Lake Berryessa Park Rangers Connect with 817 Youth and Adults in July 2016

Written by: Jennifer Onufer

Non-interactive image of Lake Berryessa Park Ranger with visitors at Oak Shores Day Use Area.In July 2016, Lake Berryessa Park Rangers led 439 visitors in Ranger-guided activities around Lake Berryessa and met with 378 attendees at the California State Fair and the Solano County Fair for a total of 817 individual contacts!

Joining Park Rangers at the Monticello Dam for the Saturday afternoon “Meet a Park Ranger” program continues to be a popular activity in spite of July’s hot temperatures. During the get-togethers, participants learned about the history of the Berryessa Valley and how Lake Berryessa’s water is used today. Many took the opportunity to obtain the Rangers’ assistance in planning future visits to the lake.

Rangers Erica Calvo and Victoria Payan developed a popular Water Safety Program as part of the Sunday afternoon Ranger programs at the Oak Shores Day Use Area. In July, Park Rangers instructed 39 participants in recognizing distressed swimmers and practiced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills.

In addition to the Park Rangers’ regular programs, they had numerous opportunities to engage the public at the California State Fair in Sacramento and the Solano County Fair in Vallejo, California. The Rangers interacted with more than 350 fairgoers, educating them about outdoor recreation opportunities, sharing ideas for water conservation, and challenging families to estimate the amount of water needed to grow their favorite foods. The Rangers look forward to hatching new ideas for fairs coming up this winter. They also greatly appreciate the support of their colleagues at New Melones Lake and at the Solano County Water Agency who helped organize these opportunities.

Lake Berryessa Park Rangers will continue to present programs at Monticello Dam and Oak Shores Day Use Area on weekends throughout the summer. Upcoming topics at Oak Shores will include introductions to bats and birds as well as Water Safety and CPR. Please contact the Park Ranger Office at 707-966-2111 ext. 113 (TTY 800-877-8339) for details on upcoming programs.

Published on August 15, 2016