Volcan Mountain Foundation

VMF is excited to share its Wildlife Imaging Team's program information and data analysis with the San Diego Management and Monitoring Program. Click the link to see VMF's online page on SDMMP's website. http://bit.ly/SDMMP-WIT To learn more about VMF's Wildlife Imaging Team, visit http://bit.ly/VMF-WIT

Julian resident and member of VMF’s Ambassadors Circle, author Richard Louv...

It is the right of every child.

Wild Wednesday at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center. These photos of striped skunks were taken from one of VMF's motion-detection wildlife cameras. Cameras are managed by volunteers as part of VMF's Wildlife Imaging Team (WIT). Fun Facts: Striped skunks live throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico.... Striped skunks are solitary animals who live in the abandoned dens of other mammals during the day or live in hollowed logs and brush piles. They prefer underground dens in colder winter climates. While not truly hibernating, striped skunks experience extended periods of inactivity during winter. Males breed with multiple females and are rejected by them after mating occurs. It takes three weeks for newborn kittens to open their eyes. The young follow their mom in a single file to observe how she forages and hunts. Striped skunks are omnivorous, eating insects, larvae, earthworms, grubs, rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi and nuts. Skunks are known for spraying an intense foul odor when they feel threatened. They can spray these noxious chemicals up to ten feet targeted precision. The odor that can be detected up to 3.5 miles. See more

Learn how to harvest and cook elderberries as we make elderberry chutney at VMF’s Volcan Mountain Nature Center. https://bit.ly/3oIhlxB

Wild Wednesday at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center. These photos of bobcats were taken from one of VMF's motion-detection wildlife cameras. Cameras are managed by volunteers as part of VMF's Wildlife Imaging Team (WIT). Fun Facts: Bobcats are carnivorous with a diet of rabbits, rodents, insects, birds, and even deer.... Bobcats are found throughout the United States and live where there is dense vegetation. A male’s territory range is 30 miles while a female’s range is five miles. Since females are very territorial, their habitat range never overlaps. Bobcats are solitary. Male bobcats do not play a role in raising kittens. Bobcats can jump up to 12 feet and have a top running speed of 30 miles per hour. See more

Message from Eric Jones, President Have you heard? It has been a very difficult year for many people. Perhaps you had to deal with challenges big and small that were not part of the plan. I know that to be true both in my personal life, and as a leader of the Volcan Mountain Foundation. At the same time we face the challenges, I have a strong feeling of gratitude for that which serves to balance the scales. Earlier in the year, VMF’s volunteers and staff were able to adjust ... quickly pivoting our education model to provide content to distance learners. Our work with local natural science groups continued, proving once again the value of the Volcan Mountains range as a biodiverse wilderness laboratory between coast and desert. This year also marked VMF’s latest land preservation success story. In April, we added an unspoiled chaparral-zone parcel with significant conservation values, and home to the Hulsea californica (San Diego sunflower) which falls under the guidelines of California's Endangered Species Act for protection. The message of the Volcan Mountains range as a place of discovery and inspiration continued with the help of the part-time residency program of the Marjorie and Joseph Rubenson Endowment for Arts and Science at Volcan Mountain. Especially in difficult times we have gratitude for those special places that that are constant. Places that will be preserved for all generations. Please consider a year-end gift to the Volcan Mountain Foundation: www.volcanmt.org/donate Watercolor of Volcan Mountain by James Hubbell.

The Julian Theater Company is offering up a holiday event to benefit Volcan Mountain Foundation and Julian Pathways, Inc. On Sunday the 20th, share in a Julian tradition by watching a broadcast of December 2019's production of "A Christmas Carol". You may just see some of your friends at VMF on stage! The online event is free, and you'll have the opportunity to donate to a worthy local cause, if you wish to express your support.... https://fb.me/e/3hmbcw4nI See more

Click to read about Fred and Phil Grand's recent donation to VMF of artifacts from their family's rich ranching and logging history on Volcan Mountain. We're grateful for the chance to share their family story and the much longer story of the area's human history, through our education program at VMF's Volcan Mountain Nature Center... https://www.volcanmt.org//grand-family-donates-logging-and

On #GivingTuesday, thank you for remembering the beautiful vistas and vital wild lands of San Diego County! Every dollar matters. Every donation today helps us continue conserving and protecting Volcan Mountain for ALL generations.