This hike is full and registration is closed. To join the waitlist, click here.
Date & Time: Saturday, June 10 at 9am – 1pm
Location: Shutamul Bear River Preserve, North Auburn
About this event: This is a special tour of the private Shutamul Bear River Preserve, which is home to the elusive State Insect, the California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice). June is the best time to see this beautiful butterfly in its natural habitat — an honor that very few people get to experience! The tour will be led by a butterfly expert from UC Davis’s Bohart Museum of Entomology as well as Placer Land Trust staff and/or volunteers. It’s an easy 1.5-mile round trip, with one steep hill that goes down to the Bear River, which is optional. Bring lunch or a snack to enjoy down by the river, or at the top of the hill in the shade.
Distance and difficulty: 1.5 miles and takes approximately 3-4 hours. The tour will be slow paced with lots of stops to talk. It is an easy hike with some uneven terrain and one optional steep section.
Who should attend: This tour is for anyone who can walk the distance at a slow pace, and has an interest in learning about the Dogface butterfly and its habitat. Children under 10 years old may have difficulty with the slow pace. Sorry, no dogs are allowed unless they are service animals due to the potential conflicts with livestock and wildlife.
This is a free event; however, donations help make these activities possible! We suggest a donation of $10 per person or $25 for a family for this special tour. You can donate during registration, and we’re happy to accept cash or a check at the event in an envelope with your name written on it.
Registration:
- You may only register yourself and members of your household. People outside of your household must register themselves.
- The deadline to sign up is 5 pm on June 8 unless the event fills first.
- Space is limited! Please only register if you will be attending so that you don’t take a spot away from someone else. And please only register for one of the two tours.
- If you signed up and can no longer attend, or wish to be added to the waitlist should the event be full, please contact Elia by email.
Participants must sign a release of liability available here. Please print it and bring it with you on the day of the event. One form per household. Parent signature is required for children under 18.
About this preserve: The Shutamul Bear River Preserve was permanently protected in 2005 and includes 40 acres of wilderness along the Bear River. It lies in the area between the Bear River and Raccoon creek which contains some of the last roadless areas in western Placer County, as well as significant oak woodlands, rangelands, and wilderness areas. This large area of intact wilderness provides critical habitat for larger animal species. Nisenan and other Native Americans lived on this land for over 5,000 years. In fact, the name of the preserve came from a historic Nisenan village called Shutamul, located on the Bear River downstream from the property.
After the formation of the preserve, we discovered that it is home to the California dogface butterfly. The dogface butterfly is the California state insect, and is quite rare due to its limited habitat. Learn more about the preserve and the dogface butterfly here.
This activity is a wilderness outing in a natural setting. No restrooms are available. Placer Land Trust reserves the right to cancel an event in cases of extreme weather, bad air quality, rain, or other conditions beyond our control. This event may also be rescheduled if conditions are not favorable to see butterflies.
Directions to the meeting location will be emailed after registration. Check your spam folder if you do not receive the email within 15 minutes of registering.
We will be meeting prior to the tour to use restrooms and consolidate vehicles as space is limited at the preserve.
Important Note: Important Note: Our Big Hill, Harvego and Laursen Preserves, including the roads surrounding them, are not open to the public. Please help us respect the neighborhoods around these preserves by only visiting during scheduled guided activities that you are registered for. Trespassers will be prosecuted.
