Camp Yosemite: Jul 26—Aug 07, 2008

A unique youth-oriented summertime program based in majestic Yosemite National Park in central California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Camp Yosemite, co-sponsored by the American Birding Association, offers young birders between the ages of 14 and 18 the unique opportunity to experience nature and the outdoors with their peers. Based out of three locations in the incomparable Yosemite National Park, the camp provides a comprehensive survey of the flora, fauna, and geology of central California's Sierra Nevada. Though the focus is on birdlife, campers will be exposed to all forms of nature.

Daily activities will be based around thorough exploration of each of the distinct regions we visit within Yosemite National Park. Campers will be educated on ecology, habitats, and ecosystems. Several lengthy hikes, birding field trips, and discussions will complement free time during which campers will have the luxury of exploring and discovering their natural surroundings on their own or in small groups.

Campers should expect to witness some of the finest mountain scenery in the world, in addition to many of the special birds of the riparian woodland, chaparral, and mountains of central California. A sampling of the many bird possibilities includes California and Mountain quail, Great Gray Owl, Black Swift, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Yellow-billed Magpie, California Thrasher, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. Other outstanding highlights include visits to at least two groves of Giant Sequoia, an 8-mile traipse into the heart of the Yosemite Valley, camping in the high country at Tuolumne Meadows, a trip across Saddlebag Lake into the Hoover Wilderness, and a grand finale excursion to the shores of Mono Lake.

Long activity-filled, learning-filled days emphasizing the birdlife and mountain habitats of Yosemite; lots of hiking and camping; elevations range from a few hundred to 11,500 feet; cool to cold mornings and warm days with afternoon thunderstorms.