Tuolumne River Trust

PRESS RELEASE: The Tuolumne River, an outstanding spring destination

Karyn Barnes — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:18:24 -0700

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2012

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Patrick Koepele, 209-588-8636

THE TUOLUMNE RIVER � AN OUTSTANDING SPRING DESTINATION. Outdoor enthusiasts who are looking for a new adventure need look no further than the Tuolumne River as it flows through the Stanislaus National Forest. This breathtaking canyon affords remarkable vistas of the Sierra Nevada and Motherlode not often viewed through the window of a car.

The Tuolumne River offers exceptional outdoor opportunities that receive relatively little use for those wanting to enjoy beautiful wildflower displays, catch a wild trout, or simply take a hike in nature. This spring, enjoy the Tuolumne River by foot on one of a number of trails in the river canyon.

The best news is that a number of these trails have received recent maintenance and repairs thanks to the Tuolumne River Trust and 35 volunteers who provided sweat equity to improve them over four separate days last fall and this spring. Thanks to the hard work of these dedicated individuals, 5 miles of trail have been cleared and improved making these hikes more accessible for those looking for a world-class experience.

In particular, the Trust and its volunteers improved the Preston Falls Trail and the Andresen Mine Trail. Additionally, the group spent time to install a self-registration permit station at the Cherry Creek Whitewater Put-in at the Holm Powerhouse, making it easier than ever for skilled kayakers and rafters to paddle this world-famous stretch of river.

While seemingly remote, there are a number of easy trailheads that provide access to the wild and scenic canyon. In addition to the Preston Flat and Andresen Mine trails, hikers can also hike to the river on the Hamby, Indian Creek, and Mohican Mine trails off of Ferretti Road out of Groveland. And the Tuolumne Trail runs along the river itself and is accessed off the Lumsden Trail.

The Tuolumne River Trust was able to undertake and organize these trail improvements thanks to the cooperation of the Groveland Ranger Station of the Stanislaus National Forest, and grants from the Sonora Area Foundation and National Forest Foundation.

To get involved with TRT's volunteer trail maintenance projects, or find out about upcoming guided hikes, visit www.tuolumne.org.

The Tuolumne River Trust is the voice for the river. We seek a healthy and vibrant River that is teeming with fish and wildlife; safe for drinking, fishing and swimming; and held in trust as a refuge for our children and grandchildren. We build stewardship of the Tuolumne by fostering strong personal connections to the River through watershed-wide education, outreach, and adventures.

Founded by Congress in 1991, the National Forest Foundation works to conserve, restore and enhance America's 193-million-acre National Forest System. Through community-based strategies and public-private partnerships, the NFF helps enhance wildlife habitat, revitalizes wildfire-damaged landscapes, restores watersheds, and improved recreational resources for the benefit of all Americans.

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Bay Area Kid's Essay Contest Winners

Karen — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:30:00 -0700

The Tuolumne River Trust is pleased to announce the winners of our second annual kid's essay contest.

As part of our education program, we asked Bay Area 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to write essays about the Tuolumne River and water conservation. We received 44 excellent essays, and it was a very hard decision.

Our grand prize winner was Kristie Huang, a 5th grader from Palo Alto. Kristie's essay "That's the Tuolumne in my Tap!" can be found here. Because of her wonderful essay and commitment to protecting the Tuolumne, Kristie won a canoe trip for four on the Tuolumne River this summer. Congratulations, Kristie!

Our second prize winner won a sleeping bag, and our third place winner won a kid's backpack, both courtesy of REI.

To read other prizewinning essays, click on the student's name below:

Second Place: Jenna Tam, 4th grade, South San Francisco
Third Place: Caitlyn England, 5th grade, Sunnyvale
Fourth Place: Chloe David, 5th grade, San Francisco
Runner Up: Audrey Chen, 4th grade, Foster City
Runner Up: Sandy Jeong, 5th grade, San Francisco
Runner Up: Rhys Meredith, 4th grade, San Francisco

The Tuolumne River Trust wants to thank each and every student who entered, for your passion for the River. We know that the River will be in good hands in the future, with folks like you around to protect it!

