Land Trust Smarty Pants Ride takes Blue Point by storm!
October 4th was an amazing day on Blue Point, just west of Excelsior. Thank you, Fran Cole, for organizing this fun ride, and for loaning me your sweet horse Grace, who was amazing, and very patient. Over twenty contestants and almost as many volunteers rode across...
WCB Approves Black Swan Acquisition
Yesterday was another great day for conservation along the lower Yuba River – the Wildlife Conservation Board approved the acquisition of Phase 2 of the Black Swan, 108 gorgeous acres between Highway 20 and the Yuba River. This means that to date almost 600 acres of...
Another great day for conservation at Excelsior!
Our good friends at the Bear-Yuba Land Trust are now the proud conservation-owners of 50 acres of the Black Swan, including the historic gold-bearing escarpments and wildlife-rich lakes. We’ll be working together on a trail through to the...
In the News and Online
- California Swan Festival: It’s not just for the birds
Chris Kaufman, Appeal-Democrat, November 14, 2015
- A “rewarding project”
Matthew Renda, The Union, Sept. 20, 2012 - Video: Black Swan land the Yuba River, Nevada County, CA
The Union, Sept. 19, 2012
- Land conservation benefits from economic downturn
Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 30, 2011 - Developers’ bust proves a boon for land trusts
Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 19. 2009 - The Excelsior Project on YouTube
- The Excelsior Project on Facebook – Become a Fan!
- Blog: The Excelsior Chronicles
- Photo Tour of The Excelsior Project – by Peter Rashkin
Additional resources about the region, local history and the environment
- Bear Yuba Land Trust
- Smartsville and Timbuctoo
Extensive excerpt of book by Kathleen Smith and Lane Parker, with many old photos - The Smartsville & Timbuctoo Project
- Smartsville Church Restoration Fund
- Calling Back the Salmon: Tsi Akim Maidu Tribe Celebrates Indigenous Peoples Days
- Giant Gold Machines – Hydraulic Mining
“Nature here reminds one of a princess fallen into the hands of robbers who cut off her fingers for the jewels she wears.” - Hydraulic mining – Wikipedia
- Hydraulic Gold Mining in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains