FYI Tule Elk Day- October 8

[Celia]

Hello from the Central Valley! I found out that the Tule Elk Day tours at San Luis NWR still have openings!

Original description below:

~~~~~~~~

Cooler weather is approaching, the tule elk are bugling, and it's a wonderful time to visit the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge!

Join us at the San Luis NWR on Saturday, October 8th to kick-off National Wildlife Refuge Week with the 3rd Annual Tule Elk Day--a celebration of this unique subspecies of North American elk found only in California--as well as the launch of San Luis' exciting new Discover Nature smartphone app.  Participants will be able to observe and learn about the elk through a day of presentations, tours, exhibits and displays, as well as download and explore our new smartphone app, Discover Nature: San Luis.

 

This event will provide the rare opportunity for visitors to observe the tule elk herd from INSIDE their habitat.  Refuge staff will take participants for a drive (using refuge vans) through the middle of the elkenclosure to learn about the rich natural history of the majestic elk.  There will be two tours.  Tours are free, but spots are limited due to capacity of vans and available on a sign-up, first-come first-served basis.  Participants may begin signing up for the tours in advance by phone (209/826-3508); however, some spots will be reserved for sign-ups on-site the day of the event.  An individual calling in may reserve no more than four spots.

Schedule of events for Saturday, October 8th:

8:00 a.m. – Guided Elk Tour Inside the Elk Enclosure (free, but sign-up required - a few spots will be set aside for walk-ups on the day of the event)

10:00 a.m. – Speaker Presentation

Learn about elk management from a wildlife biologist, and then get photography tips from a wildlife photographer and learn about his experiences photographing the San Luis herd...while viewing his world class photographs. (Presenters: Cristen Langner, California Dept of Fish and Wildlife and Doug Ridgway, Wildlife Photographer)

11:00 a.m. -- Guided Elk Tour Inside the Elk Enclosure (free, but sign-up required, a few spots will be set aside for walk-ups on the day of the event)

 

1:00 p.m.  – Speaker Presentation

Learn all about the new Discover Nature: San Luis smartphone app!

 

Call the Refuge Complex at 209/826-3508 for more information, driving directions, or to sign-up for one of the elk tours.  This is a free event.  The San Luis NWR is located at 7376 S. Wolfsen Road off Hwy 165 north of Los Banos.  Driving directions can also be found on the refuge website: www.fws.gov/refuge/san_luis

 

Please visit on October 8th to experience and learn about California’s tule elk – a species almost lost.  We hope to see you there!

~~~~~

San Luis NWR is known for it's captive Tule Elk population, part of the captive breeding program to re-establish populations in California. San Luis NWR is just outside of Los Banos, about 2 hours from the Bay Area. If you can't make the tours it is still a good time of year to see the elk on the regular auto tour route, especially mornings and evenings :)

~Celia

Celia Tarcha

Graduate Student, MS Ecology and Sustainability Program, concentration Ecological Conservation

California State University Stanislaus

BS Conservation and Organismal Biology, emphasis Conservation

San Jose State University

408-668-5653

cmta...@aol.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/cmtarcha