Proposed National Monument in the Chuckwalla Valley
Andrea Iniguez, California Wilderness Coalition (CalWild), Riverside County Public Lands Fellow and Linda Castro, Assistant Policy Director for CalWild, will provide an update on the momentum to create a new national monument in the California desert to protect important historical lands, cultural resources, and biodiverse species.
Conservation partners are working to preserve this region by establishing a new national monument, expanding wilderness areas, and designating a new wild and scenic river. The public lands conservation proposal is being organized to honor and recognize the Indigenous cultural histories of the Iviatim, Kwatsáan, Maarrenga’yam, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav (the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano) peoples; increase access to world-class nature for local residents and visitors; protect fragile desert wildlife and facilitate habitat connectivity; and help boost local economies. The California deserts are important habitat for an incredible number of imperiled and rare species, and almost the entirety of the proposed monument is critical habitat for the threatened desert tortoise
The Protect California Deserts campaign aims to accomplish the following:
This is an online Zoom meeting. The Zoom meeting login information will be sent in the confirmation and reminder emails.
Click Here to Send a Letter of Support
CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE LETTER
The Zoom meeting login information will be sent in the confirmation and reminder emails. Join us by registering for this talk!
For information and questions Contact: Doug Wylie here
ZOOM Basics
All -
Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, the GOPS Monthly Core Group Meeting is being held as an on-line meeting of the Core Group Members, and is available to the public. The Core Group members will meet in an on-line meeting starting at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
GOPS Members can attend by registering for the meeting; Core Group members do not need to register. For best results, plan to use a computer or tablet equipped with a camera and microphone. Information on how to enter the meeting will be provided to registrants in their Confirmation and Reminder emails.
SBVC - Santa Barbara Pride Festival
Saturday, August 27, 2022
Greetings fellow Great Outdoors Members!
After a COVID hiatus of two years, our old favorite the Pacific Pride Festival is returning to Santa Barbara! As always, your Great Outdoors will be manning an information booth/table, along with many other community organizations represented, along with entertainment and food! So come on down and check out a beautiful day of Pride out in the sunshine!
The particulars:
When: Saturday August 27th, 11AM
Where: Chase-Palm Park-on Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara
Cost: FREE!
Also, if you’re interested in helping out for a few hours with the GO info table, please let me know ASAP okay? As I always say, many hands make light work! So lets make this a light work day, and spread the work among a bunch of members! Hehe
Either as a volunteer, or just as an attendee, come on down and check out the first SB Pride in two years folks! See you there!
-Joe
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SBVC - Picnic with Flying Club
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Greetings Fellow Great Outdoors Members!
It’s that time of the summer again! The weather’s nice, the sun's out, and it's a perfect day for flying, so, we’re having the annual Flying Club Potluck Picnic! We’ll be having lunch with our friends from Unusual Attitudes, the LGBT flying club..
As always, GO will be providing the ‘meat and potatoes’ (burgers, hot dogs, and fixings) for the picnic, so you’re not ‘required’ to bring a dish, but, something to share would be an EXCELLENT thing, right??? So if you want to bring ‘Mom’s County Fair Prize Winning Apple Pie’, I say, HECK YEAH!!
So, the particulars:
When: August 28th, 11AM
Where: Goleta Beach Park
Cost: Free to all! (But, donations are appreciated, and the jar will be out folks!)
Registration isn’t required, but as it will help to have a good headcount, please register!
So bring your sunscreen, beach towel, or folding chair and come on down to the beach and enjoy a nice sunny afternoon with your friends at Goleta Beach!
See you there!
Our first planning meeting at Manhattan In The Desert restaurant 6 pm.
We have the back room reserved.
Our second planning meeting is set for Oct 2.
Do you have ideas for camping trips and outings? Have you discovered a great adventure or a hidden gem?
In addition to overnight trips, we are also interested in ideas for day activities such as hikes, educational outings, tours, winter events, kayaking, backpacking, 4x4 outings, volunteer work projects, and any activity that would be of interest to the group.
We are also looking for speakers and programs for our monthly meetings and welcome your suggestions.