ACTION ALERT: Help stop the water transfer

Karyn Barnes — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:30:41 -0700

Tell the SFPUC: Stop the Water Transfer!

Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards

Jessie Raeder — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:09:38 -0800

A coalition of 20 organizations - including water agencies, business networks, and nonprofits - will be awarding the 4th Annual Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards at a ceremony on World Water Day, March 22 at Redwood City Council Chambers. The Awards are presented to organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals whose programs and leadership have advanced water conservation in Silicon Valley (San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Alameda County from Hayward south).

Congratulations to the 2012 Award Winners!

Large Government Agency
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Small Government Agency
Estero Municipal Improvement District
Large Business
Adobe Systems
Small Business
Earth Bound Homes
Organization
Our City Forest
Greenscape Management
Waterfluence
Education
Tuolumne River Trust
(TRT judges excused themselves from this category)
Water Champion
Frank Niccoli (The Village Gardner)

Additional information can be found at www.WaterAwards.org

2011 Award Winners:

Government Agency/Water Utility
Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA)

Large Business
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Small Business
Brandenburg, Staedler and Moore Mobile Home Communities
Organization
San Jose State University
Greenscape Management
ET Water Systems

Education
Our City Forest

Water Champion
Ken & Sally Coverdell

The coalition sponsoring the Awards includes: Acterra, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, City of Cupertino, City of Hayward, City of Mountain View, City of Palo Alto, City of Redwood City, City of Sunnyvale, Clean Water Action, California Native Plant Society, Imagine H2O, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sustainable San Mateo County, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Tuolumne River Trust, and Wholly H2o.

Attention Bay Area Kids: Essay Contest!

Karen — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:37:00 -0700

The Tuolumne River Trust is proud to announce our 2011-12 Kid's Essay Contest! This year's theme is "Protect the Tuolumne River, Save Water!" and is open to all 4th and 5th graders in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties.

EPA lists Tuolumne as impaired for temperature: announcement comes on the heels of plan to divert more w

Karyn Barnes — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:18:47 -0700

The Environmental Protection Agency today listed the Tuolumne River as an impaired body of water for high temperature - a key indication of poor water quality. The river was already listed as impaired for mercury, pesticides and other chemicals. The addition of temperature signals a growing concern regarding water quality on the lower Tuolumne River. This comes on the heels of a recently revealed plan that could divert more water from the Tuolumne.

here to read the full release (.pdf file)

Fall River Cleanup Pictures now on Facebook!

Karlha — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 -0700

Over 268 volunteers, 5 river miles, nearly 2 tons of garbage and 3 hours of fun on the river and at Legion Park for this year's river cleanup! Thank you to all the wonderful amazing volunteers, sponsors and members and friends! Don't forget to check out all the great pics on our facebook! Make sure you send us your favorite pictures too. Email karlha@tuolumne.org

See you all soon!!

Get Your Copy: Natural History Guide to the Tuolumne River

Karyn Barnes — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:41:00 -0700

HOW DOES THE DOWNLOAD WORK?

STEP 1: CLICK HERE to make your $10 donation.
After you input your information you'll be redirected to a confirmation page that asks if you'd like a copy of the Natural Hisotry Guide to the Tuolumne River. Select "YES".

STEP 2: Once your donation has processed, The Tuolumne River Trust will send you an email with a link to download the guide. Please add Chris@tuolumne.org to your approved senders list to avoid email bounceback.

STEP 3: Enjoy!

ARE YOU MAKING THIS A GIFT? If you'd like to purchase the Guide as a gift for a friend, please include a note in the "feedback" section of the online donation form indicating your wishes, and include that person's name and email address in the "donation dedication" section of the form. We'll send them notification of their gift with the Guide attached as a .pdf file.

