Debbie Croft: Now’s the perfect time for an outdoors getaway

There’s so much to see and do this time of year in the Sierra communities. The landscape has awakened after nature’s winter repose, making this the best season for planning a day trip or an extended getaway.

▪ The Bria Skonberg Quartet will appear at the Columbia College Dogwood Theater on Monday at 7 p.m. Skonberg is a young and rising jazz trumpet player, composer and singer who currently resides in New York City. This award-winning musician performs at major clubs and festivals around the world, and programs music education workshops. She volunteers at the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens, N.Y., and is a co-producer of the New York Hot Jazz Festival.

Monday’s concert will also include performances by the college big band and singers. Columbia College’s Jazz Series director Rod Harris says, “The concert will feature a wide variety of music including Dixieland and swing era hit songs.”

Tickets are $15 and available until Monday at the Mountain Bookshop at the Junction in Sonora or at the college bookstore. Tickets can also be purchased by calling (209) 588-5126 and at the door.

▪ Next week in Columbia, Gold Rush history turns 165 years old. The historic town and state park will celebrate gold discovery in 1800s style. On March 27 at noon cake and punch will be served, and costumed docents will lead tours of the buildings and grounds.

Tours of the town will be given and shops will be open every weekend as well. These events and parking are free. The park is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com.

▪ The Yosemite Area Audubon Society holds regularly scheduled birding walks, hikes and overnight field trips. Next month, two excursions are on the calendar:

The White Rock Road hike will provide some of the best views of birds and wildflowers in Mariposa County. On April 11, participants will meet at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds at 7:45 a.m.

On April 15-16, birdwatchers will meet in Bishop for a trip near Aspendell in hopes of seeing native birds of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.

For more information about these events and more, visit www.yosemiteaudubon.org or call (209) 966-2547 or (209) 742-5579.

▪ The Yosemite Gateway Partners quarterly meeting takes place on April 9. Guests are invited to arrive at 9 a.m. for networking. Presentations begin at 10 a.m. with an hour break for lunch. The cost is $20.

The meeting will be held in the Garden Terrace Room of Yosemite Lodge in the valley of – where else – Yosemite National Park.

“Tourism and Hospitality in the Gateways” is the theme. Contact bobasquith@yahoo.com or call (209) 962-7900 for details, or visit www.yosemitegatewaypartners.org.

▪ The year 2014 was the third-driest on California record for over a century. Sponsored by Mariposa master gardeners, Regina Hirsch will conduct a free workshop on water conservation on April 11.

Hirsch is the founder of Sierra Watershed Progressive, a resource-based think tank. After decades of study, she has developed plans and the means to keep Californians from running dry.

The workshop will focus on conservation methods for different topographies, including the use of drought-tolerant plants, gray water and water-saving irrigation techniques. How to save rainwater and prevent runoff also will be discussed.

The workshop will be held at Hacienda de Don Pedro, 5182 Fuente de Flores, in La Grange, from 10 a.m. to noon. Please register by calling (209) 966-2417 or click on the link at http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener.

▪ The Yosemite Conservancy has announced its Outdoor Adventures for 2015. Grown-up summer camp, backpacking for beginners, photography, bird watching and hikes into the high country are just a few of the guided adventures offered this year. More than 60 programs will be led by local experts.

“Yosemite Conservancy’s Outdoor Adventures provide unique ways to see, learn and experience the park, and inspire people to care for one of the world’s natural treasures,” said Frank Dean, president of the conservancy. “Visitors to the park are discovering that some of the best things to do involve organized small-group adventures.”

Space is limited to 15 participants to ensure a personalized park experience.

Customized adventures are also possible. Registrations and inquiries can be made at www.yosemiteconservancy.org/outdoor-adventures or by calling (209) 379-2317, ext. 10.

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Debbie Croft: Now’s the perfect time for an outdoors getaway."