lotus area) and to
signup.
page 9 The Current
MUSHROOM PRESENTATION AND WALK
Saturday, January 15th 10 am – 1 pm
Robert Mackler, an ARC volunteer naturalist, will take you
through a discussion on mushrooms as food from prehistory to present, including cultural differences between people concerning
mushrooms. The various types of mushroom poisoning will be explained. There will be a show-and-tell for participants who are
asked to bring in whole mushroom specimens in good condition or
good photos and, weather permitting, a walk in the park to see living examples of fungi. Responsible teens and older welcome. $5/
members, $10/non-members. Please call for meeting location
(Coloma area) and to sign up.
CRONAN RANCH HIKE
Saturday, February 5th 9am – 2 pm
This hike, led by ARC volunteer Tom Petersen, will take you
on Cronan trails acquired by ARC, to
the So. Fork of the American River
with its beautiful views. Plan on a
lunch break by the river. This is a
moderate, fast-paced 8 mile hike,
minimal elevation change. Minimum
age 16.
Suggested donation: $5
members/ $10 non-members – rain
or shine. Please call for meeting location (Pilot Hill area) and to signup.
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
INNOVATIVE ‚BUILDING‛ TOUR
Sunday, February 20th 1 – 2:30 pm
ANOVA Studios in Placerville, which earned a Gold
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their architectural offices, has offered to give us a tour of
their sustainable building. Along with information on the process
and ideas, their studio also features 12 story boards which explain
different aspects of sustainable building systems. Cost: $5/
members, $10/non-members. Please call for meeting location
(Placerville area) and to sign up.
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES
DONNER SUMMIT-CALIFORNIA’S UNDERAPPRECIATED HISTORICAL
TREASURE
Cronan Ranch
MISCELLANY
THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
Tuesday, January 11th 6:30 - 8 pm
Join ARC Director, Alan Ehrgott for a hike the length of
Baja California to discover the diverse ecologies and cultural adaptations made by indigenous peoples and contemporary ranchers
working to sustain their lives within the seven remote mountain
ranges spanning the distance between Cabo San Lucas and the U.S.
border. Half-hour reception followed by a one-hour photographic
journey. Suggested donation: $5/members, $10/non-members.
Please call for meeting location (Placerville area) and to sign up.
AFRICA- A PHOTO PRESENTATION
Tuesday, February 15th 6:30 – 8:00 pm
It has been a lifelong dream of Penny Humphreys,
ARC’s board president, to see Africa. She lived
that dream recently with her young granddaughter Cassi. Come see her photo presentation
which includes, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. She will share the animals, culture, and
their visit to a local school. Suggested donation:
$5/members, $10/non-members. Please call for meeting location
(Placerville area) and to sign up.
Thursday, December 9th 6 – 7:30 pm followed by Q&A
Sheila Toner, former board member, active hiker, and
history major, will share her love of the Donner Summit with participants. Almost everyone will learn something about this area
which most people have driven past without thinking much about
how it has shaped so much of California's history. This small geographic area and natural treasure has also had a huge impact on
the development of California from earliest times to the present. Please call for reservations and meeting location (Coloma
area). Suggested donation: $5 members/ $10 non-members.
SOAPSTONE CARVING CLASS
Saturday, January 8th 10 am – 3 pm
Join James Marquez and reveal your hidden talents while
learning this ancient craft of soap stone carving. No previous experience or abilities required. Everyone takes home their beautifully created sculpture. $15/members, $20/non-members Please
call for meeting location (Coloma area) and to sign up.
WINTER HERBS FOR HEALTH
Saturday, January 22nd time 11am – 12:30 pm
In this class we will explore the spice rack and local plants
as remedies for winter ailments. Candis Cantin will demonstrate
how to prepare and use these herbs for better health. Candis has
lived in the county for 25 years and has EverGreen School of Integrative Herbology where she teaches about herbal medicine and
health. $10/members, $15/non-members Please call for meeting
location (Coloma area) and to signup.
All programs require sign-ups
Please contact julie@arconservancy.org or
530-621-1224
page 10 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
ARC has lost a friend
Children’s author and well known
local philanthropist Joan Barton Barsotti, 70,
died August 29th in Camino, CA. The name
Barsotti is one of the most recognized in El Dorado County because of Barsotti Juice Company Inc. of Apple Hill and the myriad good
causes that Joan and husband Gael, 71, were
involved in. Two of their children, Cathy and
Michael, work in the family business and
daughter Karen is a teacher in Roseville.
