Range Camp is at Elkus Ranch, Half Moon Bay! Information
What is Range Camp? Range Camp is a week long program for teens that consists of lectures, hands on ac-tivities, a ranch tour, BBQ at the beach, group pro-jects, a plant identification test, and a final exam. At the end of camp the three Top Campers are invited to represent CalPac SRM at the annual Society for Range Management’s High School Youth Forum.
During camp campers should expect to do hands on projects each day associated with lectures that
often includes digging a soils pit to examine and compare soils, hiking local trails to learn plant families and names, completing an inventory of a local stream to determine creek health, learning wildlife survey techniques, etc. On average, about 25 campers from across California and Hawaii attend
Range Camp is held in Half Moon Bay, California on the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center. Please note that applications should NOT be submitted directly to Elkus Ranch. For additional information regarding Elkus Ranch please visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/elkus_ranch/.
Eligibility. Age requirement: In order to be considered for Range Camp the applicant must still be in high school, but have completed the 9th grade by the start of camp. Students who will have graduated high school before Jan 2018 will not be eligible to attend the High School Youth Forum, in the event they win the Top Camper contest.
The camp fee is $500.00. This includes meals, lodging, recreation, and transportation costs while at camp. Transportation to camp from the camper’s home on Sunday and returning from camp on Friday is not included in the camp fee. Arrangements can be made with the camp staff to shuttle campers be-tween the camp and the San Francisco Airport or the Emeryville Train Station. Emergency medical insurance is provided through UCANR. Sponsorships are available, and New Sponsors are welcomed.
Application for Range Camp is on the Camp’s website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/rangecamp/
Camp Daily Life
Range camp involves lectures and activities, including a group project and presentation at the end of camp.
Example below is from previous years. Current year’s schedule may differ.
Sunday Arrival and Registration
GPS and Orienteering
Monday Introduction to Rangelands
Tour of Elkus Youth Ranch & Plant Collection
Tuesday Products and Uses of Rangelands: Livestock,
Wildlife, Recreation, Soils, Water, Fisheries Forestry and Vegetation
Wednesday Management and Improvement Techniques:
Water, Fencing, Seeding and Fertilization, and
Grazing Management Systems
Ranch Tour and Beach Barbeque
Thursday Public and Private Land Management
Comprehensive & Plant Identification
Field Projects: Range Production and Improvement, Erosion Control, Wildlife and Riparian Management
“Town Hall” Meeting – group presentations
Friday Graduation, Evaluation & Awards
CONTACTS rangecamp@ucanr.edu
Theresa Becchetti (209) 525-6800 tabecchetti@ucanr.edu
Julie Finzel (661) 868-6219 jafinzel@ucanr.edu