Star Party & Stewardship Campout at Bohemia Ecological Preserve
Description
You are invited for a special evening of camping, stewardship, and good vibes at Bohemia Ecological Preserve!
We'll gather at the entrance to the preserve (address below) at 6pm Friday and then head up to Hut Hill where we'll set up tents and eat a light potluck dinner. LandPaths will provide cold drinks and trail snacks. We'll have a flat top grill set up and ready for cooking so bring something to grill for yourself and extra if you'd like to share! Salads and vegetarian dishes super welcome as well. After that, we'll head out to tend the grasslands, mainly by pulling Yellow Star Thistle, under the night sky. After the potluck and evening stewardship sesh, the telescope will be out to explore the night sky or go on a night hike around the preserve!
In the morning, after breakfast, you're invited to do a couple more hours of grassland tending until about noon, before it gets too hot, though you can leave earlier if you need too! Bring your favorite camping breakfast food! LandPaths will provide coffee and tea!
Our collective goal is to remove as much of the wily plant known as Yellow Star Thistle, which can disperse more than 35,000 (!) seeds per year, before the seeds spread. It's estimated that only 1% of precious native grasslands in California still exist today. In addition to being incredibly biodiverse, grasslands on average are better at sequestering carbon than forests, serve as habitat for many animals and insects, and provide important resources for food, fibers, and medicine that Indigenous people have cultivated for thousands of years. Yellow star-thistle tends to dramatically outcompete the precious and threaten the grasslands that are crucial to a thriving ecosystem, which benefits all humans, animals, and insects alike!
So let's camp out together, bond under the stars, and help the grasslands thrive!
Here’s a sampling of possible tasks that you will do to care for the land:
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Hiking moderate slopes
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Pulling yellow star-thistle plants by hand (wearing gloves that we’ll provide) and placing them in bag.
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Carrying bags of yellow star-thistle to the disposal site.
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Potluck dish to share or something for yourself to grill.
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Your favorite camping breakfast food
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A water bottle (or two) filled with water
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A backpack for your gear
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Tent, sleeping bag, camp chair
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Sturdy boots or shoes
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Long pants are recommended
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Work gloves
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Hat and sunscreen for the morning
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No power tools, please
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No experience necessary! Everyone is welcome! We will create tasks according to your abilities
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You will be asked to sign a liability waiver
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There are two portapotties on site.
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We'll provide water for drinking and washing up but you are welcome to bring your own water too.
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We love dogs but please keep your furry family members at home for this campout.
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Absolutely no smoking or vaping allowed on the preserve.