According to her family Joan liked to tell people that she
lived on an orchard, in a log house in front of a forest with her husband of 47 years. She loved everything about her life - including the
large, open spaces that gave room for her grandchildren to play
and her friends to gather. And she especially loved the new garden
that Gael had just planted for her.
The family requests
donations be made to the
scholarship fund through
the El Dorado Community
Foundation, 3097 Cedar
Ravine Road, Placerville,
530-622-5621 or CASA, 347
Main St., Placerville, 530622-9882.
SAVING A RIVER
We are extremely pleased to announce that Saving a
River, a film by Janice
Stanley
of
Todd
Stanley Productions,
has been chosen as an
official selection for the
9th Annual Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival being held in Nevada City, California; January
14-16, 2011.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a festival
with a purpose. Born as a project of SYRCL
(pronounced ‘circle’), the film festival is a gathering
of storytellers and story-makers; a festival by activists and for activists. In just a few years, Wild & Scenic has become the largest and most energized environmental film festival in the United States. With an
Opening Festival each year in Nevada City, CA and
an On Tour program hosted by environmental
groups in over 115 communities across the United
States and Internationally. Wild & Scenic is where
activism gets inspired. To watch this video, go to
www.arconservancy.org
‘Tis the Season: Green gift-giving
By Alice Cantelow
Tired of the commercialization of the holidays? Sick of contributing all that
junk and packaging to the planet? Is your wallet already stretched to the max? Never
fear! There truly is a way to enjoy the gift-giving magic of the season, without those
pitfalls: green gift-giving.
There are lots of green alternatives, if you take the time to think. We have a
wonderful assortment of thrift stores in the county, as well as the large Goodwill in Folsom. You can set a policy that one (or
more) gifts from each person should be something carefully chosen at a reuse store. Don’t forget the amazing finds at our local
antique stores either. Or, consider giving service items rather than physical goods. Offer to perform work (clean the garage,
sort someone’s closet, wash their car…). Or give an annual pass to a place like Yosemite Park or the Crocker Art museum.
Another fun idea is to give an outdoor outing- to a hill for sledding, the river, a nearby park- and provide the snacks
and recreation equipment. You can even keep the destination a secret until arrival. A gift certificate to a local venue like Imagination Theater, a restaurant, or movie theater is always appreciated as well.
And don’t forget memberships to local charities (like ARC!) We used to give each of our kids a $10 blank check and
they had to choose which of several charities to send ‚their‛ money to. Oddly, they don’t remember this tradition, yet both became regular donors to charities on their own.
There are many other ideas: plants, seeds, used books, your own compositions of poetry or song, baked items, homemade cloth
gift bags, etc. Be creative. Consider designating that all family gifting will be green this year. You can always resort to new but
fair trade, organic, and/or locally-bought goods for a few specific gifts.
For more ideas or details, visit grizzlybirds.blogspot.com/2006/11/green-socially-responsible-gift-giving.html
May the hunt be intriguing, your gifts green, and your giving meaningful!
page 11 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
In Memoriam: Bob Massad
The American River Conservancy recently lost a long-time supporter and former board member. Robert J. Massad, known to staff as Bob, became involved with
the Conservancy first as a volunteer with the NEST program. In 2002, Bob joined our
board of trustees and served on the Environmental Education and Stewardship committees. He was a strong supporter and donor of the Conservancy’s education programs over the years, offering financial support for our Nature Center redesign in 2005
along with a number of other programs, including our Quail Call newsletter for El Dorado County teachers.
Bob was a native of San Francisco and spent his career working as a physician and medical school administrator in
both San Francisco and New York City. After a 22-year stint in New York City, Bob retired to Camino, where he could be
close to his favorite backpacking jaunts in the Sierra Nevada range.
Bob passed away in early August at his home in Camino. He is survived by his two daughters, Jessica Massad (New
York City) and Rachel Massad (Alameda, CA). Bob’s desire was to create an environmental education entity that would last
well past him. Upon his passing, Bob bequeathed a generous gift to the American River Conservancy to continue his legacy
in education by helping local teachers bring innovative environmental education projects to their classroom.
Community: The True Meaning
By Noël Robinson
The old African proverb ‚It takes a village to raise a child‛ is quite suiting
for the American River Conservancy. Although, the more appropriate expression
would be ‚It takes villages to raise our children.‛ Twenty one years ago the ARC
child was born to a small, highly-motivated local community that shared a common vision.
