Volcan Mountain Foundation

Saturday, June 8 -  Join botanist and conservationist Larry Hendrickson and VMF's Suzie Meyer for a morning removing non-native bull thistle at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center and mustard along Volcan Road! We will also do some light trail maintenance on VMF's Sky Island Trail.

By removing this invasive plant species, you will have the satisfaction knowing that your are restoring the forest to its healthy natural ecosystem! 

Date:  June 8

Time:  9:00 am - 12:00 pm

April 26: Volcan Mountain Foundation is offering a first aid class for staff and volunteers through Kit Fox Outfitters. Included will be training on using a defibrillator. 

Date: Friday, April 26

Time: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Bring: Lunch and snacks, drinking water, comfortable shoes, a warm jacket if it's cold.

Please register below.

May 21: Join the Volcan Mountain Foundation for its quarterly bird count on Volcan Mountain in 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 VMF and the Cornell Lab of Orinthology. We'll be focusing our attention on the areas near our Watershed and Sky Island trails as well as VMF's recently acquired pond. There is a combined two miles of walking during this survey. Hiking is easy to moderate. 

Date: Tuesday, May 21

Tuesday, May 21: Join VMF's Outdoor Naturalist Janice Smith as we start our spa day by relaxing quietly at our individual sit spot. Afterward, we will walk around the nature center to identify and forage some of the plants that we will include in three unique DIY nature inspired beauty products that you can use at home. We will make pine needle lemon tea to sip while we make wild mountain soap, horsetail raw sugar scrub, and wild herbal bath salts. 

Date: Tuesday, May 21

Sunday, May 26: Join VMF's Outdoor Naturalist Janice Smith as we start our spa day by relaxing quietly at our individual sit spot. Afterward, we will walk around the nature center to identify and forage some of the plants that we will include in three unique DIY nature inspired beauty products that you can use at home. We will make pine needle lemon tea to sip while we make wild mountain soap, horsetail raw sugar scrub, and wild herbal bath salts. 

Saturday, May 25: Join VMF's Outdoor Naturalist Janice Smith as we start our spa day by relaxing quietly at our individual sit spot. Afterward, we will walk around the nature center to identify and forage some of the plants that we will include in three unique DIY nature inspired beauty products that you can use at home. We will make pine needle lemon tea to sip while we make wild mountain soap, horsetail raw sugar scrub, and wild herbal bath salts. 

Sunday, May 5: The Volcan Mountain Foundation invites you to help remove trash alongside a mile stretch of road on S2 (San Felipe Road) located on the east side of Volcan Mountain. As stewards of the 684-acre Peckham Keenan Wildlife Sanctuary located on S2, you will also get the very rare opportunity to tour this sanctuary, which is not open to the public.

Date:  Sunday, May 5

Time:  10:00 am - 1:00 pm

What to Bring and Wear:  Snacks and/or lunch and water. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

Saturday, May 18 - Join geology expert 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 two-mile hike along Cedar Loop Trail, which begins and ends at Ferguson Flat - a County-owned portion of Volcan's ridgeline not typically open to the public.   

Date: Saturday, May 18

Time:  10:00 am - 3:00 pm 

Sunday, June 9: Join Janice Smith, VMF’s Education Coordinator and Certified Forest Therapy Guide, on a guided Forest Bathing walk at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center. This is a new program of bi-monthly Forest Bathing walks offered through VMF.

What is Forest Bathing?  

Saturday, April 20: The Volcan Mountain Foundation is partnering with I Love a Clean San Diego to clean up VMF's Copper Spur Ranch. The focus will be to remove trash items in a forested area near the headwaters of the San Dieguito River. By participating in this clean-up, you will be restoring the forest to a healthy ecosystem. 

The Volcan Mountain Foundation greatly appreciates the time and energy volunteers take to restore the beautiful ecosystems of the Volcan Mountains in Julian, CA.

Date: Saturday, April 20