Shasta Environmental Alliance

05/31/2026

Species Features May:
California Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor hirsuta
AND
California Pipevine, Aristolochia californica

Stacey: At this time of year, you can find me on the Sacramento River Trail, lovingly relocating these spicy little caterpillars off the trail and out of harm’s way on to a patch of California Dutchman’s Pipevine. If you have been out in about in nature this time of year as well then you have likely also seen seen these little guys (adult or caterpillar stage). These insects are endemic to California and have a close personal relationship with our California Pipevine, in that eggs are laid on the underside of pipe leaves and after the eggs hatch, larvae begin feeding on the tender young shoots, in fact these caterpillars feed exclusively on the plant, making the plant a host plant for the species...

Ren: This month we’re doing a special rerun of California Pipevine in order to investigate the life cycles of two species: Aristolochia californica and Battus philenor hirsuta
My personal goal to document the stages of our pipevine plant began in late January, and continues into May. The first to appear were the pipe-shaped flowers, filled with tiny insects, dangling from vines climbing up oak branches and crawling over brambles. Then the leaves began to outnumber the flowers; green hearts covering the ground. A beacon for the only creature able to withstand their toxic nature: Battus philenor hirsuta. The California Pipevine Swallowtail is black and blue with white markings and orange dots along the bottom of its wings. They exclusively lay their eggs on California Pipevine, which will hatch within 4-10 days.
The first pipevine swallowtail that caught my eye was on March 1st, and their numbers exploded soon after. My mission continued...

To read more about our Featured Species please subscribe to our newsletter on our website:

ecoshasta.org/subscribe/

(Timeline Photography by Ren Redlich, Drawing from the journal of Ren Redlich, Image Credit: Biologist Tim Wong)

05/30/2026

We are proudly participating in Whiskeytown’s Adopt-A-Swim Beach clean-up program, and we invite you to join us in showing our beloved recreation park some TLC. We have committed to at least one morning during each of the summer months to roll up our sleeves, put on some gloves and clean up our adopted swim beach. We hope you’ll join us in our efforts to provide safe clean beaches for summer recreating. Donuts may be involved!

All materials will be supplied by WNRA, all we have to do is show up with our can-do attitude. To volunteer please fill out this FORM: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forms.gle/GHJpeDaGTrmtSDSi6&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1780254619420123&usg=AOvVaw2CnSyeBe-vhYYPEthz7KUR

*Whiskeytown requires their own forms to sign in order to participate, they will be provided prior to the event

For questions contact [email protected].

05/30/2026

Time to learn about ✨~Bugs~ ✨

Sorry to bug you... do you have any weekend plans?

On Saturday, May 30 from 10am - 12pm, discover the big role tiny insects play in our aquatic ecosystem and how they survive in a bug- eat-bug world. Join AmeriCorps member Kristina Krajcik from the Western Shasta RCD for a family friendly day of turning over rocks, wading in the stream, or simply watching from the shore. We’ll spend the day sampling for aquatic invertebrates and explore the mysteries of the underwater world. We will bring extra nets and tools to allow guests, big and small, the opportunity to gather insects.

Wear shoes that can get wet and stay securely on your feet - flip flops discouraged.

Event info: https://horsetownclearcreekpreserve.org/events/wading-into-the-water-the-hidden-world-of-aquatic-insects-2/

05/04/2026

05/01/2026

Bike Month Challenge starts today!!

🚲 If you're looking for a group to join, click the link below and join us on a ride... enjoy the clean air, and keep it that way by using a zero-emission vehicle: the bicycle!

Love to Ride is all about getting more people enjoying and discovering how easy and fun riding a bike can be. Whether you ride all the time, or you're new to riding, join the Love to Ride community, help grow cycling, make our neighborhoods more bike friendly, have some fun with your friends and win...

10/04/2025

Families in the Forest event!

When: October 26 @ 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Join SEA volunteers Holly White-Wolfe and Juliet Malik for a special educational outing designed for families with young children. The event is designed for children, their siblings, parents, grandparents or other caregivers to enjoy together.

We’ll explore the benefits of time in nature by stimulating our senses with sights, sounds, scents, and other soothing qualities of the natural world. Studies suggest that just two hours per week in nature is linked to better health and well-being. Nature can help reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and boost overall well-being.

We’ll take a break for story time on our picnic blankets. Our special guest, a local gnome, will share how to identify local mountains, waters, and plants. He’ll guide us through how we can start to notice more together.

Come along with us while we build a sense of belonging to a community that cares for its ecosystem.

For details, questions, and registration please contact: [email protected]

09/29/2025

Happy Water Year 2026!
October 1 marks the beginning of California’s new Water Year (WY). Water years run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year.

As of today, most major California reservoirs have a little above average water storage.

Because of the ENSO cycle and climate change, it’s hard to predict how much water we’ll get this winter.
What’s your guess for WY 2026: wet, dry, or average?

By Jay Lund October 1 marks the beginning of California’s new Water Year (WY). Water years here run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year and are named for the calendar year o…

09/23/2025

Trip Report: Nature Walk and Bioblitz at Whiskeytown NRA

Our trip to Lower Brandy Creek Trail in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area was a success!

We reached our goal on this trip which was to upload at least 30 species to iNaturalist as a part of celebrating California Biodiversity Week. This bioblitz event was in support of the state’s 30x30 initiative to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.

Many of us walked away with over 40 or 50 observations in our phone’s photo gallery and we didn’t even make it a full mile up the trail. Some “research grade” observations (identifications at species level by two or more people) we logged include serpentine fern (Aspidotis densa), hairy brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum pubescens), Pacific poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii), green bird grasshopper (Schistocerca shoshone), giant chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata), scarlet monkeyflower (Erythranthe cardinalis), and a mama mule deer and two fawns (Odocoileus hemionus).

While preserving our region’s biodiversity is a task too large for an individual or a small group, the coming together and sharing of curiosity, experience, passions, concerns, knowledge, and ideas is the foundation for meaningful change.

Be sure to follow us for future field trips. You can also find event listings on our website: ecoshasta.org (link in bio)

PC: Doug Mandel, Juliet Malik, Ren Redlich