What does the word community mean to you?
The word "community" is derived from the Old French communité which is
derived from the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad
term for fellowship or organized society. Together the ARC community has bestowed many gifts upon the public by protecting rivers and land for life.
ARC is the solid trunk with many branches on the symbolic, communal tree. Our community is like the mighty Sierra
Foothill oak tree with its great variety of species and diverse leaves. This diversity is what makes us strong. The fruit of the
tree is acorn, the child.
Planting, nurturing and cultivating the acorn creates new growth in our ecosystem (community). Through conservation our soil is rich, our water is clean and our oxygen is plentiful. This is an ideal formula for evolution. There will always be
the need to plant many acorns and only the resilient will thrive.
Our ARC community tree is growing and it is essential that we engage and educate others to deepen our roots. It is
time that we ask what we can do for our community and for future generations by creating a legacy. We must care for our
healthy and mature oak trees while cultivating new growth with equal care.
Ask yourself how you can become more deep-rooted in the ARC Community. What special talents and resources can
you share to expand our heritage? Choose a program, project or passion
that you can share or teach the.
The possibilities are endless for what we can achieve. You, the
community, have helped preserve over 11,500 acres of plant and wildlife
habitat. You have volunteered thousands of hours and worked tirelessly
to foster the ARC vision. Share your accomplishments with new villages
and invite them to be a part of our ARC community.
So I close with a favorite quote of mine that truly summarizes
my thoughts: ‚Never doubt that a small group of committed people can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.‛
--Margaret Mead
Notes: OED Online. July 2009. Oxford University Press
page 12 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
PROGRAM & HIKE LEADERS
...THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the partners & volunteers who
gave presentations, taught classes and led hikes this fall:
Bob Griffis, Kay Osborn, Jinnah Benn, Cheryl Beyer, Sierra Wildlife Rescue, Mark Graybill & Starforge, Jan
Rose, Blood Source, Judy Johnson, Jayah Paley, Denise &
Bob Hansen, Boonie Lang, Tim & Angela Jackson, &
Steve Robello. (Also, Alexa Mergen, Bob Stanley, Sue
Britting, John Robert Cornell, Linda Aruzzini, Sheila
Toner, and Keely Carroll).
We had great programs like Animal tracking &
a Falconry presentation, Fall stargazing, blood drive, Edible Acorns class, Innovative Home tour, Japanese Peace
Garden tour, Vernal Pool Presentation, and Pine Needle
Basket & Trekking Poles classes.
Hikers enjoyed our new So. Fork American
River Trail, a Lichen walk, Iowa Hill/Stevens Trail hike,
and Browns Ravine Hike.
We’ve got something for everyone, so be sure to
watch your newsletter or check out our new website to
sign up for our new winter programs and hikes.
If you have ideas for hikes or programs, or
would like to lead or teach, please give me a call.
Julie Andert 530-621-1224 or julie@arconservancy.org
Public Program and Outreach Coordinator 530-621-1224
Water Quality Study Finds American and
Cosumnes Rivers Safe to Swim
This effort to sample local swimming holes as part of
the Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Safe To
Swim Study yielded some encouraging results for our
area. All of the results for the South Fork American
River and Cosumnes River were well below
the USEPA ambient water quality bacteria limit of 235
MPN/100ml for designated beach areas. Other watersheds were sampled in the Sacramento, San Joaquin
and Tulare Basins. Associated local health departments are being provided these results. For more information about this water quality study, please visit
http://www.waterbo ards.ca.go v/centralvalley/
water_issues/water_quality_studies/
surface_water_ambient_monitoring/
swamp_regionwide_activities/index.shtml
Results of Sampling Sites for the South Fork American
River and Cosumnes River:
Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in
this Sampling Effort!
Great Sierra River Cleanup Results
Thank you to all of the fantastic, enthusiastic and hardworking volunteers who participated in this year’s Great Sierra
River Cleanup on Saturday, September 25th, 2010.
In 2010 more than 4,500 volunteers picked up an estimated 150 tons of trash along waterways and in public spaces in
the Sierra Nevada. This year, the American River Conservancy
partnered with the El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide
Resource Conservation Districts to cleanup 5 sites: Brown's Ravine, Traverse Creek, Hangtown Creek, Marshall Gold Discovery State Park and the Cosumnes River at Happy Valley. Our
local effort brought in volunteers from the CCC, local businesses, state parks employees, families and individuals. Thank
you! Together, 80 volunteers picked up over 500 pounds of
trash and recyclables at these sites.
