San Diego County, California
Sunday, July 28th - Join Janice Smith, VMF's Education Coordinator, in this fun (and messy) hands-on workshop. Participants will grind and sift dry red clay dirt to learn the process of how the local Kumeyaay made red clay for pots. We will also discuss the geology of how the red dirt was created and how the Kumeyaay used it to make beautiful pots for cooking, storing water, and food.
Sunday, July 21st - learn from Eric Jones, Julian's resident cheesemaker, the craft of making the famous blue cheese of France: Bleu d'Auvergne. In this half-day workshop, you'll learn about cheese making, including the chemistry, biology, and process that turns milk into the 1,000's of wildly different varieties of cheese. Through a detailed demonstration of the blue cheese process, hands-on activities, and yes, cheese tasting, you'll come away with the recipes and knowledge to start making cheese in your own home!
Saturday, June 1st - Join Mike Thacker as you learn about the geologic forces that shaped San Diego County as well as the specific geologic features of the Volcan Mountains. We will begin the day with a presentation at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center followed by a moderate 1.5-mile hike on VMF's Sky Island Trail. We will also get the rare opportunity to go onto Volcan's ridgeline for a discussion and lunch.
Date: Saturday, June 1st
Time: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Thursday, June 6th join Volcan Mountain Foundation for a citizen science bird survey on Volcan Mountain near Julian. This is a great opportunity to hone your bird ID skills with experts, learn about our local mountain bird species, and contribute valuable data to the Volcan Mountain Foundation. We'll be focusing our attention on the areas near our Watershed and Sky Island trails. There is a combined two miles of walking during this survey. Hiking is easy to moderate.
Thursday, May 9th - Join Lyda Harris as she collects samples of water from the Santa Ysabel Creek at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center. As a 2019 award recipient of VMF's Marjorie and Joseph Rubenson Endowment for Art and Science at Volcan Mountain, Lyda is conducting a study on microplastics found in water, and her starting point is on Volcan Mountain ― the headwaters of the San Dieguito, San Diego, and San Luis Rey Rivers. Lyda will also take samples from some of these waterways as she makes her way to the Pacific Ocean.
On Saturday, May 18 the Volcan Mountain Foundation will be having its first Family Discovery Day!
Come by VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center with your friends and family to learn about the unique ecosystems and wildlife on Volcan Mountain. There will be fun, educational nature activities throughout the day, including creating a rainstorm effect on a 3D watershed relief map, making a shelter from willow branches, and going on a scavenger hunt. You can also go on a gentle guided plant walk on VMF's Watershed Trail. See below for a list of scheduled activities.
Sunday, May 5th - Join Eric Jones as you learn the basics of animal tracking, sign identification, and tracking in the field. You will also practice how to read the landscape to understand animal movement. This is a moderate four-mile hike at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center.
Date: Sunday, May 5th
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Saturday, April 27th, join the Volcan Mountain Foundation and our partners with the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy for a Watershed Explorers exploration of VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center from 10am-4pm.
Come see where it all starts, the headwaters of the San Dieguito Watershed at Volcan Mountain Nature Center!
On Saturday, April 13th, from 10am-12pm, come join the Volcan Mountain Foundation, I Love a Clean San Diego (ILACSD), the County of San Diego, the Julian Chamber of Commerce, Ramona Disposal Service, and Nickel Beer Company for litter cleanup in Julian!
We'll meet at Nickel Beer Company and make a loop through downtown Julian to divert waste from the San Diego and Anza-Borrego watersheds. Return to Nickel Beer Company after the cleanup and celebrate with a free pizza party, courtesy of the Julian Chamber of Commerce!