2018 Grebe Festival
Field Trips and Activities

Check out last year's trips below. 
2018 trips will be posted in the summer so check back here and sign up for our emails for updates.

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Also check out our free activities

Field Trip Descriptions

Click on the 2018 field trip/activity title links below for more details. Please check the trip details for information on meeting place and time. Many trips will meet at Festival Headquarters (Almanor Recreation Center), but not all trips. 

*Activity Level

1. Wheelchair accessible.
2. Easy walking, fairly flat, two hours or under.      
3. Moderate, uneven terrain, some distance involved, longer than two hours.
4. Pontoon boat, water travel. Sun & wind protection needed.
5. Kayak, ability to paddle with rests for two hours. Sun protection & water.

FRIDAY, August 24, 2018

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Trip #	Trip/Activity	Time	Leader	Activity Level*	Price	Special Notes
1	NEW! Photography Workshop: See the Picture, Take the Picture (#1)	8:00am-10:00am	Betty Bishop	2	$22	-
2	NEW! Botany and Birding at Willow Lake	8:30am-11:00am	Kirsten Bovee and Kelby Gardiner	3	$22	-
3	Pontoon Boat Tour (#1)	9:00am-11:30am	Brad Graevs	1 and 4	$35	-
4	Pontoon Boat Tour (#2)	12:00pm-2:30pm	Brad Graevs	1 and 4	$35	-
5	Documentary screening (#1): John James Audubon: The Birds of America	3:00pm-4:30pm	Mt. Lassen Theatre	1	$8	-
6	NEW! Banquet and Keynote Speaker	6:00pm-8:00pm	Dr. Gary Ivey	1	$45	No children under 12 please
7	NEW! Owls Around the Lake	7:45pm-10:00pm	Rachael Bauer	3	$22	-

SATURDAY, August 25, 2018

Trip #	Trip/Activity	Time	Leader	Activity Level*	Price	Special Notes
43	New! Birding by Sight and Sound at Susanville Ranch Park	7:00am-11:00am	Dan Lipp	3	$22	-
8	Kayak Tour Northshore Lake Almanor (#1)	7:30am-10:00am	David Hamilton	5	$30	2 double kayaks available by request
9	Humbug Valley Tour of Ancestral Lands of the Mountain Maidu	7:30am-2:30pm	Ken Holbrook and Shelton Douthit	3	$45	-
10	Pontoon Boat Tour (#3)	8:00am-10:30am	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-
11	NEW! Photography Workshop: See the Picture, Take the Picture (#2)	8:00am-10:00am	Betty Bishop	2	$22	-
12	NEW! Birding in Lassen National Park	8:00am-11:00am	Kelly Cruce	3	$35	Must carpool to Park entrance in 3 cars or pay park entrance fee for your own vehicle
13	Working Lands for Wildlife Tour	8:30am-11:00am	Tiffany Russell, Breanna Owens	3	$22	-
14	Pontoon Boat Tour (#4)	9:00am-11:30am	Brad Graevs	1 and 4	$35	-
15	Olsen Barn Information Docent	9:00am-4:00pm	Feather River Land Trust docents​	2	FREE	No registration required
16	NEW! Plein Air Tours des Artistes	9:00am-12:00pm	Sally Posner, Barbara MacArthur, Jaquie Cordova	2	FREE	No registration required
17	Olsen Barn and Meadow Walk	9:00am-11:00am	Amber and Scott Edwards	3	$22	-
18	Field Journaling in Our Neighborhood Wildlands (Ages 5-12)	9:00am-12:00pm	Malcolm  Moniz	2	FREE	Must register. Children must be accompanied by an adult
19	Kayak Southwestern Shore Lake Almanor (#1)	10:00am-12:30pm	Courtney Gomola	5	$30	Personal kayaks encouraged
20	Pontoon Boat Tour (#5)	11:00am-1:30pm	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-
21	How to Draw a Better Bird (#1)	11:00pm-12:00pm	Harry Reeves	1	FREE	Must register
22	Pontoon Boat Tour (#6)	12:00pm-2:30pm	Brad Graevs	1 and 4	$35	-
23	How to Draw a Better Bird (#2)	1:00pm-2:00pm	Harry Reeves	1	FREE	Must register
24	Scoping from Shore	1:30pm-3:30pm	Amber and Scott Edwards	2	FREE	No registration required
25	Documentary Screening (#2): John James Audubon: The Birds of America	2:00pm-3:30pm	Mt. Lassen Theatre	1	$8	-
26	Pontoon Boar Tour (#7)	2:00pm-4:30pm	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-
27	NEW! Social Mixer and Silent Auction	5:30pm-8:30pm	-	1	FREE	No registration required