This historic effort is part of the Statewide Coastal
Cleanup Day, which is in its 26th year. Altogether, over 73,000
volunteers cleaned up 751,431 pounds of trash from California
beaches, waterways, and public parks.
That's over 375
TONS! Together, we can make a difference.
We'd also like to thank sponsors and contributors who
helped make this Cleanup great: Raley's Store #422, Safeway,
Greenwood CCC, Union Mine High School Environmental Science Club, City of Placerville, California
State Parks, Home Depot, CalTrans, El Dorado Disposal, Broadway Village Businesses, TraCkS, Storm Valley Ranch and the
Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
Watershed
American River, South Fork
Site Description
American River, Silver Fork at
China Flat
American River, South Fork at
Camp Lotus
American River, South fork at
Kyburz
American River, South Fork, Cronin Ranch Site 1
American River, South Fork, Cronin Ranch Site 2
American River, South Fork,
Salmon Falls Rd
American River, South Fork
Cosumnes River
Cosumnes River
Cosumnes River
Greenwood Creek near Hwy 49
Cosumnes above Gold Beach
Cosumnes at Happy Valley Cutoff
Cosumnes below Gold Beach
American River, South Fork
American River, South Fork
American River, South Fork
American River, South Fork
American River, South Fork
E. coli
(MPN/100m
L)August 29
– September
1, 2010
6.3
24.3
1
18.7
11
1
23
33.6
3.1
20.3
page 13 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
Volunteer Profile-David Allan
David has been a volunteer for ARC since June of 2009. He has faithfully been the Assistant Docent in the
Nature Center every Thursday from 1:00 until 3:00. His friendly manner makes the visitors feel comfortable right
away!
David is a retired landscape architect, and he has generously donated his time, and talent to create a scale
diagram of the Nature Center and it’s pathway. This will help us make an accurate tri-fold brochure for a self
guided tour of the native plants outside the Nature Center.
When we needed some extra help at the Georgetown Nature Fest this year, David stepped in and helped
with tabling all day!
David also brings interesting articles in for us to read about environmental concerns such as global warming. He writes to officials about his concerns, and is a good example for all to follow. Thanks David!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Contact Judith to sign up for these opportunities.
SAVE THE DATES for these upcoming workdays:
530-621-1224 or Judith@arconservancy.org
Thursday, December 16, 2010 9am – 2pm
Adopt a Table for Winter Dinner!
Our Winter Dinner is an annual event recognizing our
volunteers for the year. This year’s event will be on
Thursday, December 2nd, at the Shakespeare Club in
Placerville. Please consider ‚adopting‛ a table for this
event.
Saturday, January 8, 2011 9am – 2pm
Thursday, January 20, 2011 9am – 2pm
Saturday, February 12, 2011 9am – 2pm
Thursday, February 17, 2011 9am – 2pm
Trail Workdays
Are you interested in learning how to keep our local
trails in shape? Maybe you use local trails and you’re
looking for a way to give back. Be a part of ARC’s Trail
Care Crew. We’ll work with the BLM and California
State Parks staff to do trail work in the Coloma area.
Join us every 3rd Thursday and 2nd Saturday of the
month, from 9am to 2 pm. Please contact Elena DeLacy
(Elena@arconservancy.org / 530-295-2190) for details
and to sign up. Each workday is different, and will be
based on current trail needs. Heavy rain cancels.
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Baby bluebird found
during monitoring this
spring.
Photo by Judith Gossett
page 14 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
EDDIES… VOLUNTEERING IN FALL 2010
First of all, we want to thank our Nature Camp Volunteers for contributing 1,426.5 volunteer hours!
Data was not available at the time of print of the Fall Current, so their names have been included under individual volunteers in this Winter Newsletter.
Thank you to all who have volunteered their time to the American River Conservancy the last part of
July through October, 2010. Our volunteers contributed almost 827 hours!. Volunteers supported Environmental Education programs such as P.E.E.R, N.E.S.T. and Nature Connections for 6th graders. They also participated in trail workdays (invasive weed control, Blue Bird monitoring and oak planting maintenance), and
river clean up days (including the Great Sierra River Cleanup!). Some of the Nature Center volunteers did gardening (weeding and watering), office work (data entry, mass mailings, project planning, library organizing),
flyer distribution and docent support. Volunteers also gave numerous hours to tabling at events such as The
River Festival and the American River Music Festival.
