Earth Day

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day?  There are a lot of great local events this week and beyond to help you appreciate Mother Nature.  Go check out the State of the Yuba, Wednesday, April 18th, and find out how you can get involved to protect the watershed this summer season.   The event takes place at the Peace Lutheran Church in downtown Grass valley, click here for more info.  Or stop by Sierra College Nevada County Campus for on Thursday April 19th from 10:00 am-3:00 pm for the community college Earth Day celebration.  Sierra College will be promoting the “6-R’s” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Return, Refuse, Rethink), conservation & preservation, local foods, local sustainable businesses, local music as well as local watersheds, native flora and fauna, public transportation, and more, click here for a full list of all the activities.

BriarPatch Co-op welcomes you and the kids to stop by the store on Sunday, Earth Day festivities start at 11am.  Look for eco-friendly kids activities, live youth poetry pop up by Sierra Poetry Festival from 12-1pm – broadcast live on KVMR, followed by Hannah Jane Kile acoustic set on the patio till 3pm.

Carolines Coffee always gives you a discount if you bring your cup, but this Saturday, for Earth Day, you can get $1 off your beverage if you bring your own mug.  And don’t forget Carolines Coffee sells reusable coffee bags, so if you BYO you can also get a discount on your coffee bean purchase.

If you’re looking to get outside and explore join the Malakoff Diggins photo walk with myself and Kial James from Nevada City Scenics.  We’re meeting in the historic town of North Bloomfield at 10am on Sunday morning, all photography levels welcome.  The free event is an opportunity to connect with other photographers and explore somewhere new.  Two years ago for Earth Day we meet at the South Yuba River, click here to see a selection of photos from that event.

On Earth Day, Bear Yuba Land Trust celebrates its 28th anniversary and a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the future of conservation – our lands, our community, and our children.  On the morning of Saturday, April 21 Ornithologist Ted Beedy will lead an outing called Birds of Black Swan at Bear Yuba Land Trust’s preserve near the town of Smartsville.

This week, BYLT began BioBlitz Youth FieldTrip Series, partnering with five local schools to connect the next generation of conservationists to the natural world.  Students get to Know Nature when they observe Western Pond Turtles at Black Swan Preserve or newts on the Independence Trail. Through science-based activities, children learn about the plants, animals, and fungi found in different ecosystems. BYLT’s field trips coincide with a community-wide Know Your Watershed Week and a Community BioBlitz with South Yuba River Citizens League on May 6.

Now in its second year, Junior Conservationists: Stories in Nature programming is going strong with monthly excursions held the second Saturday of each month for kids ages 4 to 12. Led by a certified California Naturalist and a backcountry hiking guide, these walking outings weave plant and animal identification with the age-old art of storytelling. This summer, stay tuned for a partnership with Nevada County Library!

On May 5, BYLT is teaming up with the Folk Trails Hiking Club and the Friendship Club to inspire at-risk girls (ages 12 – 18) to get outdoors on local trails as part of the national movement, Hike Like a Girl. Jesse Locks of Folk Trails will give a talk about her 165-mile hike around Lake Tahoe on the Tahoe Rim Trail and BYLT is teaming up with the Redbud Chapter of California Native Plant Society to lead an outing on the Deer Creek Tribute Trail.  Or if you’re looking for more inspiration to get outside, check out the Folk Trails Hiking Club urban hike series, the next 2nd Thursday meet up is May 10th, 5pm, meet at the Inn Town Campground.

The Blue Marble Jubilee returns for its second year next month.  The event, a fundraiser for Grass Valley Charter School, is an Earth-centered event to inspire, educate and empower people to make a difference in the community and our world.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12, 2 -7 pm at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.   In addition to The Earles of Newtown check out the kid friendly activities, plus there’s a whole afternoon full of entertainment (Nick Feoroff, Haute Trash, Achilles Wheel Trio).  Get inspired, activated and involved this Earth Day season.  Want to win an adult ticket to The Blue Jubilee? Post a comment on this blog post on your favorite way to celebrate Earth Day and I’ll announce the winner on Wednesday, April 25th.  *Edited to say the winner is Debbie.

© 2018 InnSide Nevada City, Photos by Erin Thiem, Kial James, Ted Beedy, Celeste Neiser and Cissy Murphy