None The Nature Conservancy in California Press Releases Search All Press Releases Misty Herrin Phone: (213) 327-0405 E-mail: mherrin@tnc.org Amber Veselka E-mail: aveselka@sacparks.org

Local Citizens Invited to Pitch In to Protect Wildlife-Rich River Preserve

Galt, Calif. — April 5, 2007 — Just in time for Earth Day, the Cosumnes River Preserve is holding a Spring Workday Extravaganza on Saturday, April 14, from 9:30am – 3:30pm. People of all ages are invited to roll up their sleeves and help protect one of the state’s most ecologically important rivers.

“If you think globally and want to act locally, there is no better way to do that than volunteering to help restore habitat at the Cosumnes River Preserve,” said Mike Savino, a volunteer at Cosumnes River Preserve. Volunteers will help with a variety of Preserve projects, such as invasive species removal, painting, general landscaping, trail maintenance and much, much more! Participants will be able to choose from an assortment of activities that are appropriate for a range of ages and abilities. Activities are suited for groups and families as well as individuals of all skill and ability levels.

“Volunteers are the backbone of the Cosumnes River Preserve,” said Amber Veselka, Volunteer Coordinator for the Preserve. “They play an essential role in all aspects of the Preserve, from being the face of the Preserve at the Visitor Center and giving guided tours to monitoring and restoration efforts. Our dedicated volunteers are an integral and valuable part of the Preserve’s past, present, and of course, future.”

The Cosumnes River is the only undammed river on the western slope of the Sierra, and in its lower reaches it flows through one of the biologically richest regions in California's Central Valley. The river and the woodlands that flank it provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including more than 200 species of birds. Chinook salmon and Pacific lamprey still swim upstream to spawn.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired its first conservation easement along the Cosumnes in 1984. Since then the Preserve partners, TNC, Bureau of Land Management, Ducks Unlimited, California Department of Fish and Game, Department of Water Resources, Sacramento County Regional Parks, State Lands Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wildlife Conservation Board and the Galt Joint Unified School District have protected and cooperatively managed over 45,000 acres.

“Establishing a Preserve was an important step in protecting this vital resource, but was only the first step,” explained Becky Waegell, former Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy. “Keeping the river and the habitat it provides healthy requires extensive ongoing work. Volunteers help us restore native habitats, maintain public use areas and are critical to managing long term threats, such as invasive species. As a nonprofit enterprise, the Preserve can’t hire enough staff to address every need. We rely very heavily on volunteers.”

Come out and help us tend to the health of this important river. Meet at The Nature Conservancy Barn, 6500 Desmond Road, Galt, CA. You may come early and register at 9am or pre-register before the day of the event. The Extravaganza will be from 9:30am-3:30pm, please bring a sack lunch or snack and we’ll provide the drinks! All ages are welcome.

To find out more about how you can participate in the Spring Workday Extravaganza, please contact Amber Veselka at (916) 683-1700, or email aveselka@sacparks.org.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org/california.

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