When: Wednesday, June 24 at 9:00 am
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). This is the best time of year to see this beautiful butterfly in its natural habitat — an honor that very few people get to experience! The tour will be led by Greg Kareofelas, a butterfly expert from UC Davis’s Bohart Museum of Entomology, as well as Placer Land Trust staff and/or volunteers.
If you have already attended this tour we do ask that you give others a chance to experience this rare treat. Thank you!
Distance and difficulty: 2 miles and takes approximately 3-4 hours. The tour is very slow paced with lots of stops to talk and observe the butterflies. It is an easy hike with some uneven terrain and one optional steep section down to the Bear River.
Who should attend:
- This tour is for Placer Land Trust members, but it’s easy to become a member with a donation of any amount!
- Anyone who can walk the distance at a slow pace and have an interest in learning about the Dogface butterfly and its habitat is welcome. 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! If you are not yet a Placer Land Trust member, we do ask that you make a donation of any amount meaningful to you to attend. 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:
- The deadline to sign up is 5 pm on the Wednesday before unless the event fills first. Please note, this event does fill up fast!
- Space is limited! Please only register if you will be attending so that you don’t take a spot away from someone else.
- 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. Please complete it upon registering. One form per adult. Parent signature is required for children under 18. Please note, this does not register you for the hike. To register please scroll down. Link to waiver:
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, it was discovered that it is home to the California dogface butterfly is the California state insect, which 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: The Shutamul Bear River Preserve, including the roads surrounding it, is not open to the public. Please help us respect the neighborhoods around these preserves by visiting only during scheduled guided activities you are registered for. Trespassers will be prosecuted.
