Hi Campers!

We had a great Town Hall Meeting on Feb 10th in Berkeley.
We were so impressed with campers showing up to get involved, lend their voices, and tell us their concerns.

We wanted to send out a recap as to what was discussed, for those that missed it. We had over 100 people sign up to come, so we know there was a lot of interest!

Here is a summary of what was discussed. Feel free to email me (scott@fobtc.com) with any specific questions, or if you’d like to be more involved with the Friends and how you might plug in…

Thank you!

Scott Gelfand and the Board of The Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the presentation below, we broke out into 4 groups – Fundraising, Political Strategy & Partnerships, Live Events & Community Engagement, and PR and Communications. Attendees went to whatever area interested them. The conversations were full and vibrant, and there were great ideas and passion. We hope to engage as many volunteers as want to be involved with us, and continue to do the work of keeping our camp community engaged and informed.

They gave us great ideas on giving campaigns and fundraising, special events like a Theme Day in the Park to bring us all together (they literally had dozens and dozens of fun ideas), PR to reach out to younger campers and get them involved (we have sinced launched an official Instagram page), and continuing and growing our advocacy and partnerships work to make sure we are educating and involving all the important legislators and decision makers.

Update on Camp and Current Status

The City, their Insurance Company, and the USFS are currently negotiating the Zoning and Master Plan areas.

Specifically: What can be built, where can it be built, and what insurance will pay for.

All 3 stakeholders are hopeful this process will be complete this spring/summer and an agreement will be signed.

This is a sensitive process, and a complex negotiation. But indications from the City staff are that it is going well and moving along in a good direction.

Big thanks to Scott Ferris for his leadership and stewardship of this.

 

 

 

Master Plan Process

›Once that agreement is made, a new Master Plan draft is created for feedback and a public process will ensue.

›FOBTC will help the City create venues for feedback and inclusion as much as possible.

›The City has retained 2M Associates for the next few years, and they have already been working on Camp re-designs for a few years now, and know the Camp VERY well.

›The goal would be to re-create the camp feel and footprint as best as we can.

›We’ll know more hopefully by this summer.

 

The Land, Trees & Logging

The Camp has had approx. 1400 hazardous trees removed in the Fall

››There is no work being done during the Winter.

››They will evaluate some trees (not many) in the Spring

›The goal for everyone is to leave as many trees as possible, of course.

No one is allowed to be on the Camp property. Harden Flat Rd. is open, but the camp property is closed. They will cite you for trespassing if caught on the property, and the city could have issues. Please do not go onto the camp property.

 

The Camp Business

›Sierra Family Camp expanded to 5 weeks of Family Camp this summer

›A larger staff size to improve family camp and keep the Tuolumne Spirit alive and well

›Thanks to Denise and Craig for their leadership and vision! Weeks are selling well, but there are still openings.

Sign up for Sierra Family Camp Today!
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FOBTC:   It’s Been a Very Busy 2014 – What we’ve done!

›Improved Camper Communication: we now are in communication with over 2300 campers via our email and Facebook page. Our goal is to double that so that we can keep everyone informed and educated and involved. We are expanding our web site, and our monthly communication.

›New Partnerships and Advocacy: we now attend and are a part of the powerful Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions partnership, the group that meets regularly with the US Forest Service. FOBTC now has a relationship with the US Forest Service and got a unanimous agreement to treat the 14.5 acres of Camp land as a unique part of the forest and to have a special prescription for reforestation. We are also partnering with the Tuolumne River Trust on events and issues relating to Camp and the South Fork of the Tuolumne River.

›Political Strategy: we have monthly meetings with Scott Ferris, the Director of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront who keeps us updated as to their negotiations. FOBTC meets with the Mayor’s office, Berkeley Council people, and all stakeholders who have an interest and connection to Camp to maintain healthy relationships and continue to advocate for the camp.

››Live Events & Engagement: we have done 8 live events in Berkeley since the fire, almost one every other month, to continue to engage the community and connect our campers, bringing The Camp Spirit to Berkeley. This is a vital role for FOBTC to play to keep our community strong.

