Mark your calendars for October 24, 2026 for a day spent on the beautiful Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area! Spend a memorable day observing spawning Chinook salmon and capturing your experience through nature journaling. Explore the Shasta River and discover the importance of local habitat restoration efforts while learning about the salmon life cycle and the fascinating ecology and geology that shape this unique region.
There’s no better way to enjoy a Saturday than in California’s incredible landscapes with your fellow community members and neighbors. The event is FREE. Event is not ADA accessible. All ages are welcome (and encouraged) – bring the whole family!
● 10:00am — Fish prints
● 10:30am — Geology of Shasta Valley, Geology of Shasta Valley, Professor Bill Hirt, College of Siskiyou, Biological and Physical Sciences, Emeritus
● 11:30am — Fish dissection
● 12:15pm — Salmon life cycle & data, presented by Kurt Bainbridge, Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist, CDFW
● 1:00pm — Fish dissection
● 1:45pm — Nature journaling, with Kayla Marie Figard, Mt. Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center
CalTrout is co-sponsoring the event with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in partnership with the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation, Karuk Tribe, Siskiyou Science Festival, Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center, and The Nature Conservancy.
Where: Shasta River, Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area, E Louie Rd, Montague, CA 96064; Google Maps coordinates 41.588079, -122.441916
Admission Price: Free
If you have any questions, please contact ShastaEvents@caltrout.org
BONUS OPPORTUNITY:
As part of Big Springs Community Day, you can join First 5 Siskiyou and Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center for their second fall field trip for young kids and their families! The theme is salmon. You will learn about salmon ecology through songs, a story, a sensory walk, and fish prints. All activities can be done as a family and are designed with a range of ages in mind. We’ll explore our local ecology, learn about plants and animals, and how everything is interconnected.
Register for this event seperately:
