Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve (HCCP) is once again hosting hikes and interpretive events, starting this spring! We hope to see you at one or more events . . . we’ve really missed you!
We would like to give a big shout-out to local artist Howard House for installing beautiful and unusual benches and a table on outlying spots along trails at the Preserve. One area will honor late Board Member Frank Kosko, who was a founding member of the Board.
We expect to take delivery of a new table and eight benches at the amphitheater next week. Our new toilet should be installed in April.
We had the California Conservation Corps do some fire mitigation work at the Preserve early this year. They cut and stacked downed fuels for small-pile burns. Volunteers also helped with small-pile burns and an Adopt-a-Highway cleanup along a two-mile stretch on Clear Creek Road near the Preserve.
Spring is here and we’re seeing more people on the trails and down at the creek. Enjoy a hike on your own, with family, or friends. Our Preserve really is a gem and so close to town. If you enjoy the Preserve or our events, please consider volunteering with us and/or making a tax-deductible donation to Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve to keep the trails clear and to organize interesting hikes. You can donate from our website via PayPal; through Thrivent Choice; or mail a check to PO Box 991833, Redding, CA 96099-1833 if you appreciate the work we do. ~Horsetown Clear-Creek Preserve Board of Directors
Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve Spring 2022 Events
Children are always welcome at our events, and all events are free of charge. Unless otherwise noted, all events begin at the HCCP parking area on Clear Creek Road, just west of the Clear Creek Bridge.
- April 16 (Sat.) 9:30 am – CLEAR CREEK WILDFLOWERS AND PLANTS
Come walk with David Ledger from the Shasta Chapter of the California Native Plant Society and Shasta Environmental Alliance. Enjoy blooming wildflowers and learn about plants and nature. This will be a great Saturday morning hike. David is very knowledgeable about native plants in our area. - April 23 (Sat.) 10 am – BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER POLLINATORS
Join butterfly expert Chris Gray on a walk to view local butterflies and other insects that pollinate plants on the Preserve. This will be a nice spring stroll spiced up with intriguing facts about a variety of creatures. It should be a nice day to bring a lunch for after the hike. Bring close-focusing binoculars if you have them. We have two pairs for sharing the experience. - April 30 (Sat.) 10 am – NATURAL HISTORY WALK
Today’s walk with Barbara Peck will encompass wildlife on the Preserve, including plants, animals, birds, and butterflies. Barbara has a Masters in Wildlife Biology and Ecology and she’s very familiar with Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve. Bring binoculars if you have them. We have some binoculars to share. - May 1 (Sun.) 10 am – GEOLOGY
Kody Shellhouse, a geologist with the Bureau of Land Management, will take us on an easy two-mile stroll along old roads and trails near Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve. Enjoy the fresh air and exercise while you learn about the rocky history of the local area. This hike meets at the yellow steel gate, on the south side of Clear Creek Road, about 6 miles west of Highway 273 (1 mile east of HCCP parking area). - May 15 (Sun.) 1 pm – NATIVE PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND USES
Join native Wintu Ted Dawson on a spring walk while he locates, identifies, and explains medicinal and general uses of native plants. Ted consulted and provided technical support at Turtle Bay for Native American exhibits. Today’s presentation will include making a natural poison oak remedy. Bring a jar to take some home. - May 21 (Sat.) 11 am – GOLD RUSH HISTORY WALK
The community of Horsetown was established near the site of the second major gold discovery in California at Reading’s Bar on Clear Creek during the gold rush of 1849. Enjoy a pleasant spring walk with a view of that site with Preserve Board Member Cathy Scott. Learn about our local gold rush history and Horsetown. Bring some friends and walking shoes. - June 4 (Sat.) 2 pm – BUGS ON THE BOTTOM – STREAM BOTTOM ECOLOGY
Wade the stream with Shasta College instructor Morgan Hannaford, PhD – or watch from shore – as he gathers strange and fascinating insects from their underwater homes. Dr. Hannaford has a passion for teaching all ages, from kindergartners to retirees, and the topic is intriguing. Don’t miss this family event. (Wading optional). We will bring extra nets to give guests, big and small, the opportunity to gather insects.
See our website at HorsetownClearCreekPreserve.org for a trail map and coming events. Contact Horsetownhccp@gmail.com for more information and “like” us on Facebook!