SUNDAY, August 26, 2018

Trip #	Trip/Activity	Time	Leader	Activity Level*	Price	Special Notes
28	Kayak Tour Northshore Lake Almanor (#2)	7:30am-10:00am	David Hamilton	5	$30	2 double kayaks available by request
29	NEW! Eagle Lake Walking Tour	9:00am - 11:00am	Lew & Kay Oring	2	FREE	Must register
30	Pontoon Boat Tour (#8)	8:00am-10:30am	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-
31	North Fork Feather River Riparian Bird Walk	8:00am-11:00pm	Colin Dillingham	2	$22	-
32	Big Meadows: Before There Was a Lake Almanor	9:00am-11:00am	Trina Cunningham	3	$22	-
33	Olsen Barn Information Docent	9:00am-2:00pm	Feather River Land Trust docents	2	FREE	No registration required
34	Kayak Southwestern Shore Lake Almanor (#2)	10:00am-12:30pm	Courtney Gomola	5	$30	Personal Kayaks encouraged
35	Pontoon Boat Tour (#9)	11:00am-1:30pm	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-
36	Introduction to Dragonfly Odeing	11:00am-12:00pm	Sandra Hunt-Von Arb	1	FREE	No registration required
37	Dragonfly Odeing Trip at Willow Lake	12:00pn-4:30pm	Sandra Hunt-Von Arb	3	$35	-
38	Scoping From Shore	1:00pm-3:00pm	Rotating Volunteers	2	FREE	No registration required
39	Day in the Park: Birding and Drawing	1:00pm-2:00pm	Volunteers	2	FREE	No registration required
40	Art Contest Award Ceremony	2:00pm-3:00pm	Volunteers	1	FREE	Ice Cream for kids
41	NEW! Almanor Bicycling Tour	2:00pm-3:00pm	Colby Elliot	3	$25	$20 personal bikes welcome/$30 if renting a bike from Bodfish Bicycles
42	Pontoon Boat Tour (#10)	2:00pm-4:30pm	David Arsenault	1 and 4	$35	-

Free / Low Cost Activities

There is also free information, activities, vendors, artwork, and prize drawings all weekend at the Festival Headquarters (Lake Almanor Recreation Center) at 102 Meadowbrook Loop in Chester.

Trip #	Trip/Activity	Day	Time	Leader/Location	Activity Level*	Special Notes
5	Documentary Screening (#1): John James Audubon: The Birds of America	Friday	3:00pm-4:30pm	Mt Lassen Theatre	1	Low Cost Activity: $8
15	Olsen Barn Information Docent	Saturday	9:00am-4:00pm	Feather River Land Trust docents	2	-
16	Plein Air Tour des Artistes	Saturday	9:00am-12:00pm	Sally Posner, Barbara MacArthur	2	-
18	Field Journaling in Our Neighborhood Wildlands (Ages: 5-12)	Saturday	9:00am-12:00pm	TBD	2	Must register. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
21	How to Draw a Better Bird (#1)	Saturday	11:00am-12:00pm	Harry Reeves	1	Must Register
23	How to Draw a Better Bird (#2)	Saturday	1:00pm-2:00pm	Harry Reeves	1	Must Register
24	Scoping from Shore	Saturday	1:30pm-3:30pm	Amer and Scott Edwards	2	-
25	Documentary Screening (#2): John James Audubon: The Birds of America	Saturday	2:00pm-3:30pm	Mt. Lassen Theatre	1	Low Cost Activity: $8
27	Social Mixer and Silent Auction	Saturday	5:30pm-8:30pm	Festival Headquarters	1	-
29	Eagle Lake Walking Tour	Sunday	9:00am - TBD	Lew Oring	2	Must Register
33	Olsen Barn Information Docent	Sunday	9:00am-2:00pm	Feather River Land Trust Docent	2	-
36	Introduction to Dragonfly Odeing	Sunday	11:00am-12:00pm	​Sandra Hunt-Von Arb	1	-
38	Scoping from Shore	Sunday	1:00pm-3:00pm	Rotating Volunteers	2	-
39	Day in the Park: Birding and Drawing	Sunday	1:00pm-2:00pm	Volunteers	2	-
40	Art Contest Award Ceremony	Sunday	2:00pm-3:00pm	Festival Headquarters	1	Ice Cream for kids

*Activity Level

1. Wheelchair accessible.
2. Easy walking, fairly flat, two hours or under.      
3. Moderate, uneven terrain, some distance involved, longer than two hours.
4. Pontoon boat, water travel. Sun & wind protection needed.
5. Kayak, ability to paddle with rests for two hours. Sun protection & water.

 2017 Schedule of Events Timetable

Waivers and Cancellation Policy

• Cancellation Policy
• Grebe Festival Waiver for Adults
• ​Grebe Festival Waiver- Parental Release for Youth

Important Information Regarding trips

Please arrive 30 minutes prior to scheduled trip to ensure everyone is checked in and all trips leave on time.  Anyone arriving after the field trip leader has left will not be able to participate in the event and will not be eligible for a refund.  All field trips have a limited number of participants.  Walk-in registration for some trips may be available on the weekend of the Festival.  Walk-in registrants MUST register at the Grebe Festival headquarters: Almanor Recreation Center, 102 Meadowbrook Loop, Chester, California 96020.
 
Most trips will be conducted rain or shine.  Only unsafe weather will cancel the boat trips (high winds, thunderstorms, etc.)  Please bring the following on your trip: layered clothing and clothing appropriate to weather conditions, comfortable shoes suitable to walking on uneven ground, binoculars and field guide (if you have them, some will be provided for children’s events), camera, snacks, water, sun protection, hat, jacket.

Tips & Etiquette 

Be courteous, pay attention to the leader, stay with the group, walk quietly and slowly, turn off electronic devices, do not disrupt the plants and animals that live where you are exploring, and always stay at least 300 feet away from nesting grebes.
 
Turn up your senses, look all around the sky and horizon including the tops of trees and the ground for traces of wildlife.  Remove litter and leave natural items where they belong.