Weekends — Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve. Docent-led walks are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. Day use fee is $4.32 per person, age 16 and older. Groups of 10 or more should schedule a separate tour. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region4/elkhorn.html.
Mondays (except holidays) — Volunteer Stewardship Field Crew Mondays at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Royal Oaks (95076), 10 a.m. to noon. Help preserve natural habitat by doing seed collection, planting, trail maintenance and weeding introduced species. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region4/elkhorn.html or www.elkhornslough.org.
Weekends — Guided Wildlife Tours at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Gray
Weekends — CDFW Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. Tours are available each month October through February. They are timed to begin in the late afternoon when the crane “fly-in” for the evening roost can be observed. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/cranetour/ or call (209) 234-3435. Tours fill quickly. Self-guided tours are also available to view the cranes and other wetland birds.
Saturdays — Swan Tours in Yuba County, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The event explores an area called District 10, a 23,000-acre expanse of privately owned rice fields and restored habitat. This area boasts one of the largest seasonal concentrations of tundra swans in the Central Valley as well as a variety of other species, including ducks, geese, shorebirds, herons, egrets and raptors. For more information, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/2/swantours/