QUESTIONS? Email chris@tuolumne.org

Buy a song, benefit the river

Karyn Barnes — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:13:00 -0800

PATAGONIA AND BRETT DENNEN PARTNER TO BENEFIT THE TUOLUMNE RIVER TRUST

Ventura, Calif. � Patagonia Inc., the environmentally minded apparel company, and some of music's most talented artists, including Oakdale native Brett Dennen, have come together to form the Patagonia Music Collective in an effort to fund environmental activism.

The collective brings together musicians, fans, and grassroots environmental groups. Artists, such as Dennen, have donated unreleased tracks that will be sold for $.99 with net proceeds going directly to the artist's favorite environmental group.

Brett Dennen and Patagonia have joined together to benefit the Tuolumne River Trust, a 501c3 working to protect and revive the Tuolumne River, which provides drinking water to 2.5 million people in the Bay Area, water to grow crops in the Central Valley, power for homes and businesses, habitat for fish and wildlife, and world-class recreational opportunities. When a fan, activist, or customer purchases Dennen's new track "Little Cosmic Girl" for $.99 via the Patagonia Music Collective, net proceeds will directly go to the Tuolumne River Trust in Dennen's name.

Patagonia is always looking for unique ways, above and beyond the 1% of sales we donate annually, to help fund the environmental movement," notes Rob BonDurant, Patagonia's VP of Marketing, "Musicians have been approaching Patagonia for years asking how they can be involved in the enviro work we do. This is our answer. Artists generously donate unreleased tracks � and the enviro group receives money from the song's sales to fund its work. We are very excited about facilitating a direct connection between an artist's fans and the grassroots groups working to save the planet. We're hopeful fans will learn more about the group and cause their favorite artist supports and personally get involved."

The tracks will be available at www.patagonia.com/music, through a dedicated iPhone^� app and a web widget player on participating artist's websites. Fulfillment will be handled by iTunes^�.

Patagonia views the "collective" as a new model for green giving, as well as a way to engage a non-Patagonia demographic in environmental activism. The Patagonia Music Collective launches March 1^st with 24 tracks and additional tracks released each subsequent week from established acts and emerging artists. Exclusive compilation records and more will be available at varying intervals at Patagonia stores worldwide.

Tuolumne River Trust has been the voice for the Tuolumne River since 1981. "This year marks our 30^th anniversary, and Patagonia has been a long-time supporter of our programs to protect the river," notes Karyn Barnes, Tuolumne River Trust's Advancement Director. "Brett Dennen grew up in Oakdale, where the river is a very important piece of the community, and we had the pleasure of getting to know him last year when he played a benefit concert to kick off our annual Paddle to the Sea fundraising event. We're grateful for both of their continued support and leadership as we prepare for the challenges that lie ahead for the health of the river."

Other musicians on board thus far include Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, Bonnie Raitt and Jon Cleary, Maroon 5, Philip Glass, Zac Brown Band, moe., Taj Mahal, Toad the Wet Sprocket, O.A.R., Ziggy Marley, Los Lobos, Dawes, and more.

Patagonia, with sales last year of over $333M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. In Fall 2011, the Company's entire product line will be recyclable through its Common Threads Recycling Program. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine's April 2007 cover.

For more about the Patagonia Music Collective, visit www.patagonia.com/music.

Volunteer with the Bay Area Education Program!

Karen — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:34:00 -0700

The Tuolumne River Trust is now recruiting volunteer environmental educators. If you have a passion for water issues and enjoy working with children, then please consider volunteering for our elementary school education program.

"That's the Tuolumne in my Tap" is an hour-long presentation given to 4th and 5th graders in San Francisco, San Mateo, northern Santa Clara, and southern Alameda Counties. The program is designed to educate local students about where their water comes from and to promote an ethic of environmental stewardship. The presentation focuses on the history and special qualities of the Tuolumne River, the animals that depend on the River, and what we all can do to help protect the River by conserving water.

This year, we hope to reach 400 classrooms and 10,000 students through "That's the Tuolumne in my Tap." That's a big goal, and we need the help of dedicated volunteers to achieve it.