Delta Explorer - Spring 2008 - (Page 8) the CE Stewart Chapel Get Out There! natural delta JEPSON PRAIRIE WILDFLOWERS Solano Land Trust www.solanolandtrust.org 707/432-0150 ext. 203 STONE LAKES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 1624 Hood-Franklin Road, Elk Grove www.fws.gov/stonelakes 916/775-4420 RUSH RANCH OPEN SPACE s www.rushranch.org Solano Land Trust 707/432-0150 ext. 209 BRIDGE TENDER BAIT SHOP COLD DRINKS - BEER & WINE SNACKS - REELS AND RODS LIVE / FROZEN BAIT - TACKLE Self-guided Hikes (Trail maps are available in the Kit House Visitor Center) Marsh Trail: This popular trail is an easy, mostly level 2.2-mile walk that begins at the Visitor Center and heads west to an overlook of the Suisun Marsh and adjacent lands. South Pasture Trail: A mostly level (but wet in winter) 2.4-mile trail that begins at the water tower south of the barn and leads to a small overlook and a large Native American grinding rock. Suisun Hill Trail: Located across from Rush Ranch on Grizzly Island Road, this 2-mile trail climbs 500 feet to Suisun Hill where you have a 360-degree view of the area. From Hwy. 12 in Suisun City turn south on Grizzly Island Road. The entrance gate is on the right at the BIG Rush Ranch sign. Check website for specific directions and rules. Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Suisun Hill Trail across from the ranch is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Spring Wildflower Docent Tours: Join docents on easy walks around flowerfringed vernal pools for an up-close look at yellow carpet, goldfields, Downingia and California golden violet. Observe rare aquatic invertebrates such as vernal pool fairy and tadpole shrimps dipped from Olcott Lake by permitted experts. Waterproof footwear is advised early in the season. Mid-March through Mother’s Day Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. - $1 donation per person. Weekday and special group tours at Jepson Prairie can be arranged by contacting the Solano Land Trust. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10 PM 5 AM - Self-Guided Tours: Tour the docent triangle any day of the week during daylight hours. A trail brochure is available at the kiosk near the parking lot. 916-776-3969 14164 HWY. 160, WALNUT GROVE Located twelve miles south of Dixon, where 113 turns east at an overhead warning light, go straight onto Cook Lane (gravel road), cross the railroad tracks, and continue to the parking area near the eucalyptus trees. Located in southern Sacramento County, the refuge project area encompasses 18,200 acres - the area roughly bounded by the town of Freeport, Interstate 5, the town of Walnut Grove and the Sacramento River. With its rich mosaic of Central Valley native habitats - grassland, permanent and seasonal wetland, vernal pool, riparian and oak forest - the Stone Lakes basin supports a diversity of native wildlife and plant species. The Refuge’s prime location on the Pacific Flyway attracts the full range of migratory birds. Currently, the refuge provides the public with special tours, birdwatching, special events like their annual Walk on the Wildside festival in May, and education tours for school/civic groups. Visitors can enjoy opportunities for wildlife viewing, photography, and interpretation on the refuge. Other recreational opportunities are being developed, with special emphasis on youth and barrier-free access. In August 2000, the refuge dedicated its first wildlife viewing facility, a 100-foot wooden boardwalk culminating at a 12-foot high wildlife viewing platform. The new facility is fully accessible to those with mobility impairments. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, the trail to the viewing platform is open and docents are present to offer viewing tips. Special guided tours are frequently offered. To find out more about visiting hours, tours and special events, call the refuge’s recorded information line at 916/775-4420. Take the Hood-Franklin Road Exit off I-5 and head west or from Hwy. 160 turn onto Hood-Frankin Road and head east. 91.5 DELTA MEADOWS CANOE TOURS c/o Brannan Island State Recreation Area 916-777-7701. COSUMNES RIVER PRESERVE WILDLIFE AREA 13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt 916/684-2816 www.cosumnes.org ISENBERG CRANE PRESERVE 209/948-7708 COUPON BOOK EEPER AT THE THE WALNUT GROVE LIBRARY OPEN THURSDAYS 1 - 4:30PM bring in this ad fo ra Delta Meadows is located about 28 miles south of Sacramento, 28 miles north of Stockton and seems altogether in the middle of nowhere. The sleepy backwaters here attract anglers, house-boaters, and those who just like to sit back and watch the river flow. Paddlers may have close encounters with lively otters, beavers and muskrats, which inhabit the slough and shores. Along the banks of the slough grow oaks, cottonwood and tules. Scads of slough-side blackberries offer a seasonal treat. Sponsored by the nonprofit Delta Natural History Association, and led by rangers and volunteer guides, canoe tours take place twice daily on Saturdays and Sundays during a dozen weekends in autumn and another dozen in the spring. After reviewing a few basic canoeing skills, guides take you out paddling for about three hours. Canoe tours cost $15 per person, canoes included. Reservations are required. The Cosumnes River Preserve encompasses and protects thousands of acres of wetlands and adjacent uplands. These lands, once considered insect ridden, unattractive, and even dangerous, today are recognized as beautiful places with important roles in local and global ecology. Wetlands provide a diverse habitat critical to the survival of many kinds of plant and animal life. The Cosumnes River Preserve is recognized as one of California’s most significant natural areas. Explore the exhibits in the visitor center, which take you through a cross-section of the Preserve’s habitats. Then go outside to experience for yourself the beauty and importance of the Cosumnes River Preserve. www.dgt.ca.gov/regions/3/cranetour/index.html K NOVE FREE PAPERBAC L! The Preserve is cooperatively managed by The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, Ducks Unlimited, Calif. Dept. of Fish & Game, State Lands Commission, Cal. Dept. of Water Resource, Sacramento County Regional Parks and various private owners. Take Twin Cities Road east, cross over I-5 to Franklin Road. Turn right and follow signs to walking paths or visitor center. The Visitor Center is usually open Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. as well as during the week when staff is present. No fee. The Department of Fish and Game invites you to come out on a tour in Lodi to see the Sandhill Cranes while they are in the Central Valley for the fall and winter. The tour consists of viewing impressive cranes and other birds, a presentation on the Reserve and Sandhill Cranes, and seeing the fly-in of the cranes at a location that is only open during these special tours. The Isenberg Crane Reserve is divided into two parcels, known as the South Site and North Site. Tours are held the 2nd Thursday, 2nd Saturday, and every Sunday of the month, from October through the end of February, with a few exceptions. The South site of the Reserve is open to the public, and you can visit it on your own time. We suggest that if you do go out to see the cranes on your own, to go further west on Woodbridge Road to see cranes feeding in surrounding farm fields. This road ends within 6 miles. Suggested donation of $8.00 per adult for docent tours. Directions to South Site (starting point for DFG docent-led crane tours): The Isenberg Crane Preserve is 30 minutes driving time from downtown Sacramento or 20 minutes from Stockton. From Sacramento, take Interstate 5 south to Peltier Road (or from Stockton, head north on Interstate 5 and exit on Turner Road). Go east to Thornton Road . Take Thornton Road south 2 miles from Peltier (or north 1 mile from Turner Road) to Woodbridge Road. Turn west on Woodbridge Road and continue 2.5 miles to a pullout on left side of road. This is the meeting area. The tours will begin here with docent introduction. GENTLY USED BOOKS delta explorer / 8 http://www.fws.gov/stonelakes http://www.rushranch.org http://www.solanolandtrust.org http://www.cosumnes.org http://www.dgt.ca.gov/regions/3/cranetour/index.html
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