Upper Campus FOREST WALKS: Spring 2015

SAVE UPPER CAMPUS! We do these upper campus forest walks so that more people will know and care for the beautiful and irreplaceable things that could be lost to future UCSC development projects.

Download the calendar (with beautiful illustrations) at http://facebook.com/saveuppercampus and http://saveuppercampus.org (also for updates and more info!)

Walks are free and hosted by volunteers, with no University sponsorship. A project of Santa Cruz Forest Keepers. Have questions? Interested in leading a walk next quarter? email: forestkeepers [at] riseup.net

***Most walks (except as noted) meet at the gate at the top of the UCSC North Remote Parking Lot at the end of Heller Dr. above Kresge College. Note on UCSC locations: Parking is free on weekends, on weekdays it’s best to buy an all-day pass at the main UCSC entrance kiosk.

Saturday April 11th @ 2pm, North Remote
Song & Silence with River
A walk for listening to the sounds of the forest, and for singing and sharing songs. Rain cancels.

Sunday April 12th @ 2pm, North Remote
Wild Plant Medicine Herbal Teas Walk with Clarice
On this walk we will learn about the delicious and medicinal properties of some of the plants native to upper campus and make some awesome hot herbal teas! Bring a cup or jar! Rain cancels.

Sunday April 19th @ 1pm, North Remote
Wildflowers and More with Jesse
Lets enjoy the spring wildflowers and explore how they relate to local ecology by observing the soils they grow on, insects that pollinate them, and how they’re influenced by human impacts. Rain does not cancel.

Saturday April 25th @ 12 pm, North Remote
A Walk in the Wilderness with Lindsay
Come join us for a stroll in the Beautiful lands of UCSC’s Upper Campus. We will be going on a hike, taking our time to stop and appreciate the beauty we see along the path. Walk leader has experience in herbal medicine, so this will likely be a focus of the walk as well. Rain does not cancel.

Sunday May 3rd @ 10am, North Remote
Caretaking the Land Walk with Erik
Let’s take care of the place we love! Come out and work on a to be determined project that could include trail maintenance, trash pickup, or maybe something else. Rain cancels.

Full Moon: Sunday May 3rd @ 8pm, North Remote
Astronomy & Stargazing Evening Walk
Join “Cosmic Joe” Jordan (of NASA and the SETI Institute) for an evening of “true tall tales of the universe” as we explore the sky to observe and appreciate its lights, motions, colors, and phenomena. In addition to finding constellations and planets, we’ll learn about the connections between everyday life and the earliest moments of creation. On this particular night we’ll have a full moon, which will provide a special enchantment and a whole variety of interesting stories and concepts. Rain cancels.

Saturday May 9th @ 10am, North Remote
Forest Hike & Nature Games with David Please RSVP: space_case [at] riseup.net
We will hike through the forest and play nature awareness games. This will be more shared learning style - come prepared to share games you know! Walk leader will have games for adults and kids age 9+. If you have games to share with younger kids, that is welcome also. Rain cancels.

Sunday May 10th @ 12pm, Quarry Plaza
Making Radical Connections Between the Student Movement and Land Defense with Elena/Emma
Meet by the large rock at Quarry Plaza, Hagar Dr. & Steinhart Way, UCSC. Explore how the ongoing student struggle interrelates with and implicates the development of upper campus. We will talk about privatization, militarization, the history of the UC and its many actors, and the land that it resides on. Incorporated will be a discussion on how undeveloped campus lands are a unique site for human and nonhuman life and resistance. Rain does not cancel.

Saturday May 16th @ 2pm, North Remote
Exploratory Rambling with Clarice
A walk in which we will explore the land, follow what intrigues us and find some magical, beautiful places. Rain cancels.

Sunday May 17th @ 7pm, North Remote
New Moon Intention with Jesse James
A night walk where we will come together and ground as a group, then walk connecting with the new moon and darkness. We will listen for new moon intentions both personally and as a group, and finish the walk together sharing what we found. Dress warm. Rain cancels.

Sunday May 24th @ 11am, North Remote
Silent Stroll with Monica Please RSVP: msalandr [at] ucsc.edu
Let’s come together whisper-quiet, hiking the first half of this walk in silence and then we’ll decide together what to do with the second half. Please bring water! Rain cancels.

Monday May 25th @ 12pm, North Remote
How does oppression manifest in land defense struggles? with Anti-Oppression Crew
Join us as we kick off a series of discussions on intersectionality and land defense. How do race, class, gender, sexuality and ableism factor into the work we do? This walk will serve as a platform for further focused discussions of white supremacy, queerness, ableism, colonialism, patriarchy, and class conflict in the context of eco-defense. A walk with a discussion circle. Rain cancels.

Sunday May 31st @ 3pm, North Remote
Animal Tracking with Naali
Animal tracking is an ancient language our ancestors knew how to read! Let’s start to relearn to decipher the messages left by our forest friends. We might even play a game! *This is a quiet and at times silent walk. Please check in with yourself or your child about if that is possible for you. Heavy rain cancels.

Wednesday June 10th @ 8:30pm, Twin Gates (on Empire Grade)
Stargazing! with Penske
This is more of a sit than a walk! Cozy in for an evening of star facts, constellations and some of their stories! Bring warm clothes, blankets or chairs to sit on, and snacks or warm beverages to share! Rain or cloud cover cancels. Directions: Twin Gates is on Empire Grade about 2 miles past the West entrance of UCSC, where it intersects the main fire road/trail through UCSC, Chinquapin Rd. If driving, go up Empire Grade, past the Waldorf school, and look for a huge meadow with gates on either side of the road. There is some on-street parking on Empire Grade below the gates.

Thursday June 11th @ 12pm, North Remote
Exploring Upper Campus with an Artist’s Eye with Irene
You may have walked through Upper Campus before, but have you walked with your artist eyes on? Come co- create your experience as we appreciate the many textures, colors, and patterns alive in Upper Campus. We will also discuss the current plans for campus development resistance! Rain or Shine! Bring: Water & Journal & Open Mind.

Sunday June 14th @ 10am, North Remote
Orienteering/Cross Country Hike with David
We will learn basic compass skills, take maps and think of places we wanna go. We may be in for a long hike! So bring water, food and good shoes. Rain does not cancel.

***A reminder that you can download the calendar (with beautiful illustrations) at http://facebook.com/saveuppercampus and http://saveuppercampus.org (also for updates and more info!)***