FYI, we'll be taking the results of this meeting with us to the October all-chapter Great Outdoors planning conference, where we'll match up calendars with the other chapters and finalize the 2023 trips for all 5 chapters.
We are also looking for new Trip Leaders. If you are interested let us know. You can work with a Trip Leader as an assistant in planning and leading a trip. We also have a one day Trip Leader training program scheduled for Saturday November 12, 2022.
Location address will be in your confirmation/reminder emails.
Contact Scott Connelly click here with your ideas and suggestion which will be considered at a planning session.
Special COVID Related RequirementsThis event requires all attendees to be fully vaccinated.
SBVC - Monthly Membership Meeting
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Great Outdoors monthly meeting is at Creekside Restaurant, 4444 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara.
6:00pm for Core Group Meeting
7:00pm for General Membership Meeting
View the menu at https://www.thecreeksidesb.com/
We look forward to seeing you and getting re-acquainted. Come find out what we have planned this year, and what we are all about!
Please RSVP if you are coming.
Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, the GOPS Monthly Core Group Meeting is being held as an on-line meeting of the Core Group Members, and is available to the public. The Core Group members will meet in an on-line meeting starting at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
This is our second and final planning meeting.
The Wait Is Over!
We’re celebrating Honky Tonk style!
Put on your Western attire as we gather to Camp It Up!
Overview
The conference is a campout consisting of all the Great Outdoors chapters.
We anticipate this selling out quickly so make your reservation NOW!
Held annually in October, GO OCLB is proud to host this year’s event!
The campout this year is going to be remarkable!
Delayed the past several years due to the pandemic and wildfires, we’re eager to reunite, reconnect, and celebrate!
Venue
O’Neill Regional Park is a major regional park in northeast Orange County, located along Trabuco Creek and Live Oak Canyon. Centrally located for the convenience of all Chapters!
The park encompasses 4,500 acres of canyon and riparian zone habitat. Heavily wooded with coastal live oak and sycamore trees, the hillsides surrounding the park feature cactus, wild buckwheat, sagebrush, and chaparral.
O’Neill Regional Park includes campgrounds and trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
We are camping at the Sycamore Flat Group Site.
Registration
Event fee: $75/person for Great Outdoors Members. Non-members must first join Great Outdoors ($25) before registering. For a second person in the same tent registration is $60 and in the same vehicle as the primary person.
RV & Tow Trailer Driver: $90/person. RV & Tow Trailer passenger same vehicle: $60/person
Electronic payment for the event fee is accepted on the GO website. No cash or paper check, please.
The number of vehicles will limit capacity. Carpooling is highly encouraged because there is no overnight overflow parking. There is limited space for RVs and tow trailers.
Cancellations and refunds: No refunds are granted for cancellations received after 9/16/22. There will be a $10 cancellation fee charged if cancelled by 09/16/2022.
What are you waiting for?
Don't just sit there!
Registration is Open!
Itinerary
This three-day, two-night campout begins at 4 pm on Fri. 10/14 at Sycamore Site D. Please avoid arriving early to allow GO OCLB time to set up the event. There will be welcome refreshments, a meet and greet, and a group campfire. Dinner is on your own. Join us for a movie night under the stars featuring a campy gay Western film.
Sycamore Site D is the headquarters for this campout. Gather here for hosted meals, the potluck, the quarterly board meeting and to hear announcements.
Sat. 10/15- 8 am-ish: Hot breakfast hosted by GO OCLB. A vegan option will be available.
After breakfast, many activities include a locally-led hike, area sightseeing, and a quarterly board meeting for chapter reps. Lunch is on your own. Please return by late afternoon (~5 pm) to prepare a country western-inspired dish for the big Saturday dinner potluck (~6 pm). GO OCLB will provide dessert.
Do dress up in Western attire for dinner. Best dressed wins a prize! After dinner, gather around the campfire for the chapter volunteer awards ceremony and raffle drawing.
Sun. 10/16- 8 am-ish: Continental breakfast hosted by GO OCLB. Vegan option will be available. Break camp, saddle up, and safe travels home. The campout ends at noon.
Campground Details
Amenities: Potable water, Showers, Flush toilets, Picnic Tables, and Fire rings.
Features: Nature center and amphitheater.
