Hi Campers and Staff! Summer 2025 was an extraordinary success and as we wind down into closing weekend on Oct 10th – 12th,  we wanted to pass on a heartfelt congratulations to the staff, leadership and City of Berkeley for a great job and fabulous summer.

Camp had more campers return than ever since the fire, and the feedback FOBTC received in our survey was outstanding. The kitchen and food service was a huge hit, along with all the programming, staff show, and facility!

Friends Weekend over Labor Day sold out for the 4th consecutive year, and we had more campers than ever! We raised funds to bring high school groups to camp for Nature Stewardship Weekends, and also to help improve Shade by the River! We raised over $25K for that effort, and summer 2026 will benefit from these improvements!

Last weekend we hosted a group of 50 students/teachers from Berkeley High – first time at camp – to do service projects and get introduced to Camp. It was an amazing success! Huge thanks to Board members Meka Tull, Phil Klingelhofer, Janet Sowers and her family for their leadership and involvement.

Closing Weekend is here. The City is looking for a new Camp Manager. Staff are having a great time and learning a lot, and returning, and more people are coming to camp each summer.

We are truly blessed to have Camp back in our lives, and the gratefulness is palpable! Great work City Staff! and thank you to everyone who came to camp this summer!

September 13, 2024: With matching support from a National Forest Foundation grant, more high school students came to camp for the very first time, participating in Closing Weekend at Camp this year!

20 seniors from Invictus High School (a public charter school) came to Berkeley Tuolumne Camp to learn more about nature stewardship, and they had time to enjoy traditional camp activities such as playing in a volleyball tournament, swimming in the river, hiking in the forest, tie dying, and just enjoying being in nature.

The students learned a whole lot . . . and made a significant contribution managing the camp’s plant health and trail maintenance.

Adrian Wilson, FOBTC trails Committee Member and environmental educator taught the new students about local native plants, as well as how to identify and remove the invasive ones. Instead of just “weed whacking” the area, the students worked to reduce the impact of aggressive weeds (by removing them from their roots) while leaving intact beneficial species for erosion control and wildlife.

And, like their predecessors before, after being introduced to Camp, some of the students are now interested in returning to camp as staff and CITS for summer 2025!

Thanks to the National Forest Service for providing matching funding to help pay for bus transportation, food, housing, incentives to succeed, and all the necessary supplies. We are deeply grateful for the Foundation’s efforts to spark an interest in forest stewardship among traditionally overlooked youth populations.

Last, but not least, thanks to all of YOU generous FOBTC supporters! Because of YOU, our Camp community is growing and the trees we all love are growing.

Here are the students working on the area around the cabins above main Camp!

The Friends are excited to announce that, with matching support from a National Forest Foundation grant, 22 Richmond, CA high school students are participating in Stewardship Weekends at Camp this year!

22 rising seniors from Invictus High School (a public charter school) came to Berkeley Tuolumne Camp over Memorial Day to participate in Work Weekend. They had ample time to enjoy traditional camp activities such as playing in a volleyball tournament, swimming in the river, hiking in the forest, tie dying, and just enjoying being in nature.

The students also learned a whole lot . . . and made a significant contribution toward the ongoing work that will be required to bring the forest back to Camp.

Janet Sowers, FOBTC Board Member, environmental educator and Trails Committee member taught the students about local native plants, as well as how to identify and remove the invasive ones. Instead of just “weed whacking” the area, the students worked to reduce the impact of aggressive weeds (by removing them from their roots) while leaving intact beneficial species for erosion control and wildlife.

The students removed over 90 large bags of weeds! . . . and all the Camper volunteers who were present for Work Weekend sent them “Around the Hall” in appreciation of their efforts!

We’re excited to report the students had such a great experience that they will be returning for Closing Weekend (September 13 – 15).

We’re also thrilled to report that, after being introduced to Camp, some of the students applied for staff and CIT positions this summer!

Special thanks to Janet Sowers for working with the students and to FOBTC Board Member and DEI Committee Chair Meka Tull. Meka works at Invictus High School and coordinated the students and two paid staff chaperones.

Thanks, too, to the National Forest Service for providing matching funding to help pay for bus transportation, food, housing, incentives to succeed, and all the necessary supplies. We are deeply grateful for the Foundation’s efforts to spark an interest in forest stewardship among traditionally overlooked youth populations.

Last, but not least, thanks to all of YOU generous FOBTC supporters! Because of YOU, our Camp community is growing and the trees we all love are growing.

Here are the students at the end of Work Weekend! And one of their students made friends with a local snake!

Join Friends, Campers and Staff as we celebrate that Camp Tuolumne is back in our lives, and we have so much to be thankful for!

Music, dinner from Banderas Latin Kitchen, and excellent wine from Urban Legend, and all of our camper community to celebrate the summer ahead!

This event is outside, under the stars and on the waterfront, with views of SF Bay!

Lets raise The Tuolumne Spirit and raise funds for transforming Lower Beach into a space with new badminton courts!

As we enter year 3 of the New Era of Camp – there’s so much great news about the direction we’re headed into, as well as lots to do to enhance the experience at camp.