Many thanks to our partners at the BLM Mother Lode Field Office, local Greenwood California Conservation Corps, California Department of Fish and Game, Shingle Springs Tribal TANF, California State
Parks, Resource Conservation District and TraCkS for facilitating projects.
Thanks to our individual volunteers:
David Allan
Mark Allen
Terry Anderson
Tommy Anderson
Allison Armstrong
Joann Askew
Keith Askew
Kacie Atkinson
Carol Bailey
Misty Bastunas
Michael Bean
Sarah Bennett
Big Bird
Becca Boyes
Danny Callaway
Eric Carter
Tony Cervantes
Rosie Chin
Janet Cicero
Catherine Ciofalo
Victoria Coleman
Helena Cosentini
Kyle Covington
Dan Crandall
Michael Curtis
Elena DeLacy
Alan Erghott
Sarah Erickson
Lloyd Evans
Pam Evans
Alissa Fogg
John Giles
Judith Gossett
Bob Griffis
Ray Griffiths
Wendy Guglieri
Debbie Hall
Denise Hansen
Michelle Harris
Jim Hebenstreit
Family
Allison Henderson
Amy Hoffman
Michaela Hughes
Penny Humphreys
InAlliance
Angela Jackson
Tim Jackson
Judy Johnson
Gigi Knochenhauer
Heidi Krolick
Gita Kushwaha
Barbara Lee
Julie Leimbach
Elana Linker
Ben London
Lester Lubetkin
Doni Mae
Melissa Marquez
Kathie Matto
Michael Maydak
Susan McCormick
Candice McDowell
Jennifer McDowell
Moira McVicar
Rachel McVicar
Karly Meadows
Steve Meadows
Daniel Michelson
Katy Mulligan
Douglas Neal
Michaela Neal
Wayne Nelson
Alexandra Nisson
Jacqueline Nisson
Spencer Nisson
Donna Orth
Kay Osborn
Haley Owens
Jayah Paley
Tom Petersen
Kimberly Petree
Robin Petree
Ray Pingle
Nathan Poer
Bonnie Rand
Jim Rand
Dan Rathbun
Noelle Ritzman
Paige Ritzman
Steve Robello
Noel Robinson
Seth Robinson
Elizabeth Rocke
Jan Rose
Elke Schlosser
Addison Scott
William Smith
Carla Soracco
Janice Stanley
Julie Stanley
Todd Stanley
Sue Stack
Pat Stowe
Amy Stroud
Jaime Stroud
Forrest Sundquist
Rachel Symons
Sheila Toner
Diana Toon
Noah Triplett
Amy Triplett
Jennifer Tucker
Scott Underwood
Vicky Vail
Scott Vail
Maya Vrechek
Denise Warner
Jane Widroe
Greg Widroe
Lynda Williams
Rob Williams
Gail Wilson
Pat Wilson
Lew Wilson, Artist
Allene Zanger
page 15 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
THANK YOU, AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY AUTUMN SUPPORTERS!
Renewing Members
Applebaum Household
Batey Household
Cantelow-Lubetkin
Household
Carpenter Household
Castro, Julie
Clark, Connie
Coate Household
Covington Household
Cromwell Household
Doss, Steve
Embody, Christina
Estes, Gary
Feagans Household
Feri Household
Friedrichs Household
Gorman Household
Gregg, Stephen
Hamlin Household
Hanson, Victor
Hodges Household
Infurna-Bean Household
Kaznowski, Jan
Knappman Household
Kruse Household
Leimbach, Eric
London, David & Valerie
Lucas Household
Lundgren, Lee
Lux Household
McDonald Household
Metropulos Household
Militello Household
Nair-Dekker Household
Paulson Household
Pender, Sarah
Petrofsky Household
Rand Household
Ridgeway, Robert
Shannon, B.J.
Smart Household
Sorensen Household
Tanimoto Household
Wilson, Pat
In-Kind & Other Donors
Anderson Household
Carroll Household
Cicero Household
Clement, Alison in memory of
Vivia Peterson
Donation Line, LLC
Dowell, Christopher
Foster, Kenna
Harris, Michele
Humphreys, Penny
Lee, Barbara
Markley, Gretchen
McCombs Household
McPherson, Ryan
Mother Lode River Trips, Ltd.
