2009 Motherlode Guide School

Motherlode just completed a week long guide school with 14 participants!

Motherlode Guide school fully encompasses every detail on water and off water that a professional and competent River Guide needs to know.

For on Water, the students got to spend 5 consecutive days on the river. Day 1 & 2 consisted of learning the basics on the individual Lower Gorge and then Chili Bar sections of the river. On day 3 our trainees got to experience the the difference between a class III and IV river as they set off on the Middlefork of the American. And day 5 & 6 the participants were put to the test with 2 days of full rivers (Both Chili Bar and Lower Gorge in one day) taking turns guiding the raft with little to no help at all from the experienced guides that had been training them all week.

On the water, techniques such as reading water, boat handling, on water safety, and attentiveness to guests needs were highly emphasized.

Off water is where a good amount of learning takes place as well. Off the water, our guides in training learn all about Preparation! Trip preparation, safety preparation, and meal preparation. They were all soon to find out that the majority of work being a professional riverguide takes place off of the water.

After 5 days with the Motherlode staff, The trainees were turned over to Sierra Rescue to complete a 2 day Swift water Rescue course where they were able to learn and practice various river rescue techniques and further recognize the safety needs associated with being on moving water. For more information on future guide schools with Motherlode, Click Here.

California Academy of Sciences

Mother Lode staff recently visited the new Exhibit about Climate change in California and building green at the California Academy of Sciences.

Mother Lode River Center currently is in the process of integrating a new curriculum on Sustainable Practices. This trip to the museum was a perfect way for our staff to get better insight and more learning tools.

The Exhibit featured:
-Calculating your own carbon footprint (from what you eat to how you live your day to day life)
-The future effects of the change in climate on California (from carbon emissions)
-Examples of building green
-Techniques to harness green energy
-And too much more for myself to explain, Go see it yourself!

The California Academy of Sciences also includes a full aquarium, IMAX style Solarium, an Eco bubble that replicates Borneo and Madagascar rain forest zones, and the Living Green Rooftop!

2009 Gold Rushers!

Our Gold Rush History program has been quite an exciting one so far this summer! Schools visiting Motherlode not only get to enjoy a tour of the Coloma Gold Rush History Park, but also some fun and challenging adventures here at the Motherlode River Center.

While at the Coloma State Park, we get to experience the past come to life! Our knowledgeable staff takes you on a tour from the native Nisenan Indians homes and grinding sites to the Gold Rush, visiting Sutter's Mill and sites like the original Chinese store! While touring around the park, we are also able to experience and learn in an actual working Blacksmiths shop, and are joined by park volunteers telling stories and reenacting the era!

Back at camp, we have had authentic activities such as shelter building, dutch oven cooking, and gold panning! We also get to experience acorn grinding on site at Motherlode's very own authentic Grinding Rocks, created by the Nisenan thousands of years ago.