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Experience Level

Easy

Hiking

4-5 miles/day

Elevation

8,600 feet

Registration Fee

$149

Yosemite Field School: Butterflies & Pollinators

Program Overview: Pollinators not only help humans survive, but they also help us live our lives beautifully and in abundance. Life on earth is possible because of birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, bees, wasps, and other creatures who are integral to pollinating flora. The health of plants is integral to the health of all living creatures, for plants give us sustenance, provide us with materials, hold the soil together, combat climate change, and purify our air.

Come visit the miraculous alpine meadows of Yosemite National Park to learn about the science of pollination and spend time sitting in stillness, gazing in wonder at the myriad pollinators that fly around us every day, completing the great work that makes our world go round. Pollination is all around us and zooming in to the tiny world of pollinators expands beyond what we thought possible. You will learn about the secret life of bats and the bizarrely beautiful transformations of butterflies.

Naturalist guide Marina Hansen will take you on an embodied journey of science and nature, so when you return to your home ecosystem and munch on a fruit or vegetable, you will see the botanical world in completely new and wonderful ways.

Know Before You Go:

  • Program date: Friday, July 28, evening meeting 5pm-6:30pm. Full day of hiking and instruction Saturday, July 29, 9am-4pm.
  • Program location: Tuolumne Meadows area
  • What’s included: An evening meeting, and one full day of guided instruction by a Yosemite Naturalist, park entry (as needed), and shared tent camping (camping dates cannot be altered). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
  • Camping dates: Participants can arrive on July 28 after 12pm and depart July 30 by 11am. There are three shared campsites among all the participants. We guarantee tent camping only. If you choose to bring a recreational vehicle, we cannot guarantee you will have a parking spot. Please be prepared to tent camp. A picnic table, bear locker and firepit are provided at each site. Campsites fit 6 people per site.
  • Campground Location: White Wolf
  • Lodging: Upgrade to Tuolumne Meadows Lodge for an additional fee. Lodging dates match camping dates. Lodging blocks expire 30 days prior to the program. Details on using our Group Code will be emailed to you immediately after you register.
  • Experience level: All levels welcome.

What’s not included:

  • Gear or meals during your program.
  • Camping gear or meals in the shared campsites.
  • Transportation.

View a suggested packing list.