Neft, Joanne
Rand, Bonnie
Starns, Jean
State Of California
ARTC/Trail Donors
Chin, Rosie
Covington, Courtney
Donor, Anonymous
Fisher, William
Gutierrez Household
Leimbach, Seckington Household
Leimbach, William
Pogue Household
River Runners, Inc.
Sorensen Household
Stadler, Doug
Underwood, Scott
Wilson Household
New Members
Adamson ,Sonya
Allyn Household
Barbour ,Rachelle
Barry, Chris
Bartlett-Gonzales
Brune, Kevin Household
Beyer, Cheryl
Brown ,Dawn
Cervantes,Tony
Choo, Shing
Cutter, Ralph
Fathy Household
Hori, Mike
Kolafa, Kimberly
Malone, Roy
Meadows, Karlen
Pedersen Household
Sanford, Linda
Schwartzentraub, Ken
Sharp, Tina
Starin, Ilene
Stretch, Sandy
Wakamatsu Donors
Bush Household
Clement Household
Mizuhara Marcia
Rand Household
Sanborn, Marjorie
ARC Wish list
 Snack Bars
Back-up Generator
 Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
 Dot Matrix Paper
 Carport Cover
 Work Gloves—assorted sizes
 Digital Projector, XGA (1024 x 768)
or WXGA (1280 x 800) native resolution
For more wish list info, visit the ARC website at: www.arconservancy.org

Graner House restoration to be completed in December 2010. Site
of the Wakamatsu tea and silk farm colony.
THE AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY IS LOCATED IN THE
AMERICAN RIVER NATURE CENTER
INSIDE THE MARSHALL GOLD DISCOVERY
STATE HISTORIC PARK
AT 348 HWY. 49, COLOMA, CA
THE NATURE CENTER & BOOK STORE ARE OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC THRUSDAY THRU SUNDAY FROM 11 AM-3 PM. OUR
OFFICES ARE OPEN TO VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS
MONDAY THRU FRIDAY FROM 8 AM-4 PM AND WEEKENDS
FROM 11 AM-3 PM. WE CAN BE REACHED BY PHONE AT
(530) 621-1224 OR ONLINE AT www.arconservancy.org.
page 16 The Current
Winter 2010-2011 (December, January, February)
PRESERVING RIVERS AND LAND FOR LIFE
NOURISH THE LEGACY THROUGH MEMBERSHIP
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY’S VISION OF TOMORROW.
MEMBERSHIP LEVEL:
NAME
$
$
$
$
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
PHONE #
EMAIL
ADDRESS
VISA/MASTERCARD #
EXP. DATE
___ OTHER
1000
500
250
$ 100
$ 50
$ 35
NEW MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
GIFT MEMBERSHIP
PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT
PLANNED GIVING/LEGACY CIRCLE
DO NOT PUBLICIZE MY GIFT
SIGNATURE
Your membership gifts to ARC are tax deductible.
Please make your check payable to the AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY
348 Highway 49  PO Box 562  Coloma, CA 95613  (530) 621-1224
www.arconservancy.org
THE AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY AND NATURE CENTER PROVIDE NATURAL HISTORY INTERPRETIVE SERVICES IN THE
MARSHALL GOLD DISCOVERY STATE HISTORIC PARK, COLOMA, CA
American River Conservancy
P.O. Box 562
Coloma, CA 95613
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
THE CURRENT is printed on
recycled paper
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 7
Coloma, CA
95613
Opening of the South Fork American River Trail
ARC trail supporters celebrated the opening of the South Fork American River
Trail—whether arriving by mountain bike, horseback, kayak, or foot!
We are grateful for your support!!!
Go to arconservancy.org to check out ARC in the N ew s
Au bu rn Jou rnal
Capital Pu blic Rad io
El Dorad o H ills Telegraph
Exam iner.com (Sacram ento)
Folsom Telegraph
KCRA - N BC 3
KH BK
KN CI
Loom is N ew s
Mod esto Bee
Mou ntain Dem ocrat
Sacram ento Bee (Ou tbou nd )
Yu banet.com
ARC Environm ental Ed u cation Manager,
Michael Dotson accep ts a $10,000 grant
check from Erin H arrington of REI for
Su m m er 2011 Ep ic Sierra Ad ventu res.
Go to ep icsierra.org for m ore info.
Help ARC cut costs and save trees!
Sign up to receive The Current electronically.
Contact Julie - julie@arconservancy.org
for m ore inform ation.
Kanaka
Valley