Yokuts Group

Program Meetings

Program Meetings are held on the third Friday of every month. Programs are held at the Church social hall. Snacks and socializing at 6:45, programs begin at 7:00 p.m. Non-members are always welcome!
College Avenue Church of Christ, Fellowship Hall
1341 College Ave, Modesto
March 15, 2024
Laura Stokes: Impressions of Lake Atitlan, Guatamala, by a First-Time Visitor

Yokuts Program Chair Laura Stokes is a retired architectural engineer who settled in Modesto in 2014. She is an abstract painter and online gallerist. Her imagery of the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala reflects her background in these areas. Though new to birdwatching, Laura found much to document in her visit. Her presentation includes images of birds, flowers, villages, and weaving cooperatives, and she will discuss the deeply-held Mayan belief that the beauty of nature is an inextricable part of their daily lives.

April 19, 2024
Kathi Joye: Hiking Through History

Tuolumne County, like other California counties, is steeped in geologic and cultural history. Many of the day hikes along the highway 108 corridor reflect this rich past. Quite a number of hiking trails are in areas where evidence of distinct geologic events that formed and shaped the Sierra Nevada Mountains are on full display. A few trails pass by remnants of ancient Me-Wuk communities that  resided in the area to hunt, fish and gather. After gold was discovered in California, Tuolumne County was transformed in many ways as people from many nationalities poured into the area to try their hand at mining all of which is evident along a number of hiking trails particularly at the low to mid-elevations. The Hiking Through History will present a few examples of hikes in Tuolumne County that reflect its multi-faceted past.

Kathi Joye, a former science teacher and researcher, wrote the hiking books for the highway 108 corridor to serve as a resource for the community and visitors to the area so that they could access the beauty of Tuolumne County via hiking trails. She currently lives in Twain Harte and regularly hikes and runs the local trails with her dogs and also gets up into the high country to backpack each summer.

Kathi’s postcards and books “Day Hikes Along the Highway 108 Corridor” and “More Day Hikes Along the Highway 108 Corridor” will be for sale.

Postcards — $1.50 (cash/check), $1.70 (credit card)
Books — $21 (cash/check), $22 (credit card)


Celebrate Earth Day in the Park!
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Graceada Park: 401 Needham Ave, Modesto

Our Sierra Club Yokut’s Group will be tabling at the Earth Day in the Park Festival in Modesto. This event will be held at Graceada Park on Saturday April 20, 2024. This event helps our Yokut’s Group inform the public about the Sierra Club and its efforts to promote conservation, sustainability and recycling in a fun way. Our Planet is being ripped of its resources at an unsustainable rate. We have a Spin Wheel for children and adults to spin to learn about conservation, sustainability and recycling, everyone receives prizes for their participation.

Please bring your friends and family!

We need people to help staff the Sierra Club table. To sign up for a shift, call Milt at 209-535-1274. You don’t have to volunteer for the entire day, just for an hour or two at a time, and then you can be off to enjoy the festival!

Yokuts Group $1,000 Scholarship for 2024

The Yokuts Group Sierra Club $1000 Scholarship for 2024 is now open for applications to students who will be attending any accredited Community/Junior College or University in Fall 2024. These students must currently be enrolled in either a Stanislaus County High School or a Stanislaus County Community/Junior College or University.  

The application letter shall include a short essay on the applicant’s classwork and activities related to environmental stewardship. Download the document below for details and application instructions:

2024 YOKUTS Scholarship Application Details.docx195.82 KB

 

For more information, contact Laura Stokes: LauraHerdingCatsLLC@gmail.com or call (206) 371-4853.

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The Valley Habitat
A Joint Publication of the Yokuts Group of the Sierra Club & Stanislaus Audubon Society