Parking: GO OCLB event volunteers to help guide tandem parking.
Directions:
From LA, SB/VC, Palm Springs, and northern OC- Get on Interstate 5 South, drive to Laguna Hills, and exit 91 at El Toro Road. Turn left at Avenida de la Carlota. Turn left at El Toro Road. Drive 7.7 miles eastbound on El Toro Road past Valley Vista (on your right, see cross light) then Ridgeline (on your left, see cross light). Past Ridgeline, stay on the right lane. You will reach a Y-intersection where El Toro splits left into Santiago Cyn Rd, and right turns into Live Oak Cyn Rd. Veer right into Live Oak Cyn Rd. Cook’s Corner café at the Y-intersection will be on your left. Drive 3.5 miles on Live Oak Cyn Rd to O’Neill Regional Park entrance (address: 30892 Trabuco Cyn Rd. Trabuco Cyn, CA). Follow signs to Sycamore Flat Group Site. RV and tow trailer campers, please proceed to the designated site.
From San Diego and south OC: Get on Interstate 5 North, drive to Laguna Hills, and exit 91 at El Toro Road. Stay in the right lane. Turn right at El Toro Road. Drive 7.7 miles eastbound on El Toro Road past Valley Vista (on your right, see cross light) and Ridgeline (on your left, see cross light). Past Ridgeline, stay on the right lane. You will reach a Y-intersection where El Toro splits left into Santiago Cyn Rd, and right turns into Live Oak Cyn Rd. Veer right into Live Oak Cyn Rd. Cook’s Corner café at the Y-intersection will be on your left. Drive 3.5 miles on Live Oak Cyn Rd to O’Neill Regional Park entrance (address: 30892 Trabuco Cyn Rd. Trabuco Cyn, CA). Follow signs to Sycamore Flat Group Site. RV and tow trailer campers, please proceed to the designated site.
Pets: Dogs permitted on leash. Please clean up after your pet.
Quiet time: 10pm to 7am
RV sites & Tow Trailer sites- Limited pull-through and back-in sites are available. Water is available on-site, but there are no electric hookups. A dump station is accessible. Generator hours are from 8 am to 8 pm.
Alcohol is prohibited at O’Neill Regional Park.
No fires of any kind will be allowed on red flag days or as posted.
What to Bring
Obviously The 10 Essentials.
Recommended Gear: Tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, ear plugs, pillow, chair, camp stove with fuel and cooking utensils, lighter or matches, camp kitchen supplies, headlight or flashlight with batteries, cool and warm weather clothing, toiletries kit, hiking shoes, camp shoes, day pack, hat, sunglasses, and sunblock. Bring quarters to use the showers.
Food: Bring enough food for your Friday dinner, Saturday lunch, and dinner potluck item.
To reduce waste, bring your reusable plate, cup, and utensils. Single-use plates, cups, and utensils are available if needed.
Area Info:
There are nearby grocery stores for any forgotten items.
Weather
October average high temp: 80 F, average low temp: 56 F. October average rainfall: 0.6 inches. No snow.
Show Your Pride Raffle!
Show your pride in the backcountry and support GO OCLB! Buy a raffle ticket to win the Marmot Yolla Bolly 30 sleeping bag!
Details: Light 3-season sleeping bag with plenty of room to roll around*, 650 fill duck down to keep you warm to freezing temperatures, and it features a semi-rectangular shape with a full-length zipper. ISO comfort rating: 32 F, lower limit: 21 F.
The sleeping bag comes with a stuff sack measuring 8 x 16 inches. Claimed weight: 2 lbs. 3.5 oz. Activity: weekend camping and backpacking.
*Hunky model not included to roll around within the sleeping bag.
Special COVID Related Requirements:
These may be updated/amended by the time of the event.
Participants must comply with the following requirements as a condition of registering for this event:
I will follow Federal, State, and local COVID guidelines as well as the directions of the event leader(s).
I will not attend if feeling ill or have any symptoms of COVID.
I will contact Trip Leader if I test positive for COVID within 14 days of the event.
‘I Accept’ and will comply with these requirements as a condition of participating in this event.
Any questions?
Contact: Michael at BoardRep-OCLB@GreatOutdoors.org
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