›Fundraising: While not going full speed on fundraising until we have a Master Plan and a camp being built, we continue to do small fundraising so that we can continue to support family camp at Sierra Family Camp.

In the first summer at Echo Lake, we helped build the stage, and bought the sound system and lighting so that Sierra Family Camp could have the traditional Staff Show.

We bought and built over 25 Green Adirondack Chairs to create a Green Circle of Chairs.

We augmented the Ahwanee fund to give the staff an end-of-year dinner in Lake Tahoe.

We donated money for programming supplies – arts and crafts, and recreation program needs, so the camper experience would be supported.

We donated a small refrigerator for the D-Hall, and some other small items to enhance the staff needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOBTC 2015 – What we are working on! Please join us!

April 14th 7pm – 8:30pm  Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse
“The Rim Fire and the State of the Stanislaus Forest” – a USFS presentation and update on what YOU can do and how to get involved! This is a powerful presentation and one in which you’ll be amazed at. We’ll also present an update on Camp from the City of Berkeley.  Q & A will follow.

Saturday May 16th  1pm – 4pm  “A Day on the Tuolumne River” – a family canoe trip with Tuolumne River Trust

August 28th – 30th  Look for “The Blues Weekend” to re-surface

Sept 4th – 6th  Potential Labor Day Weekend at Echo Lake!
1st Annual Echo Lake Boat Regatta

Sept 12th   2nd Annual “Tee off for Tuolumne” Golf Tourney at Tilden Park

Dec 21st   Holiday Staff Show tradition at The Berkeley Rep’s Osher Studio

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January, 2015

While cleaning my closet last fall, fond memories of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp came flooding back after finding a trove of BTC tee shirts from past years. While I contemplated keeping them, the concept of Wabi-sabi sprang to mind. Not easy to define, Wabi-sabi represents a “comprehensive aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection”. It can also mean “a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing (brought on by an object)”. It acknowledges three simple realities: “nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect”. Wabi now refers also to rustic simplicity, or wisdom in natural simplicity. This reminded me of the spirit I associate with Tuolumne. With this in mind, I was inspired to simplify my closet, and to re-purpose the tee shirts into a BTC memory quilt.

I used many of our family shirts, and received quite a few donated shirts from other campers and staff. I am now about 2/3 of the way done. I want to finish the quilt this spring, and I need about ten more shirts to complete the total number of blocks needed.  Please look in your own closets, and donate additional shirts to Scott Gelfand, (scott@fobtc.com).

Thank you for donations; I hope to eventually see the quilt in the dining hall of BTC when it is rebuilt and opens once again.

Sincerely,
Beth Stone (30+ year camping history with BTC)

Hi dear Campers.. happy holidays to you and your family! What a busy year it has been for our beloved Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, and for the non-profit Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp! Here’s an end of year update and what is coming ahead in 2015.

Latest news regarding camp: The hazardous trees have been cut down at camp, and they’ve done a good job of being careful not to harm any camp land, and only remove the tagged trees. We were there with the Mayor and the City staff and USFS, making sure every effort to keep as many trees as possible was made. The road around camp is open now, but the property itself is closed to the public. You can see a lot from the road, but please, DO NOT trespass and go on Camp property.  We will present some photos in our February town hall meeting.

As we announced at The Staff Show last Monday night, negotiations and the Master Plan process are coming along and everyone involved (The City of Berkeley, the Insurance company and the US Forest Service) is positive and working together to get us back to that location. We will know a LOT more in the late spring/early summer hopefully, as this process gets completed. But for now, signs are very good and moving in the right direction for us. Hurray for the Scott Ferris and his City of Berkeley staff who are working SO hard on this.

