This summer, in order to continue growing our programming without overwhelming one location, we started running some sessions at the Putah Creek South Fork Preserve in addition to our original location, the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve (where we’ve been operating since Spring of 2018) and we wanted to share with you all some of the things we LOVE about this new space!
The South Fork Preserve is just a few miles east (downstream) of the Riparian Reserve as the scrub-jay flies (or the river otter swims), and if you are not so lucky as the otter or jay and must arrive by road, the entrance is off of Mace Blvd, just south of Davis.
Putah Creek, Liwaito in Patwin (Wintun T’ewe), travels east from its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, through the reservoir Lake Berryessa, then down into the valley where we enjoy splashing in its cool waters (though this section is actually a settler-imposed redirection; it once flowed where the Arboretum channel is now). After continuing eastward, it then joins the Sacramento River by way of Yolo Bypass, and then turns back toward the west to run through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the San Francisco Bay, before finding its way to the Pacific Ocean.
The lay of the land, vegetation and wildlife at the South Fork Preserve are all very similar to the Riparian Reserve location, and in warmer weather the kids can wade and splash in the gentle creek.
We look forward to seeing you along the banks of Putah Creek, whether upstream or down!