Beckwourth, CA – The Feather River Land Trust (FRLT), along with partners The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Northern Sierra Partnership (NSP), welcomes the public to the grand opening of the Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center on Saturday, December 7. The event will take place from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and include a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Guests are invited to explore a variety of interactive exhibits indoors, as well as scenic viewpoints and interpretive trails around the grounds of the Nature Center. FRLT requests that those interested in attending the grand opening event RSVP at frlt.org/grand-opening to receive a more detailed itinerary and help FRLT anticipate attendance. The day’s activities will take place indoors and outdoors, rain or shine!
The Sierra Valley Preserve is the only place in the wide expanse of Sierra Valley that is open for the public to get out into the valley and explore. FRLT worked together with local landowners, the Northern Sierra Partnership, and The Nature Conservancy over many years to assemble the 2,575-acre Sierra Valley Preserve, strategically located where the braided channels through the Sierra Valley wetlands converge to form the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork Feather River. In 2019, FRLT acquired the most recent addition—the 50-acre Marshall property on the northwest corner of the Preserve, which is the location for the new Nature Center.
The Nature Center at the Sierra Valley Preserve has two large, light-filled rooms: an exhibit hall introducing visitors to Sierra Valley’s natural wonders and cultural history and a multipurpose events space for programs and activities. Outside the Nature Center, and around the rest of the Preserve, are patios and picnic areas for taking in expansive views, an accessible wildlife overlook (still under construction), several trails (including accessible trails at each of the Preserve’s three entrances), and an outdoor classroom. The new facilities also include headquarters for FRLT staff to offer public programs, manage and maintain trails and visitor amenities, and for the ecological stewardship and restoration of the Preserve’s diverse habitats and resources.
FRLT’s Public Programs Manager, Jenna Holland, has crafted a robust year-round calendar of events, educational programs, and volunteer opportunities for locals and visitors alike. This includes K-12 lessons and field trips for schoolchildren that correspond with both California and Nevada state standards, created in collaboration with Rob Wade, FRLT’s Learning Landscapes Coordinator, and Will Richardson of the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science. FRLT is already welcoming local students for field trips at the Preserve and will soon be expanding opportunities for students and schools across the wider region.
With this incredible new facility and exciting programming, the Sierra Valley Preserve and Nature Center is an outstanding new destination for nature-based tourism that will benefit our local economy. It is a place for learning and recreation and a space for people to share ideas and collaborate, from landowners, to local organizations and community members, to schools, public agencies, scientific institutions and all who have a shared investment in sustaining healthy ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada, and the future of our rural communities.
After the grand opening event, the Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center will be open Thursday through Sunday to the public. Please check frlt.org/sierra-valley-preserve for hours and conditions before your visit. The trails and outdoor facilities are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