The summer of 2014 found us a lovely temporary home at Sierra Family Camp, at Echo Lake in Tahoe, and what a beautiful camp it is! The City of Berkeley moved staff, programs and traditions there for 5 weeks of family camp in the effort to keep Camp Tuolumne families and staff continuing to enjoy the summer together. The weeks were sold out, and after some challenges and adjustments in a new environment, the general overall feedback was that it was lovely to be at CAMP together, and as the Staff Show sang, “Camp Spirit is Everywhere”.. it is in the friendships, the trees, the freezing cold water, and the green adirondack chairs…

 

There is still some availability to sign up for next summer!! Days are filling up, but you can get more information here: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/EchoLakeCamp/

2014 was a very big year for The Friends of Berkeley Camp!  5 new Board Members were added in the year as a few former Board members and founders moved to Emeritus Status, opening up positions for new energy and effort. Working with Board members who have been with the organization for 40 years, new Board President Steve Geahry guided the organization in updating its By-Laws and policies, creating new communication systems, organization tools and a new and improved web site.

This past November, FOBTC hired its first Executive Director in a part time capacity to continue to devote dedicated work time to the needs of the organization – advocacy with The National Forest Service, alliances with other stakeholders (City Camps, Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions, Tuolumne River Trust, other non-profit forest organizations, The City of Berkeley staff and policy makers), and the continuing effort to keep the Camp Community connected, informed, educated, and engaged.

In the summer and fall of 2014, FOBTC participated in the Rim Fire Recovery Technical Workshop in Sacramento, and in Sonora. We are at the table representing the voice of recreation camps and campers who come to enjoy the forest, reminding the Forest Service of the importance of our beloved Camp and its historical place in the Stanislaus National Forest. We were asked to be a part of the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions Group, thee advocacy and policy organization for the Stanislaus Forest. We found the USFS to be people who deeply care about the forest and environment, sympathetic to our loss, and allies in our mutual goal to rebuild at our old site. These relationships take time to build, but they are growing and maturing into excellent partners who have a similar dream.

Since the fire in August of 2013, FOBTC has organized many events to keep the Camp Spirit strong and alive:

In October at The Berkeley Rep (2013 Staff Show); in April at The Freight and Salvage (Table Night and Update from The Mayor of Berkeley); in August, the One Year Anniversary Campfire in Cordinices Park and the 1 yr Candlelight Vigil in the Park; in Sept, at Tilden Park the First Annual Tee Off for Tuolumne! and The Solano Stroll, parading behind a rolling green chair; and finally, last Monday  December 22nd, the 2014 Staff Show, The Wizard of Echo Lake, sold out at The Osher Studio in Berkeley. All of these events kept our camp community connected, singing our songs, reuniting our campers, and all conveniently here in Berkeley!

What’s ahead in 2015:

Tuesday Feb 10th 7pm – 9pm –  “Meet The Friends!” – a town hall meeting in Berkeley for the camper community to talk with and meet the Board of the Friends of Berkeley Camp and ask questions, get updates, express fears, concerns, issues, and be included in the process of rebuilding our camp. Location will be announced.

Coming in April –  “The State of The Stanislaus National Forest” – a presentation and update from the US Forest Service on our favorite forest after the Rim Fire, and how you can get involved if you want.

June, July, August – work weekend, Fish Camp, and Family Camp at Sierra Family Camp!!

Saturday September 5th – The 2nd Annual Tee Off For Tuolumne! Fundraiser and Dinner/Auction

We love your support and hope you will get involved with us to further our mission to rebuild camp. You can make an end of the year tax-deductible donation by clicking on the Donate Here button, and/or let us know your email address and how you’d like to get involved, from event help to web site to community organizing, to fundraising.

Have a great holidays everyone and we look forward to the sun rising on 2015 with enthusiasm and optimism!

You dream of me, and I’ll dream of you…..

Scott Gelfand – FOBTC Executive Director and The Board of the Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp

The Stanislaus National Forest is having an open house for the public to ask questions and get more informed regarding the reforestation process following the Rim Fire. All are welcome!

Open House Flyer for Dec. 16

This is next Tuesday in Sonora. I will be there representing FOBTC.

We are working on bringing the Forest Service staff to Berkeley in the Spring to do an update here so that our local campers who really want to be better educated and more involved in the process will have a chance to do that! But if you want information sooner, come to Sonora next Tuesday!!

Hi dear Campers!! Here is the latest report about the Rim Fire Recovery from our friends at The US Forest Service. Our goal is to keep everyone informed about the latest news regarding our precious Camp and forest, and the surrounding area.

Click Here for the USFS Final Fall Winter report