Volcan Mountain Foundation

Join Ethan Staats for a very special evening on Volcan Mountain. As an evolutionary and community ecologist specializing in biofluorescence, Ethan will discuss what biofluorescence is, which life forms fluoresce on Volcan Mountain, and how this adaptation might help those species.  

Afterward, Ethan will guide us on a short walk in the forest where we will look for biofluorescence life! 

Ethan is a marine biology PhD student at UCSD/Scripps Institute of Oceanography and VMF's 2023 recipient of the Rubenson Endowment award.

Tursday, May23: Join the Volcan Mountain Foundation for a bird survey 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 23

Treat yourself to a native plant and wildflower walk with naturalists Larry Hendrickson and Sally Snipes. You'll explore the spring bloom at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center.

Our day will begin with a gentle .5-mile walk along VMF's Watershed Trail where we will learn about riparian plants. Then we'll drive to VMF's Sky Island Trailhead where we will stroll through a field in search of wildflowers.

Afterward, we will enjoy an al fresco lunch courtesy of Carol Pike

Date: Sunday, May 21

Sunday, April 30 -  Join botanist Larry Hendrickson and Engagement Coordinator Suzie Meyer for a morning removing invasive plants from VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center! We'll be focusing on mustard along Volcan Road and bull thistle growing in the forest. Being vigilant in removing invasive plants helps prevent their spread and maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Date:  Sunday, April 30

Time:  8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday, May 13 -  Join land conservationist and VMF board member Jonathan Appelbaum for a fun morning planting trees at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center! Afterward, we'll go on a gentle .5 mile walk on VMF's Coomb's Watershed Trail.  All ages welcome.

Date:  Saturday, May 13

Time:  9:00 am - 1:00 pm

What to Bring and Wear:  Snacks and/or lunch and water. Dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes. Bring your work/gardening gloves and shovels, if you have them. We have extras as well.

Sunday, June 4 -  Join Eric Jones for a stewardship day on Volcan Mountain. We'll be clearing the 1.7-mile Cedar Loop Trail that begins at Volcan's ridgeline. We'll trim trail side branches and remove downed trees using power equipment, including chainsaws.

If trail clearing is not for you, not to worry. You'll have an opportunity to remove invasive mustard and Medusahead grass instead. Removing these two species is critical in creating healthy ecosystems and preventing them from spreading.  

Saturday, April 22: The Volcan Mountain Foundation is partnering with I Love a Clean San Diego to clean up VMF's newly acquired Copper Spur Ranch. The focus will be to remove small 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.

Join Alex Tardy for an incredible presentation on climate change. Topics that focus on California will include wildfires, extreme weather events, and changing precipitation patterns, to name a few. After the presentation, we will go on a 1 1/2 mile walk on VMF's Sky Island Trail. Those who don't want to hike can relax and explore the beautiful area at the beginning of the trail.

This year's Silent Auction is bigger and better than ever!

Welcome to our auction. Help us raise much needed funds to help preserve our mountain range for all generations.

Join the Julian Young Birders Club!